When creating a unique Latin Jazz sound, musicians walk a tightrope between stylistic decisions. The rope represents the perfect balance between the two styles, pulling together equal doses of Latin music and jazz. When an artists leans to one side, their emphasis shifts towards traditional jazz, exploring elements of improvisation, harmony, and melodic complexity. As artists lean to the other side, they delve into the music’s Latin roots, creating a more danceable and percussion heavy mixture. Walking the rope requires a finesse that dictates a delicate swing between styles that no two walkers ever do the same. The Rodriguez Brothers carefully balance their Latin Jazz sound on Conversations by leaning both directions for extended periods of time.

A Bold Jazz Emphasis
The musicians lean heavily towards a jazz influence on many songs. The band boldly states the post-modern bop of “Rude Awakening,” with a swing feel and modern harmonies. Pianist Robert Rodriguez pushes the band through a wealth of bop phrasing before using chords to create harmonic tension. Michael Rodriguez’s trumpet swings creatively through the changes, taking a traditional turn. Guest saxophonist David Sanchez builds from a rhythmic approach into a Coltrane-esque frenzy of notes and squeals, inspiring the rhythm section into an interactive mode. The texture thins into a sparse ballad for “Lérida,” with a touching melody beautifully interpreted by Michael. Both Robert and Michael create solo statements with a sense of gentle assertion, reflecting a personal approach. Carlos Henríquez touches a melodic note, reaching into the higher registers of his bass, until Robert and Michael end with a thoughtful reworking of the melody. Michael leads the band through a jazz waltz with the subtly polyrhythmic melody to “Conversations.” He gently plays with the cross between duple and triple meter, while the rhythm section helps build rhythmic tension. The band moves into a 3/4 swing feel for Robert’s solo; he takes advantage of the new momentum to push forward his solo. The brothers stay true to the song’s title, taking an extended collective improvisation to end the song, first variating then extending each other’s lines. The musicians carry a deep understanding of the jazz language and they create a multi-faceted look at the album’s jazz side.

Latin Implications
Several songs maintain a Latin edge, more through implication than obvious rhythmic devices. “Rowdy Rod” suggests a rumba feel while the ascending rhythmic kick and the unison piano and trumpet melodies reveal a strong Chick Corea influence. Michael takes a modern improvisatory approach, full of virtuosic runs and sequenced melodic figures, until the rhythm section moves into swing for Robert’s more traditional jazz solo. Henríquez delivers an album highlight solo here, mixing Eddie Gomez melodicism with Cachao’s rhythmic language. Drummer Antonio Sanchez implies a Bomba rhythm throughout “Midnight Excursion” while the melody’s short rhythmic bursts and rhythm section hits create a decidedly modern jazz sound. Saxophonist David Sanchez percussively bounces around the rhythmic structure until Michael takes a more linear approach through the harmony. The most unique and personal connection to Latin music comes from the group’s insightful rendition of the Cuban classic, “El Manicero.” Robert provides a colorful array of substitute harmonies that paint a completely new picture of this standard, while Michael’s muted trumpet reverently winds around the classic melody. The brothers trade improvised statements with a deep sensitivity, slowing building the song’s tension and dynamics. These musical choices around Latin music reflect a subtle exploration of connections between jazz and Latin music.

Moving Between A Variety of Influences
Some songs lie firmly between Latin music and jazz, referring to both, but emphasizing neither style strongly. The bass and drums lean towards Cha Cha Cha on “Guayaquil,” while Robert’s rich harmonies open the door for jazz exploration. Robert’s solo reveals a funky Herbie Hancock style, blending it with contemporary ideas that push the outer limits of the harmony. The bass and piano hold the song’s main groove while Antonio Sanchez provides a powerful solo, informed by Latin rhythms, but full of jazz liberties. Preceded by a melodic introduction from Robert and Michael, “Spin” maintains a Latin-esque straight eighth feel in the drums while the bass plays a cross between Latin and funk. Michael plays with space, building his phrasing into a strong exploration of the harmony. Robert combines a variety of modern approaches with traditional melodic playing to build a strong statement before setting up Sanchez’ s solo with an assertive montuno. “Intro to Conversations” introduces a classical element into the album with an interesting orchestration. While the bowed bass moves between a melodic and foundation role, Michael plays a harmonized melody against overdubbed parts. This short piece depicts a completely different piece of musicality before it moves into “Conversations.” These songs hint at the Rodriguez brothers’ wider concept of Latin Jazz, one that sees beyond the constrictions set by genre labels.

A Strong Sense of Balance
Walking any tightrope requires a shifting balance from side to side; the Rodriguez Brothers lean sharply, yet never completely fall into one musical realm on Conversations. For the majority of the album, the band leans more towards a jazz emphasis, leaving implications of the Latin element. To their credit, the Cuban rhythmic basis of their music never disappears while they establish their strong jazz artistry. This is a risky endeavor that they accomplish quite proficiently; all too often Latin implications quickly become funky fusion. This group of musicians remains too strongly rooted in Latin music to let this happen, their knowledge and experience allow them to shade jazz harmonies with Latin subtleties. The results portray a pure blend of personal expertise, musical knowledge, and cultural reference that provide a strong balance that ensures a safe trip across the stylistic tightrope.

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