Filosofía Caribeña, Vol. 1

Jazz | May 2011

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2011-05-14
JOHN SANTOS SEXTET: Filosofía Caribeña, Vol. 1
Machete, 2011

LATIN JAZZ – This CD is just part of a massive commissioned work that Bay Area percussionist John Santos been developing for two years. The theme is heritage, inspired by the complex streams of Afro-Latin-Caribbean culture, but it’s also very personal: most of the tunes are about specific musicians who have passed on or Santos’ own history. Excellent flute and sax carry the melodies over rich rhythms.

Fo’s Picks: 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11

1. 8:28 – spiritual intro, then gentle with lovely, heartfelt solos; tougher at end
2. 5:11 – rumba: great intro, flute duet, warm & inviting w/very nice percussion
3. 5:23 – mid-uptempo: cool melody, piano lifts it, soprano sax flies, drum jam
4. 4:37 – weak intro, but a fine vocal duet saves it
5. 7:17 – stylish midtempo: walking theme, then flying flute & sax fantasy
6. 8:57 – percussion showcase: builds a wall, falls back, then a stronger wall
7. 6:48 – tight sound, just the right mix of rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity
8. 6:04 – lively mix of rumba and bomba rhythms, really heats up in the middle
9. 6:03 – thoughtful groove: flute drives, other solos are pensive, faster at end
10. 4:44 – a catchy little riff anchors this descarga jam; baritone sax gets hot
11. 7:00 – funeral march into wild celebration; with Steve Turre on trombone!

[ Fo ] 05/14/11

Recent airplay

Resistencia
No Cover, No MinimumDec 01, 2016
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RebopFeb 19, 2016
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Charting

2011-05-14 — 2011-07-16 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
Jul 17 1
Jul 10 2
Jul 3 1
Jun 26 3
Jun 19 1
Jun 12 2
Jun 5 2
May 29 1

Track listing

1. He Was One Of Us
2. La Rumba Me Lleva
3. El Esqueleto Rumbero
4. No Soy Combatiente
5. Pop's Brim
6. Resistencia
7. The Sense Of Now
8. Refraneando
9. Siete Cuevas
10. Ponme A Gozar
11. Carnaval S.F.