T.K. Blue – Latin Bird (Motema Music – 2011)

The hypothesis that in Charlie “Bird” Parker’s music the cultures of the world collided may be new, even unheard of until now. The elemental polyrhythms of Africa were melded into the folk forms of America and both were glorified in the polyphony of European music as Bird soared. The alto saxophonist wrote and played like a pianist; sang like a choir of angels and broke endless boundaries creating a music so timeless and elastic that it will, no doubt, live forever [...]

The John Santos Sextet – Filosofía Caribeña, Vol. 1

John Santos wants to draw attention to the virtually institutionalized segregation between Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean communities. He has always been painfully aware of this and condemns it in more ways than one. The most damning condemnation of it is his daunting experiments to unify the two communities through the most extraordinary cultural collision: and that is through Filosofía Caribeña, Vol. 1. (Machete Records – 2011), a superb [...]

Reencuentros – Maraca and his Latin Jazz All Stars

Flutist, Orlando Valle, known to his followers as, “MARACA,” grew up in a musical environment. He took up the flute at an early age and was invited to join Irakere, one of Cuba’s most popular bands, at the age of twenty-two. During his six years with Irakere, he excelled as a flutist, keyboard player and arranger. To date Maraca has recorded nine albums as a leader, is the recipient of numerous awards, such as the 1st and 3rd national Composers [...]

Omar Sosa – Calma: Solo Piano &… (Otá Records – 2011)

If anything, Omar Sosa has always been a spiritual artist. Connected for generations with the practice of Santería, Sosa was surrounded by the worship together with a communion of saints, but in a truly Afro-centric manner. The particularly molten staccato of the batá drums has held sway in the melodic rhythms of his music. In fact, some of his finest earlier work has burst forth as out of a spiritual vortex shuffling with forthright swagger, churning in [...]

Jerry González y el Comando de la Clave (Sunnyside Records – 2011)

When considering living modern masters of the trumpet, ubiquitous in the world of brass, Wynton Marsalis comes to mind first; and Terence Blanchard perhaps, but certainly not Jerry González. This is a travesty, because in the warmth and bronzed glow of González’s sound there is a singular mystical majesty that deserves infinitely wider recognition than the trumpeter gets. Before the reason was that he played in an idiom that was more insular than [...]

Eddie Palmieri 50th Year Anniversary DVD

Dedicated to his wife, Iraida Palmieri, this long-awaited DVD (due to some technical issues its release was delayed a few years) serves two purposes. It celebrates 50 years of Eddie Palmieri’s prolific musical career (one of the most influential and acclaimed in Latin music). 50 years since Mr. Palmieri started to perform as a pianist, and 50 years since he formed his first band, Conjunto La Perfecta. Innovative, respected and adored by fans and peers alike [...]

Gonzalo Rubalcaba – Fé/Faith (5Passion – 2011)

The thin line between theology and art was blurred in ancient times and this was manifested in the Psalms and in the Song of Solomon—both forms of poetry set to music and completely absorbed by devotion, praise and worship. What characterized this form of poetry and music was the complete surrender of the intellect to the soul. Thus the utter beauty of this art was able to shine with sheer passion and soaring spirituality. This is what characterizes [...]

“Salsa al Parque” Festival 2011 – A Tribute to the Magical Joe Arroyo

Last weekend Bogotá, the Colombian capital, celebrated another edition of Salsa al Parque, one of the biggest salsa festivals in Latin America. This is the fourteenth time the “capitalinos” (people from Bogotá) enjoyed the great event of salsa rhythm. In this opportunity the festival paid a tribute to Joe Arroyo, the greatest Colombian performer of Caribbean music who passed away last month after suffering from multiorgan failure [...]

Yamandú Costa e Hamilton de Holanda – Live (Adventure Music)

When Brazil laughs, the world laughs with her. When she cries the world cries with her. No more is there greater evidence of this when the music of that majestic country is played, especially when musicians with the ingenuity of Heitor Villa Lobos, Pixinguinha, Guinga, Chico Buarque, Hermeto Pascoal, and Egberto Gismonti among others sing of her beauty and grand design. In that magnificent musical geometry and in the edifice of her epic tradition [...]

Daniel Smith – Bassoon Goes Latin Jazz (Summit Records – 2011)

The bassoon, that ubiquitous double-reed instrument, which featured prominently in the Baroque, Romantic and Classical eras of music, has been a relatively sparingly played—especially in solo settings—in the modern era. In jazz, which is all but synonymous with experimentalism, the bassoon has been very sparingly used. There are so few exponents of this odd, but beautiful instrument that wide gaps exist between Illinois Jacquet, Yusef Lateef and [...]