Latin Jazz Quick Picks take a brief look at albums that might escape the attention of a general audience. In some cases, these albums don’t fit into the “Album Of The Week” or “Spotlight” categories. Other recordings might be too old at this point to find a place in the Spotlight, but too new to be considered a “classic.” Still, they each contain interesting music and they deserve attention. With the idea in mind that there are a lot of albums to cover in this setting, I’m going to move through them more rapidly than usual.

Nagual II
Nagual
Nagual brings a diverse stylistic mash-up into Nagual II, drawing upon the individual strengths of each band member to deliver a combination of Latin styles, jazz, and rock. A winding bluesy melody grounds “Sneaky Pete” in a swing groove, giving guitarist Victor Contreras and saxophonist Scott Anderson an opportunity to display some strong straight-ahead chops. “Samba De Kleven” opens with an interesting mix of traditional Berimbau from Ross “Gavião” Mele and pandiero from Troye Williams before moving onto Santana-esqe solos from bassist Paul Relvas and a distorted Contreras. The group wraps some moving chord changes around a cumbia foundation on “Big Lou y La Ford,” letting Anderson as well as percussionist Harold Muñiz and drummer Ron Ochoa improvise over this far too often overlooked rhythmic structure. A frenetic Latin Rock influenced cha cha cha sends “Keep It Comin’” driving into edgy solos from Anderson, Contreras, and keyboardist Scott Collard. A breezy bossa nova groove underscores a light and catchy melody on “Just Say It Once More,” followed by unobtrusive improvisations from Anderson, bassist Kerry Kashiwagi, and Contreras. There’s a fairly exploratory spirit on Nagual II as the band jumps between different styles and improvisatory approaches.

The genre jumping can be a bit disconcerting at times, but Nagual holds the album together conceptually through several unifying elements. The musicians each contribute strong and defined performances that resonate with unique personality. The songwriting maintains a consistent logic that relies upon accessible melodies and pleasant harmonies, making the work catchy and memorable. Large pieces of the album stray from the jazz category into instrumental Latin Rock, but this serves as a major piece of the band’s personality. While the musicians maintain a solid and even commitment to Latin rhythms, their backgrounds dictate one foot in jazz and one foot in rock; the group proudly holds this dual heritage that gives the music an authentic sound. The recording resonates with a homemade feel that adds warmth and personality. There’s a lot to like on Nagual II, especially for those listeners that like their jazz with a heavy dose of edgy rock attitude.

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Hands In Motion
Lannie Battistini
Pianist Lannie Battistini infuses the Latin Jazz set on Hands In Motion with a likeable sense of enthusiasm and accessibility. Battistini and saxophonist Manuel “Memo” Pelayo share a repeated melody as the rhythm section charges forward on the up-tempo “Gozando,” leading into driving solos from both musicians. Trombonist George Mancini slides through the familiar melody on Freddy Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower” while Battistini assertively hammers chords in the background, building momentum into an exciting round of improvisations. A layer of synthesizers float over a steady bossa nova on Wayne Shorter’s “Ana Maria” giving Pelayo the chance to glide careful lines over the texture. The rhythm section races into an up-beat merengue behind a dramatic melody on “La Cura” providing a foundation that inspires Pelayo to explode into an engaging statement. A funky smooth jazz vibe rides beneath Battistini’s vocals on “Never Without You,” before the pianist excitedly tears through an extended improvisation. Flautist José Valentino winds through a very quick rumba guaguanco on “Neysa’s Way,” spinning a series of catchy and easily digestible melodies. A pop song mentality floats over a cha cha cha rhythm on “All I Do, I Do For You,” broken in places by an aggressive improvisation from Battistini. The pianist keeps a connection to jazz improvisation throughout the album, but never leaves the realms of commercial accessibility.

Hands In Motion shines with a professionalism that simultaneously benefits and hampers the overall success of the album. The production quality delivers a quality product that not only sounds great, but also packages the music in a logical way. Battistini relies on this production value extensively though, overburdening the recording with extensive synthesizer sounds and careful arrangements. As a performer, Battistini delivers a solid knowledge of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythmic styles as well as the musicianship to structure intelligent improvisations. His compositions place these genres a little too deeply in the pop and smooth jazz world though, confining his ability to truly display his improvisational personality. For listeners looking for a smooth feel, this taste will be just enough of Battistini, while the more improvisatory inclined folks will be wishing for an open descarga. Hands In Motion displays a broad commercial appeal that balances Latin Jazz and smooth jazz; for easy listeners in the Latin Jazz world, this release should be a goldmine.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Latin Jazz Quick Picks: Coast to Coast
Localized Latin Jazz and Nagual
Album Of The Week: Bueno Pa Gozar, Paul De Castro y Su Orquesta Dengue
Album Of The Week: From Yucatan To Rio, Gabriel Espinosa

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