SAMMY FIGUEROA AND HIS LATIN JAZZ EXPLOSION ''THE MAGICIAN'' (USA,2007) @ [206k VBR]

SAMMY FIGUEROA AND HIS LATIN JAZZ EXPLOSION

''THE MAGICIAN''

(USA, 2007) @El percusionista americano Sammy Figueroa es uno lo mas reconocidos instrumentalistas del jazz y la musica latina en los Estados Unidos, habiendo sido incluso nominado en dos oportunidades al premio Grammy como mejor album de Latin Jazz por sus producciones And Sammy Walked In y por The Magician que presentamos hoy aqui en Solar Latin Club.

En el track Together escucharan una fusión de Jazz Boogaloo como el mismo Sammy Figueroa define este track, dedicado a dos de sus grandes Gurus Mongo Santamaria y Bill Fitch.

Sammy Figueroa empezo con la orquesta del maestro Bobby Valentin a la edad de 18 años.

*****************

Percussionist Sammy Figueroa's second CD as a leader for Savant is a dynamic session, with a rotating cast of players in a sextet that often sounds like a much larger band. Drawing from both hard bop repertoire and originals contributed by his musicians, the leader's driving percussion powers the ensembles with a fire reminiscent of Mongo Santamaria, while he is also a fine conga soloist, especially in bassist Gabriel Vivas' explosive cooker "The Three Marias." Pianist Silvano Monasteiros contributed the elegant cha-cha "The Magician, " which showcases trumpeter John Norris and the composer. Figueroa's scoring of the well-known Miles Davis/Victor Feldman piece "Seven Steps to Heaven" is full of spice in a blazing uptempo setting. Likewise, the arrangements of works by Cedar Walton and Horace Silver work equally well in this enjoyable Afro-Cuban recording. This CD was nominated in 2007 for a Grammy award as Best Latin Jazz Album.Review by Ken Dryden

1 Together Laws 3:342 The Three Marias Vivas 6:473 The Magician Monasterios 5:474 Firm Roots Walton 8:105 Crossroads Monasterios 5:256 Seven Steps to Heaven Davis, Feldman 6:097 Fiestas do Norte [Celebrations from the Norte] Vivas 5:288 Healing Man Vivas 6:339 Gregory Is Here Silver 7:04