Coolest contemporary Latin jazz Ray Obiedo – LATIN JAZZ PROJECT VOL. 2: It’s been a while since I reviewed Ray’s “Carousel” album, where he got high marks from me… on his latest (10th) album, he plays some of the coolest contemporary Latin jazz you will hear anywhere… though I didn’t see any LIVE recordings available, you can listen to a preview of the album on Ray’s YouTube topic channel…
The player list for the album is far too long to itemize here, but if you visit Ray’s page for the release, you can see all the fantastic players he included in the project.
The mighty mellow keyboard/synths on “Belafonte” will give you pleasant visions of romantic interludes on Caribbean evenings with your favorite lover… I loved the gentle flutes on this tune, too, and I can guarantee that DJ’s (of all persuasions) will be plugging this song into their playlists on a frequent basis!
A joyful funky groove greets you as you listen to “Uno Dos”, featuring Bob Mintzer and Peter Horvath… a very danceable tune that will have you swingin’ right along with the players for the entire 5:25… the organ is superb.
Percussion with a passion makes for excellent listening on “Criss Cross”… be sure to use your headphones for this grand song, so you don’t miss any of the intricate nuances of the tune!
It was actually one of the shorter performances that really got the groove goin’ for me… “Beatnik” features Yellowjackets reedist Bob Mintzer, and is the absolutely coolest jazz tune I’ve heard (yet) in 2021.
I give Ray and all his players a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.99. Get more information on Ray’s website. Rotcod Zzaj
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