Jazz, Soul Music Vocalist Gregory Porter – Illusion

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African American, Gregory Porter, Jazz, Male Vocalist, Soul

Crooner Gregory Porter is without a doubt one of the most powerful male vocalist and lyricist on the music scene today … check out “Illusion” from his debut “Water” on Motéma Music!

If you haven’t read it yet, here’s my review of Gregory’s new album “Water.”

..:: Source: Elemental Consulting.com ::..

Gabriel Palatchi Band -][- Diario de Viaj

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Gabriel Palatchi, Jazz, Piano

- Gabriel Palatchi Band - Diario de Viaj -

Gabriel Palatchi Band -][- Diario de Viaj – (iTunes) – [Gabriel Palatchi, 2010]

It is highly unlikely that when Gabriel Palatchi set off on his travels, out of Argentina, he thought he would be undertaking a musical excursion so vast and exciting. But the fact is that it ended up that way. Palatchi, now living in Canada—at least for now—has produced a fine album marking his musical sojourn entitled, Diario de Viaje. Leading a fine ensemble of musicians from various parts of South America, Palatchi works the idioms and metaphors of various not-so-disparate cultures into a fine homogenous mixture that is both delightful and also quite full of surprise. As a result he is able to create a fresh look at the popular musical motifs of Argentina, Perú, Colombia, Mexico and Cuba.

Palatchi is a skilled pianist, who plays with refreshing virtuosity. His mastery of the keyboard does not detract from his ability to play with nuanced expression. His style is so adaptable that he can play with fine tumbao, holding forth with some of the better known pianists of Cuba and other parts of South America. His grasp of musical form is exquisite—especially with the song-form of the tango, as well as cumbia and son montuno. However, he is innovative as well—not just with the way he calls/classifies the melodies, but also how he sometimes turns these inside out. “Cumbia Rabiosa” is a fine example as is “Exodo” and “Tansongo.” Best of all, Palatchi knows his place in the tradition and this creates a fine continuity of form and expression, and nowhere is this better evidenced than in “Tansongo,” a beautifully crafted tango that reaches deep into the roots of both European dance form as well as in the African influences on all South America that came with the Spanish occupation. —Raul da Gama | LatinJazzNet.com

Go here, to read the complete review by Raul da Gama.

..:: Source: LatinJazzNet.com ::..

BRAZILIAN PIANIST HELIO ALVES RELEASES MUSICA ON JAZZ LEGACY PRODUCTIONS, NOVEMBER 9

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Helio Alves, Jazz, Piano

LABEL DEBUT FEATURES REUBEN ROGERS & ANTONIO SANCHEZ, AMONG OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS

Helio Alves - Musica

While growing up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, studying classical piano, Helio Alves did not pay much attention to the samba and other indigenous rhythms that surrounded him. Yet today, as one of the most in-demand and consistently creative pianists on the international jazz scene, he incorporates samba, baião, and other Brazilian patterns into his technically stunning, rhythmically and harmonically challenging, and frequently rhapsodic approach to jazz. Such characteristics are especially evident throughout Musica, his fourth CD as a leader and first for bassist-turned-producer John Lee’s Jazz Legacy Productions label (November 9).

“I never studied Brazilian music per se, but it was always present,” the New York-based pianist says. “It was everywhere. I always got to hear the Brazilian rhythms, and somehow they got into my music, I guess through osmosis.”

Musica is a truly pan-American affair that features prominent musicians from throughout the hemisphere. Bassist Reuben Rogers, whose extensive credits include work with Joshua Redman and Diane Reeves, was raised in the Virgin Islands. Mexico City-born drummer Antonio Sanchez has played with Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra, Danilo Perez, and, for the past eight years, with Pat Metheny. Trumpeter Claudio Roditi and guitarist Romero Lubambo, both originally from Rio de Janeiro, join the trio for two tracks a piece.