Bill O'Connell
Triple Play - With Dave Valentin & Richie Flores
CD
(Savant 2089),
Released 2008;
Editor's Pick:
A beautiful album from pianist Bill O'Connell, flautist Dave Valentin, and percussionist Richie Flores. According to the informative liner notes by Felipe Luciano, this ground-breaking trio plays Jazz Latino, not Latin Jazz – the distinction for Luciano being that Latin jazz is essentially instrumental Latin dance music with plenty of soloing, whereas with jazz Latino, the emphasis is on the jazz – it is music to listen to. The album is a mix of originals and standards, Latin and jazz/blues, with O’Connell’s rhythmic, spiritual Steinway anchoring Valentin’s sprightly flute flights and Flores’ prodigious percussion playing. O’Connell is a unique talent with some great compositions to his credit, and he often makes me think of heroes like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, though of course he’s got his montuno chops down cold, too, having played with some of the best in Latin music, from Angel Canales to Mongo Santamaria. There is never a dull moment here, from the bluesy soul-jazz of Flying By, to several crucial numbers that plumb the well of Latin idioms (Brazilian, Peruvian, and Cuban). O’Connell has played with Valentin for several decades, and their close rapport is something miraculous to behold – their radical deconstruction duet of "Afro Blue" is a case in point, but for me, it was the more up-tempo numbers with all three like "Triple Play" and "Cravo E Canela" that really impressed.
Very Highly Recommended. (Pablo Yglesias, 2008-07-08)
Song titles include:
Triple Play 4:17
Flying By 6:29
Machu Picchu 5:54
A Call For Sanity 6:02
Just In Time 4:31
Second Son 5:48
Cravo E Candela 6:32
You've Changed 5:35
Afro Blue 6:15
Dansette 6:10
Musicians include:
Bill O'Connell Piano
Dave Valentin Flute and alto flute
Richie Flores Congas, cajon, (#3), timbales and congas (#6 & #10), piano/conga duo (track 5), piano/flute duo (track 9)
Category: Latin Jazz
=> Latin Jazz
Shipping Value: 1
ORDER TL-23137.10 CD $16.98
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