Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jack Costanzo: Back From Havana

151

Jack Costanzo: Back From Havana

By

View read count
Jack Costanzo: Back From Havana
After 25 years away from the spotlight, Jack Costanzo has returned. His album features an exciting band -around 10 pieces for the most part -performing intense Afro-Cuban arrangements. Chicago native Costanzo, whose ancestry is Sicilian, has lived in Southern California since his discharge from the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II. Two years with Stan Kenton and five with Nat King Cole led to studio work, significant television and motion picture projects, and live performances as a leader. Several of his albums have been reissued in recent years, including the long out-of-print GNP-Crescendo album Mr. Bongo – Jack Costanzo.

Now 78 and still employing the crisp, staccato bongo attack that drove the theme to television’s Mission: Impossible, Costanzo surrounds himself with creative soloists and powerful Latin jazz performers. Gilbert Castellanos, 27, moved to San Diego in 1995 after the members of Black/Note went their separate ways. His soulful trumpet and blazing, high-voltage technique flavor the session strongly. Equally significant in their creative solo output are other horn players, both pianists, and singer Marilu. Thirty-five second audio clips of each track are provided at CuBop’s web site .

Blazing fast, in a Tito Puente mood, the band soars through emotionally charged Latin dance music. Much more effective at a moderate tempo, the band also delivers cool chestnuts, such as Nat Adderley’s “Jive Samba,” where Bill Caballero, Steve Feierabend and Bob Johnston connect with the audience from a soulful solo standpoint. Costanzo’s fiery conga and bongo work penetrates the entire session with characteristic passion. Marilu and powerfully percussive pianist Robert Lanuza fire up the traditional Afro-Cuban “Quimbara.” Costanzo’s album is recommended for its passion, insertion of new & unheralded talent, and fervor.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Back From Havana | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Cubop

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.