The results are in for the Third Annual Latin Jazz Corner Best Of The Year Awards! The voting ran from December 2, 2009 – December 23, 2009 and drew thousands of voters from around the world. It’s been a thrilling process that has provided some interesting results about the state of the Latin Jazz world. You can learn more about the voting process HERE and keep up with the results on the Best Of 2009 Page.

2009 Latin Jazz Composition Of The Year: “El Bajonazo” from El Viaje, The Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra – Pedro Giraudo, composer
Despite some serious history behind the instrumentation, the big band format holds a wealth of untapped potential in the Latin Jazz world. At first this seems like a bit of a backwards statement considering the deep and powerful work done by the Big 3 mambo bands back in the Palladium era – Puente, Machito, and Rodriguez for Afro-Cuban big bands. Dizzy Gillespie followed their lead on a smaller scale, mixing Afro-Cuban rhythms into his band band alongside bebop, swing, and more. Chico O’Farrill contributed several large scale compositions that mixed bebop and Cuban music with finesse and style. Since then, Mario Bauza led a top-notch big band during the nineties and various special projects have emerged. Band leaders Bobby Sanabria and Arturo O’Farrill have made important big band statements over the past ten years, connecting history and tradition with twenty-first century ideals. There has been some outstanding big band work done, but as the Latin Jazz world expands, the big band format stands as a place where a modern jazz composer with a knowledge of Latin rhythms can make some in-depth statements. The instrumentation can serve as a rich and flexible tool that can express personal and original ideas with an unmatchable strength.

In the 2009 Latin Jazz Composition Of The Year, “El Bajonazo,” from El Viaje by The Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra, composer Giraudo digs deeply into the format. He utilizes a lot of musical ideas wisely throughout the song, but from the beginning, Giraudo applies textural elements with much success. A rapid stream of brash attacks sends the band charging into a ferocious statement, only to shrink into a trio setting. Giraudo takes center stage here, bowing his bass through the melody with passionate abandon as well as precise intonation and a gorgeous tone. Harmonized hits once again build the group momentum only to find the band shrinking again behind saxophone soloist Alejandro Aviles. Giraudo writes with sensitivity towards dynamics, bringing the group back into the mix in layers, until the full band once again screams through the speakers. Syncopation reigns supreme as the rhythm section places bold accents against a flowing brass melody. As the rhythm section gathers a rapid momentum, the wind players fall into a chaotic free improvisation before Giraudo pushes them back into tense lines that rise into a dramatic climax. Giraudio smartly manipulates a number of musical elements to create emotional impact and riveting excitement through the piece, showing the potential of the modern big band in the hands of a master composer.

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2009 Latin Jazz Arrangement Of The Year: “Oyeme” Kenya Revisited, Live!!!, Bobby Sanabria Conducting The Manhattan School Of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra – Danny Rivera, arranger
Taking a classic composition and bringing it into the twenty-first century creates an interesting situation for any composer. Any good arrangement includes the core elements of a composition – the melody, form, and harmonic structure. A well-known recording also includes essential features of the arrangement, which the new arranger needs to keep or reject. Integrating elements of the original recording into the new arrangement holds its benefits – the listening public will recognize the song more readily and musicians will automatically relate to the newer version. An exact copy of the original recording seems a bit pointless though, so the new arranger needs to find clever ways to place their own imprint upon their version. Varying levels of re-harmonization always integrates a different sound into the arrangement, often reflecting a modern jazz vocabulary. The arranger can utilize the different pieces of the ensemble in creative ways, varying the texture or featuring individual players. New melodic sections can complement the original song in exciting ways, extending the impact of the composer’s original intention. The arranger faces a number of tough choices in this context, and their decisions determine a connection to tradition and a personal identity.

The 2009 Latin Jazz Arrangement Of The Year recipient, Danny Rivera, finds a wonderful balance between tradition and originality on his version of “Oyeme” from the classic Machito recording Kenya. Originally written by A.K Salim, the piece revolves mostly around one chord, keeping an emphasis upon the group’s rhythmic momentum. Rivera certainly integrates all of the syncopated beauty that gives the song it’s character, but he does thicken the piece with some rich chordal embellishments. He also pays tribute to one of the original album’s legendary guest soloists, Cannonball Adderley, with a harmonized version of his solo pick-up. He provides an inspiring improvisatory setting for saxophonist Vince Nero and trumpet player Michael Taylor, delivering skillfully arranged background lines. From there, Rivera finds a clever path into the coda, taking the band through a quick rhythmic change into 6/8 and a short assertive mambo. Rivera cleverly holds onto the best elements of Salim’s “Oyeme” without loosing a sense of identity in the arrangement; it’s a smart tribute that would have made Salim proud and shows a bright future for Rivera’s arranging work.

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2009 Latin Jazz Guitarist Of The Year: Yuri Juarez – Afroperuano, Yuri Juarez
As the Latin Jazz world more completely embraces influences from Central and South America, the guitar has become an increasingly important instrument.  The guitar plays a central role in the music of Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil and more; there are traditional roles for the instrument.  Just like the piano in Afro-Cuban popular styles, the guitar defines the song’s harmonic outline while fitting snugly into the style’s rhythmic outline.  It’s an essential stylistic element that defines the music, and its presence is mandatory in a Latin Jazz setting.  Just like it’s chordal counterpart in the Afro-Cuban world, the guitar needs some slight changes in a jazz context. The player needs to insert a jazz influence, finding smart ways to integrate jazz harmonies into a traditional setting.  They need to understand stylistically appropriate phrasing while utilizing jazz scale choices.  They need to place modern jazz ideals right next to Central or South American conventions without diluting the integrity of either world – a tall order indeed.

2009 Latin Jazz Guitar Player Of The Year winner Yuri Juarez handles all these roles with style and ease on his album Afroperuano.  His playing fits perfectly into his Afro-Peruvian compositions both rhythmically and harmonically.  Juarez knows this world intimately and he executes his parts with a highly professional ability.  He has also taken the time to craft a distinct approach to jazz harmony and improvisation, placing it carefully among Afro-Peruvian rhythms. Juarez integrates a modern sound into his playing, mixing traditional lines with influence from Metheny, Scofield, and more.  He gets plenty of opportunity to master his craft as one of the busiest musicians on the Afro-Peruvian Jazz scene.  As a member of trumpet player Gabriel Alegria’s sextet, Juarez regularly tours the United States and Peru playing a challenging and constantly evolving set of music.  Juarez also plays in the house band at Tutuma Social Club in New York, placing him behind a rotating cast of musicians performing both jazz and Afro-Peruvian music six days a week.  There’s not many guitar players with that kind of dedication and opportunity in the Afro-Peruvian world today, but Juarez stood out among them in 2009.

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2009 Latin Jazz Flautist Of The Year: Miguel Martinez – The Sonido Moderno Project, Coto Pincheira
The traditional world of Afro-Cuban music has a clearly defined place for the flute, but the contemporary world of Latin Jazz composition requires a much more careful approach. The sharp percussive nature of the instrument made it a perfect lead voice for the charanga orquestas in Cuba; it’s lush middle register complemented the string section nicely while it’s piercing high-end stood toe to tie with the percussionists.  Salsa orquestas kept the tradition of the flautist in many places and acoustic Latin Jazz groups often featured outstanding flautists as soloists.  As Latin Jazz evolved into a more modern context and instrumentalists incorporated synthesizers, electric instruments, and rock rhythms, the flute’s tile became less defined.  Despite a cutting tone, even the most powerful flautist requires amplification in this setting. Phrasing needs to change, different technical demands fall upon the musician, and the flautist needs to find their place in a different type of blend. It’s a world inhabited by trumpets, saxophones, and trombones; the flautist needs to work overtime to find a logical spot in a contemporary Latin Jazz ensemble.

Fortunately the 2009 Latin Jazz Flautist Of The Year Miguel Martinez has the flexibility and musicality to make things work, as he shows clearly on pianist Coto Pincheira’s album The Sonido Moderno Project. A top-notch musician, Martinez stays busy on the San Francisco Bay Area’s Latin music scene, playing salsa with percussionists Karl Perazzo and Michael Spiro in Conjunto Karabali, Mexican-Caribbean fusions with Corazon Sur, Latin Jazz with Pincheira, and much more. Martinez has built chops that move across several different contexts, working around the powerful sound of Pincheira’s band simply draws upon his vast tool kit. He also displays a sensitive musical insight, performing with depth and style on “Danzon For A Night.” Martinez phrases thoughtfully around the understated danzon section before charging through a powerful 6/8 and then improvising enthusiastically over a cha cha cha. It’s a wonderful feature for Martinez and certainly an album highlight moment. Martinez stands as a bright talent in the Bay Area Latin Jazz scene, and his musicality sits on the verge of larger exposure with this 2009 honor.

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We’ll be spending the next several days looking at the results from the LJC Best Of 2009 Awards, so make sure that you stay up-to date. So far we’ve posted the Record Label Of The Year and Album Cover Art Of The Year. Tomorrow we’ll be back with more categories, so come back to LJC! It’s a great way to reflect upon the year, celebrate some albums that you loved, and get turned onto some recordings that you might have missed. Don’t miss a single result – check back tomorrow!

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Focusing The Spotlight: A Little Bit More About Coto Pincheira
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Bobby Sanabria & The Manhattan School Of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra
Focusing The Spotlight: Yuri Juarez & Tutuma Social Club
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Tutuma Social Club

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