Palmetto Records
1998
Havana Blues
About This Album
The Latin Jazz Orchestra was founded by trumpeter Armando Rodriguez and drummer Victor Rendon in 1991. The Orchestra is smoothly piloted through a Latin jazz exploration of rhythm and melody. All but three of the tracks are expressive arrangements of Latin melodies, providing free reign for jazz possibilities, especially in the horn soloing. Mostly this is a combination of saxes and trumpets, but special attention should be brought to Mauricio Smith's flute solo in Chick Corea's "Guajira." In that song and most others, pianist Arturo O'Farrill delicately romances or otherwise extrapolates the melody. O'Farrill's father, Afro-Cuban jazz arranger Chico O'Farrill, arranges and conducts four of the cuts. The original material features a fun frolicking session between marimba (Victor Mendoza) and baritone saxophone (Charlie Lagond) on "Huachinango De Veracruz." Congas, bongos, kit drums, and bass toss back and forth a cornucopia of rhythms on the Latin Jazz Orchestra original "Percussion Excursion." Havana Blues is a largely bright and sunny collection (Farrés' "Tres Palabras" is the most "blue" piece), exhibiting fresh approaches to traditional material and exciting original pieces. ~ Thomas Schulte, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,9 and 10)

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