Search - Otra :: Todo Pa'la Gente

Totally "other"

Raymond Cannata | New Orleans, LA United States | 02/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Otra is like nothing you have ever heard. This is an Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz hybrid that only New Orleans could produce (sorry Miami and New York). This is not your typical 'cha-cha-cha' stuff, but has a unique, horn-heavy groove that defies description.



The band has only been around since 2002, but has already come to be an annual NOLA JazzFest favorite. You can see them regularly at places like Snug Harbor on Frenchmen Street, when they are not touring Europe.



The entire lineup is utterly brilliant, but to me the standout is Brent Rose on sax. Ranks with Rebekah Barry as among the very best local sax players in New Orleans.



This debut album is a solid introduction to Otra, though there is no way to fully capture the sound of their live acts. It was listed in every New Orleans music publication's top 10 CDs of 2004; Offbeat, Times-Picayune, Where Y'at, etc.



It is just so rich in its Latin rhythms, complete with pounding congas, crisp horns, and authoritative timbales. Intense, but unhurried, there are only nine tracks with an average time of seven minutes each. The CD delivers in terms of making you feel good. There is not a weak song in the mix, but among the tracks that move me the most are: "Con Otra New Orleans;" "Candela;" "Mid-City Mambo;" and "Nature Boy." Smart and sophisticated, but muscular and dancable."