When you think of the mix of Afro Cuban with jazz, you usually get reflections of woodwinds, brass and dance rhythms. Trombonist Wayne Wallace and percussionist Michael Spiro throw us for a loop here as they mix the tradition of folks sounds of vocals and percussion with rich and exciting strings provided by La Orquesta Sinfonietta on this thrilling release.
You get richly textured and bel canto reading of “Stardust” with an intoxicating “danzon” rhythm rippling underneath the strings and Latin percussion supplied here. A reading of “Afro Blue” mixes rich hand percussion with earthy male vocals and penetrating brass. Rich strings slither and slide with flute and voices on the co-leaders’ “La Propaganda De Hoy” while the traditional piece “El Caldero De Ogun” is a celebration of rhythms and melodies. The conjunction of percussion from the village and the strings from the center of the city makes for a richly alluring sauce, filling and tasty. Check this one out!
Patois Records