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Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project: Soul Eyes
By"Sabor" opens the set, an upbeat mambo (is there any other kind?) featuring a bubbling cacophony of percussion, with Russo using the congas, guiro and cowbell alongside Jeff Magby on the drum set. The title tune, Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes," cha cha's in next, with a fine cool alto sax solo by Douglas Little, followed by Jeff Helgesen blowing a brassy trumpet turn, in an arrangement that brings some of Dizzy Gillespie's Latin grooves to mind.
Timbales, congas, guiro, chekere, bongosall these percolate behind the two-horn front lines throughout the session, and not in an obtrusive way; it's all very incorporated, creating a feast for percussion fans, on mambos and cha chas and boleros and Afro-Cuban romps.
Bobby Timmons' "Moanin'" is the only tune without "the tinge," a straight-ahead blowing workout reminiscent of Art Blakey's take on the song, with trumpeter Jeff Helgesen sounding bright and brassy and very Lee Morgan-esque.
The highlight is a trio of back-to-back tunes: "Speak No Evil," "ESP," and "Maiden Voyage," written by Wayne Shorter, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, respectively, in a Latinization of late-sixties post bop moods.
A fine set of mainstream tunes spiced up with percolating Latin rhythms.
Track Listing
Sabor, Soul Eyes, You Stepped Out of a Dream, A Flower is a Lovesome Thing, Speak No Evil, ESP, Maiden Voyage, Moanin,' The Lamp is Low
Personnel
Craig Russo
percussionCraig Russo--percussion; Jeff Helgesen--trumpet; Chip McNeil--Tenor saxophone; Sean Parsons, Chris Mahieu, Simon Rowe-piano; Toby Curtright--bass; Jeff Magby--percussion;Douglas Little--alto saxophone;
Album information
Title: Soul Eyes | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Cagoots Records
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