Albare - Plays Jobim Vol. 2

Albare -  Plays Jobim Vol. 2 - Alfi Records

This CD is the second volume by the guitarist Albare devoted to the legendary father of bossa nova, Antonio Carlos Jobim. Like the first volume, there are ten renditions of Jobim's signature songs along with the classic "Summer Samba." Albare co-produced this with Phil Turcio, who did the mixing and mastering. Like the first volume, Joe Chindamo is on piano. Chindamo also made all the arrangements and conducted the orchestra. Ricardo 'Ricky' Rodriguez is on bass again, while Pablo Bencid is on drums on most of this recording, and Luisito Quintero is on percussion. Antonio Sanchez plays drums on two songs, Nestor Torres plays the flute for two, and Randy Brecker plays trumpet on two selections.

Reviewing Albare's earlier volume of Jobim's music, I wrote, "Albare is a romanticist as a guitarist, with his guitar (whether electric or acoustic) in a melodic and lyrical mode. His single-note playing sings the lyrics while adding with genial embellishments to the melody while provided with a light, subtle backing." Like the earlier recording, strings provide a lush, breezy feel for "Dindi," "Summer Samba," "Girl From Ipanema," and "So Dança Samba." Nestor Torres' flute adds a nice touch to "Summer Samba," while Randy Brecker's bright trumpet adds some heat to "So Dança Samba," which also sports an appealing guitar solo. Torres' also adds color to Albare's treatment of "How Insensitive," as does Brecker' again enlivens's muted trumpet on "Favela." Albare's picking lends a poignant case to "A Felicidad" and a reflective interpretation of "Trieste." The album closes with the calming, relaxed "Meditation."

Like the prior Jobim tribute, these are relaxed performances where Albare plays with a deft touch. The resulting music is another easy to listen to recording full of charm that captures Jobim's music's beauty.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is "How Insensitive" from this album.

Noah Bless New York Strong - Latin Jazz!

Noah Bless
New York Strong - Latin Jazz!
Zoho Music

On the back cover of "New York Strong," Arturo O'Farrill is quoted, "Noah Bless is New York Strong. I've seen him on the finest bandstands representing this great city, in a manner that honors that NYC tradition of purposefulness. He is equally at home in swing, rumba, or samba, but always strong." Trombonist, composer and leader Bless is a 30-year veteran of New York City's rich Latin Jazz scene. Bless, in the words of Bill Milkowski, "has immersed himself in Afro-Cuban music, soaking up mambo and rhumba while getting the clave ingrained into his DNA." He toured with legends such as Mario Bauza, Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Santos, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and Arturo O'Farrill's Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. On this recording, Bless leads a band of Mike Eckroth on piano, Boriz Koslov on bass, Pablo Bencid on drums, and Luisito Quintero on percussion. Alejandro Aviles adds flute to two selections.

Bless is a trombonist who can exhibit a lyrical side as own his "Chasing Normal" or add heat to the surging Afro-Cuban groove of Rudy Calzado's "Ganga." This latter number places the spotlight on Bencid and Quintero. Bencid is on electric piano on the delightful Baden Powell samba, "Canto De Ossanha," with the spotlight on Bless' cashmere wool tone trombone. There is also considerable charm to Bless' interpretation of Jobim's "Ligia," which again shows his melodic side. Bless, in fact, says, "That melodic things always been my strong suit."

Bill Mobley's "49th Street" is transformed from a hard bop composition into a relaxed Afro-Cuban performance with Aviles' flute complementing Bless fluid solo flight over the effervescent groove. Aviles is also present on Bless' original "The Key," a rhythmically charged composition with alternating leisurely and feverish tempos that provides solo space to everyone. An unexpected delight is Bless' arrangement and the group's rendition of James Taylor's well-known folk composition, "Fire and Rain." It is another selection that results in Noah Bless' long-overdue debut as a leader being such a marvelous listening experience.

I received a review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2021 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 394). I have made a couple minor edits. Here is "Sunny Ray" from the album.

Fran Vielma and His Venezuelan Jazz Collective Tendencias

Fran Vielma and His Venezuelan Jazz Collective
Tendencias
Papelon Records

Vielma, is a Venezuelan composer, arranger, educator and a multi-percussionist specializing in Venezuelan rhythms and drums. Vielma also leads the ‘Venezuelan Jazz Orchestra,’ and is a producer/teacher of a biannual jazz seminar at The Andes University in his home country. On this recording he is joined by his Venezuelan Jazz Collective that features some of the most important Venezuelan and Latin American players of NY jazz scene like Luis Perdomo, Michael Rodriguez, Miguel Zenon, and Pablo Bencid.

Fran Vielma says about his music, "As a percussionist, I am drawn to the rhythmic elements of Venezuelan and Caribbean music that are full of African heritage. The nuance and variety of classical and world music styles, as well as the freedom of jazz, have constantly nurtured my performance, making me think as a real-time orchestrator, improviser, and an active seeker of sonic textures. These elements allow me to accompany and interact with other players, and to highlight passages or sections that a piece of music entails."

This opens with the invigorating "Monk En Aragua," one gets impressed by the clean, spicy horn lines as well as the thunderous percussion. There is a terrific bass solo from Roberto Koch as well as superb piano (Either from Luis Perdomo or Cesar Orozco) followed by Miguel Zenon's alto sax and then a percussion solo from Vielma. "Cereal De Bobures" may be a bit mellower as the horns are heard over the Rhodes piano with Michael Rodriguez's trumpet featured on a relaxed, tuneful solo that floats over the rhythm before a vocal chorus takes this performance out. The title track has a brisk tempo as well as featuring Angel Subero's wooly trombone set against a cleaver horn arrangement before a percussion solo set against a repeated piano riff. Jeremy Bosch's vocal is at the center of "Pasaje Del Olvido," while Koch's bass solo opens and sets the table for "Hubbardengue," with its airy Rhodes piano and Rodriguez's melodic trumpet.

The percussive heavy, "A Modo Patanemeño," places the spotlight on pianist Orozco, while the closing "Miel De Cayena," is a duet between Vielma and pianist Perdomo with interesting shifts in tempos and dynamics in this engaging musical conversation. It concludes a superb recording with an excellent band, superior compositions and superb soloing.

I received as a download from a publicist. This review appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Nlues Report (issue 378). Here is a video of "Monk En Aragu."