The group, Caribbean Jazz Project, combines a unique blend of jazz, salsa and all else that originates from south of the border. What sets this group apart is their charming appeal, which can range all the way from the casual listener to the jazz aficionado. This group, it seems to me, is on the doorstep of opening up a new idiom with regards to the Latin American fusion into the jazz media.
There is an abundance of talent with regards to the musicians who have collaborated to form this project. Paquito D'Riviera was a child prodigy in Havana and grew into a clarinet and saxophone sensation with the group, Irakere. A group which blended jazz, rock, classical and traditional Afro-Cuban music and started a fire, which today, is far from being kindled. Later after defecting into the United States, Paquito linked up with Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations's orchestra and began to make a further imprint on the shrinking world of musical styles all coming together from different cultures of this beleaguered planet. If you're not that familiar with Paquito's work and you want to come away with a good sampling, I would highly recommend listening to the# CD#, "Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nation Orchestra, Live at Royal Festival Hall." To truly get a good taste of Paquito, pay attention to his solo on "Tin Tin Deo."
Dave Samuels' career in a lot of ways reminds me of master vibraphonist Milt Jackson. In that Jackson, although brilliant and very much a viable part of the MJQ, was always kind of muzzled in his playing - this appraisal is not original though by yours truly, it has been reflected in the past by more notable critics of jazz - A lot of folks in the jazz community thought that Jackson's playing was restrained; And, in fact, there is a lot of truth to that notion. Only listen to some of the recordings Milt Jackson made while away from the MJQ to appreciate this. Dave Samuels has long been a mainstay with the fusion group, Spyro Gyra. Although, that group is a good distance from the MJQ in musical merit, still the analogy can be made for Dave Samuels. I learned a couple of years ago what a marvelous musician Samuels was when hearing him perform at a small club in Cold Spring New York in the Mid Hudson Valley, where Dave hails from. Seeing him perform at that club I first realized that this was a many dimensioned musician that had a lot more to tell than that which came forth from Spyro Gyra's group. Samuels, with the CJP is a natural choice. Not since Cal Tjader has there been a non Latin, mallet player completely at home and in command of the artistry and styles of Latino music. Dave really gets in some fine and exciting solo work especially on the marimba, an instrument usually thought to be more romantic, bolero type, and restrained. However, when the mallets are in Dave's hands there is smoke coming from his instrument.
Who among us does not like or lilt to the sounds of the steel drums? Unless we are completely devoid of human emotion, I would have to say there are very few of us. Andy Narell has taken the steel pans five steps further. Never in the history of music has there been anyone that could take these pans to play and improvise jazz upon them. Andy has commented about his own work that, "there wasn't anyone doing jazz on this instrument when I started - no one to model and say 'that's how it's done.'" Aside from his wondrous improvisations, Andy is a fine composer in the Jazz, calypso and Afro-Caribbean genre, if you will.
Keep your ears and eyes open for Argentinean pianist, Dario Eskenazi. In one of my back issues of the Jazz Zine I did a profile of some brilliantly up and coming Latin Jazz Pianists. This was before I heard Mr. Eskenazi. He is certain to make his mark with the CJP and eventually go off on his own to establish his original voice and add to this ever changing bi -cultural music that jazz is becoming.
Oscar Stagnaro is the electric bassist from Lima Peru. His foundations are solid and is deep beneath the group. There is a lot of Andy Gonzalez in his playing and when he solos there is a breath of originality that is just beginning to flower.
Drummer Mark Walker rounds out the Project. In listening to this group perform at the Paramount Center for the Performing Arts in Peekskill New York on a Saturday evening in October, I could have sworn I heard more than one drummer on stage. Mr. Walker gives the impression that we are hearing a full complement of Latin drummers. He is the spark plug that ignites this highly charged creative bunch of musicians. The audience does get off on this group. My feelings are that they'll have a wide appeal from all types of listeners. However, make no mistake, in no way, shape or form does the CJP sacrifice originality, creativity, style and taste for wide general appeal. It just happens!
One final thought: I was wondering to myself if there were one further element to this group it would start a fireworks display that would rival that of Macy's Fourth of July. I'm thinking to myself; what if a Latin Percussionist with the blaze of Giovanni Hidalgo were added? Any way, I don't believe that any theater in the world could withstand this kind of seething without blowing itself up in excitement. But, you never know.
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