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Brian Stark
The Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective: Cortadito
by Jack Bowers
The Afro-Caribbean Collective is a high-energy nonet led by Puerto Rican-born guitarist Jose Guzman. On Cortadito, the ensemble's fourth album, the accent as always is on the lively rhythms and charming melodies of Guzman's home country and nearby equatorial locales. There is one immediate problem, as Guzman writes that his composition “Orchard Downs" is the opening number, whereas the album's jacket places his “Holande Pa Uste" in the lead-off spot and lists “Orchard Downs" as the finale. From ...
Continue ReadingAndrew Binder: Conspiracy Deliracy
by Geannine Reid
Andrew Binder's Conspiracy Deliracy builds a themed program that combines modern jazz sensibilities with the intriguing world of conspiracy theories. At the core of the album are Binder's compositions, which find inspiration in today's popular music and combine that with jazz and classical compositional techniques. Each piece explores various conspiracy theories, from the imaginative to the ridiculous. “Squatch Watch" reimagines John Coltrane's “Giant Steps" through a lens of myth and mystery, enriched by the writing style of Wayne Shorter. “Birds ...
Continue ReadingAfro-Caribbean Jazz Collective: Fiesta at Caroga
by Jack Bowers
Whenever the word “Afro-Caribbean" appears in an album's title, there are sure to be plenty of bold and exciting rhythmic passages, and Fiesta at Caroga, recorded by the Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective at the 2022 Caroga Lake (New York) Music Festival, is no exception to the rule. The Collective, founded by guitarist Jose Guzman, is comprised for the most part of music professors at several central Illinois universities. As for the music itself, it leans heavily on such ...
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