Introducing Israel Tanenbaum & the Latinbaum Jazz Ensemble
Experience this unique blend of traditional Latin rhythms and jazz influences, creating a sound that is both fresh and familiar.
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Strange Destiny
Impressions kicks off with the alluring guaracha “Strange Destiny,” punctuated by tight, brisk horn arrangements and incorporating a wordless vocal choir of Diana Serna, Gustavo Rodriguez and Daniel Silva. Julio Flores turns in two outstanding sax solos here — one on soprano over the pianist’s sparse comping, the other a burning alto solo over the churning montuno section, followed in succession by heated solos from trombonist Liévano and trumpeter Barrera. “This is a Latin jazz version of a ballad which I composed when my father passed away called ‘Let Me Go,’” recalled Tanenbaum. “That was a liberating tune for me. My dad was a huge fan of Latin music and of my stuff, too, which was really nice. And so I felt that this piece was a fitting way to honor him.”
Hot Bridge
“Hot Bridge,” a persuasive salsa groover with an infectious percussive undercurrent, is augmented by some intricate unisons from the horns (trumpeter Powell, tenor saxophonist Lamoglia, trombonist Subero) alongside vibraphonist Rafalides and flutist Lopez. Tanenbaum offers both a sparkling piano solo and a scintillating synth solo on this invigorating number while Subero adds an inspired solo of his own on trombone. Tanenbaum acknowledged the subliminal influence of salsa icons Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente on this lively number. “I fell in love with Palmieri’s La Perfecta sound when I was a kid,” he recalled. “I thought it was just such a crazy way to use trombones, to be as aggressive and raw as that. And the Tito Puente influence is heavy for anyone who came up with Latin music.”
Prime Flight
Prime Flight” is an engaging cha cha with winning solos from the composer on piano, Neville on vibes and Flores on conga. “This is one of the few tunes on the album that actually goes back to the harmonic progression after the solos,” he explained. “The others are more specific. They don’t go back to the head but rather move on to new sections.”
Another Life
“Another Life,” an introspective piano interlude that was improvised on the spot, harkens back to Tanenbaum’s beginnings with the instrument. “As a kid in Puerto Rico, I used to hang with a couple of guys from the music store that I worked in. One of them was the piano teacher in the store and the other was the piano tuner. The piano tuner had this beautiful Danemann piano in his apartment. We’d go to this guy’s house and play on that piano from eight or nine at night until the sun came up. And this was right at the time when Keith Jarrett had released his Köln concert album, where he plays everything improvised. And I fell in love with it. I thought it was such a great thing to be able to sit down and play without having a piece of paper, because I didn’t know how to read at the time. And so Keith Jarrett was my savior. Like, ‘Really? I can do this?’
Mambo Raro
The fiery descarga “Mambo Raro” gives everybody in the group a solo taste (first Flores on alto sax, followed by Alvarez and Subero on trombones, Neville on vibes, then Tanenbaum on piano). Meanwhile, its infectious rhythmic undercurrent urges bodies to move. “I called it ‘Mambo Raro’ because it’s a strange mambo due to the harmonic sequence. It’s familiar but at the same time it’s unusual the way I work whole steps apart on the harmony. And the melody is uncommon, rhythmically speaking. It’s just a slightly different kind of tune in general.”
Cuando Te Asomas
“Cuando Te Asomas” is a mellower but no less persuasive mambo with a particularly challenging horn riff. The translation of the song title means “When You Peek In.” As the composer explained, “When I was working on this tune my wife kept on peeking in the door to see how I was doing. And as she peeked in I’d turn around and play this crazy riff while I was still recording the demo. When I went back and listened to it, I said, ‘Oh, I like this!’ So the riff stayed.” Native Californian Neville plays it strictly West Coast on his soothing vibes solo here while Tanenbaum offers an especially dynamic piano solo. Powell adds some blistering high-note trumpet fusillades to put an exclamation point on this jubilant dance number.
Prelude
“Prelude” is a salsafied rendition of Chopin’s “Prelude in Em.’ As Tanenbaum explained, the tune has deep roots for him. “My first piano teacher turned me on to Chopin and this was actually the first classical piece that I learned and fell in love with. The melody has lived in my head for decades now. I could never imagine myself actually playing the original piece as a concert pianist, so this is my way of doing it.” Benitez contributes a virtuosic electric bass solo on this impressionist take while vibraphonist Rafalides solos in cascading fashion over a churning montuno section midway through.
Steamy Patricia
The romantic bolero “Steamy Patricia,” featuring a heartfelt piano solo, is dedicated to Tanenbaum’s wife. “She’s been my anchor, friend and angel for 35 years now,” he said.
Added maestro Tanenbaum on his Impressions: “This is a bringing together of old friends and musicians that I grew up with back in Puerto Rico. It is, in essence, my first Latin jazz solo album ever. All of these compositions are mine. All of the arrangements are mine. All of the production is mine. This is truly a reflection of who I am and who I’ve grown to be professionally and personally. And in some way, I think it’s providing some sort of closure for me, giving me the opportunity to lay everything out on this album and look forward from there.”
Vaya
The energized closer, “Vaya,” is a catchy danzón with potent solos offered by Benitez on upright bass, De Gracia on timbales and Lopez on flute. Cuban tenor saxophonist Lamoglia also turns in a positively Brecker-esque tenor solo on this vibrant finale, which was inspired by Roberto Roena’s “Lamento de Concepción.” “His song was just rolling in my head and kind of stuck with me for a couple of days right around the time that he passed,” Tanenbaum recalled. “So ‘Vaya’ is very loosely inspired by his tune. It hinges off of the very first line where the melody is established, then it goes off in a completely different direction.”
Liner notes by Bill Milkowski, longtime contributor to Downbeat magazine. Mikowski is also the author of JACO: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius” and “Ode to a Tenor Titan: The Life and Times and Music of Michael Brecker (both on Backbeat Books).
John Benitez
Bass - Co Producer
From Puerto Rico; composer and bandleader; winner of multiple Grammy’s; John Benitez has played and recorded Jazz, Latin-Jazz and Latin Dance with the likes of Tito Puente, Chick Corea, Roy Hargrove, Eddie Palmieri, Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound, Batacumbéle, Wynton Marsalis, Chucho Valdes, Giovanni Hidalgo, David Sánchez, Mingus Big Band, Richie Flores, and countless other A-list artists. Today he is considered by many as the most important Latin bassist of his generation.
Richie Flores
Congas - Bongo
Born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico; Grammy winner and multiple nominations; Richito has played and recorded a wide range of Latin genres with Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Israel Lopez Cachao, Fania All Stars, "Gato" Barbieri, Dave Valentín, Hilton Ruiz, David Sánchez, Batacumbele, Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and the TropiJazz All-Stars, among many other. Described by Latin Beat Magazine as having “the fastest hands of the East and the West”.
Tito De Gracia
Timbales
Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico; Tito De Gracia is a composer and bandleader that has recorded and performed with Marc Anthony, Willie Colón, Celia Cruz, Oscar D'León, Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound, Luis Enrique, Ismael Miranda, Andy Montañez, Jerry Rivera, Eddie Santiago, Ricardo Arjona, Diego El Cigala, Papo Lucca, flute players Nestor Torres and Dave Valentin, trumpetist Humberto Ramírez Jazz Project, singer Tego Calderón, and many others. Tito is a master percussion clinician.
Luis Pacheco
Bongo - Percussion
Born in Barrancabermeja, Colombia; educator and bandleader; has recorded and performed with Grupo Niche, Guayacan Orquesta, Alfredo De La Fe, Edy Martinez, Carlos Vives, Fonseca, Andres Cepeda, Amaury Gutierrez, Amparo Sandino, Francisco Zumaque, and many others; master percussion workshop instructor. Luis Pacheco is one of the most recognized percussionists in Colombia.
Joel "Pibo" Marquez
Congas - Bongo
Born in Caracas, Venezuela; composer, bandleader and educator; has recorded and performed with Alfredo De La Fe, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Valentin, Dominic Miller, Edy Martinez, Cheick Tidiani Seck, Omar Hakim, Grupo Madera, Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, Chico Freeman, Naty y su Orquesta, Juanes, Guayacan Orquesta, Aterciopelados, Carlos Santana and many others; Joel is also a TV Producer.
Wilson Viveros
Timbales
Born in Buenaventura, Colombia; consummate studio musician, audio engineer, band leader; has recorded and performed with Peregoyo, Fruko y sus Tesos, Grupo Niche, Guayacán Orquesta, Alfredo De La Fe, Los Tupamaros, Grupo Bahía, Yan Collazo, Carlos Vives, Joe Arroyo, Daniel Santos, Issac Delgado, Diomédes Diaz, and so many others; TV actor and comedian. Wilson is very likely the most recorded musician in Colombia.
"Batanga" Barreda
Trumpet
Born in Bern, Switzerland, raised in Cuba, of Cuban family and heritage; studio musician, arranger, educator; Orlando "Batanga" Barreda has recorded and performed with Issac Delgado, Eddy Martinez, Andrés Cepeda, Fonseca, Alfredo De La Fe, Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Armando Manzanero, Juan Carlos Coronel, and many others.
Angel Subero
Trombone
From Caracas, Venezuela; classical performer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Boston Pops and the Star Wars Symphony under John Williams; jazz with Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, New York Voices; pop and R&B with Aretha Franklin, Temptations, The Stylistics; Latin with Oscar d'Leon, Dimension Latina, Isaac Delgado, and more.
Andrea Brachfeld
Flute
From New York; composer and bandleader; has played Jazz, Latin-Jazz and Afro-Cuban music with the likes of Tito Puente, Típica New York, Alfredo De La Fe, Charanga 76, Charanga América, Joe Quijano, Conjunto Libre, Joe Cuba, Ray Barretto, and many others. As a recording artist since 1978, she’s produced 10 exquisitely crafted albums and leads her own band “Insight”.
Willie Alvarez
Trombone
Born in Elmhurst, New York; composer and bandleader; has recorded and performed with Larry Harlow, Orlando Watusi, Lebrón Brothers, Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Celia Cruz, Oscar D’ Leon, Santitos Colón, Roberto Roena, Ismael Miranda, Andy Montañez, Alfredo De La Fe, Junior Gonzalez, Eddie Palmieri, Frankie Vázquez, and so many others; educator and actor. Willie is known artistically as “El trombonista del Barrio”.
Tony Escapa
Drums
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico; has recorded and performed with Al Di Meola, Ricky Martin, Franco de Vita, Miguel Bosé, Caribbean Jazz Project, David Sanchez, Jerry Medina, Paquito D'Rivera, Steve Jenkins, Claudia Acuña, Alfredo De La Fe, Miguel Zenón, Simon Shaheen, Paoli Mejías, Christian McBride, and many more; surfer and entrepreneur. Tony is an extraordinary musician who’s at home in Jazz, Salsa, Rock, Pop or Latin Jazz.
Edilberto Lievano
Trombone
Born in Bogotá, Colombia; arranger and bandleader; has recorded and performed with Juanes, Andres Cepeda, Alfredo De La Fe, Paquito Guzman, Lalo Rodriguez, Andy Montanez, Rey Ruiz, David Pabon, Willie Colon, Edy Martinez, Yuri Buenaventura, Jorge Celedón, Cheo Feliciano, Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz, and many more; college professor. He’s a great first-sight reader, solid player on stage and adaptable in the studio.
Julio Flores
Alto & Soprano Sax
Born in San Cristobal, Venezuela; has recorded and performed with Franco De Vita, Soledad Bravo, Porfi Jimenez, Orlando Poleo, Guaco, Yuri Buenaventura, Monsieur Periné, Andres Cepeda, Edy Martinez, and many more. Julio's performances are impeccable and his solos are tasteful. There’s an elegance to his sound and yet he can make it raunchy and visceral at will. He's also a college professor.
Oriente Lopez
Flute
Born in Havana, Cuba; composer, arranger and producer; three times Grammy winner; has performed and recorded with Afrocuba, Chico Buarque, Celia Cruz, Paquito D’Rivera, Paul Simon, Charlie Haden, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Regina Carter, Chucho Valdes, Patato, Pacho Alonso, Ralph Irizarry and Timbalaye, Pablo Milanes, Fito Paez and Silvio Rodriguez, among others. Oriente is also an amazing pianist
Felipe Lamoglia
Tenor Sax
Born in Holguin, Cuba; composer and arranger; Grammy winner; has performed and recorded with Edsel Gomez, Raul de Souza, Bocato, Cuca Teixeira, Carlos Henriquez, Ignacio Berroa, Celia Cruz, NG La Banda, and many others. In 1992, he moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Felipe joined Arturo Sandoval in 2001; Gonzalo Rubalcaba in 2004, and Dafnis Prieto -with whom he continues to play to this day- in 2007.
Jonathan Powell
Trumpet
Born in Largo, Florida; composer and arranger; has performed and recorded with Eddie Palmieri, Arturo O' Farrill's Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO) and many others. Jonathan picked up the trumpet at age 12 earning several awards and recognitions through high school. He moved to New York in 2001 and was named Best Latin Jazz Trumpeter by the The Latin Jazz Corner in 2007. Powell is currently a military bandsman in the US Air Force.
Roberto Quintero
Congas & Bongo
Born in Caracas, Venezuela; winner of multiple Grammy awards; has performed and recorded with Oscar de Leon, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Issac Delgado, Marc Anthony, Roy Hargrove, and many others. Roberto played guitar and Venezuelan cuatro at the age of seven, and started with percussion at 16. He moved to New York where his career blossomed and Roberto has become a sought out multi-percussionist, touring and recording with some of the greatest names in Latin music.
Christos Rafalides
Vibraphone
From Kozani, Greece; composer and bandleader; has played and recorded Jazz and Latin-Jazz with Randy Brecker, Victor Lewis, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, and Charles Mingus “Epitaph” Band, among others. Christos holds a bachelors from Berklee and a master’s from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied and recorded with Joe Locke. He created “Manhattan Vibes” to explore Latin music with John Benitez, Hector Martignon, Antonio Sanchez, and other great Latin artists in NYC.
Dan Neville
Vibraphone
From Sonoma, CA; composer and arranger; has played with Ricky Aguilar, Hector Lugo, Juan Sebastian Monsalve, and many others. Dan released his first solo album “Tenerife” in 2017 while studying at the California Jazz Conservatory on a full scholarship. He traveled Europe with the school's jazz ensemble in 2018. After graduating in 2020 he spent a year in Cali, Colombia to study the traditional “marimba de chonta”. In 2021 he moved to New York to study at William Paterson University and now performs regularly with several well established artists and musicians in the city.
Xito Lovell
Trombone
Born in Ciudad Colon, Panama. Studied trombone performance at Berklee College of Music in MA. He was part of La Calle Collective, a band of versatile and experienced musicians from Latin America; the band members developed their artistry from their experience in street performance. Xito is currently based in New York where he performs with Pedrito Martinez band, among others.
Label
ZOHO MUSIC
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+1 914-762-2329
Publishing
LATINBAUM INTERNATIONAL
music@latinbaum.com
+1 650-382-8698