Grammy-winning guitarist, producer, and Black Pumas co-founder Adrian Quesada has returned with details of his second album of 2022, Jaguar Sound. Out on November 18th via ATO Records, the instrumental offering follows Quesada’s tribute to Latin American balada music, Boleros Psicodélicos, released back in June.
Along with Tuesday’s announcement, the multi-instrumentalist shared the lead single, “Noble Metals”. The preview of the 12-track LP highlights the seemingly disparate influences that have guided Quesada’s lauded musical career as well as his latest studio pursuit. Steeped in everything from 1970s Italian film scores to the unique blend of psychedelic neo-soul that launched Black Pumas to stardom in 2019, “Noble Metals” is built around a globally-inspired groove that is the unique product of Adrian’s blend of interests.
“I just rode my bike every single day and listened to The Alchemist,” Quesada said of his childhood. “I’d come back home and crank out beats. Film scores and 1970s library music have always played a big part in my musical language as they paint a cinematic picture without words and that is very much something I draw influence from. It eventually got to the point where I wanted to bring them to life in my own way and turn them into songs. I started setting some aside that matched thematically, and I began recording live instrumentation. I find as I get older that sometimes I feel a responsibility to show the possibility to build bridges and coexist between different worlds. I want someone to discover something they normally wouldn’t entertain.”
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Jaguar Sound was inspired by the early days of the pandemic as well as Quesada’s experiences growing up on the border of multiple countries, cultures, and languages. The album was recorded at Adrian’s own Electric Deluxe studio in Austin, TX and hosts a guest appearance from Ikebe Shakedown on “Spirits”, as well as contributions from Neal Francis (piano), David Garza (keys), Mary Lattimore (harp), and an array of strings, horns, and percussion. Quesada produced, wrote, engineered, mixed, and largely performed the album, as he did for Boleros Psicodélicos earlier this year.
Check out “Noble Metals”, the lead single for the new Adrian Quesada album Jaguar Sound, available here for pre-order. Quesada is gearing up for a hometown set at Austin City Limits Festival on Saturday where he will be joined by featured Boleros Psicodélicos vocalists Angelica Garcia, Girl Ultra, iLe, Mireya Ramos, Natalia Clavier, Rudy De Anda, and Tita, as well as Clemente Castillo. Those same musicians will join him on Sunday at a taping for the 48th season of the PBS program Austin City Limits which will feature the live debut of multiple Jaguar Sound tracks.
Adrian Quesada – “Noble Metals” (Official Visualizer)
