Jazz Articles about Luis Mario Ochoa

Hilario Duran: Cry Me A River

by Pierre Giroux
September 27, 2023

Hilario Durán is a renowned Cuban-Canadian jazz pianist and composer known for contributing to Latin jazz. He does not release big band efforts often, but with the release of Cry Me A River, he has reconstituted his Latin Jazz Big Band to take us on an extraordinary musical journey, effortlessly blending myriad genres into his singular style. Durán's Afro-Caribbean cultural attachment informs the nine works of both originals and covers in this outing, resulting in a unique tapestry of sound. ...

Luis Mario Ochoa Quintet: Momentos Cubanos

by Jerry D'Souza
June 20, 2008

Guitarist/vocalist Luis Mario Ochoa showcases his new acoustic quintet on his fourth recording. It's a departure from Cimarron, the nine-piece ensemble he calls a Cuban dance band with a jazz sound. Ochoa continues to find the groove as a composer and arranger as he mines Cuban and Peruvian music with all their attributes for thoroughly enjoyable listening.

Ochoa sets the mood with the sparkling “Simbiosis." The melody is catchy and Ochoa rides it on the guitar with round, ...

Luis Mario Ochoa & Friends: Cimarron

by Eric J. Iannelli
June 12, 2006

Cimarrón (meaning “free spirit") is the nonet that Havana-born guitarist and composer Luis Mario Ochoa assembled shortly after moving to Canada back in 1990. This eponymous release is not just the ensemble's third album, but also a celebration of its fifteen years of happy existence. Musical guests such as Paquito D'Rivera, Guido Basso, and Ochoa's father, Luis Ochoa, Sr., were invited to take part in the fiesta.

And what a free spirited celebration it is. “Como Penélope," a song about ...

Luis Mario Ochoa & Friends: Cimarron

by Michael P. Gladstone
January 20, 2006

It has been ten years since Luis Mario Ochoa's Canadian Latin jazz combo, Cimarrón, recorded its first album. On this new release, the guitarist/vocalist also invites Latin jazz star Paquito D'Rivera and noted trumpeter Guido Basso to join in. Basso spent years recording with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass.

The effort is a mixture of Latin jazz and salsa music. The ten selections consist of five originals, two traditional Cuban songs, two from the Great American Songbook, and a ...

Luis Mario Ochoa & Friends: Cimarron

by Jerry D'Souza
January 16, 2006

Ten years after he recorded his first album, Luis Maria Ochoa and his band, Cimarrón, join guest musicians to make this self-titled third recording. This marriage of originals, a couple of traditional tunes, and music from his native Cuba are fertilized by the band, and the cross-pollination of styles makes for some fine Cuban jazz.

Paquito D'Rivera brings his clarinet along for his bright, snappy composition “To Brenda With Love. D'Rivera brings in whirling changes, ideas coming fast and endearingly, ...