Customer Reviews

Invitation

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I met Roberto a few months ago on a trip to Havana. He instructed me and my college latin jazz band and was fantastic. He is one of the most talented pianist alive today and is a great guy to top it all off. A kind-hearted, friendly guy with an amazing talent--a unique blend for sure! Buy his CD!

I have been a fan of Bobby Carcasses, Roberto's father, for some time. Bobby's music has always been eclectic and ahead of its time, combining Cuban rhythms with arablic and indian influences, jazzy riffs and occasional scatting. His son, Roberto, is a chip off the old block.

Roberto and his band are young, dynamic musicians who are at the forefront of the next wave of Cuban music. I recently saw Roberto and his band perform live at the closing party for the Havana Film Festival in New York. I was very impressed with the band's exuberance and in general, the high level of musicianship.

Roberto is relatively new to the music scene, however, make no mistake, he is one of young maestro's to watch. Roberto graduated in percussion from the Escuela Nacional de Arte in Cuba in 1991. From 1991 to 1995 he toured with the, Grupo Santiago de Feli, then performed at various Jazz festivals internationally for a number of years. In 1998-99 he taught a jazz workship at Stanford University in California.

Roberto's debut recording is the first in a series called, The Cuban Jazz Project. On INVITATION, Roberto pays homage to three of his musical mentors, Mario Bauza (De La Habana a New York), the late Emiliano Salvador (Puerto Padre), a pianist who influenced a generation of Cuban musicians and a man who requires no introduction, Thelonius Monk (Monk's Mood). Two tracks are totally improvised (...llego el invernio and Tonada para Robin). Their is also a descarga (jam) and lovely Brazilian ballad.

I predict great things from Roberto in the future and recommend INVITATION to anyone who enjoys good music.

Roberto Carcasses is one of the hundreds of young new talents in Havana today, which are focusing on the further development of afrocuban jazz. That's what 'Invitation' is all about, a group of 'third generation' versatile musicians which are equally at home playing jazz improvisations and afrocuban rythms (the group includes 3 former Irakere bandmembers) exploring new possibilities for the genre based on the influence of 'second generation' cuban giants such as Chucho Valdés and Emiliano Salvador, while adding their own spice and reality to this refreshing piece of work.