Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Willie Martinez: After Winter, Spring

339

Willie Martinez: After Winter, Spring

By

Sign in to view read count
Willie Martinez: After Winter, Spring
The sophomore effort from the Latin jazz drummer Willie Martinez's La Familia Sextet, After Winter, Spring, is a bright and breezy journey into tipico territory marked by tight arrangements of melodically appealing original compositions and arrangements over a wide variety of swinging Afro-Caribbean rhythms. An experienced pro with tenures under the leadership of Chico O'Farrill, Hilton Ruiz and Norman Hedman, to name only a few, Martinez has assembled a band of similarly seasoned associates to make his own engaging brand of music, proving himself to be just as capable a leader as he is a sideman.

The sextet is distinguished by its bottom-heavy frontline featuring baritone saxophonist Max Schweiger (best known for his work with the Chico O'Farrill Orchestra) and trombonist J. Walter Hawkes (a veteran of JC Hopkins Biggish Band). Martinez is joined in the rhythm section by pianist Misha Tsiganov (a colleague from Hedman's Tropique), along with bassist Jennifer Vincent, newcomer conguero Cristan Rivera and, on a few tracks, returning percussionist Renato Thoms.

Martinez' lyrical originals comprise half of the disc's eight selections, including the buoyantly bopping title track and the sizzling samba "Para Los Bravos." On the salsafied "Cayey," a dedication to his grandfather, the leader acknowledges his Puerto Rican roots, employing a tipica plena rhythm featuring Thoms' pandeiros while on "Helen," a memorial to his late mother, he reveals his more romantic side. Two more pieces come from band members. Schweiger's "Willie's Blues," the band's new theme song, is somewhat reminiscent of Dizzy Gillespie's Latin- influenced work while Tsiganov's closer "Anthony" (dedicated to the late Tony Williams) recalls Bud Powell's "Un Poco Loco." On the remaining pair of tracks—Martinez' arrangement of Bobby Hebb's pop classic "Sunny" and Hector Martignon's orchestration of the Pepe Delgado bolero "Cosas de Alma"—the leader also proves himself to be a capable vocalist, in both English and Spanish.

Track Listing

After Winter, Spring; Willie's Blues; Sunny; Para Los Bravos; Cosas Del Alma; Cayey; Helen; Anthony.

Personnel

Willie Martinez: drums and vocals; Cristan Rivera, Renato Thoms: percussion; Misha Tsiganov: piano; Jennifer Vincent: bass; Max Schweiger: baritone sax and flute; J. Walter Hawkes: trombone.

Album information

Title: After Winter, Spring | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Self Produced

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.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

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.