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Reviews: MUSIC.
When three of the most inventive artists in contemporary jazz and Latin-rooted instrumental music teamed up to record The Caribbean Jazz Project (Heads Up International), it was all but guaranteed that the results would be uniformly exciting. Happily, the combining of saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, and steel pans malleteer Andy Narell results in a level of creativity and genuine musical pleasure that exceeds even the high expectations that accompanied the release of this one-of-a-kind album.
D'Rivera, a highly regarded Cuban musician who is widely recognized as one of the world's best alto saxophonists, doubles on clarinet, from which he coaxes a sweet, airy sound that is the perfect complement to the relaxed, sunny personality of many of the other cuts. Samuels, well known for his long association with the pop jazz group Spyro Gyra, adds the woody textures of his marimba to the velvety vibraphone that he plays with a perfect Afro-Caribbean accent. Narell, almost single-handedly responsible for introducing the steel pans of Trinidad into the pop music mainstream, adds the shimmering sounds most associated with the Calypso tradition in a fresh, contemporary way.
The Caribbean Jazz Project is fortified by the contributions of Argentine pianist Dario Eskenazi, Peruvian bassist Oscar Stagnaro, and percussionist Luis Conte, a high-profile Los Angeles-based drummer. Thanks to...