Paoli Mejias – De Jazzambia A Mi Tambor – El Concierto

Master percussionist Paoli Mejias belongs to a generation of artists who are redefining puertoricanness in musical terms with their artistry. Mixing diverse Afro-Caribbean styles with global rhythms, based upon traditional/popular puertorican music, bomba, plena, aguinaldo, and holding it all together within the realm of modern jazz, Paoli is at the forefront of creation of an exciting, recognizable sound. While watching this concert, “Paoli Mejias de Jazzambia [...]

Peter MacDonough – The Woo (Self produced – 2010)

The whole concept of Peter MacDonough’s album The Woo: A Latin Jazz Suite for Soprano Saxophone, from the cover art to the name of the songs is based on the movie The Wizard of Oz. Reinterpretations of movie songs is not something new in jazz, John Coltrane did it with My Favorite Things, a song from The Sound of Music. But what MacDonough did here is a Latin Jazz version of a complete movie soundtrack. And just as Coltrane did on My Favorite Things [...]

A Tribute to Carlos Garnett at the Panama Jazz Festival 2012

For nine consecutive years the Danilo Perez Foundation has celebrated the Panama Jazz Festival with the best of the jazz world. Precisely this week people in Panama City are celebrating the ninth edition of this festival which pays tribute to the Panamanian self-taught saxophonist Carlos Garnett, born in 1938. Mr. Garnett played with the most talented jazz musicians in the United States during the 60’s and 70’s, recording albums with legends like Charles Mingus [...]

Rick Arroyo – Mr. P (Arroyando Music – 2011)

Born in Bronx, NY, multi instrumentalist Rick Arroyo began playing piano at the age of 9, drums at age 11, congas, vibraphone at the age of 14 and has worked with some of the best Latin jazz musicians in the US. All that experience shows on his album Mr. P. The album starts with “Mr. P”, dedicated to master Puerto Rican pianist Eddie Palmieri. The “afinque” on this piece (afinque means playing tight) is reminiscent of the glory days of salsa music [...]

Spanish Harlem Orchestra in Toronto

Directly from “El Barrio” – New York
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
A Salsa Christmas
Toronto, December 9, 2011
at the Koerner Hall
Photographs by Atael Weissman.

Mundo: The World of Jane Bunnett

There are many possible descriptions of Jane Bunnett: Composer/bandleader/multi-instrumentalist/educator/festival organizer. Order of Canada recipient, five-time Juno Award winner and multiple Grammy nominee. Internationally acclaimed artist with a recording career spanning 24 years. Our preferred phrase is: fearless musical explorer. In tandem with her long-time partner in music and life, trumpeter/composer/producer Larry Cramer [...]

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Turns 10!

The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance announces that it will celebrate the 10th Anniversary season of the GRAMMY® Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), directed by Arturo O’Farrill, with a special program at Symphony Space on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, on January 20 & 21. Entitled "The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Turns 10," the program will showcase the ensemble performing a wide range of repertoire, spanning from their earliest Jazz at Lincoln Center [...]

More Noteworthy Recordings of 2011

Most fans, even aficionados of contemporary music, still only vaguely know the great trumpeter Claudio Roditi as the “Brazilian who joined Arturo Sandoval in Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra”. It is a pity that Roditi’s musical reputation rests on so narrow a spectrum in his enormous musical career. Few know, for instance, that Roditi was one of the first Brazilian musicians to relocate in the United States of America: in 1970 as a matter of fact [...]

Free Download: Hamilton de Holanda – Brasilianos 3

For a limited time you can download for FREE the new CD Brasilianos 3 by the Hamilton de Holanda Quintet. “This album could be called ‘New CHORO’. Or maybe ‘poetry of the sound’, even ‘Cinematograph’. The songs tell stories that do not need words to be spoken and lived. When the compositions are made, sometimes the scenario is the reason. At other times, melodies, rhythms and harmonies together are the simple reason to be transform into a new song [...]

Peter Schärli Trio w Ithamara Koorax – O Grande Amor (TCB Music)

Brazilian vocalist Ithamara Koorax and the Swiss trio of pianist Hans-Peter Pfammatter, Trumpeter Peter Schärli and bassist Thomas Dűrst work together to transcend any barriers of culture and physical distance. Switzerland, where the core of this group is from is not the first area one thinks about when considering Latin Jazz! These musicians are finely tuned with each other, particularly in the title cut, but why, oh why did they choose to leave out percussion [...]