Review written by: Raul da Gama -

Elio Villafranca is one of the most exciting young trio of pianists to come out of Cuba in recent years; the other two being David Virelles and Aruán Ortiz. That number may well have been a quartet, had Arturo Stable chosen to remain a pianist—an instrument he started out with—before he chose percussion as his means of musical communication. But then again, Villafranca did begin his musical life as a percussionist before he chose the piano as his instrument. That both musicians appear to have chosen wisely is beyond doubt with the release of Dos y Más. Unusual maturity and erudition appear to flow through the music of this album and whether this is a result of the fact that each is sensitive to the demands and characteristics of the other’s instrument is a moot point here. However, the rarity and exquisite nature of their collaboration shines through and makes this more than merely an outstanding feature of this album. It also shows how four hands can multiply exponentially as Villafranca’s and Stable’s dazzle as they fly and move quietly and surreptitiously across keys and skins in a flurry of activity.

This is, quite simply, craftsmanship at its finest and it goes beyond mere technique, as the word “craftsmanship” may suggest. It is a matter of voices entwined like pirouetting DNA—gourds with hundreds of seeds; a chekere with a myriad seeds and shells; the glimmering swish of cymbals that accompany a dazzling arpeggio on the piano on “Yusa’s” and “Agua Marina”… These are just two examples of how magnetically attracted Villafranca and Stable are. The other outstanding aspect of the music is how inspired the compositions are. Although composed by two completely different minds the mindset appears to be almost inspirationally alike so that different and varied compositional pieces seem to have come from a person with two brains yet one personality. “1529” and “Alla”; “Saghezi” and “Vertiente” are compositions that are dramatically different on the face of it. The first and third are rhythmically complex and revel in that character; the second and fourth rely on melodic extravagance and dramatic harmonic polyphony than anything else. And yet they seem to be of one body; one soul.

Most beautiful and spectacular of all is the geometry of the compositions and the manner in which they unfold—a succession of lines, dance steps, airy curves, parabolas, sharp angles and wide elevations. Nowhere is this more superbly evident than on “1529”, a song of extreme subtle expression and dynamics and nuanced beauty for both pianist and percussionist. However, it is the gentle rousing emotion of “Cuba Linda” that stirs heart and soul. Both Villafranca, who composed the guaguancó and Stable, who anchors its stirring tide must have known this so that it must have been easy to end (sadly) this brilliant album on that note. The suspended animation might suggest something more is on the horizon in terms of a future collaboration and it is impossible to suggest how eagerly this is awaited.

Track Listing: 1. 1529; 2. Saghezi; 3. Alla; 4. Arara; 5. En la Colonia; 6. Vertiente; 7. A las Millas; 8. Yusa’s; 9. Agua Marina; 10. Cuba Linda.

Personnel: Elio Villafranca: piano, guataca, vocals; Arturo Stable: djembe, udu, dumbek, congas, bata, cajon, hand percussion, vocals; Igor Arias: lead vocals (10).

Related links: Elio Villafranca on the web: www.eliovillafranca.net
Arturo Stable on the web: www.arturostable.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama -

On Further Arrivals two forces of nature come together. One is the molten voice of Brian Lynch’s trumpet and the other is the very exciting European quartet that goes by the name: Bye-Ya! On the face of it this fine ensemble might appear to be a tribute to Thelonious Monk and, indeed, their chattering approach to music might well be the debt they owe to His Great Outness. However, the music dances to a Latin American rhythm and so, these three men and a woman are quite the singular musical entity, dancing to a beat that is all their own. And the more-than-passing-homage to Monk is clear from the spectacular “guaguanco” that is centered in his classic composition, “Evidence.”

Bye-Ya! gets its character from the supple bass of Mick Paauwe, a musician from the Netherlands, who—as Charles Mingus might has said—is one “nervy broad.” In fact, although she plays music in the Latin-American idiom here and elsewhere, Paauwe might owe her sinewy intonation as much to Mingus as she does to Andy Gonzalez from the mighty Fort Apache Band. Paauwe also has a voice that sings in harmony to Lynch’s trumpet with as much flair as she anchors the rest of the rhythm section in a manner that dances around the melodies with irresistible flair. The intention is not to dwell too much on the Monk chart, but this is very the center-piece of the album all the same.

Randal Corsen, the pianist and co-conspirator to Paauwe is the other lead voice in the group. Corsen is responsible for egging both Lynch and the bassist on as they twist and turn up and down the melodies, with solos that must heat up the lead-sheets to such an extent that they catch fire and burn as guaguanco, descarga, montuno and maracatu germinate and fertilize the musical seeds that explode and unfurl like gigantic Afro-Cuban and Amazonian whorls. Corsen has near-flawless technique and a robust tumbao. He also is brimful with ideas that seem to flow in dancing lines as they shuffle through the melodies. His soli are breathtaking and expressed with rippling intensity, best experienced on “Dance The Way You Want To.”

The two percussionists, Uruguayan-born drummer, Enrique Firpi and Jens Kerkhoff, the co-founder of this ensemble provide not just the shuffling rhythm, but also annunciate this with bold and subtle accents as the music demands. Both percussionists appear to feed off each other and in the culminating moments of “Arriba Abajo” raise their playing to an intensity that is stutteringly majestic.

Brian Lynch, who is well-known for his steamy Latin-American idiomatic phrasing revels in the volcanic atmosphere created by the other four musicians. Lynch recently released a spectacular album, Unsung Heroes: a tribute to some underappreciated trumpet masters, where he doffs his hat to such masters as Tommy Turrentine, Idrees Sulieman, Claudio Roditi, Kamau Adilfu, Howard Mcghee and Charles Tolliver. He is playing with sublime mastery and his chops are as fine as any of the masters to whom he pays homage. A long way off from his days as a Jazz Messenger, Lynch plays with unquenchable fire here as he scorches through his own charts, “Further Arrivals” and “Dance The Way You Want To” and through the rest of the program, providing a glorious, bronzed approach to the Latin rhythms of Bye-Ya! on their wonderful third album.

Track Listing: 1. Further Arrivals; 2. Descarga # 1; 3. Mellotone; 4. Tranquilidad; 5. Evidence; 6. Downunder; 7. Dance The Way You Want To; 8. Arriba Abajo.

Personnel: Brian Lynch: trumpet; Randal Corsen: piano; Mick Paauwe: baby bass; Jens Kerkhoff: percussion; Enrique Firpi: drums.

Related links: Bye-Ya! The Latin Jazz Quintet on the web: www.bye-ya.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama -

Of all the musicians who have contributed to keeping the repertoire of great Brazilian composers alive, Mario Adnet may be making the greatest contribution here. Like trombonist Roswell Rudd, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy and pianist Misha Mengleberg who gone to great lengths to keep the music of the great pianist and composer Herbie Nichols’ and (to a certain extent) Thelonious Monk’s repertoire alive, the guitarist Adnet has created some of the finest repertory albums of Brazilian music. His work to preserve and spread the music of Moacir Santos, ranks among the finest albums of Brazilian music to have been released as is his album of Baden Powell music and of course his Jobim Jazz album. To these he has now added More Jobim Jazz, another exquisite album produced by the Adventure label of Richard Zirinsky Jr. and Mike Marshall.

Mario Adnet may well be one of the finest living orchestrators in contemporary musical idioms outside what is still catalogued as classical music. He combines the skill of Gil Evans in his use of woodwinds and brass, with a stylish use of strings and percussion and although he has not written much for truly large ensembles he is easily the peer of the Duke, or at least the Duke Ellington of small and medium sized Brazilian ensembles. His elegant taste and his marvelous sense of colours and shades puts him in a secure place where the only other reigning musicians are The Duke, Gil Evans and George Russell. He has a sensibility that makes him to small ensembles what Respighi is to the large world of classical music. Such is his extraordinarily sharp ear for timbre and for the tonal spectrum of the instruments in the brass, woodwinds and certainly strings as well and it seems only a matter of time before he uses the larger family of strings—violins, violoncellos and multiple basses.

On More Jobim Jazz Adnet seems to have tapped into the soul of Jobim, just as he did before. Here, however he is more assured than ever before. This is evident from the sure-footed manner in which he has paced the music, using tempi that are marginally quicker than the Master himself. “Wave” is a wonderful example. On lesser-known Jobim charts such as “Samba de Maria Luiza” “Marina Del Ray” he uses sixteenth notes to colour his harmonies with the most subtle hues. And in “Deus e o Diabo Do Sol” his masterful use of color and nuanced shades turns the melodic narrative into something of a masterful and visually exciting medieval battle. This he repeats in his re-creation of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” as he introduces Jobim’s beautiful “Samba do Avião”. The superb work of the trombones has much to do with this and it bodes well for the earthy energy of new Brazilian masters of the instrument, Everson Moraes and Vittor Santos.

Mario Adnet says he discovered the link between Gerry Mulligan’s Tentet and Quartet from 1953. If he goes on listening to the cool surfing sounds of the 50s West Coast, heaven knows what he will come up with next!

Track Listing: 1. Takatanga; 2. Mojave; 3. Boto (Porpoise); 4. Bonita; 5. Antigua; 6. O Homem (The Man); 7. Ai Quem Me Dera (I Wish); 8. O Barbinha Branca (The Little White Bearded Man); 9. Samba de Maria Luiza (Maria Luiza’s Samba); 10. Wave; 11. Marina Del Ray; 12. Deau e o Diabo Na Terra Do Sol (God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun); 13. Samba do Avião (Song of the Jet) (intro: Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin).

Personnel: Andrea Ernest Dias: flute (4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13); Joana Adnet: clarinet (2, 8, 9 – 11, 13); Zé Canuto: alto saxophone (1, 3 – 9, 11, 12); Marcelo Martins: tenor saxophone (1 – 5, 8 – 13); Henrique Band: baritone saxophone (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13); Philip Doyle: French horn (1, 3, 5, 6, 10 – 13); Jessé Sadoc: trumpet (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12), flugelhorn (2, 10); Aquiles Moraes: trumpet (9), flugelhorn (11, 13); Everson Moraes: trombone (1 – 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 – 13); Vittor Santos: trombone (6, 9, 10 – 13); Mario Adnet: acoustic guitar (1 – 6, 10, 11, 13); Antonia Adnet: acoustic guitar (7 – 9); Ricardo Silveira: electric guitar: 4, 5, 8, 10, 12); Marcos Nimrichter: piano (1, 2, 4 – 10, 12, 13), accordion (3, 7, 8); Jorge Helder: acoustic bass (1 – 10, 12, 13); Jurim Moreira: drums (1 – 3, 6, 12); Raphael Barata: drums (4, 5, 7 – 10, 13), Armando Marçal: percussion (1 – 3, 6, 12).

Related links: Mario Adnet on the web: www.marioadnet.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama -

From the first notes of the lilting, swaggering Afro-Caribbean melody of “Corrente” it is clear that Jovino Santos Neto is on his surreptitious way to making his Quinteto album, Corrente one of his most memorable to date. From there on, whether he is rendering a baião, a choro, marcha, samba or xoté, it is clear that his mastery of crossing rhythms as they collide with the idiom of jazz is sublime. The magical and beguiling polyrhythms of “Two Friends, True Friends” is a classic example of this, as is the mystical “Zagaia”. And then there is the masterful cross-rhythms of “Matraca,” a chart that owes much to the maddeningly ingenious music of Hermeto Pascoal, an early mentor of Santos Neto.

Jovino Santos Neto, more than any Brazilian musician, with the possible exceptions of Egberto Gismonti, Nana Vasconcelos, Sergio Santos—vastly different artists from each other as they are from Santos Neto—yet who revel in the deep roots of African, native as much as they do on European sources. These artists are in the forefront of a neo-Brazilian revolution that is setting the world on fire. Jovino Santos Neto gives notice of this with the sublime ingenuity of his composition “Vivendo no Presente”, which is as much raucous melding of native and African flavours, with its berimbau and pandeiro mixing with pianism that is technically proficient in the European sense of the phrase.

Despite his masterly piano virtuosity, Santos Neto remains a grassroots Brazilian musician. His approach to music is very much polyrhythmic rather than polyphonic and although he layers Harvey Wainapel’s saxophone and his own flute, or melodica or his piano and Ben Thomas’ vibraphone using multiple counterpoint, it is the bass lines of his compositions that drive the melodies. Thus he is able to accommodate the dancing polyrhythms of his own piano, vibes and of course the drums of Mark Ivester and the percussion of Jeff Busch in the grander scheme of things; making rhythm the stellar concepts of his music.

In the fine choro, “Pra Casa” Santos Neto pits his melodica against multiple layers of clarinets and here the roles of polyphony and polyrhythms are reversed. Yet the angularity and elemental saudade of his song is superbly crafted, with gutbucket tones and exquisite Afro-Brazilian rhythms. The visual extravagance of “Sea and Sky” highlights Santos Neto’s penchant for creating large canvases on which he daubs bright colours and hues, crossing them with thick bass lines hidden in the melody so to create the illusion of multiple textures underscored by percussion and melodica. The forlorn loops and tottering gamboling of the clarinet on “A Fonte” foretell of impending bloom—a colourful symphonic sojourn led by the woodwinds of Wainapel into a mysterious soundscape painted over by the palette of the bass and the hypnotic lines of Santos Neto’s piano that increases the drama and kinetic energy of the piece with its dense Brahms-like textures and timbres.

Somehow the final “word” is that the soul is now in a place from where it will eventually emerge joyfully. But that is a story that the next album from Jovino Santos Neto must tell.

Track Listing: 1. Corrente (Current); 2. Vivendo no Presente (Living in the Present); 3. Two Friends, 4. True Friends; 5. Matraca (Rattle); 6. Outras Praias (Other Beaches); 7. Zagaia (Spear); 8. Pra Casa (Homeward); 9. Sea and Sky; 10. A Fonte (The Source).

Personnel: Jovino Santos Neto: piano, Rhodes, flute, melodica, hand claps; Harvey Wainapel: clarinets, saxophones; Chuck Deardorf: acoustic, electric basses; Mark Ivester: drums; Jeff Busch: percussion; Ben Thomas: vibraphone (2, 4, 6, 8); Lena Simon: vocals (3); Caroline Corcoran: vocals (3).

Related links: Jovino Santos Neto on the web: www.jovisan.net

In recent years, Roditi has come into his own again in intimate settings that he has created with fellow Brazilians, percussionist Duduka Da Fonseca, bassist Leonardo Cioglia among others. And his work literally shines in deep bronze colors and shades. Roditi has a singular voice as melodious and spare as that of Lee Morgan and Clifford Brown, both of whom he once cited as reasons for his coming to the US. However, Roditi has forged a path of his own, melting the sensuous nature of Brazilian music into an idiom aglow with the infinite ache of saudade and alive with bebop. So stunning and inimitable is his sound that he seems to set fire to a room in which his music is heard and much of this comes in fact from the exquisite recordings he has made with George Klabin and Resonance Records.

His third album is Bons Amigos that takes its name from a gorgeous melody created by another fine Brazilian musician, Toninho Horta. Once again Roditi soars and this time, it seems, into the proverbial azure so much so that he creates a blues of his own. It is the warmth of his tone, which can be both heartbreaking and joyous at the same time, that seems to emanate from so deep within his musical soul that it brings with it a gravitas that creates splashes of color and shade of mauve and brown and gold as well as indigo and deep blue. His silken timbre is gracefully resonant and infinitely bold and his notes rise and fall like cascading waves. He is—in a word—unique. Roditi has also picked his repertoire here with such studied majesty that the charts sound positively regal even as they are quite accessible to even the casual fan.

“O Sonho,” with its brisk “maracatu-like” rhythmic attack makes a stunning beginning for the album that rises to greater heights as it progresses. Roditi’s latest drummer, the brilliant Mauricio Zottarelli gives notice here that he is a force to reckon with as he shades the piece with earthy tones and polyrhythms. Elsewhere—on “Fantasia” for instance—Zottarelli shows how sensitive he can be. Roditi is also joined by the Brazilian guitarist, Romero Lubambo, one of the finest and oddly, one of the most neglected geniuses of modern guitar. Lubambo shows his ingenuity throughout, especially on “Amandamada” where he appears almost vocal-like on electric guitar. Nicaraguan pianist, Donald Vega is another member of Roditi’s stellar cast here and wastes no time in showing how much in the pocket he is, especially on the trumpeter’s original, “Levitation”.
Then there are the two outstanding pieces on the album: the first is “Ligia,” a heartbreaking ballad featuring Roditi on vocals. With a voice so full of longing and remarkable phrasing, Roditi negotiates a marvelous piece. And then there is “Piccolo Samba” played on the piccolo trumpet, a rather difficult instrument that Roditi has appeared to have come to terms—even mastered in his own way. This chart also features a fine solo from the Italian bassist, Marco Panascia.

This album must surely cement Claudio Roditi’s reputation as a modern master of brass and win him both accolades and awards if true aficionados in this otherwise dismaying industry are paying close attention.

Track Listing:

1. O Sonho
2. Para Nada
3. Bossa de Mank
4. Ceu e Mar
5. Bons Amigos
6. Ligia
7. Levitation
8. Fantasia
9. Amandamada
10. Piccolo Samba.

Personnel:

Claudio Roditi: trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, vocal (6); Romero Lubambo: electric and acoustic guitars; Donald Vega: piano; Marco Panascia: bass; Mauricio Zottarelli: drums.

Claudio Roditi on the web: www.resonancerecords.org/claudioroditi

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Plays Toninho Horta marks the arrival of Da Fonseca as a masterful interpreter of fine repertoire and inasmuch, as he has made Horta’s music his own, something of a “composer” as well. Da Fonseca is clearly one of the finest rhythm colorists around. He is one of several musicians who followed in the footsteps of fellow-Brazilians, Santos, Claudio Roditi and Nilson Matta in locating themselves in the United States. In bringing their artistry abroad, these musicians have become virtual ambassadors for Brazilian musical culture in that country. As is the case with this great cultural collision samba and maracatu are now virtually germane to the ever-expanding rhythmic patterns of modern music.

But Horta’s music also brings a certain elegance and graceful to the art of song as well. This is recognizable no matter whether Portuguese is spoken and or understood where his music is played. Da Fonseca proves this with his skillful handling of the repertoire here. Much of this has to do with the beautiful understatement with which he plays, whether he is driving the rhythm forward as he accompanies pianist David Feldman and bassist Wirti, or in his solos. As an accompanist, Da Fonseca creates fabulous whorls of color and shade with his melange of rolls, tickles and bombs on the drums which are offset by the joyous splashes and tinkles on his many cymbals. The Brazilian backbeat constantly reminds the body that it must keep on swerving, swaying and pirouetting to Horta’s sensuous, delicious melodies. Da Fonseca’s solos are few and when Feldman and Wirti quiet down to let him take one, he flies, unfettered as if he and his drums are floating on great gusts of wind. Bassist and pianist bring him down only to take off themselves in what is a continuous display of sublime artistry that never seems to end.

Wirti also shines as he opens con arco, the hushed, aching lyricism of “Moonstone,” a piece that is one of Horta’s most beautiful torch songs. This song also calls to mind the mastery of Toninho Horta as a melodist. Few musicians are as capable as he is of such sweet assaults on the soul. “Francisca,” “Waiting for Angela” and “Luisa” are other reminders of Horta’s genius that rank him among the sublime creators of song—with men such as Jobim and Santos themselves as well as with Americans like Green and Sour, who created such unforgettable charts as “Body and Soul”. Such is the beauty of Horta’s music and the world would have been the poorer had not Duduka Da Fonseca and his Trio brought its beauty to us with this memorable album.

Track Listing:

1. Aqui, Oh!
2. Bicycle Ride
3. Moonstone
4. Francisca
5. Aquelas Coisas Todas
6. De Ton Pra Tom
7. Waiting For Angela
8. Luisa
9. Retrato do Gato

Personnel:

David Feldman: piano; Guto Wirti: bass; Duduka Da Fonseca: drums.

Duduka Da Fonseca on the web: www.dudukadafonseca.net

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Naturally, the breathless excitement of Brazil comes through in every aspect on Meurkens’ fourth Zoho release, Live at Bird’s Eye in Basel, Switzerland. Meurkens may not know it, but he has a penchant for the spectacular. This is evident from his sweeping, almost epic take on João Donato’s “Amazonas.” With his majestic runs and arpeggios on the vibraphone, Meurkens fills the heart and the mind with the breathtaking prospect of the world’s greatest, most mysterious and beautiful jungle. As a result, in one fell swoop he traverses a great landscape by creating an exquisite sound scape, urging his ensemble of pianist Misha Tsiganov, bassist Gustavo Amarante and drummer Adriano Santos to rediscover not just a memorable song, but a wonder of the world. Again, Meurkens pays an unforgettable tribute to Donato—this time on harmonica—in “Minha Saudade.” This is where Meurkens’ vocal side comes to the fore as he soars into the proverbial clouds with his “vocal” gymnastics on the harmonica.

But it is on his own composition—a choro, in fact—where Meurkens ingenuity on the harmonica shines. The composer is absolutely majestic as he is elementally sad and joyful on “Lingua de Mosquito.” Here his “vocalastics” on the harmonica are combined with his sense of aching beauty as he recreates a choro that even without vocals, recalls the great vocal choro of the likes of Nana Caymmi.

And what would a concert by Meurkens be without his classic, “Sambatropolis”? The quartet delivers this with refreshing style and aplomb, so that it sounds different from when Meurkens burst on the scene with it almost a decade ago. Moreover here, as elsewhere on this ever so memorable album, pianist Tsiganov gives a fine account of himself as he negotiates the rhythm of Brazil along with the young masters that Meurkens has brought along to Europe—bassist Gustavo Amarante and drummer Adriano Santos—in what is clearly one of the most exciting albums of 2011.

Track Listing:

1. Amazonas
2. Estate
3. Sambatropolis
4. Dindi
5. Lingua De Mosquito
6. Nôa Nôa
7. Body and Soul
8. Minha Saudade
9. Você Vai Ver.

Personnel:

Hendrik Meurkens: harmonica, vibraphone; Misha Tsiganov: piano; Gustavo Amarante: bass; Adriano Santos: drums, pandeiro (5).

Hendrik Meurkens on the web: www.hendrikmeurkens.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Laura Fernandez shows, with her albumUn Solo Beso that she is a maturing artist with a fine sense of song form and the poetic image. Being equipped with this artistic intuition she is able to write with a remarkable sense of nuance. Writing about relationships; their growth, maturation and also their decline requires a keen grip of the fine sense of listening to and interpreting emotions as well as reacting to them. Fernandez does all of these things. She then produces songs reflect the narrative of live well lived and felt deeply as if from every pore of the body. Fernandez also imbues these songs with exquisite melody, harmony and a rhythm that beats so close to the human heart that her music is ultimately felt deep within the soul.

Fernandez is unlike most singers. She sings with well-rounded intonation and her pronunciation is impeccable. Moreover her phrasing, especially on tracks such as “A Mi Padre” and “Que Mas Quieres de Mi” is beautifully executed amid expression that is at times aching and bleeding and at other times soaring with joy. This is a sure sign of her individualism and artistry. The fact that she makes the words mean everything they are meant to be and inhabit the emotion of the moment is a sign of how much she lives the songs she writes and sings.

The other remarkable aspect of Fernandez’s music is their beauty of form. She seems to understand the fleeting nature of feelings, tends not to dwell on them too much—which often leads to draining too much out of the emotion. Instead she turns her songs into almost epigrammatic poetic expressions. She also has a gifted feel for melody and surprises with how little she repeats herself as most relatively new songwriters do. Much of her music sound inspired and fresh. The album Un Solo Beso is also richly produced with fine accompaniment from trumpeter Alexis Baró, alto saxophonist Luis Deniz, pianist, Hilario Durán and especially from the hugely talented musician, guitarist and vocalist, Luis Mario Ochoa. A record like this can only whet the appetite for more from an emerging artist such as Laura Fernandez.

Track Listing:

1. Mi Amor
2. Un Solo Beso
3. Junto a Ti
4. A Mi Padre
5. Que Mas Quieres de Mi
6. Inolvidable
7. I Believe in Love
8. Que Linda es La Noche
9. Red Red Bird
10. La Barca

Personnel:

Laura Fernandez: vocals, keyboards (7); Noah Zacharin: guitar (1, 4); Elmer Ferrer: guitar (1, 3, 4, 6, 7 – 9); Luis Mario Ochoa: guitar (1, 5, 10); Duncan Hopkins: bass (1, 5); Paco Luviano: bass (2, 6); Roberto Riverón (9); Yoser Rodríguez: bass (3, 4, 7, 8); Glenda Del Monte Escalante: keyboards (1, 4, 7); Hilario Durán: piano (1, 2, 5, 6, 10); Roberto Linares Brown: keyboards (1, 9); Paul DeLong: drums (1); Rosendo “Chendy” Leon Jr.: drums (5, 8), percussion (9); Frank Durand: drums (2, 6); Shamakah Ali: drums (7); Joaquín Hidalgo: percussion (1, 5, 6); Jalidan Ruiz: percussion (1, 5); Jorge Luis “Papiosco” Torres: percussion (3, 8); Alexis Baró: trumpet (1, 2, 6); Luis Deniz: alto saxophone (2, 6, 7); Jeff King: tenor saxophone (6); Juan Diego De Sedas: accordion (9); Alberto Alberto: vocals (3, 9); Kevin Stock: vocal (9); Verónica Mesa (3); Raquel Olmes: vocal (3); Roberto Linares Brown: programming (7); Billy Bryans: programming (7).

Laura Fernandez on the web: www.laurafernandezmusic.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama

First of all, the music flows with the kind of hip-swish that only someone with Khan’s fluency could imbue it. Although this is a characteristic throughout the album it is brilliantly audible on Thelonious Monk’s “Bye-Ya”. Here Khan not only captures the deep blue swagger of the piece, but also its other moist colors. Moreover, Khan is a guitarist who plays with acute angularity and this makes him someone who is closer to Monk than most. His melodic leaps tell a story of the innate wildness of his imagination. How Khan has managed to keep this hidden is anyone’s guess. He also brings this defiant streak to bear as he tackles two of Ornette Coleman’s complex charts. Both “Chronology” and “Blues Connotation” are compositions from the early days of that composer’s Harmolodic inventions and are, as such, extraordinarily adventurous. Khan tackles both charts with flair and a dexterity that seems to suggest that he has mastered some of the most difficult music since that of Monk’s and Herbie Nichols’.

Next, and probably most notable of all, is the fact that Khan has composed all of the other charts on the album himself. This is quite an achievement in itself and might indicate that the guitarist has been preparing for a long time to make an album honouring the Latin American music tradition. That being the case Khan deserves much honour in return. His music is not only stylish and extremely sophisticated, but also rhythmically authentic. A chart like “Los Gaiteros” could have been written by a sublime master of Latin American music, for instance and although the other titles have English names, they are more authentically Latin. Even the benign ballad “When She’s Not Here” shakes and swoops like the beautiful cha-cha-cha that it is, and while Khan soars harmonically the percussionists are truly magnificent as they lay the groundwork for Dennis Chambers’ superb solo. What’s more the augmented and diminished pattern that drives the whole percussion sequence brings the song home in dramatic fashion.

It is also true that the percussionists led by Chambers and Badrena, who also co-wrote the wonderful “María Mulambo,” lay down the rhythmic style with sophistication and a mighty shuffle. Marc Quiñones and Bobby Allende are also superb and play with understated elegance as they embellish the music with memorable and almost melodic rhythm. It would be remiss not to mention bassist Anthony Jackson, who, like Khan is also a rather diffident musician, but has been baptized through the fire by the likes of Michel Camilo. It is almost certain that Steve Khan would not have made so perfect a record without Jackson anchoring the bass role with understated, but characteristic elegance.

Track Listing:

1. Chronology
2. Los Gaiteros
3. Change Agent
4. Bye-Ya
5. María Mulambo
6. Influence Peddler
7. When She’s Not Here
8. Blues Connotation
9. Zancudoville
10. Just Deserts.

Personnel:

Steve Khan: guitar; Anthony Jackson: contrabass guitar; Dennis Chambers: drums; Manolo Badrena: percussion, voice (5, 10); Marc Quiñones: timbal, bongo, percussion; Bobby Allende: conga; Rob Mounsey: keyboards (9), orchestrations (2, 4, 6, 7); Tatiana Parra: voice (6); Andreas Beeuwaert: voice (6).

Steve Khan on the web: www.stevekhan.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama