Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble - Dreaming in Lions

September 14, 2021

Label: Blue Note Records, 2021

Personnel - Arturo O’Farrill: piano, composition; Adam O'Farrill: trumpet, flugelhorn; Rafi Malkiel: euphonium, trombone; Alejandro Aviles: flute, saxophones; Travis Reuter: guitar; Vince Cherico: African percussion, drums; Carlos "Carly" Maldonado: maracas, marimba; Victor Pablo Garcia Gaetan: conga, cuica, dumbeq; Bam Bam Rodriguez: bass; Zack O'Farrill: drums.

Pianist, composer and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill became widely known for giving the Latin jazz genre a relevant contemporary dimension, often in command of his Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. For Dreaming in Lions, his latest record and debut on the iconic Blue Note Records, he shortened the big band into a 10-piece ensemble that performs two suites while trading the traditional Latin luster for something more sophisticated and steeped in modernity.

Combining poignancy, irreverent warmth and explosions of spontaneous color, these orchestrations have their inception with “Del Mar”, the first of five movements that compose the Despedida suite, a reflection on farewells. The piece is impeccably layered with polyrhythmic sumptuousness and spiced up by brass and woodwind ostinatos. There's also a magnetic piano solo delivered with inside-outside dexterity and perfectly positioned accents.

If “Beauty Cocoon” and “La Llorona” (not to be mistaken with the folk Mexican song) feel very Cuban at their core, then “Intruso” and “Ensayo Silencio” plunge into different currents of fusion. The former, funkified by an amazing groove, includes horn counterpoint, block chords deftly intertwined with winning piano runs, and a swinging dixie-inflected blues passage over which Alejandro Aviles shines in a flurry of pithy soprano sounds. In opposition, the latter piece falls into something you can dance to, an inspired marriage of funk, jazz, disco and R&B. Here, we can also enjoy ad-lib volleys between the horn players.

All these eclectic elements return in “Struggles and Strugglets”, the sixth movement of the Dreaming in Lions suite, whose inspiration came from Ernest Hemingway’s short novel The Old Man and the Sea. Other highlights are “Scalular”, an eloquent collage of sunny rhythms that buoys up the euphoric three-time-feel dynamics, “How I Love You”, whose gauzy romanticism wafts like a soft breeze, and the effusive “Blood in the Water”, whose dramatic piano foray gives place to a colorful Latin funk where the rock-fueled guitar of Travis Reuter stands out. The session wraps with a solo piano piece performed by O’Farrill’s wife, the classical pianist Alison Deane.

This is a cohesive and coherent record that points to jazz’s ever evolving fusion of rhythms and sounds tied to a rich cultural history.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Intruso ► 11 - Struggles and Strugglets ► 13 - Blood in the Water

Kenny Garrett - Sounds From the Ancestors

September 7, 2021

Label: Mack Avenue Records, 2021

Personnel - Kenny Garrett: alto saxophone, electric piano, piano; Vernell Brown Jr.: piano; Corcoran Holt: bass; Ronald Bruner Jr.: drums; Rudy Bird: percussion, snare + Guests - Dwight Trible, Jean Baylor, Linny Smith, Sheherazade Holman, Chris Ashley Anthony: vocals; Maurice Brown: trumpet; Dreiser Durruthy: bata, vocals; Johnny Mercier: piano, organ, Fender Rhodes; Lenny White: snare; Pedrito Martinez: vocals and conga.

From the creative mind of Detroit-born altoist and composer Kenny Garrett comes a tremendously impactful album that, pulling from some deep ancestral West African sources, fuses elements of different genres and negotiates its inner contrasts. Garrett, who led memorable ensembles in the past, is backed here by the same core group that appeared on his previous work, Do Your Dance! (Mack Avenue, 2016). Sounds From the Ancestors is his 20th album as a leader.

Composed in 2019, “It’s Time to Come Home” opens the program with an Afro-Cuban tinge that is simultaneously propulsive and soothing. With the tune advancing at a waltzing pace, the saxophonist adopts a less expansive posture in terms of soloing but a more percussive and textural one in comparison with other pieces. Beautiful vocals by Jean Baylor and batá percussionist Dreiser Durruthy.

“Hargrove” is a soulful earworm, a groovy dedication to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove, in which Garrett luxuriates in starry unisons and conversational exchanges with guest trumpeter Maurice Brown. He also nods to Coltrane’s spiritual hymn “A Love Supreme” via the vocal work of Linny Smith, Sheherazade Holman and Chris Ashley Anthony. More Coltrane is evoked on “What Was That?”, a post-bop illumination that serves as a perfect showcase for Garrett’s finely honed inside/outside playing.

As a lighted-up gospel proclamation, “When the Days Were Different” is enhanced by organ and vocals, while “For Art’s Sake”, a tribute to the drummers Art Blakey and Tony Allen, occurs under the Nigerian spell of Ronald Bruner’s syncopated Afrobeat. Before the final vamp, where drums and percussion intensify their playing, you may indulge in the deconstructive wallops that come out of the electric piano.

The exciting trajectory doesn’t stop here, and “Soldiers of the Fields/Soldats Des Champs”, composed for the musicians who fought to keep jazz alive and the Haitian soldiers who fought the French, contextualizes that revolutionary posture with a marching flow reinforced by the snares of Rudy Bird and Lenny White, rhythms from Guadeloupe as well as an otherworldly sax solo laid on top of a modal chord progression.

The title track is introduced with despondent balladic tones by Garrett on the piano, veering into an enthralling Yoruban rhythm that supports the chants of conguero Pedro Martinez and singer Dwight Trible. The piece ends as it began.

Carrying Garrett’s unmistakable signature and unique energy, Sounds From the Ancestors is unmissable, already deserving to be called ‘one of the best jazz records of the year’.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Hargrove ► 05 - What Was That? ► 06 - Soldiers of the Fields/Soldats Des Champs

Pete Rodriguez - Obstacles

August 4, 2021

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2021

Personnel - Pete Rodriguez: trumpet; John Ellis: tenor and soprano saxophone; Luis Perdomo: piano; Ricky Rodriguez: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Fast-rising star trumpeter Pete Rodriguez, who was raised in the Bronx and Puerto Rico and now lives in Austin, Texas, convenes a powerful quintet that shows undeniable chemistry across 11 originals. Although channeling optimistic vibes, the compositions resulted from challenging real-life episodes.

The group’s elasticity is promptly felt on the uplifting “50”, a contrafact on Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice” that served to commemorate Rodriguez’s 50th birthday. There’s killing synchronous playing between bassist Ricky Rodriguez and saxophonist John Ellis as well as wonderful contrapuntal polyphony with the bandleader involved. The nimble, eloquent soloing - by Ellis, Rodriguez and pianist Luis Perdomo - occurs over exciting tapestries with swinging motions, transient pedal-point vamps and other exuberant rhythmic details.

Vouching for a strong modal flair and an exceptional odd groove, “Abraham” begins with solo trumpet and advances into a witty sax-trumpet-piano interplay that glistens and shimmers. Perdomo then switches to keyboards, announcing a new passage and a contrastive ambiance.

Rudy Royston’s high-quality drumming is critical for the kinetics of “El Proceso”. Anchored with a firm pulse, this piece showcases the sharp, wide-ranging trumpetism of Rodriguez, and then is softened up with a mellower soprano sax statement, ending with a latin-infused vamp for the drummer.

A vamp in six concludes “Mi Ritmo”, a grooving number whose theme - with parallel piano/sax melodies alternating with equally parallel trumpet/bass - is a nod to Monk and Parker as bop lines mix with some angularity. Here, bass and drums provide a churning swinging blast with minimal accompaniment from the piano. This combination of straight-ahead jazz with crisp modernity also comes to life on the hectic, uptempo “FU John” and the bracing “Obstacle”, which is based on saxophonist Gigi Gryce’s “Minority”. The infectious locomotion inflicted to the latter piece and most of the album’s tracks comes to an appeasement during the velvety-textured “Triple Positive”, a song with a soul-jazz bend written for a close family friend who passed away from breast cancer.

It’s impossible not to react to what these players have to offer, and Rodriguez, whose father was the salsa singer Pete ‘El Conde’ Rodriguez, demonstrates to have much more under his sleeves than just Latin groove.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - “50” ► 02 - Abraham ► 08 - Obstacles

Dafnis Prieto Big Band - Back To The Sunset

April 11, 2018

Label: Dafnison Music, 2018

Personnel – Mike Rodriguez, Nathan Eklund, Alex Sipiagin, Josh Deutsch: trumpet/flugelhorn; Roman Filiu, Michael Thomas, Peter Apfelbaum, Joel Fraham, Chris Cheek: reeds; Tim Albright, Alan Ferber, Jacob Garchik: trombone; Jeff Nelson: bass trombone; Manuel Valera: paino; Ricky Rodriguez: bass; Roberto Quintero: percussion; Dafnis Prieto: drums + Guests – Brian Lynch: trumpet; Henry Threadgill: alto sax; Steve Coleman: alto sax.

Although I’m not a staunch fan of Latin jazz, there are a few records that stand out, whether due to its bold arrangements, vivid harmonic colors, or distinctive contagious rhythms and energy. This is the case of Back To The Sunset, a kaleidoscopic big band record by Cuban-born drummer Dafnis Prieto, who employs a roster of reed titans and rhythm experts to shape up nine original compositions, each of them dedicated to influential mentors/musicians.

“Una Vez Mas” punches up the verve with strong horn figures and a rousing rhythm. A pure Latin allure comes from typical piano movements, while the soloists - pianist Manuel Valera and guest trumpeter Brian Lynch - offer up much of their instinct musicality, both melodically and rhythmically. After their discourses, Prieto and percussionist Roberto Quintero make the temperature rise with a conjoint percussive feast.

“The Sooner The Better”, dedicated to Egberto Gismonti and Jerry Gonzalez, boasts a piano pedal while Ricky Rodriguez expresses thoughts on the double bass. After that, the bassist ensures the pedal, and discernible rhythmic shifts precede wholehearted improvisations by Peter Apfelbaum on tenor, Alex Sipiagin on flugelhorn, and Roman Filiu on alto. The soloists’ atonal diversions reflect the brilliance of their language.

Saxophonist Chris Cheek, groovin' on the baritone here, introduces “Out of the Bone”, a piece whose improvisational section is inclined to the low tonal range due to acts from Jeff Nelson on bass trombone, as well as trombonists Alan Ferber and Jacob Garchik, who duel with pertinacity.

The most grandiose moment of the record comes with the title track, coinciding with the second guest appearance. Acclaimed alto saxophonist Henry Threadgill kills it with a sensitive, sharp solo, beautifully developed outside the standard patterns while driving this ballad into his own musical realms. The tune was dedicated to him and genial pianist Andrew Hill.

The third and last guest musician is M-base pioneer Steve Coleman, who, not as edgy as in his musical odysseys, plays his alto with competence on “Song For Chico”, a tribute to Chico O’Farrill, Arturo O’Farrill, and Maria Bauzá.

“Danzomish Potpourri” kicks in with Prieto’s distinctive drumming. A pleasurable melodicism drives us to a rampant, feverish pulse that only lasts throughout Michael Thomas’ busy improvisation on soprano. The primary pace, far more relaxed, is re-established to expose Valera’s dreamy ideas and Apfelbaum’s tearful melodica sounds, which bring the song to a conclusion in a 3/4 meter signature.

Authoritative individualities emerge from “The Triumphant Journey”, where juxtaposed horn layers dance under the spell of a 6/8 time signature that suddenly mutates to a slower 4/4 to serve as a receptacle for the improvisations. The vernacular elasticity of saxist Joel Frahm stands out, together with Filiu, who finalizes with magnetic appeal.

Encompassing the worlds of Latin and jazz music, this 75-minute fusion tour is full-blooded and predominantly spirited.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - The Sooner The Better ► 04 - Back To The Sunset ► 09 - The Triumphant Journey

Steve Slagle - Dedication

December 11, 2017

Label/Year: Panorama Records, 2017

Lineup – Steve Slagle: alto sax, flute; Lawrence Fields: piano; Scott Colley: drums; Bill Stewart: drums + guest Dave Stryker: guitar.

Experienced American altoist/flautist Steve Slagle, the former director of the Mingus Big Band, has a curriculum filled with fruitful collaborations in a wide variety of genres with respected names such as Joe Lovano, The Beastie Boys, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Carla Bley, Steve Kuhn, and Milton Nascimento.

The successor of last year's Alto Manhattan is called Dedication. Released on Panorama Records, the album, an organic brew of post-bop statements frequently boosted by Latin infusions, comprises nine tracks dedicated to people or things that were relevant in Slagle’s musical career. In regard to the last album, the saxophonist maintains the pianist Lawrence Fields, drummer Bill Stewart, and percussionist Roman Diaz in the lineup, replacing the bassist Gerald Cannon for the ultra-competent Scott Colley and inviting his longtime collaborator, guitarist Dave Stryker, to participate in six songs.

The elated “Sun Song”, dedicated to saxophonist Sonny Rollins, spreads an uplifting lightness, conveying a fire-hose charm that feels very celebratory within its Latin nature. Slagle’s fluid, off-kilter language comes out with a brittle and tempered timbre, and on the tail of Fields’ unnerving solo, the band trades eights with the percussion team.

It’s definitely a strong start that doesn't lose steam when we go to “Niner”, a piece that honors the electric bassist Steve Swallow, and “Major In Come”, an ode to the art of swinging built on major chords in five different keys. The former composition, showing off the theme’s statement under a sax-guitar unison, is rhythmically dominated by an animated bass groove and funky pulse, while the latter provides us with a hard-swinging gush that would make Joe Lovano satisfied and features Stewart’s readable drum solo.

The band attests an easily bent temperament when digging “Triste Beleza”, an illustrative bossa nova appointment propelled by Stryker’s luxurious acoustic guitar voicings, Stewart’s gentle brushwork, and Diaz’s fortifying conga sounds.

The hefty swinger “Opener”, evoking the energy of saxophonist Jackie McLean, is adorned with hot rhythms and the bandleader’s double-faced output, first on alto sax and then wrapping up on flute.

Slagle incorporated two external compositions on the album: Stryker’s “Corazon”, a meek tribute to Weather Report’s keyboardist Joe Zawinul, and Wayne Shorter’s “Charcoal Blues”, harmonically defined by the guitarist’s amiable chords and spoken with the incumbent blues stratum in mind.

Dedication was aligned to furnish a sturdy opening, but the album wanes in vibrancy after the fourth track. Even feeling limited in extraordinary stretches, it fulfills its objectives with an unperturbed orderliness and should earn the attention of both classic post-bop and Latin jazz supporters.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Sun Song ► 02 – Niner ► 04 – Triste Beleza