Bobby Sanabria & The Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra: Kenya Revisited Live!!! (Jazzheads).
Professor Bobby delivers a marvelous tribute to the 1957 Machito Orchestra "Kenya" sessions by re-working the landmark Latin jazz album with his Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Orchestra. While repertoire renderings can sometimes fall short of the original classic recorded versions, it does not happen here. The distinguishing factor is the vibrant energy and superb musicality the young musicians bring to the performance. The up tempo mambo, "Frenzy," unleashes the pack of young lions who quickly set out to establish a qualitative standard of improvisational prowess that makes you go WOW! Candido Camero guests on "Kenya," "Wild Jungle," and "Tururato" and swings delightfully with the orchestra. But its the hits from the original "Kenya" album like "Holiday Mambo," "Cannonology," "Blues ala Machito," and "Tin Tin Deo" that make you savor the genius of the compositions and arrangements with a smile of enjoyment. Meticulously presented with a nuance of experience beyond the ages of the band members, "Kenya Revisited Live" is testament to Bobby Sanabria's exceptional teaching and musical abilities that shows that the art of the Latin big band is setting a foundation for the next generation. (JV)
Chembo Corniel & Grupo Chaworo: Things I Wanted To Do (Chemboro Records)Solid NYC Latin jazz is what Wilson "Chembo" Corniel delivers on his 4th album as a leader. "Things I Wanted To Do" gels with a nucleus cast of gifted musicians like Ivan Renta (sax), Elio Villafranca (piano), Carlos DeRosa (acoustic bass), Vince Cherico (trap drums) and Chembo (congas/perc.). The guest stars are impressive too and include Dave Samuels (vibes), Jimmy Bosch, and Pedro Martinez. .
The opener "Buena Gente" sets the tone for the album with a flowing hard-bop melody played over a medium up tempo with an Afro-Cuban 6/8 bridge. The pride Coamo, Puerto Rico, Renta delivers his lines with masterful clarity and fluidity and proves to be a spark for several highlights throughout the album. But its his rendering of the Bobby Collazo bolero, "Tenia Que Ser Asi," that simply is stunning and shows the depth of his talent.
Elio Villafranca's composition, "Habana," features the voice and Bata drums of Pedro Martinez, the extremely gifted Cuban percussionist now in New York, who guests on several tracks. Elio lays down a super solo on the piece showing his panache for utilizing complex jazz harmonies for his melodic invention But it‘s Vince Cherico who takes it home with an energetic trap drum solo demonstrating his multi-limb independence.
“Descarga Patato” features trombonist Jimmy Bosch, who wails ala Barry Rogers on the Latin jam dedicated to conga icon, Carlos “Patato” Valdes. Jimmy, Ivan and Helio shout out with short-but-sweet solos before Chembo bats clean up. With a chorus edging him on, he proves why his name is on the cover of this album. Clean, fast and perfectly in clave, Chembo shows that he is now the new conga hero carrying the torch of his mentors Tommy Lopez, Louie Bauzo and Ray Barretto.
Beautiful to the date is how Chembo selected a superb repertoire of original music by gifted but unsung composers like Hector Martignon, Marty Sheller, John Walsh, Zaccai Curtis, John DiMartino and several others. He makes the pieces his own though by exploring new textures using strings and accordion. This is Chembo’s best album to date and proves that with every new recording he releases he moves up the ladder as an extremely important force for the advancement and appreciation of Latin jazz. (JV)
Marty Sheller: Why Deny (PVR Records) It's hard to believe that, "Why Deny," is Marty Sheller's recording debut as a leader. As a trumpet player and arranger, he has contributed to an uncountable list of albums that on the Latin-side includes Mongo Santamaria (for whom he served as musical director), Sabu Martinez, Tito Puente, Willie Colon and many others. In the 1960s his musical skill made the Latin Jazz and Salsa music he worked on much hipper and earned him a well respected name as a writer-arranger in Jazz, Latin and commercial jingles.
The Sheller sound of today is humbly described by its creator as "jazz with a Latin feeling." But let me tell you, the jazz is burning and the Latin swinging! Marty gives us three original compositions, Wayne Shorter's, "Mahjong," the standard, "Sweet & Lovely," and the title-track original written by Bobby Porcelli. The music breathes freely with ample length that let the intriguing melodic themes and interludes unfold. It also gives the soloists plenty of space to improvise.
The cast on board are a seasoned and talented cast made up of Oscar Hernandez (piano), Ruben Rodriguez (bass), Steve Berrios (percussion), Vince Cherico (drums), Bob Franceschini (tenor sax), Bobby Porcelli (alto sax), Sam Burtis (trombone), Joe Morganelli (trumpet), and Chris Rogers (trumpet), the son of Barry Rogers.
Sheller's "The Route 40 Flyer" is a real cooker that opens the album with a bold statement that grooves between Latin and Jazz. Cherico drives the band with big band propulsion. Franceschini grabs the up-beat tempo and tames it with an energetic solo on tenor sax. "El Pavo" is a 6/8 piece that has that Mongo stamp on it and highlighted by Magnarelli. But its Bobby Porcelli, an old friend and colleague of Marty’s, who shines on several selections on alto sax.
This album is a must for serious jazz fans who dig in the pocket straight-ahead Jazz-Latin with virtuosic performances. There is an intrinsic beauty and style on “Why Deny” that reminds the listener of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver and yes the Mongo bands of the 1960s. The musicality is superb and a credit to the unsung talent of Marty Sheller who proves his place in jazz history as a master of his artistic craft. (JV)
Bobby Matos: Gratitude (Life Force Jazz) Timbalero-bandleader Bobby Matos delivers an assertive and rich fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms and hard-bop jazz on “Gratitude,” his latest for Dawan Muhammoud‘s Life Force Jazz label. Featuring his talented Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, the album conjures the feeling and influence of spirits like Miles Davis, Tito Puente, Lou Perez and John Coltrane. It opens with the jazz standards “All Blues” and “Autumn Leaves,” which includes special guests trumpeter Sal Marquez and vocalist, Dee Dee McNeil, and paves the way for some outstanding original compositions. “Bronx Trane” is one by Matos that serves as a vehicle for the improvisational creativity of Frank Fontaine, who is heard on tenor sax and bass clarinet. “Basses Loaded” spotlights the talents of bass players John B. Williams and Edwin Livingston as well as conga drummer Robertito Melendez. The Puente classic, “Mas Bajo,” and Lou Perez’s, “No Me Diga Mas,” are bailable gems that are impressively accented by the strings of Danny Weinstein, a marvelous contributor who also plays trombone. Overall, Matos give thanks on their mission to present some of the best Latin jazz on the Left Coast. (JV)
John Calloway: The Code (Bombo) For most of his career John Calloway has worked behind the scenes as an arranger, educator and multi-instrumentalist on flute and piano. It’s been six years since the release of his debut CD, “Diaspora,” but in-between that time he has worked with John Santos and the Machete Ensemble, The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble and countless Salsa bands. So to hear him on his own with the chains lifted off his creativity helps to unravel “The Code” of who Calloway really is. The streams that intersect and connect on this album range from Afro-Cuban, Gospel and most definitely Jazz. Dig his ballad presentation of the British lullaby, “Hush Little Baby,” with the prolific Marcus Shelby on acoustic bass. Oliver Nelson’s “Cascades” gets an uplifting Afro-Cuban treatment while Eddie Palmieri‘s “Nunca Contigo” gets a jazzy arrangement featuring Cuban songbird Barbara Valledares and the gifted Bay Area trumpeter Mike Olmos. There‘s an ambient texture to the arrangements that allow the pieces to float freely and give the soloists adequate solo space. The closer “Descarga Pa’ Dos Flautas” features Orlando ’Maraca’ Valle but falls short after timbalero Jesus Diaz takes an outstanding solo. The talent John Calloway has is prodigious but he is in need of wider recognition and appreciation for his art and craft. Perhaps “The Code” will break him into a wider arena but if musical realization and achievement is a goal here, he has certainly attained it. (JV)
Mark Weinstein: Con Alma (Jazzheads) In his musical trajectory Dr. Mark Weinstein played trombone with Eddie Palmieri and Larry Harlow in the 1970s hey-day of Salsa. His work is well represented on a slew of recordings now considered classics. But somewhere along the line he dropped the trombone and picked up the flute as his primary instrument. In 1996 he began recording on it and now, as his latest album attests, is a soulful expressionist on a variety of flutes. "Con Alma" is a Jazz Latin offering featuring Mark Levine (piano), Santi Debriano (bass), Mauricio Herrera (drums) and Pedrito Martinez (congas). The album presents eleven pieces with three original compositions contributed by the participants. The opener is an upbeat 6/8 piece written by Debriano titled, “Santi’s Africaleidescope” which introduces us to the intimate interplay of the combo but especially the musical connection between the Mark's. Compelling melodic invention, hard bop harmonies and tasteful rhythmic counterpoint unfold like leaves dropping from a tree in Autumn. The colors mix and blend into a natural mosaic that sparkles on “Con Alma,” “Crescent,” “Fee Fi Fo Fum,” and “Stella by Starlight.” One of my favorite pieces, “La Coneja Loca,” is a cha-cha written by Levine, that unfortunately got faded out too soon. Overall a superb album with intimate timbre and texture. (JV)
Jose Rizo’s Jazz On The Latin Side All Stars: Tambolero (Saungú ) Since Jose Rizo started assembling his Jazz On The Latin Side All Stars eight years ago, the ensemble has grown from a fun-but-loose descarga to an ensemble playing repertoire that is artistically rich and exemplary in its musicality. “Granizo” is an instrumental with stalwarts Justo Almario (tenor sax) and Joey De Leon (congas) who score with exceptional solos to open the eleven track album “Tambolero,” their fourth to date. From there every piece draws you in with a special character or example of top notch musicianship. The three flute texture is gorgeous on “Amanecer” with its infectious cha cha beat. There’s a little Charlie Parker (Ah Leu Cha), Wayne Shorter (Yes or No), and some Poncho Sanchez (Baila Mi Gente). But it’s the duality the band possesses to go from its jazz base to hard driving Salsa Dura that adds pizzazz to the mix. I would be amiss to not mention flautist Danilo Lozano whose sense of the classical, jazz and Cuban charanga adds a rainbow of color to various pieces. The great singer Freddie Crespo is a knockout too but especially on “Mama Vieja.” Overall, Jose Rizo is the overarching spirit, the owner of the team if you will, who inspires his musicians to play beyond category. But it’s his musical director Francisco Torres, who also arranged most of the pieces, that is the manager and breaks it down on the practice and playing field. For my money, J.R. y sus estrellas prove they are winners on “Tambloero” who have risen from playing sand lot ball to filling stadiums for one of the greatest Latin Jazz shows on the West Coast. (JV)
Bobby Sanabria: Big Band Urban Folk Tales (Jazzheads Records JH 1156) Trap drummer, percussionist, bandleader and educator, Bobby Sanabria is a modern day hero of Latin jazz. A veteran of the Mario Bauza Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra and a long string of other musical experiences, Bobby busts out with an artistic marvel that salutes the Latin big band and showcases who he is today as a musician and artistic leader. The opener is by Michael Phillip Mossman and titled, "57th St. Mambo." It features the composer on trumpet and Bobby, who drops lots of stick magic to welcome us in. Chris Washburne’s, “Pink,” is a delightful cha-cha-cha that follows and the cat’s meow (listen to the track and you’ll know what I mean). The bolero-ballad rendering of “Since I Fell For You” was arranged by the distinguished Ray Santos and features the soulful voice of Charenee Wade. “El Lider” is by the gifted boricua saxophonist Ricardo Pons who is featured on baritone sax. There are two compositions by Brazilian jazz master Hermeto Pascoal, a reworking of Frank Zappa’s “The Grand Wazoo,” and “Blues For Booty Shakers” which features Sanabria playing vibraphone ala Milt Jackson. For a Latin jazz lover like me this entire album is like a piece of freshly baked cake. Moist, sweet and filling. Tracks. 1. 57th St. Mambo, 2. Pink, 3. Since I Fell For You, 4. D Train, 5. El Lider, 6. El Ache De Sananbria En Moderacion, 7. Besame Mucho, 8. The Crab, 9. O Som Do Sol, 10. Blues For Booty Shakers, 11. The Grand Wazoo, 12. Obrigado Mestre. (JV)
Wilson “Chembo” Corniel: For The Rest Of Your Life (Chemboro Records) On this second album with his band Chaworo, percussionist-bandleader Chembo Corniel delivers New York City Latin jazz with a seasoned combo who wail on ten supercharged tunes. "Chaworo En La Calle" was especially composed for Chembo by trumpeter John Walsh and is an up tempo mix of Afro-Cuban rumba with a hard bop flair. Pedrito Martinez guests on vocals. "Nuyorican Groove" comes next and was written by musical director Ivan Renta who is featured on tenor sax. "Rejuvenate" was contributed by alto saxophonist Bobby Porcelli who wrote it and displays his virtuosity on it. The legendary drummer/vocalist Grady Tate sings a bolero-ballad rendering of “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life.” One of my faves is “Puerto Padre” by the legendary Cuban pianist Emiliano Salvador and includes Oriente Lopez, of AfroCuba fame, on flute. One of the top Latin jazz releases of 2007! Tracks. 1. Chaworo En La Calle, 2. Nuyrican Groove, 3. Melodies, 4. Rejuvenate, 5. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life, 6. Freedom Drive, 7. Puerto Padre, 8. Orunmila, 9. Sueña Negrito, 10. Moon Temple/Ochun. (JV)
John Ulloa: Rum & Smoke (Puro Records) A college professor by day and conga drummer by night, San Francisco percussionist John Ulloa steps out as a leader with a debut release he calls, "Rum & Smoke." Produced by Los Lobos drummer Cougar Estrada, (who also plays on the date), the album is a Latin jazz jam session with members of The Estrada Brothers Band from Southern California. The repertoire is largely standards like "Little Sunflower," "Moliendo Cafe," "Afro Blue," "Sofrito," "Manteca," “Besame Mucho” and others that feature Ruben Estrada, piano, Edmund Velasco, sax, Nate Birkey, trumpet, and Malcolm Ian Peters, bass. Quite enjoyable, the album showcases friends playing on timeless tunes, swinging and delivering solid solos. The rendering of Charles Mingus’ tune, “Moanin,’” is my favorite for Velasco’s excellent baritone sax playing and the joyous mambo bop arrangement. "Descarga Rum & Smoke" is an energetic tour-de-force con mucho montuno! Three bonus tracks are offered that include the phenomenal Bay Area pianist, Coto Pincheira. It's raw but the music is good, fun and jumping with great grooves! Tracks: 1. Little Sunflower, 2. Paz, 3. Moliendo Cafe, 4. Afro Blue, 5. Moanin', 6. Angelique, 7. Descarga Rum & Smoke, 9. Sofrito, 10. Manteca, 11. Besame Mucho. (JV)
Ray Barretto: Standards Rican-ditioned (Zoho ZM 200610) “Standards Rican-ditioned” was the last album ever recorded by jazz conga drummer Ray Barretto. Renown for his contribution’s to Salsa and Latin jazz, Ray always considered himself a jazz artist and actually stopped playing Latin dance music for many years. This album is a throwback to his days as a studio musician recording dates for Prestige, Blue Note, Riverside and Verve Records where he played on sessions with such greats as Kenny Burrell, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Red Garland, Lou Donaldson, Wes Montgomery and others. Here he is joined by John Benitez (bass), Hilton Ruiz (piano), David Sanchez (sax), Papo Vasquez (trombone), and Adam Cruz (drums) on a straight-ahead date full of wonderful standards performed by outstanding musicians of Boricua descent. The playing is exquisite and includes Ray’s son Chris on two tracks playing Alto Sax. It's also one of the last dates for Hilton Ruiz who died in New Orleans in 2006. Tracks: 1. Lean On Me, 2. Trav’lin’ Light, 3. Ivy, 4. Suddenly It’s Spring, 5. I Had The Craziest Dream, 6. Something To Live For, 7. Baby, Baby All The Time, 8. Brandy’s Blue, 9. Strange Music. (JV)
Afro Bop Alliance: Camino Nuevo (Jazz Maniacs) Afro Bop Alliance is a Washington DC-based Latin jazz combo that since their debut release in 2004, Encarnación, is showing that they are a force to be reckoned with. Recently this album, Camino Nuevo, was awarded the Best Latin Recording by the Washington Area Music Association. Understandably so as the septet is tight as nails in their ensemble delivery and lay down solid solos alongside special guests like Poncho Sanchez and Dave Samuels. For the most part, the repertoire presented here are jazz standards arranged for a three-horn frontline that showcase the talents of its collective membership. Joe McCarthy shines on "Seven Steps to Heaven" riffing nicely on the famous stop time Miles Davis theme on traps. Dave Samuels plays marimba alongside violinist Paula McCarthy on Chick Corea's, "Armando's Rhumba," for a beautiful textural shift. Poncho Sanchez guests on "Peruchín," a tune from his early days with Concord Records, and takes a strong driving solo. Saxophonist Luis Hernandez swoons on the bolero-ballad, "In Love in Vain," while Felix Contreras, the renowned National Public Radio correspondent, adds great sounds on congas and bongo. Tim Stanley (trumpet), Dan Drew (trombone), and Harry Appelbaum (piano) provide lots of ear candy with Max Murray (bass) anchoring the tunes. If you are a Latin jazz fan give this album a chance. Full of energy and swing, they are one of the best new groups ascending onto the national jazz scene and this album will certainly raise their profile as a quality Latin jazz ensemble. (JV)
