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 Bassist Of The Year: Noel Marambio - Para Los Engreidos, Manante

2009 Latin Jazz Pianist Of The Year: Pepe Céspedes - Para Los Engreidos, Manante

There’s one word in the jazz continuum that sits as a huge concept, and it can make or break a rhythm section: unity. At a basic level, this concept requires each musician to stay together harmonically and rhythmically, building a coherent and logical sound. Once this piece is in place, the musicians need to bring together ideas about genre and artistic approach. They need to decide upon which stylistic element will come to forefront of their sound and how closely they will adhere to tradition. Each rhythm section member needs to come to a firm agreement about the extent of experimental ideas; generally a mixture of outside playing and tradition create odd tension. Unified rhythm section members come from the same aesthetic background, establish clearly defined roles, and strive to provide the same type of support in every situation. At first look, this alignment plays against the idea of a conversational setting where each musician integrates their individual personality into the product; this couldn’t be further from the truth. Having a unified mind frame actually opens the possibility for more interaction; as rhythm section members get to know each other’s playing, they come to musical agreements where individual personalities will fit into each performance. The strength of the rhythm section doesn’t come from the musicality of each individual member, it emerges from the power of the combined unit - so the idea of a unified whole is an essential foundation piece.

2009 Latin Jazz Bassist Of The Year Noel Marambio and 2009 Latin Jazz Pianist Of The Year Pepe Céspedes epitomize the idea of rhythm section unity on the latest Manante release Para Los Engreidos. Both musicians carry outstanding technical ability on their instruments, laying the foundation for their work together. Their also share vast stylistic knowledge that spans the realm of traditional Afro-Peruvian music, straight-ahead jazz, and contemporary fusion. The group’s original compositions place the unique skills of these musicians into the forefront while keeping the stylistic pieces in place. Marambio’s Jaco-esque sound weaves between the lush and rhythmic tapestry of Céspedes’ vast chordal knowledge. Marambio loops a chordal vamp while Céspedes adds washes of harmonic color on “Cool Antro” which serves as the foundation for overdubbed exchanges between the two musicians. Céspedes frames “Sin Aliento” with a collection of typical Peruvian phrases which drop into a vast open section that gives Marambio room to spin short percussive licks. Both musicians charge through “Av. Arriola con Av. Canadá” with wild bursts of free improvisation that stay strangely related despite the chaotic atmosphere. Marambio maintains a simple ostinato over a festejo groove on “Moza Celosa” providing the foundation for a tasteful improvisation from Céspedes before the two musicians exchange roles. There’s a group thought throughout Para Los Engreidos that screams with a sense of unity, delivers a passionate set of inspired performances from both Marambio and Céspedes.

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2009 Latin Jazz Drum Kit Player Of The Year: Hugo Alcázar - Áurea, Geoffrey Keezer
The drum kit holds a unique position in the Latin Jazz world that both breaks tradition and pushes it into the future. In traditional music from South America and the Caribbean, the drum kit doesn’t hold a position in most ensembles - rhythmic duties are given to a variety of percussion instruments. A skilled drum kit player can combine the interlocking percussion patterns from most South American and Caribbean ensembles into a single part. This involves the integration of several different sounds into the drum kit and a variety of new techniques. In a Cuban setting, a variety of bells move into the drum kit; in a Brazilian setting, agogo bells and the tambourin might fit into the kit; and Peruvian work can utilize a cajon. Not every drum kit player will take the time to move beyond their standard application in order to execute these rhythms authentically. For some musicians, a watered down version of the rhythms suit their needs; in a setting that respects tradition the correct application of these rhythms are absolutely necessary though. The drum kit player that successfully masters these rhythms opens their performance opportunities into several exciting possibilities. In a jazz setting the drum kit player with all these talents holds the ability to interact with soloists, travel into swing or funk sections, emphasize key points in a composition. With these factors in place, the drum kit acts as a key connection between tradition and innovation.

2009 Latin Jazz Drum Kit Player Of The Year Hugo Alcázar brings together Peruvian tradition and a forward looking jazz aesthetic on pianist Geoffrey Keezer’s Áurea. Between Keezer’s vast jazz abilities and the cadre of Peruvian expertise, the recording contains all the right elements to guarantee an Afro-Peruvian Jazz classic - but Alcázar is the glue that makes the product work. Alcázar’s ability to mix the cajon with a traditional drum kit allows him to blend improvisatory jazz aesthetics with traditional Peruvian rhythms, setting the stage for an honest Afro-Peruvian Jazz performance. As Keezer places a richly harmonized structure beneath Sofia Rei Koutsovitis’ vocal on “La Flor Azul,” Alcázar creates an addictively interactive drive, playing cajon and ride cymbal simultaneously. Alcázar’s jazz festejo swings with a charging forward motion on “Cayendo Para Arriba” allowing him to comment upon solo work from Keezer and saxophonist Steve Wilson with an Elvin Jones inspired intensity. A mixture of space and understated intensity informs Alcázar’s landó rhythm on “Miraflores,” helping the group ride the song through a strong series of rises and falls. A sensitive duet between Keezer and Koutsovitis on “Vidala De Lucho” grows into a captivating emotional climax driven by impressive brush work from Alcázar. There’s a wealth of possibilities for the drum kit in this context, and Alcázar captures them all, delivering an incredibly musical performance throughout the album.

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2009 Latin Jazz Percussionist Of The Year: Arturo Stable - Call, Arturo Stable Quintet
The demands upon percussionists have evolved throughout history, and the contemporary Latin Jazz musician needs a large tool box in order to participate in modern performance settings. Years ago, when the best bands were working seven nights a week, a single specialization on a percussion instrument would have served a musician well. Most of the busy bands stayed in the Afro-Cuban realm, helping their percussionists gain reputations as a conguero, timbalero, or bongocero. As work disappeared, musicians found gigs across several bands, and as a result, they needed to switch between instruments depending upon the demands of the job. Small combos eventually became a preferred format, which shrunk the percussion section. With groups containing a drum kit player and one percussionist, musicians needed to provide more colors, play across diverse genres, and understand a wide number of musical forms. With the expansion of today’s Latin Jazz world, percussionists need to handle an expansive amount of Afro-Cuban styles, but they also need to regularly navigate through Brazilian and Afro-Peruvian styles. Any hopes of working as a band leader requires some composition skills, or at the very least a refined artistic concept that provides an original direction. Most importantly, percussionists music contribute something identifiable and original to a modern musical environment, setting them apart from the massive pool of available time keepers.

2009 Latin Jazz Percussionist Of The Year Arturo Stable brings a wealth of percussion expertise, musical creativity, and compositional knowledge to his latest release Call. He displays a strong mastery of Afro-Cuban percussion, ranging from a set of congas to a trio of batá. At the same time, Stable performs on the cajon with a thorough knowledge of Peruvian rhythms and adds color to pieces through a variety of hand percussion. Stable’s position as a composer informs much of his playing, as he skillfully outlines form and supports the overall structure of the piece. While his compositions feature a heavy rhythmic element, Stable balances the role of the percussion between support and spotlight, placing the importance of the song in the forefront. Stable provides a traditional santeria rhythm on bata, forming the core of the song on “Call,” and letting the rest of the band build the song on top. “Crack Attack” opens with an extended display of virtuosity from Stable, as he cleverly winds an impressive unaccompanied solo into an uptempo descarga. The melody floats over a steady landó rhythm from Stable’s cajon on “Old Memories,” creating a gentle introspective atmosphere on the lush ballad. Whether in a support or solo role, Stable’s infallible musicality shines through every bit of Call, providing an outstanding example of percussive excellence in the modern Latin Jazz world.

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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 and Album Cover Art Of The Year, Composition, Arrangement, Guitarist, and Flautist Of The Year, as well as Vocalist, Trumpet Player, Trombonist, and Saxophonist 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: Manante On Video
Best Of 2008: Drum Kit, Large Ensemble Album, Brazilian Jazz Album
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Arturo Stable
5 Artists That Are Making Us Question Our Assumptions About Latin Jazz

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