Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
The art form commonly referred to as Latin jazz is a musical expression of the heart and soul of New York, an exciting reflection of the rhythms and spirit of the city’s merging of Latino and African-American cultures. The music of Bill O’Connell is a product of that environment. Since the 1970s, when he first joined Mongo Santamaria’s band, O’Connell has continually proven himself not only as a highly skilled pianist, but as an outstanding composer-arranger as well. His Afro Caribbean Ensemble makes its recording debut on the new CD, “Wind off the Hudson,” as the star-studded roster performs O’Connell’s tricky arrangements with virtuoso aplomb. O’Connell explains, “I’ve been planning on this recording for the better part of the past decade.”
Now in the middle of a towering career as founder and leader of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, musical director for Ruben Blades, and pianist, arranger and producer for some of the biggest names in contemporary Latin music, three-time Grammy winner Oscar Hernandez turns to his working quintet to presents “Love the Moment.” Pulling from several lifetimes worth of musical experiences, Hernandez penned ten originals to perform with his Los Angeles-based ensemble, featuring the legendary saxophonist Justo Almario and special guests, San Diego trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos and violinist Dayre Santamaria, along with drummer Jimmy Branly, bassist Oscar Cartaya, and percussionist Christian Moraga.
Also this week, the Flying Horse Big Band of the University of Central Florida unveils its sixth release, “Good News!”;
vocalist Nicolas Bearde celebrates the 100th anniversary this year of Nat King Cole’s birth with “I Remember You: the Music of Nat King Cole”;
and guitarist Corey Christiansen borrows inspiration from the music that influenced him from Africa, through Cuba and into the States on “La Proxima.”