Listen Here! (Concord Picante)
Eddie Palmieri
Released June 2005
Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album 2006
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kVqKtCwyqnRwgyi7SiAuBP4xn046_mNfc
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/07KdM1RxB17RPj7PY6o2Oi?si=keN3SueKS-yA5TIvGttz_g&dl_branch=1
About:
The world has long admired the Harlem-born, eight-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Eddie Palmieri as one of the foremost Latin pianists of the last half-century. His ability to fuse the rhythms of his Hispanic, Puerto Rican heritage with the jazz influences of Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner made him an immediate hit when he played New York’s Palladium Ballroom in the 1950s and ‘60s. He has continued to roll on with stylistic innovations over the years, creating classic Tico albums and later mixing salsa with R&B, pop, rock, Spanish vocals and more jazz improvisation. Now 68, Palmieri„owho in 2005 celebrates an amazing 50-year career as a professional musician„osimply revolutionized the sound of Latin music, an accomplishment that alone would ensure his place in the music pantheon.
On his first two recordings for Concord Picante (La Perfecta II and Ritmo Caliente), the famously cigar-smoking pianist explored, from a fresh perspective, those salsa hits that launched his career a half century ago. However, Palmieri has always embodied the jazz spirit of improvisation—doing things differently each time, never staying in the same place, and surrounding himself with unique personalities to perform his innovative, sui generis music. That inclination served Palmieri well a decade ago, when, sensing “the writing on the wall in the Latin dance genre,” he formed the Afro-Caribbean Jazz Octet with trumpeter Brian Lynch, trombonist Conrad Herwig, and alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, and presented his take on instrumental Latin Jazz, first documented on the GRAMMY nominated album Palmas, followed by Arete and Vortex.
On Listen Here! the maestro takes his jazz involvement to another level. Along with co-producer Richard Seidel, he assembles an all-star jazz cohort of guest soloists—Michael Brecker, Regina Carter, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, David Sanchez, and John Scofield„oand propels them with bassist John Benitez, Cuban traps wizard Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, and master conguero Giovanni Hidalgo, all veterans of various Palmieri ensembles. Together, they perform six original Palmieri compositions and four jazz classics—“Nica’s Dream,” “In Walked Bud,” “Tin Tin Deo” and the title track—arranged by Palmieri in his inimitable manner. Following the pianist’s logic, the players immediately enter his world and produce a magical recital that tackles jazz on its own terms and bears Palmieri’s unmistakable tonal imprint.
“I’ve never recorded compositions by jazz artists before, because I’m not so familiar with jazz repertoire,” admits Palmieri, whose sole previous documented encounter with the idiom is a performance of John Coltrane’s “Africa” on Conrad Herwig’s The Latin Side Of John Coltrane. “I actually wasn’t into jazz until [trombonist] Barry Rogers joined my band in the ‘60s. He brought me to Birdland on a Sunday, and I saw the original John Coltrane quartet. Barry also made me aware of Monk. We used to exchange LPs, and he brought me Criss-Cross, where Monk plays “Tea For Two,” in exchange for one by Celia Cruz and Sonora Matancera. He also brought me Kind of Blue, for which I think I gave him a record by [legendary Cuban trumpeter] Chappotin.” Once dubbed “the Latin Monk” by timbalero Willie Bobo for the dissonance he customarily deploys in his solos, on Listen Here! Palmieri selects his namesake’s “In Walked Bud” as a showcase for the ACJO front line. They envelop the music like a custom suit. The leader imparts a mambo flavor, following the horn statements with a trademark declamation, tossing off relentless left-hand montunos that propel the solo with the visceral rumble of a Mack truck. Palmieri is quick to credit his band as the inspiration for his new compositional direction. “The challenge,” he states, “was to satisfy the personal harmonic desires of the jazz players and to satisfy my own rhythm section desire, which is more Latin and has less chordal changes within the same composition.”
Track Listing:
1. In Flight (Eddie Palmieri) 5:41
2. Listen Here (Eddie Palmieri) 7:19
3. Vals con Bata (Eddie Palmieri) 5:15
4. Tema Para Eydie (Eddie Palmieri) 4:25
5. Tin Tin Deo (Gil Fuller / Chano Pozo) 6:21
6. In Walked Bud (Thelonious Monk) 6:00
7. La Gitana (Eddie Palmieri) 7:15
8. Nica’s Dream (Horace Silver) 5:53
9. Mira Flores (Eddie Palmieri) 5:50
10. EP Blues (Eddie Palmieri) 8:18
Personnel:
Eddie Palmieri: piano
John Benitez: bass
Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez: drums
Giovanni Hidalgo: percussion
Michael Brecker: tenor saxophone
Regina Carter: violin
Christian McBride: bass
Nicholas Payton: trumpet
David Sanchez: tenor saxophone
John Scofield: electric, acoustic guitars
Recorded January 19 – 23, 2005, at Avatar Studios, New York, NY
Producer: Eddie Palmieri, Richard Seidel
Audio Engineer and Mixing: Jon Fausty
Assistant Engineer: Aya Takemura, Anthony Rutolo
Mastering: Leon Zervos Photography: Lisa Stein
Art Direction: Abbey Anna
Review:
The big band sound of Eddie Palmieri’s powerful ensemble leaves no doubt: Latin jazz has the capacity to excite, to thrill, and to interpret good music all night long. Featured solo voices include trumpeter Bryan Lynch, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, trombonist Conrad Herwig, and pianist Palmieri. His musical guests give Listen Here! an added force that drives the message home. Your heart won’t slow down until the CD has finished and someone has turned out the lights. Palmieri’s session is hot. It’ll whisk you away on a New York vacation, complete with all the soul sauce that your body can absorb.
At the piano, the leader strides with percussive confidence. He provides his band with a model that they willingly follow to its forceful conclusion. All points converge on hot jazz that flows like blood through our veins.
Regina Carter takes “In Flight” to its extremes with a rollicking melody that pours like fine wine. Michael Brecker interprets “Listen Here” the way Eddie Harris used to say it. John Scofield drives “Vals con Bata” with fiery enthusiasm, and David Sánchez adds an eruption of tenor smoke. “Tin Tin Deo” features Sánchez and Palmieri in solo spots that loom both suave and direct. The pianist leaves no doubt about his intentions. He’s determined to give his audience a night to remember.
Scofield returns on “La Gitana” with an acoustic guitar interpretation that swells with its nod to tradition. He and Palmieri unite to create a dream that returns to the era of Django Reinhardt and intuitive his capacity for swing. Nicholas Payton and violinist Carter give “Nica’s Dream” a hefty kick that recalls Dizzy Gillespie and the dreams that he left us. Brecker and bassist Christian McBride join Palmieri on a trio session for “Mira Flores,” which paints a lovely picture of Spanish tradition. Each drives this piece forcefully; both Brecker and McBride solo with straight-ahead authority.
Payton returns to close the album with Palmieri’s “EP Blues,” which serves as a trademark for the hot big band sound that the pianist gets from his ensemble. A driving tempo and subtle harmonic dissonance keeps the piece fresh and alive as everyone jams on this highly recommended session.
Jm Santella (All About Jazz)
