- artist:Alex Wilson
- featured artist:Paul Jayasinha, Mary Pearce, Davide GIovannini, Emeris Solis, Rey Crespo, Nathaniel Facey
- release year:2005
- style(s):Jazz, Latin
- country:Bahrain
- formats:CD (Compact Disc)
- record posted by:Alex Wilson
- label:Alex Wilson Records
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.... Alex's latest recording project takes the listener on a series of adventures around
the Americas and the Caribbean, fusing improvised jazz with the folkloric musics of
Colombia, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and, of course, Cuba - all driven by Alex's incendiary
piano playing ....
To take you on this journey, Alex uses his six-piece powergroup which comprises :
Paul Jayasinha who is of British/Sri-Lankan origin. His versatile performance on trumpet, flugelhorn and hand percussion demonstrates his deep knowledge of the music of the African diaspora. Colombian percussionist Emeris Solis adds his Afro-Colombian tradition from the Choco area of the country, creating a unique sound in the latin jazz genre. Davide Giovannini from Trieste, Italy drives the whole album from the drum kit and is equally at home with timba as he is with mainstream jazz. Cuban-born, Rey Crespo, nails down the low frequency end of the proceedings and reaffirms the Afro-Cuban roots of Alex's musical style ... and of course anyone who has seen Alex live recently will have experienced the considerable artistry and power of vocalist Mary Pearce. Young gun Nathaniel Facey is added into the mix for two numbers Kalisz & Good Friends : with his searing alto saxophone solos he is a man on a mission - watch this space ....
The tracks on the album range from the percussively driven Currulao Cool and the
solo piano led Irisi to the haunting tune Soldier (co-composed by Juliet Roberts) and the fierce burst of energy Kalisz named after the Polish city where the band
performed on tour. Miles Davis' tune Solar is interpreted in the Cuban classical style
danzon and the tune Good Friends is a salute to the artistry of Alex's colleagues in
Jazz Jamaica All Stars.
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Alex Wilson’s quartet is reshaping Latin Jazz with imagination and élan - The Guardian, 2/7/05
CD Of The Week… full of driving grooves and gentle ballads with which Wilson helped inspire Britain’s great love with Cuban Jazz. - The Independent, 25/6/05
His ability for improvising and his excellent playing technique make him possibly the highest hope among the new generation of jazz pianists. Wolfgang Schmidt SWR Television Head of Jazz Baden Baden, Germany