Bman's Blues Report

Rafael Greco —the legendary Venezuelan saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, and long-time creative engine behind Guaco —is finally stepping completely out of the big-band shadow to do exactly what he wants. On his new album, Verses Under My Shadow , he skips the predictable jazz tropes to build something way cooler: a hypnotic, avant-garde sandbox where Central African polyrhythms , vocal loops , and literary vibes collide, backed by heavy hitters like Dave Weckl and Jimmy Haslip . It’s an ambitious, deeply personal masterclass in groove and texture, and it sets the perfect stage for the sonic trip we're about to dive into.   🎵 LISTEN & SUPPORT THE ALBUM   Add this Record to Your Collection Available in Digital Formats. 🛒 Buy Album on Amazon Store As an Amazon Associate, Bman earns from qualifying purchases. The Deep Dive Verses Under My Shadow is a solid entry into modern fusion that shows what happens when Rafael Greco is left to m...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Cambio , from Neff Irizarry , and it's vibrant guitar with hot Latin rhythms. Opening with Adelante , composer and guitar lead, Neff Irizarry leads the way with excellent fluid melody paired with Martin Fabricius on vibraphone, with the rhythmic support of Jimmy Haslip on bass and Picardo Padilla on percussion. Strong opener. Cabo Rojo in 6/8 gives Irizarry plenty of room to breathe with both extended phrases and shorter punctuation, over Fabricius' well placed accents. A steady rhythm by Padilla anchors the piece giving it a nice flow. Led Zep's, The Rain Song is a nice diversion handled by lush melodic phrasing by Irizarry over the simple Latin rhythm of Padilla. El Swing De La Finca really does move with the melody laid down by Fabricius and Irizarry in tandem. Irizarry takes the first line solo and Irizarry the second over the punchy bottom by Haslip and Padilla. My favorite track on the release. Another...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tomorrowsville , from Randy Hoexter and it's a strong fusion release. Opening with Rosetta Stone , with it's jagged drum rhythm by John David and Randy Hoexter on piano, this track is humming. Sam Skelton adds some solid phrasing on sax and Justin Powell on trumpet join Jimmy Haslip on bass to really fill out the track but this is a great opener. The Dragonfly has a funky bottom and the addition of Mike Stern is a killer idea with his signature guitar work in contrast with Hoexter's clean yet adventurous piano phrasing. Very nice. Up tempo, The Wine-Dark Sea really gives Sam Skelton a broad stage to really rip on sax and features Roberta Setzu on lead vocal. Another track with with exciting pace is Particle Accelerator . Hoexter and Skelton both lay down really nice solo concepts and the tight rhythms of Haslip, David and Emrah Kotan on percussion, complimented by Powell on trumpet and Eric Alexander on tromb...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dice Que Vive (Signs of Life) from Rafael Greco , and it's quite interesting. Opening with Erase Una Vez , saxophonist, composer, singer and keyboard/percussionist, Raphael Greco breaks out with the first track of his debut release. With electrifying rhythms and keyboard structure under a vocal melody, this track is really hot. Joined by Luisito Quintero on congas, timbales, bongos, and percussion, Robert Quintero on Cumaco, Rodner Padilla on bass and Santiago Bosch keys, this track is super. I really like the contrast of the jagged rhythms with the straightforward melody on African Boy . Greco on keys partners with L Quintero timbales, congos and bongos, Robert Quintero on Shekere and bongos, Padilla on bass, the extraordinary Steve Khan on acoustic and electric guitar, Humberto Casanova on drums and Guillermo Carrasco on backing vocals. Really strong. Una Illusion is a synthesis of modern concepts and primitive soun...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Hideaway Sessions from electro- acoustic collective, Tritone Asylum and it's really interesting. Opening with Grasshopper, a Latin influenced track, the band, made up of Philip Topping on electronic Valve Instrument, Ian Vo on sax and flute, Mitch Forman on keys, Peter Sepsis on bass and Dave Johnstone on drums really get moving. I particularly like lively sax solo by Vo which is a screamer. Off centered, The 54 Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with 5/4 time and Topping leading the way on Electronic Valve over a tight drum cadence by Johnstone. Waddell breaks loose with a dynamic guitar solo that speaks nicely and Vo's sax solo is quite soulful. Forman lays in a real nice key solo and precise guitar punctuation really adds a nice touch. Very cool. With a funky bottom thanks to Sepsis and Johnstone Simple is really humming and Topping and Vo carry the melody. I really like Vos' sax work ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Morning Star , from Thomas Heflin and it's a smooth, pop jazz effort led by trumpet player Thomas Heflin. Opening with title track, Morning Star , the Slavic translation of Heflin's wife's name. Heflin on trumpet, is backed by Gregory Tardy on sax, Dan Hitchcock on tenor sax, Peter Stoltzman on keys, Aaron Matson on guitar, Steve Haines on bass, Xavier Ware on drums and Jorge Luis Torres on percussion. With a step up solo by Heflin and a fluid sax solo by Tardy, this is a solid opener. Interlude is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's jagged rhythm pattern and adventurous trumpet lead by Heflin. Haiku has a really cool intro ... just Heflin on trumpet derived from a jazz favorite, Stablemates by Benny Golson. As the track progresses, Tardy lays in some really adventurous sax lines, nice trumpet improvisation by Heflin and a strong bass lead by Haines. The Moon Singer is inspired by a book by...