Search - Caribbean Jazz Project :: Here & Now: Live in Concert

Dave Samuels has found the key!

Erik Werkman | Maarssen, The Netherlands | 03/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dave Samuels (co)founded the Caribbean Jazz Project years ago and is the only one remaining at present. After years of different lineups and various co-frontmen he finally found the (in my opinion) ideal combination of instruments on their former release "Birds of a Feather", by choosing a trumpet player next to his vibes/marimba. Following the magnificent "Birds of a Feather" is this wonderful 2 cd live set, recorded over a series of three nights at the Manchester Crafts Guild in Pittsburg. The group this time consists of: Diego Urcola - trumpet, Dario Eskenazi - piano, Oscar Stagnaro - bass, Mark Walker - drums and Roberto Quintero - percussion. Diego Urcola does a good job in replacing Ray Vega and Randy Brecker on the last album and Mark Walker is just one of the finest latin jazz drummers around and shows here what an incredibly swinging force he is. There are many good things to be said about this album. Whereas I found their studio albums sounding somewhat sterile, this live set really smokes and gives a much more spontaneous feel. A good example is my favorite track of the album, "One Step Ahëad", which makes for an enthralling 11 minutes listen and making this cd worth buying on its own merit! But there is so much more to enjoy here: The choice of material is really good (although I could have done without "On The Road"), with some standards done in mostly refreshing ways along strong originals by mainly leader Dave Samuels. All in all, this disc comes highly recommended for both first-time and long-time latin jazz listeners!"

Best Latin Jazz

R. Patrick Smith | Santa Clara, CA United States | 02/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a terrific CD. Very driving, fine playing. Also enjoyed the use of marimba on many of the tunes. The drummer flat out smokes, and the rest of the band is right there with him. I heard this at Tower and bought it on the spot... and I don't really like latin jazz, go figure"