Gabriel Garzón-Montano: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Bobby Carter | May 26, 2017 — I was, admittedly, thrown for a loop when Gabriel Garzón-Montano told me that he wanted to perform unaccompanied, just him and a piano. The meticulousness of his work is clear on his debut album, Jardin, a three-year creative process in which Gabriel plays most of the instruments, tracking them to two-inch tape, layering its overall sound. Jardin takes its title as an umbrella; fruits, bugs and other plants are the driving metaphors tying together this dense work, which blooms over successive listens. Garzón-Montano doesn't necessarily wear his heart on his sleeve — he forces you to listen and peel the layers back.
Garzón-Montano's career trajectory veers wide — living with Philip Glass for a year while his late mother played in the composer's ensemble, sitting under the minimal maestro's piano as he practiced; Lenny Kravitz making possible his first tour experience; while Drake exposed Gabriel's sound to the masses.
That decision to go it alone at the Tiny Desk made sense, though, the moment he started to play; his talent is left elegantly exposed in this unadorned performance. He says his visit to the Tiny Desk "with just piano and vocal reminds me of what is lost when a song is fully produced and arranged — it was an exciting and vulnerable experience. I was nervous for this one."
Here then, are three songs from Jardin, along with the song that introduced Gabriel to the world... laid bare.
Jardín is available now:
iTunes:
Amazon:
Set List
"My Balloon"
"Long Ears"
"6 8"
"Crawl"
Musicians
Gabriel Garzón-Montano (vocals, piano)
Credits
Producers: Bobby Carter, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Morgan Noelle Smith; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.
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