Back To The Sunset

Reviewed: 2018-07-18
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Dafnis Prieto has always been one to think big in his music, but this is the first time he’s opted to actually go big. For this dynamic date, the drummer-composer assembled a 17-piece big band that proves more than capable of alternately playing with heat and heart, meeting this music’s complex rhythmic demands and delivering its wide-ranging harmonic specifications. Each track is like a series of movements with shifting melodies & tempos.
If You Like: Chico O’Farrill, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Una Vez Mas (7:28) – percussion starts> uptempo jam> percussion solo> piano solo> trumpet solo> uptempo jam> crescendo end
2/ The Sooner The Better (9:04) – piano starts, slow & quiet> slow jam> slowly builds to midtempo jam> sax solo> midtempo jam slows to slow jam> trumpet solo swings back to uptempo jam & slows again> melody shift> midtempo jam> sax solo swings into uptempo jam> crescendo end
*3/ Out Of The Bone (9:34) – sax solo starts slowly & hesitating> midtempo jam swings into rocking uptempo Latin jam> shifting melodies, still uptempo> trombone solo> uptempo jam> trumpet solo> intersecting solos> uptempo jam> pause> melody shift> uptempo jam> quick stop
*4/ Back To The Sunset (7:29) – horns start slow> slow jam> gorgeous sax solo (guest Henry Threadgill)> slow jam> slow fade
*5/ Danzonish Potpourri (10:11) – drums/percussion starts> fast jam> sax solo slows to midtempo jam> melody shift> uptempo jam> bass solo> piano solo> slow jam> fade> pause> uptempo jam builds to crescendo & slows to midtempo jam> melody shift> piano solo> slow build to a crescendo> midtempo jam> crescendo> accordion solo> crescendo & stop
6/ Song For Chico (7:28) – electric piano starts> midtempo jam> sax solo (guest Steve Coleman)> trumpet solo> drum solo> uptempo jam with drums/percussion interspersed> shifts to slow jam with bird sounds> sax solo> uptempo crescendo end
7/ Prelude Para Rosa (8:04) – piano trio starts uptempo> uptempo jam with flute up front> melody shift> uptempo jam with horns up front> melody shift> uptempo jam with flute up front> sax solo> midtempo jam> slow crescendo end
*8/ Two For One (9:16) – drums/horns start> uptempo jam gets wild & wooly> piano/percussion duet> uptempo jam> crescendo> uptempo jam> burning sax solo> melody shift> uptempo jam> sax solo with percussion> slows to a pause> midtempo piano solo swings uptempo> uptempo jam> drum solo> uptempo jam> crescendo> burst of percussion> quick stop
*9/ The Triumphant Journey (6:50) - percussion starts slow, quickly ramps up into uptempo jam> trumpet solo> uptempo jam> sax solo slows to midtempo then swings back up to uptempo jam> melody shift> uptempo jam with trombone up front> melody shift> uptempo jam with waves of sound> crescendo end