The numerous ballots for the Best of 2009 Awards can be a bit daunting at first - there’s simply a lot of albums in the running. In the Album of the Year category alone, there’s 10 different entries; add the Next Generation Award to that and you’ve got a total of 19 albums. Put the various musician categories into the mix and there’s well over 30 different albums represented. With more nominations coming into the voting box every day, we could easily creep towards fifty different Latin Jazz albums . . . and that’s simply the cream of the crop. Take it from a slightly obsessive Latin Jazz listener - there were a whole lot of Latin Jazz albums released during 2009. That’s a good thing without a doubt, but it can be a tough reality for the Latin Jazz fan. We’ve all got jobs, bills to pay, mouths to feed, and rent due; buying 50 Latin Jazz albums on top of that sometimes breaks the bank. What’s a Latin Jazz fan to do?

Well, just come on over to LJC and check out the Listening Center - you’ll find lots of free music just waiting to be downloaded. It’s like a virtual buffet for the hungry Latin Jazz fan, allowing you to sample a little bit of everything. If you like what you hear, you can always take the leap and order the main course. It’s try before you buy - check out the tracks and when you find one that you like pick up the album. There’s a little bit of everything from straight-ahead Afro-Cuban Jazz to Afro-Peruvian Jazz and funky fusion Latin Jazz. All the tracks are artist approved too; it’s a like a gift from a great Latin Jazz artist - they want to share their music with you. Regular LJC readers are already aware of this musical find, but since we get a number of new readers during the Best of 2009 Awards, I just wanted to point it out.

Today we’ve got a special treat as we add another track to the Listening Center - “2’s & 3’s” from drummer Robby Ameen’s Days in the Life. Ameen is a master of rhythmic manipulation and he takes you on a wild ride through both sides of the clave on this track. It’s a great sampling of a wonderful album that combines the best qualities of Latin Jazz with funky fusion, jazz improvisation, and more. He calls upon all of his years of experience with incredible artists like Ruben Blades, Conrad Herwig, and more to create some inspiring Latin Jazz. Check out this track - download it, load it onto your iPod, and spend some time with it. You’re bound to want more - this is an incredible album. Start with this track though - a gift from Ameen to you!

Download “2’s & 3’s” NOW at the LJC Listening Center - go HERE.
———-
Ameen is nominated in the Best of 2009 for Drum Kit Player Of The Year - VOTE NOW!

———-
Check Out These Related Posts:
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Robby Ameen
Album Of The Week: The Latin Side of Wayne Shorter, Conrad Herwig
5 Tips for Musicians Making Their First Steps In Latin Jazz
5 Albums That Remember Bay Area Latin Jazz Saxophonist Ron Stallings (1947 - 2009)

———-
Click here to have these posts delivered via email. Or, click here to subscribe to the full text RSS feed and never miss another post!

Stumble it!