SEARCH |  |  |
| .. |
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER |  |
| ..

Bookmark Us! - Contact Us - Comments - Help Wanted - Advertise - Media Awards - Submit Your Link - Tell A Friend - For Contributors
MONTHLY GREETING Pack Light GETTING STARTED Welcome to AAJ! New to Jazz? Building a Jazz Library History of Jazz Jazz Humor
Show All Titles About AAJ Showcase Resonance Taylor Eigsti Word of Mouth Revisited Jaco Pastorius Big Band Three Guitars Coryell, Assad & Abercrombie Paesanos on the New B3 Tony Monaco The Bandwagon Jason Moran A Little Moonlight Dianne Reeves Up For It Keith Jarrett
Jon Mayer
| . |
Big Band Time Paquito D'Rivera | Pimienta
As much as I love the intimacy of trios, there's nothing like a big band -- especially one with Latin rhythms, great charts and masterful soloists. Big Band Time has all of these, together with ample proof that D'Rivera is a fine writer as well as player (six of the ten tunes are his). The German WDR Big Band is tight, the arrangements are crisp, and the CD crackles with energy from that first flugelhorn blast from Claudio Roditi. As usual, Roditi's approach is tasteful and superb; he also wrote the closer, the gleeful "Annette's For Sure." Pianist Frank Chastenier plays soulfully on "To Brenda with Love," "Como Un Bolero," and "Song for Maura," a sensuous ballad where the leader is particularly tender. D'Rivera sounds fluid, expressive and good-natured throughout, weaving in his sly quotes now and then, and his horn arrangement on his "A Lo Tristano" really swings. Guitarist Paul Shigihara's fine work on "Danza Caracteristica" recalls Al DiMeola -- in fact, the way this intriguing tune moves and builds reminds me of DiMeola's brilliant The Grande Passion (Telarc, 2000). Here, the ten generous tracks include elements of Bach, bop, Cuba, and Brazil (check out arranger Jay Ashby's Carnival parade at the end of "Who's Smokin'?"). The liners' credit glitches may annoy some purists, but they won't detract from most listeners' enjoyment, which is likely to be considerable. Big Band Time is full of fire and moonlight. Highly recommended. ~ Dr. Judith Schlesinger
| Track Listing: To Brenda With Love, Danza Caracteristica, Song for Maura, Basstronaut, Who's Smokin'?, Y La Negra Bailaba, Andalucia, A Lo Tristano, Como Un Bolero, Annette's For Sure Personnel: Paquito D'Rivera: clarinet, saxophone;John Goldsby: bass; Claudio Roditi: trumpet, flugelhorn; Koji Paul Shigihara: guitar; Oscar Stagnaro: bass; Mark Walker: drums; Olivier Peters: saxophone; Heiner Wiberny: saxophone; Pernell Saturnino: percussion; Ludwig Nuss: trombone.
Search For Another CD Review... Search by Artist Name, Record Label or Review Author
Contact Us - Help Wanted - Suggestion Box - Advertise - Submit Your Link - For Contributors

All material copyright © 1996-2003 All About Jazz and contributing writers. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy