Customer Reviews

Ayaguna

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OK, he doesn't play the guitar, but his piano playing bears a distinct resemblence to Egberto Gismonti's, the great Brazilian pianist and guitarist. Here, Gustavo Ovalles, a Venezuelan percussionist, plays Nana Vasconcelas to leader Cuban Omar Sosa's Egberto Gismonti.

Together, they have produced a disc every bit as enchanting as the Brazilians' Duas Vocez. Featuring the same deeply folkloric vibe, a similar percussive pianism, gorgeous lyricism, wide-ranging sound palettes for a duo recording, and some kind of impossibly deep world-jazz groove, these guys are the new standard bearers of cutting edge jazz beat.

A word about Omar Sosa. I've only heard one other complete disc from him, Portraits of Soul (see my Amazon review; I plan to obtain the remaining 11 discs of his as soon as I can lay my hands on the funds), but this guy is the most exciting world-jazz musician to come along since Egberto Gismonti, who, with Sanfona, had produced what I believe was the finest world-jazz disc until Portraits of Soul and with Sol Do Meio Dia, Danca Das Cabecas, Duas Vocez, Magico, and Folk Songs, had also produced the greatest body of world jazz yet.

From just listening to two of his discs, I believe Sosa is a serious challenger to Gismonti's legacy.

I'll be sending in more dispatches from the front after listening to Sendir, Bembon, Prietos, New Life, etc.

I became interested in Omar Sosa after hearing his name associated with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, but frankly, it's hard to imagine two more different pianists coming out of the same Cuban tradition. Sosa's approach is percussive and jagged, sometimes at the expense of an identifiable melody--although he's not interested in abstraction as such. What keeps his music from being repetitive--here, at least--is the inventiveness of his accompanist, who provides an endlessly shifting texture of African/Afro-Cuban rhythms. It's a compelling statement about the contemporary African diaspora, in musical terms, and Sosa makes it clear in the liner "notes" that he's aiming for a sense of spiritual unity as well. Excellent work all around, and I'll be interested to see what else Sosa can do.

I got a copy of this fine disk on a whim, and was totally delighted from the start. It isn't Afro-Cuban (which I expected), but certainly incorporates many Cubano influences, especially in the multi-varied rhythms and percussion instruments throughout. More, the listener should expect to hear Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Poncho Sanchez, and a whole panoply of influential pianists and jazz musicians in this lovely recording by Omar Sosa.