Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Caribbean Jazz Project: New Horizons

195

Caribbean Jazz Project: New Horizons

By

View read count
Caribbean Jazz Project: New Horizons
Reedman Paquito D’Rivera and steel drummer Andy Narell recently quit the Caribbean Jazz Project, but founder Dave Samuels (vibes) didn't abandon his concept. Samuels convinced flutist Dave Valentin and guitarist Steve Khan to form a new Project. The revamped lineup just released its first album, and it's a very nice outing. New Horizons conjures images of pristine beaches, tropical breezes and swaying palms.

Samuels was wise to switch instrumentation when D’Rivera and Narell split the band. No way he could have replaced those two. Besides, the guitar-vibes combination is a sublime one, and Khan and Samuels are a simpatico pair. Having caught Valentin once in a club setting, I know that he’s a killer musician. Still, his solo releases have been too smooth-jazzy for my tastes.

No such concerns here. The 10 tracks on New Horizons are accessible but substantial, and equal credit goes to the drummerless supporting cast: bassist John Benitez, conga-bongo master Richie Flores and timbale player Robert Vilera. Flores and Vilera generate enough tropical heat to melt all the snow in my driveway, and Samuels delivers one of his finest performances on record.

It would have been nice to hear more of Khan’s guitar, but that's my only complaint. Khan’s three compositions are the most intriguing on the album. Especially good is "Charanga, Si Si," an eight-minute tune with a catchy, intricate melody, percolating rhythms and an unexpected call-and-response vocal "coro. Wouldn’t think any band could make "A Night in Tunisia" sound new, but Samuels leads the way on an alluring fast-paced treatment. Alec Wilder’s "Moon and Sand" offers a serene change of pace. Of Samuel’s four compositions, the best is "Over the Horizon," a tune colored by Samuel’s intense marimba playing and Valentin’s gorgeous flute. And just listen to Samuel’s fiery mallet work on the CD’s polyrhythmic closer, "Rompiendo El Hielo en 2000." Percussionists Flores and Vilera seem to inspire Samuels to new heights.

If you can’t afford a winter trip to the Caribbean, New Horizons will take you there in spirit.

Personnel

Dave Samuels
vibraphone

Album information

Title: New Horizons | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Concord Music Group

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

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

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.