1. ˇBien Bien!
2. Freedom Jazz Dance
3. Mojito Café
4. Building Bridges
5. In a Sentimental Mood
6. Playa Negra
7. Going Up!
8. Solid
9. Africa
Wayne Wallace - Trombone, vocals
Murray Low - Piano, vocals
Michael Spiro - Percussion, vocals
David Belove - Bass, vocals
Paul van Wageningen - Trap drums, vocals
Julian Priester, Dave Martell - Trombones
Kenny Washington, Orlando Torriente - Vocals
David Chaidez, Alexa Weber Morales, Karen Aczon, Sakai, Jody Noble,
Sheryl Lynn Thomas, Ron Stallings - Background vocals
An old song called Dry Bones includes the line "Dem bones,
dem bones, gonna walk around". This CD reminded me of that line,
because the album is full of trombones walking around with power as
well as grace. These are the very opposite of "dry bones".
Wayne Wallace is a San Franciscan trombonist and his guests on the
album include two other trombonists, of whom the best-known is Julian
Priester, who has played with everyone from Duke Ellington to Sun
Ra, and from John Coltrane to Johnny Griffin. So this album will undoubtedly
appeal to trombone enthusiasts but it will also attract lovers of
Latin Jazz, since that is the predominant style throughout. Having
said that, the style varies from straight Latin Jazz, via Bomba, Bolero
and Cha-Cha-Cha, to Cu-Bop.
This makes for an interestingly varied album, especially as the tunes
are chosen from very diverse sources. As well as three originals by
Wayne Wallace, there are compositions by Eddie Harris (Freedom
Jazz Dance), Sonny Rollins (Solid), John Coltrane (Africa)
and two pieces by Duke Ellington. The first of the Ellington numbers
is In a Sentimental Mood, which has some thoughtful
ballad soloing from Wallace and pianist Murray Low, with just a hint
of Latin rhythms in the background. The other Ducal tune is the catchy
Going Up! - also known as Floor Show - which Ellington
recorded several times, especially in the early 1940s. It makes a
gutsy piece of Latin Jazz, with improvisations from all three trombonists,
including some nice plunger mute from Wayne.
Vocalists Orlando Torriente and Kenny Washington (not the drummer
of the same name) appear on Freedom Jazz Dance, backed by a
vigorous choir. Torriente sings in Spanish and Washington in English,
with plenty of jazzy scatting along the way. The group brings out
the bluesiness implicit in Sonny Rollins's Solid (fine piano
here from Murray Low) and John Coltrane's Africa is given a
novel but sympathetic treatment. One of my favourite tracks is
Playa Negra (a Wallace original whose title refers to a surfer's
beach in Costa Rica) - which has a gentle trotting rhythm.
When I first started listening to this album, I thought "Oh,
just another dose of salsa!". However, as I got into it, I realised
that this is not any old serving of salsa but a mixed grill with plenty
of sauce.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Patois PRC 009
