The members comprising this
Latin jazz
septet (although there are only six folks depicted in the group photo) originate from Cuba, Austria, Uruguay, South Korea, and the United States. This is a tight-knit outfit for sure. Marked by tricky time signatures, expressive soloing, and oscillating
Afro-Cuban
grooves, the band also reaps noticeable dividends from Cuban-born diva
Deborah Aviles
' lighter-than-air vocalizing. On five tracks of this radiantly recorded CD, the singer embellishes the generally peppery grooves with her lyrically rich incantations amid some scat-based
vocalese
on certain tracks. Guest percussionists, performing tambor chico and tambor repique, enhance the band's meticulously engineered arrangements, as these instruments are rooted within the African-derived Uruguayan rhythmic genre. Hence, the artists perpetuate a multifaceted representation of the
idiom, awash with multi-reedman
Paul Kendall
's whispery flute work and other niceties. The musicians consummate the proceedings with a perky rendition of
Sonny Rollins
' classic
"St. Thomas."
Overall, the ensemble injects a refreshing viewpoint into familiar musical terrain. ~ Glenn Astarita