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Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Swing Forever
by Angelo Leonardi
La prorompente miscela di “salsa dura" con elementi afrocubani e influenze jazz torna in questo nono disco della Spanish Harlem Orchestra, sempre guidata dal suo fondatore Oscar Hernández. Se il precedente album era dedicato alla memoria dei grandi bandleader Manny Oquendo, Barry Rogers, Andy e Jerry Gonzalez stavolta ci si ispira allo swing delle big band, ovviamente sul modello latino. La funzione di questa musica è radicata nel ballo e un giudizio estetico superficiale può giudicarla troppo codificata: il suo ...
Continue ReadingGino Amato: Latin Crossroads
by Richard J Salvucci
The urge to take advantage of a successful commercial genre never really dies. Back in the 1960s, a studio orchestra nominally assembled by bandleader Glen Gray released a recording, Sounds of the Great Bands in Latin (Capitol, 1964). It took tunes like “Early Autumn" or “A String of Pearls" and added a “Latin" flavor with jazz enhancements. No doubt, this was an early recognition of the success of Cal Tjader. The vinyl may or may not have done well, but ...
Continue ReadingSpanish Harlem Orchestra: Imagenes Latinas
by Angelo Leonardi
L'ottavo album della Spanish Harlem Orchestra celebra il secondo decennio della formazione e colleziona un'altra nomination al Grammy, dopo averne vinti tre. Guidata dal pianista e compositore Oscar Hernández, la big band è una delle voci più acclamate del latin jazz, e si pone sulla scia dei leggendari Manny Oquendo, Barry Rogers, Andy e Jerry Gonzalez alla cui memoria il disco è dedicato. L'impronta stilistica della Spanish Harlem è ovviamente legata alla quarantennale storia musicale del leader, formatosi ...
Continue ReadingSpanish Harlem Orchestra: The Latin Jazz Project
by Mark Sullivan
When last heard from, the salsa powerhouse Spanish Harlem Orchestra was celebrating fifteen years of playing together with Anniversary (ArtistShare, 2018). There have always been elements of Latin jazz in the group's music, and Artistic Director Oscar Hernández is a noted Latin jazz pianist, so it was only a matter of time until they presented a full program of it. In addition to his arrangements, Hernández contributed several compositions, and is a prominent soloist. The band contains some ...
Continue ReadingOscar Hernandez, Louis Armstrong, Ron Carter and More
by Joe Dimino
Kicking off the 623rd Episode of Neon Jazz is a towering figure in the world of Latin Jazz, Mr. Oscar Hernández who teamed up with Alma LIbre with a cut off his latest album Love the Moment. From there, we hear from some of the biggest names in jazz, from Dave Miller and his trio to Spirit Fingers, we have some fresh sounds on this hour of music. We also profile the new works of Laurence Hobgood, Joshua Jern and ...
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