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Luisito Quintero
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 ReadingJoe Syrian: Secret Message
by Richard J Salvucci
A title like Secret Message does make a listener wonder what it might be. Is it deeply subversive, like the Zimmerman Telegram, or apocalyptic, like Fatima? Of course, as someone is reputed to have said, 'Sometimes, a cigar is just a smoke.' So it is possible to over-interpret a title, which may, in the final analysis, simply be a title. Joe Syrian is a Detroit-based drummer, a city that can claim Brian Blade, J. C. Heard, ...
Continue ReadingSilvano Monasterios: The River
by Jack Bowers
To enhance his musical excursion along The River, composer, arranger and pianist Silvano Monasterios invited eight talented companions on board to share the ride. He did not make it easy for them. As envisioned by Monasterios, this river is by turns placid or turbulent, sparse or overflowing--but invariably tricky to navigate and tame. The entire work, he writes, is “a suite of what I consider Venezuelan music," and was inspired by the people in his native land ...
Continue ReadingJoe Syrian Motor City Jazz Octet: Secret Message
by Jack Bowers
No fuss, no frills here, simply forty-seven or so minutes of generally bright and engaging straight-ahead jazz, stylishly performed by drummer Joe Syrian's admirable Detroit-based octet. This is music the group plays often, blending standards from the Great American Songbook with more recent themes by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Leon Russell and others. The congenial session opens with a pair of well-traveled standards--"Bye Bye Blackbird," and “Star Eyes"--and closes with two more- -"Night and ...
Continue ReadingDonald Vega: As I Travel
by Pierre Giroux
Pianist Donald Vega's latest album As I Travel is a captivating musical memoir in which, through an intricate blend of melodies and harmonies, he weaves a heartfelt narrative which pays homage to the familial and communal influences that have shaped his artistic journey. Accompanying him on this excursion are drummer Lewis Nash, bassist John Patitucci and percussionist Luisito Quintero, each of whom brings impressive credentials with him. All nine compositions on this release were composed and ...
Continue ReadingColette Michaan: Earth Rebirth
by Katchie Cartwright
Colette Michaan's bamboo flute calls out over a looming drone as Earth Rebirth opens. Instruments emerge out of time to create a watery soundscape that becomes increasingly lush as John Benitez's bass brings in the tempo, with Yusnier Sanchez Bustamante's percussion chattering behind Luisito Quintero's swirling cymbals and Leo Genovese's fluid piano. Michaan mapped the composition minimally. The flute is a suling she acquired in her travels in Indonesia, so she sketched out its scale and gave some harmonic context. ...
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 ...
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Jonathan Ruiz
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La Flor de la Canela
From: FemininasBy Luisito Quintero
Ondé
From: Dice Que Vive (Signs Of Life)By Luisito Quintero
