Calle Loíza Jazz Project – There Will Never Be Another You (Calle Loíza Jazz Project, 2020)
There Will Never Be Another You is an album of jazz standards recreated under a Puerto Rican music perspective. Calle Loíza Jazz Project includes some of Puerto Rico’s finest jazz musicians along with colleagues from the continental United States invited to the project. They celebrate the encounter between jazz and Puerto Rican and Cuban rhythms and musical forms.
The band transforms Miles Davis’ “Seven Steps To Heaven” into a bomba piece, featuring engaging solos from Melvin Jones on trumpet and Mark Monts De Oca on piano.
Frank Churchill’s “Some Day My Prince Will Come” is performed under a delightful cha cha cha perspective with outstanding solos by Andre Avelino on guitar and Gordon Vernick on trumpet.
Oliver Nelson’s “Stolen Moments” becomes a swinging son montuno showcasing Melvin Jones on trumpet.
Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance” is presented as a fine Latin Jazz tune with great solos by Tony Batista on bass and Xavier Barreto on flute.
Meanwhile, the classic “Old Folks” by Willard Robison and Dedette Lee Hill reappears as a slow tempo, romantic bolero with a magnificent piano solo by Mark Monts De Oca .
Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Swett Way” travels far south to Brazil, incorporating Brazilian rhythms with Reinel Lopez on Brazilian percussion and André Avelino delivering a notable guitar solo.
Theolonius Monk’s “Well You Needn’t” is an encounter between bomba and bop.
Tthe final cut, Mack Gordon and Harry Warren’s “There Will Never Be Another You” is a superb Latin Jazz piece with a descarga (jam) at the end, highlighting the talent of drummer Jimmy Rivera and conguero Javier Oquendo.
The ensemble’s name makes reference to an iconic street in Santurce, Puerto Rico which is well known as hub for artistic creativity.
The lineup includes Jimmy Rivera on drums; Tony Batista on bass; Mark Monts De Oca on piano; André Avelino on guitar; Javier Oquendo on congas; Melvin Jones and Gordon Vernick on trumpet; Xavier Barreto on flute; Cándido Reyes on guiro; Reinel López on Brazilian percussion; and Ivan Belvis on percussion and sound engineering.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.