CD Details
Synopsis
Amazon.comLos Hombres Calientes is an impressive debut by the New Orleans-based band of the same name led by veteran percussionist Bill Summers (Headhunters, Herbie Hancock) and young lions Irvin Mayfield on trumpet and Jason Marsalis on drums. Respect does not have to mean dull, and this sextet draws smartly from Afro-Cuban tradition and jazz. Moreover, in their mix of originals and Afro-Cubanized standards, Summers & Co. are not afraid to take chances. In "Rhumba para Jason," Mayfield growls, moans, and cries over a light, exact rumba groove. "Stardust" suggests a Brazilian-flavored bolero. More intriguingly, the music has a lived-in feel--both when it suggests an urban, genteel ballroom ("Victor el Rojo," "Stardust") and when it evokes a Caribbean neighborhood backyard rich with echoes of Africa ("Ye Ye O"). This is a band worth following. --Fernando Gonzalez
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CD Reviews
The hottest thing in jazz today. 07/19/1999 (5 out of 5 stars) "If my house were burning down and I could only save one disc, this would be it. Combining the intensity and passion of Latin music with the deep, deep soul of New Orleans, Los Hombres Calientes has created one of the greatests jazz recordings in recent memory. From the familiar strains of "Stardust" to the very Cuban "Rompey Saraguey", this album weaves the big Latin sound and Big Easy together in such a seamless way that, although it is very fresh, you wonder why no one has ever thought of it before. All these band members have their own solo projects going, and I for one hope that they continue to play together and make many more of these wonderful discs. I saw them at the Funky Butt in New Orleans, and they are even more fiery in concert. May the trinity of Summers, Marsalis and Mayfield bless us with great music for many years to come!!"
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