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Omar Sosa
AYAGUNA: LIVE DUO CONCERT WITH GUSTAVO OVALLES
(OTÁ RECORDS)
This live set by Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and percussionist Gustavo Ovalles breaks new ground in Latin jazz. Sosa is coming from the African roots side of Cuban music rather than the slick, urban ensemble sound that has been associated with the island’s jazz greats. But more-intimate and also experimental varieties of jazz also run deep in his bones. He attacks the keys of his acoustic piano with terrifying force; his playing is restless and explosive. Even when he settles into cool swing, as on the opening of "Dias de Iyawo," you sense wild energy barely contained. Ovalles moves from tasty brush work on his trap set to solid, steady conga rhythms, elliptical bata drumming, and clacking stick percussion. But Sosa commands the rhythm at all times with his stabbing chords and forceful, precise runs. Adding interest is a digital delay that repeats each note he plays first on the left and then on the right. It’s a gimmick he doesn’t really need, but he uses it masterfully, making it an integral part of this performance.
Issue Date: February 27 - March 6, 2003
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