Remix Album [Import]

Omar Sosa | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 11, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Ota Records
• ASIN: B000EWBKJ4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #629,649 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's hard to mess up Omar Sosa . . ., May 29, 2006

By 

Jan P. Dennis "Longboard jazzer" (Monument, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Remix Album (Audio CD)

. . . and thankfully these remixes don't do too much damage to the original performances; indeed, in some cases they actually add new insights to the originals--which is much more than one could have hoped for.

Look.

I'm not a big fan of jazz remixes. I mean, what's the point? Isn't jazz the quintessential improv art? Isn't its success dependent on actual players' interaction and conversation in real time?

Yes and yes.

Granted, remixing can add a deep rhythmic sensibility and/or various colors that could, conceivably, beef up interesting but not strongly groove-oriented or highly coloristic performances.

But that's exactly what Omar Sosa is justifiably famous for--killer world-jazz grooves and brilliant instrumental coloration. So on the face of it, he wouldn't seem a great candidate for remixing.

Nevertheless.

I'm pretty taken by this disc. Much of the coloration comes in the form of either wordless vocals or repeated phrases that cast strange new light on the proceedings, bringing out certain aspects of the compositions that may have been insufficiently highlighted in the original performances. And the rhythmic augmentation, in the form of handclaps, electronic blips, scratches, and other manipulations does add a certain verve and even insouciance.

All in all, I think it's a trade-off: the addition of pure aural detail at the price of real-time interaction.

Me, I prefer the latter. But I can see how there could be those who might prefer the former. And the more I listen, the more I like. Who knows, I might actually, somewhere down the road, become a convert to the wonders of remixed jazz.

****1/2.

2.0 out of 5 stars Be forewarned!, June 3, 2006

By 

Dr. Po Ki "Dr. Po Ki" (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remix Album (Audio CD)

Nowhere on this CD does it inform the buyer that it is copy protected and will not even load on a computer. So if that is your preferred listening mode, you're out of luck. It sounds great on my CD player and I echo Dennis' review. So the two stars reflect my frustration and the lack of consumer information, not my appreciation of the music.