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 Entertainment | June 2008 
Latin In the Key of G
 Don Albert - FM
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Well, well. I never thought I would be writing a review of a Kenny G CD - and recommending it to boot. But Rhythm & Romance (Concord) shows the soprano sax player's Latin chops and a great understanding of the genre.
"Sax-o-loco" is an immediate winner, but perhaps "Besame mucho" will be the hit. I also enjoy "Tango". On Mexican-sounding "Fiesta loca", G switches to tenor sax; "Salsa Kenny" will have the body swaying. Ten of the 12 tracks are written by G and pianist Walter Afanasieff and the authentic Latin rhythm section is brilliant.
The result is pleasant music underpinned by exotic rhythms, ideal for background music and cocktail parties.
One doesn't have to be a brain surgeon to know what to expect from Opera Meets Cuba (Sony BMG) from the Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion. Backed by drums, congas and timbales, classically trained pianist Tobias Forster is the main soloist, but Kilian Forster, also classically trained, does his bit both as a soloist and a rhythm bassist. Verdi, Offenbach, Puccini, Handel, Wagner, Bizet and even Gershwin arias are brought to life with such rhythms as the mambo, bossa-nova, conga and cha-cha, among others.
Wannabe celebs will pounce on this as a way of showing off some class. Make no mistake, though, this is a highly musical interpretation of fine melodies, and it's most interesting to hear Verdi's "Brindisi drinking song", here titled "Sum wem be", come in for the Afro treatment.
So two fine CDs for lovers of rhythms from South America - more particularly Cuba, with a sprinkling of Mexico and a touch of African - mixed with a splash of jazz-lite.
If you buy your CDs on the Internet, here's something that just arrived in the mail: Bom Dia (Soundbrush Records) by the trio of pianist Roger Davidson, bassist David Finck and drummer Paulo Braga, plus special guest percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos. Bom Dia is Portuguese for "good day", and this is a feel-good CD with some brilliant bass solos from Finck, who has worked with such diverse artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Aretha Franklin and George Michael.
The first two CDs are local releases. For the last, go to: www.soundbrush. com; or email: jazzpromo(at)earthlink. net. |
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