Nuba/Intuition
1101
label website
There are some recordings that are special as soon as you get them out of the wrapper. Their design is unique and makes you feel like immediately listening to it, in the expectation that you are in for a formidable musical treat. If you like Latin Jazz; if you enjoy Cuban musical virtuosity; or plainly if you are a music lover - you must grab this production by the Lewis Trio. One of the really innovative musical surprises that I encountered this year, this is the first CD from this trio which, with the addition of percussionists, converts into a quintet in their presentations.


Their recipe is quite unique and they have put together a really swinging concoction. In Battangó, the Lewis Trio has successfully unified three musical forms, the purely Afro-Cuban rhythms, the Jazz currents proper of the United States, and the European Jazz with the characteristically strong French influence. Taking some masterful arrangements and magnificent instrumentation, the trio converts them into a unified tornado that can equally raise you from your sofa in a frenetic desire to succumb to the passion of dance, or suddenly slow down and gently bring you back to the smooth sounds of pure musical ecstasy.


The Lewis trio combines two young Cuban brothers -- Ricardo G. Lewis, a virtuoso of the violin, and the equally talented Ivan, an accomplished pianist -- in conjunction with bass player Alain Pérez for an awesome formation. On this recording, Giovis Pico plays the drums adding dimension while Yori Noriega adds the much-needed Cuban percussion flavor to the recording. Ms. Linda Mirabal with her beautiful soprano voice completes the team.


Battangó produced by Ricardo G. Lewis and exec Manual Dominguez is a special production, one that shows that the spirit of music should not and cannot be circumscribed to a particular genre, that all music borrows from the creative force that is life. This is the type of music that Sundays were made for.