Ceremony (Otá Records)
Omar Sosa & NDR Bigband
Released February 9, 2010
10th Independent Music Awards Winner Album – Jazz
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About:
Ceremony is a major new project, the fruit of pianist-composer Omar Sosas first big-band collaboration with composer-arranger-cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, Hamburgs 18piece NDR Bigband (North German Radio / Norddeutscher Rundfunk), and the Omar Sosa Quartet, featuring Julio Barreto (drums, Cuba), Childo Tomas (electric bass, Mozambique), and Marcos Ilukn (Afro-Cuban percussion, Cuba). Sosa himself plays piano and marimba.
Recorded in two sessions (2007 and 2008) at NDRs Hamburg studios, under the direction of Morelenbuam and Sosa, Ceremony features Morelenbaums brilliant arrangements of selections from Omars Spirit Of The Roots (1999), Bembn (2000), and Afreecanos (2009) CDstogether with two new Sosa offerings, Llegada Con Elegba (the introductory track) and Salida Con Elegba (the closing piece).
Rooted in the Quartets Afro-Cuban percussive traditions, Sosas finely textured compositions enable Morelenbaum to summon forth a broad palette of sounds, fully mobilizing the NDR Bigbands sonic potential and its brilliant soloists, while leaving ample space for Sosas own luminous improvisations.
Ceremony takes something of the structure of a sacred bat ceremony, invoking a panoply of Yoruba deities, while also delving into the Cuban son, danzn, and cha-cha-cha. Reflecting Sosas own spiritual grounding, Ceremony opens in sacramental veneration of Elegba, the divine messenger and guardian spirit, the all-powerful medium and diviner of human fate. Chang En Esmeraldas is an extended tribute to the deity of thunder and lightning, fire and moral retribution, and a reflection upon Sosas musical sojourn in the Afro-Ecuadorian community of Esmeraldas. Yemaya En Agua Larga honors the great mother and goddess of the sea, the moon, creation, and female mystery. In keeping with Yoruba tradition, Ceremony exits with a final ritual salutation to Elegba.
Ceremony acknowledges the majesty of the legendary Afro-Cuban big bands of Frank Machito Grillo, Chico OFarrill, and Dizzy Gillespie, while extending those revered traditions in a contemporary salute to the expansive universe of world jazz, wherein Sosa himself continues to reign as a joyous, generous, abundant, and essential creative spirit.
Ceremony grew out of a conversation with Hamburg producer Stefan Gerdes of NDR, who brokered the connection with Brazils Morelenbaum, who is much sought after as an arranger, reflecting his signal work with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Cesria Evora, and Mariza, among many others.
The NDR Bigband is an ensemble of accomplished soloists whose talents have been highlighted through the work of such noted arrangers as Steve Gray, Colin Towns, and Michael Gibbs. Over the years, the NDR Bigbands artistic collaborations have comprised a virtual Whos Who of world jazz: including Chet Baker, Paquito DRivera, Pee Wee Ellis, Joe Gallardo, Lionel Hampton, Dave Holland, Abdullah Ibrahim, Pat Metheny, Joe Pass, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Oscar Brown, Jr., Al Jarreau, and Bobby McFerrin.
Track Listing:
1. Llegada con Elegba (Omar Sosa) 03:05
2. Changó en Esmeraldas (Omar Sosa) 06:19
3. Danzón de Tus Ojos (Omar Sosa) 07:30
4. Yemaya en Agua Larga (Omar Sosa) 06:38
5. Luz en el Cielo (Omar Sosa) 08:41
6. Cha con Marimba (Omar Sosa) 05:43
7. Mi Tradición (Omar Sosa) 06:28
8. Carambabá (Omar Sosa) 07:53
9. Monkurú (Omar Sosa) 07:07
10. Salida con Elegba (Omar Sosa) 02:56
Personnel:
Omar Sosa: piano, vibraphone, marimba, percussion
Jaques Morelenbaum: cello and all arrangements
Stephan Diez: guitar
Roland Cabezas: guitar
Lucas Lindbolm: bass
Childo Tomas: electric bass
Julio Barreto: drums
Marcio Doctor: percussion set
Marcos Ilukan: batá drums, congas, cajón de rumba, guiro
Michael Spiro: batá drums, congas, chekere, timbal
NDR Big Band
Trumpets / Flugelhorns:
Thorsten Benkenstein, Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stötter, Reiner Winterschladen
Trombones:
Dan Gottschall, Klaus Heidenreich, Stefan Lottermann, Ingo Lahme (bass trombone / tuba)
Saxophones:
Fiete Felsch (alto / soprano saxophone / flute / clarinet), Peter Bolte (alto saxophone / flute), Christof Lauer (tenor / soprano saxophone / clarinet), Frank Delle (baritone saxophone / bass clarinet), Lutz Buchner (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet)
Except:
Stephan Meinberg: trumpets and flugelhorn (6, 7, 9)
Torsten MaaB: trumpet and flugelhorn (6)
Gunter Bollmann: trombone (2)
Jon Welch: trombone (6, 7, 9)
Producers: Axel Dürr & Stefan Gerdes
Executive Producers: Axel Dürr & Stefan Gerdes and Scott Price for OTÁ Records
Recorded by Michael Plötz
Recording Producer: Christian Cluxen
Mixed by John Greenham
Editing: Martin Hansen
Graphic Design: www.dedosmagicos.com
Cover Photographs: Christopher Toothman
Review:
Omar Sosa inhabits two worlds. One in which all humans live and the other is the spirit world.
On Ceremony (Music arranged by Jaques Morelenbaum) a record that Omar Sosa made with the NDR Big Band, he has opened the door to both worlds. Moreover, with Jaques Morelenbaum’s masterful arrangements of Sosa’s music these worlds are that much closer. Sosa has been crossing the threshold between this world and the spirit one for as long as he has been making music, probably longer. No matter. Omar Sosa’s music has always been at the heart of the séance, the medium that reaches through the threshold to the spirit world, beckoning the Orishas.
Of all the musicians performing in modern music—except perhaps the great Pharoah Sanders—Sosa appears to be the most powerful spiritual aura. His “red and black” is worn with grace, humility and the deepest sense of devotion, like John Coltrane, before him. Sosa was a herald for Elegba on Bembón (Otá, 2000), and many others including two of his strongest recordings, Sentir (Otá, 2002) and Tales from the Earth (Otá, 2009). In fact that last recording, with flutist, Mark Weinstein and guitarist, Jean Paul Bourelly appears to herald the performances on Ceremony to a certain extent. Although the music is scripted to a certain extent, for the benefit of the NDR Big Band, the unscripted solos are towering flights of fancy, especially on the part of the pianist, the percussionists, Morelenbaum, the brass, reeds and woodwinds. This is especially evident on “Monkurú” in the remarkable solo of alto saxophonist, Peter Bolte and in Sosa’s solo. There is also the amazing cello work by Morelenbaum on “Llegada Con Elegba” and Salida Con Elegba”.
However, unlike Sentir and Tales from the Earth, which are spiritual adventures, completely improvised, this new album, Ceremony appears to almost parallel a renaissance prayer book and elevate the practice of Santeria to a mostly scripted, almost papal affair. The score is majestic, almost heroic in parts like the music that characterized the Romantic era of two hundred years ago. This does not make it retrograde. On the other hand, Sosa’s music appears to inhabit a musical majesterium and it emerges from this lofty pulpit as if it were a fourth gospel, a score mapping the road to salvation through the resurrected Santeria worship.
In this respect the music transcends time, becoming instead a kind of ancient future that exists in its sonic moments that burst out of the proverbial door to the spirit world to which Sosa hold the key. Happily he will make more crossings bringing with him the peace of Elegba, or perhaps—if the inner ear is no longer in tune—the other nature of the Orishas, that which bring more strife, to this already grief-torn world. But if the message of Sosa’s music is anything to go by, it will be gentleness and peace.
Raul Da Gama (Latin Jazz Network)
