*** Roland Vazquez
FURTHER DANCE
(RV)
With his legendary West Coast
big band, the Urban Ensemble, drummer Roland Vazquez has mixed Latin, jazz, and
funk rhythms. But his Latin-tinged New York-based quintet, featuring
saxophonist Walt Weiskopf and pianist Mark Soskin, hews closer to the jazz end
of the spectrum. Vazquez isn't out to drub listeners over the head with forced
excitement. He sets many of the tunes at a comfortable medium tempo and lets
the band develop them organically. His compositions give the group just enough
to keep them on their toes, mixing a variety of Afro-Cuban beats, bossa nova,
Latin funk, and swing in a shifting rhythmic mosaic.
On the mid-tempo "Sevilla," Soskin (for many years Sonny Rollins's regular
pianist) unfurls long lines that pulse with the Latin clave. Weiskopf plays
with a plangent Coltrane-derived tone but builds solos along entirely personal
lines. Unfazed by the rhythmic quicksand of "Las Mediosas" and "Path of
Change," he crafts nicely paced statements that build to scorching climaxes.
Bassist Anthony Jackson and percussionist Ricardo Candelaria keep the rhythm
complex yet utterly clear and propulsive. This is a quintet that stays true to
the Afro-Caribbean roots of the Latin elements while delivering thoughtful,
exciting jazz solos -- a potent combination.
-- Ed Hazell
(The Roland Vazquez Quintet performs at Scullers tonight, July 17,
at 8 and 10 p.m.; call 562-4111.)
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