Hallowed

Reviewed: 2020—02-11
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: On her latest disc, pianist & arranger Rosewoman presents Afro-Cuban jazz reimagined. Her mid-size big band is incredibly versatile. The first ten tracks can be played together.
If You Like: Arturo O’Farrill, Chucho Valdez
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
Oru de Oro Suite (1-10)
1/ We Need You Now (6:51) – percussion starts> midtempo jam shifts uptempo & funky> trumpet solo> uptempo jam> fade on percussion
*2/ Mountain Sky, Healthy High (4:06) – percussion starts> midtempo jam continually shifts in instrumentation> fade on percussion
*3/ Forest Of Secrets (4:41) – percussion starts> midtempo jam> flute solo> percussion leads into uptempo Jam> trumpet solo> midtempo jam> fade on percussion
4/ Color Crown (3:58) – percussion starts> midtempo jam> sax solo> midtempo jam> fade on percussion
**5/ Hallowed (4:05) – percussion starts> hesitating midtempo jam with heavy chords swings uptempo> piano solo> midtempo jam swings uptempo> fade on percussion
6/ Puntilla’s Gift (3:06) – percussion starts hesitatingly> slow tempo jam builds to midtempo> fade
*7/ Two Bodies, One Heavenly Soul (4:52) – percussion starts> midtempo jam> sax solo> midtempo jam> fade on percussion
*8/ The Heart Of It (5:36) – percussion starts> expansive midtempo jam> piano solo swings into uptempo jam> percussion jam> uptempo jam> percussion jam to fade
*9/ Flowers That Bloom In The Dark (5:15) – percussion starts> midtempo jam with shifting instrumentation> fade on percussion
10/ There Is Here, Then Is Now (6:59) – percussion starts> midetmpo jam> trumpet solo> sax solo> midtempo jam> percussion jam> uptempo jam> crescendo end
11/ The Wind Is The First To Know (9:46) – piano starts> male vocal spoken word poem> expansive midtempo jam> midtempo song with female vocal> chorus joins> uptempo jam> trumpet solo> uptempo song with female vocal & chorus> percussion to quick stop
**12/ Alabanza (10:28) – horns start> uptempo jam> piano solo> midtempo funky jam> percussion jam swings into uptempo jam> crescendo & fade on percussion