Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Etienne Charles: Kaiso

177

Etienne Charles: Kaiso

By

Sign in to view read count
Etienne Charles: Kaiso
With Kaiso, trumpeter Etienne Charles revisits his robust Trinidad-Tobago roots, brilliantly exposing their beauty, mystery and fascinating flavors. The fruits of Charles and crew's labor blossom from multiple Caribbean grooves into a highly energized performance, with more jazz-tinged interpretations than his prior outing, the highly acclaimed Folklore (Self-Produced, 2009).

The title tune, from an African word loosely defined as "proceed" (as in "play on"), is dark and hard. With the frontline boiling hot over a pulsing harmonic and rhythmic base, it announces, musically, that this effort will stray in a different, more complex musical direction. "J'overt Barrio" embraces a Latin feel as it weaves across genres and tempos; a New Orleans-style musical gumbo, consisting of Creole, African, and Caribbean musical flavors spiced with whistles and chants.

Charles' tone is sweetly robust and a supreme joy throughout. His marvelous playing—intentionally childlike and playful—showcases his masterful abilities. His classical training and the influence of Miles Davis ("Congo Bara") and Wynton Marsalis are pleasantly obvious. Guadeloupean tenor saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart adds a fine touch.

Calypso master, Mighty Sparrow's "Russian Satellite" prances over a cool melody line before forging straight ahead. Alto saxophonist Brian Hogans generates boppish ideas and faux quotes that fire and pop, while the fine rhythm section lays a terrific, swinging foundation here and elsewhere.

Charles shows he can stretch out with the best on Mighty Sparrow's "Ten to One is Murder." Giving props to Marsalis and the bebop classic, "Salt Peanuts," Charles and Hogans fly on this burner, with guest pianist Monty Alexander and bassist Ben Williams both delivering heated solos. "Kitch's Bebop of Calypso" channels Charlie Parker, as Lord Superior's vocal and Hagans' solo confirm. Lord Superior's voice and Charles' cup-muted trumpet smile on the catchy calypso, "My Landlady," while bassist Ben Williams, drummer Obed Calvaire and percussionist Ralph MacDonald push without letting up.

The lush orchestral prelude on Sparrow's "Teresa" sets up a luscious bossa nova melody, played with heart by Charles, while "Rose" showcases the orchestra's woodwinds flitting around Charles' calypso-dancing horn; two selections that are more accessible and, consequently, distinctive from the rest of the session. Charles' duo with Alexander on Lord Kitchner's "Margie," rounds out a trio of romantic beauties, and "Sugar Bum Bum," a jaunty calypso tip-of-the-hat to the Caribbean woman, perfectly seals this exotic date.

Kaiso is an enticing recording by an extraordinary musician who is looking back historically and into his musical future. Whether calypso, straight-ahead, bebop or the mixture of all, Etienne Charles and his team show they have enough talent to cook up some truly spicy and wonderfully entertaining music. As they say in the Caribbean, "kaiso."

Track Listing

Kaiso; J'ouvert Barrio; Russian Satellite; Congo Bara; Ten To One Is Murder; Teresa; Kitch's Bebop Of Calypso; Rose; My Landlady; Margie; Sugar Bum Bum.

Personnel

Etienne Charles: trumpet, flugelhorn, cuatro, percussion, vocals; Brian Hogans: alto saxophone, piano (6), vocals; Jacques Schwartz-Bart: tenor saxophone, vocals; Sullivan Fortner: piano, vocals; Ben Williams: bass, vocals; Obed Calvaire: drums, vocals; 3 Canal: vocals (2); Monty Alexander: piano (5, 7, 9, 10); Ralph MacDonald: percussion (6-8, 11); Lord Superior: vocals (7, 9), guitar (7, 9).

Album information

Title: Kaiso | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Culture Shock Music

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.