Tony Succar & Pablo Gil – Raíces Jazz Orchestra (Unity Entertainment, 2020)
Two of the leading Latin Jazz musicians in the United States got together to form the Raíces Jazz Orchestra, a Latin big band tribute to music from Latin America and Spain. Raices means roots in Spanish. The goal of the orchestra is to provide sabor (tasty flavor), a special Latin swing to a big band format.
Tony Succar is an award-winning producer and skilled percussionist. Dr. Pablo Gil is an acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and arranger. Both artists are based in southern Florida.
Raíces Jazz Orchestra is a superb album with wonderful orchestrations, masterful performances by the big band and guests, and a fabulous rhythm section.
The album showcases a wide-range of musical influences. You’ll find a Brazilian samba classic like “Mas que Nada” brilliantly transformed into an irresistible salsa piece.
Other genres masterfully arranged include Afro-Cuban, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan (Joropo), Peruvian (Landó), Spanish (flamenco), Cameroonian (via Richard Bona) and descarga (Latin jam).
The list of musicians is impressive and way too long to list here. Needless to say, it’s some of the best players in the Latin music scene based in the United States and abroad.
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.