Consisting of Christos Rafalides/vib-mar, Sergio Salvatore/p, Mike Pope/b and Vince Cherico/dr-perc, the Manhattan Vibes quartet is a sleek and highly rhythmic and percussive team that glides through originals and standards with aplomb. Rafalides composes the originals, and material like “718” and “Red and Black” are infectious themes with incessant grooves. The interplay between vibes , marimba and piano is like a multi-screened jai alai match on “Blue November” and the irresistible “Samba Wa.” Their take of “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” is rich and luminous, while “Smile” has a surprisingly srong backbeat to it. All in all, good vibes all around.
Emarel Music