Search - Michel Camilo :: Solo

Average

Jason Lee | 06/30/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"enough with the mumbo jumbo terms from the other guy. i'll write this review in plain english. I found this cd to my distaste sad to say. Don't get me wrong, Michel camilo is my favorite jazz pianist, he rocks out on piano! but on this cd, he is laid back, the songs he plays are like, cocktail party genre, not very active, intense, flair ups, octave voicings that im used to hearing. he plays gently, like slow songs, not much dramatic activity on the piano. if you like to hear relaxed laid back voicings on piano, then you might like this CD. me personally, like to hear him fire up on the piano, so this Cd was not for me."

Michel's Softer Side

Eric Veninga | Dallas, TX | 05/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"About a year ago, upon asking my band director for some smokin' piano playing, I was introduced to Michel Camilo's "Live at the Blue Note" CD. Although I didn't appreciate the CD to its fullest at first (I was unfamiliar with jazz in general and had never even heard of Latin Jazz before), I understood that Michel was an extraordinary musician. After a few months, the CD grew on me and has recently become one of my favorites. I then looked to buy some of his other CD's, and I couldn't wait to get his solo album so I could focus particularly on his chops.



What I found was surprising. "Solo" is quieter, more lyrical, more thoughtful than his "Blue Note" performance. There are no showstoppers, no real crowd pleasers. But what is present is an album well conceived and beautifully played. The depth of each song is amazing. Some people might agree with the previous reviewer who said that some of the songs sound "cocktail party-ish," but I disagree. An incredible amount of detail is put into each phrase so that every song feels truly organic and unique.



It's obvious that Mr. Camilo puts a lot of thought and effort into his art, as even his CD booklet goes into great detail about how he went about recording his first solo effort. This album showcases Michel's softer, poetic side. For smokin' hands, buy "Live at the Blue Note" or "On Fire.""