Yaoundé
Samuel Torres
Blue Conga Music
Modern Latin Jazz musicians live in a world filled with access to just about any musical idea, and as a result, they juggle a number of priorities when creating music. They hold an unbreakable connection to their cultural background, and in many cases, musicians want to include this element in their music. This sits as a firm foundation of their musical explorations, and in the Latin Jazz world, it’s a defining factor of the style. There’s an organic ebb and flow of Central and South American as well as Caribbean musical ideas today that complicate the issue though, sometimes making a clear definition of cultural identity difficult. Most younger musicians have grown up surrounded by rock, pop, and fusion, so these modern rhythms and musical ideas naturally find a place in their music. The soup can quickly become thick in this case though, as rock backbeats dilute Latin elements and synthesizers overwhelm textural elements. With these elements sitting in the background, creative musicians always desire new explorations and challenges. When they bring their current interests into the mix, things get even more complicated. Creating original and relevant music that reflects the artist’s personality and challenges their audience becomes an amazing balancing act that requires thought, reflection, and unwavering dedication. The artist’s number one priority should always be musicality and a coherent message – with these ideas as guiding lights, artists can create masterpieces from any number of diverse musical elements. Percussionist Samuel Torres brings together ideas from Colombian music, jazz, Afro-Cuban genres, fusion, and more on Yaoundé, delivering a strong musical message based upon the strength of his compositions.

Displaying A Firm Command Over Traditional Latin Jazz Ideas
Torres takes a more traditional Latin Jazz approach on several tracks that display his firm command over the genre. Pianist Manuel Valera introduces a looping series of chords over a rapid rumba clave on “Lincoln Tunnel,” until an edgy melody wraps around a furious groove and sharp rhythm section breaks. The band quiets behind Valera, who races through the manic groove with long streams of notes on Fender Rhodes. Trumpet player Michael Rodriguez combines brash rhythmic attacks with a modern melodicism, leading back to an assertive montuno for an eye catching improvisation from Torres on congas. Valera calmly improvises over a loosely interpreted son montuno on “A Rose (To My Grandmother),” making way for a floating melody from the wind players. Valera mixes a thoughtful sense of phrasing with his impressive chops, spinning rapid flurries of runs into a potent statement. Saxophonist Joel Frahm attacks his improvisation with a cutting tone and aggressive streams of melodies, adding a lively feel to the piece. Torres, Valera, and bassist John Benitez carefully work their way into an understated groove on “Camino Del Barrio” until drummer Ernesto Simpson and timbalero Ralph Irizarry slam the band into high gear. Valera moves carefully into his improvisation on Fender Rhodes, building his ideas into a driving momentum that leads back into the melody and a timba-fied montuno. Frahm rides the bands fiery mood towards an inspired solo before Torres and Irizarry burst into an unforgettable exchange of percussion prowess. These tracks display Torres’ strong connection to the Afro-Cuban side of Latin Jazz and his ability to mold creates structures around it.

Integrating Fusion Ideas Into The Mix
Torres integrates fusion elements into his many of his compositions, using a contemporary sound as a starting point for different musical ideas. Benitez reaches into the upper reaches of his bass for a catchy melody over Torres’ congas on “Un Atardercer En Cartagena De Indias” before landing on fat low bass line beneath a rhythmic melody. Simpson lays into a funky groove under Rodriguez, who liberally stretches lines over the rhythm section, occasionally contrasting his ideas with tense syncopations. Frahm sends the group pushing forward with a winding improvisation on soprano sax that races frantically around the rhythm section’s momentum. Torres takes an absolutely different direction on “La Niña En El Agua,” including a nod towards the African influence with a solo thumb piano piece. Alternating between freely interpreted phrases, pulsing repeated melodic patterns, and interesting chordal implications, Torres creates a stunningly beautiful piece. Torres demonstrates several levels of mastery on this piece, showing a deep understanding of the instrument, a keen compositional insight, and an introspective quiet integrity. Benitez and Torres introduces an angular groove that organically wraps around odd time signatures on “Cosita Rica – the Richness Of The Small Things,” until Frahm and Rodriguez navigate the twisting groove with an interesting melody. A combination of Simpson’s shifting backbeat and Valera’s electronic keyboard add a funky edge behind Frahm, who tears through his improvisation with an impassioned drive. Rodriguez develops an attention grabbing solo, moving from short melodies into a screaming high range that sets the stage for an intelligent improvisation from Valera. Torres cleverly integrates modern ideas into his compositions on these songs, pulling from several sources to support his original thoughts.

Colombian Musical Styles Going Into A Unique Mixture
Torres utilizes a variety of rhythms from across Central and South America with an emphasis upon Colombian styles, presenting a unique mixture of music. An explosive groove builds into an exciting propulsion through a thick layer of percussion on “Yaounde” while Frahm and Rodriguez spin through short brash phrases and long flowing lines. The dense texture thins behind Benitez, who builds an engaging statement through rich melodic integrity and an insightful sense of rhythmic phrasing. Valera works around the fluctuating time signature with choppy phrases that stretch into solid ideas before Torres tears into an intensive solo. Frahm delicately places a gentle melody over a lazy 6/8 pulse on “Bambuco (To Santa Fe de Bogota),” creating an elegant feel against the band’s unobtrusive support. Both Rodriguez and Valera take their time with soft spoken improvisations that find expressive space within the song’s subdued feel. Simpson builds a colorful series of ideas against a repeated melody from Frahm, leading into an absolutely engaging exchange between Benitez’s bass and a solo shaker from Torres. Vocalist Sofia Rei Koutsovitis insightfully moves through the Colombian folk song ” Ronca Al Canalete” in an intimate setting, with only Torres’ congas as support. Koutsovitis’ expressive vocal phrasing brings the song to life; she also cleverly overdubs her voice for some thick vocal harmonies on the coro. Torres plays with an interactive sense of freedom behind Koutsovitis, revealing a rich understanding between the two musicians. A funky vamp over a cumbia groove from rhythm section and sharp chordal hits from Rodriguez and Frahm enthusiastically outline an expressive melody from clarinetist Anat Cohen on “Macondo (Para Lucho Bermudez).” Rodriguez thoughtfully moves the chord changes with a jazz edge, favoring long stretches of melodic material over the addictive groove. The rhythm section disappears behind interlocking lines from the wind players, building back into an explosive improvisation from Cohen, who drives the band into a frenzy. These pieces connect Torres with his Colombian roots, but also allow his a chance to showcase the flexibility and depth of his writing.

Balancing A Number Of Musical Worlds With Smart Musical Choices
Torres balances a number of musical worlds with smart musical choices, a solid compositional perspective, and skilled performances on Yaoundé. His compositions all hold a distinctly recognizable consistency, reflecting his defined writing style. At the same time, Torres builds upon his understanding of specific genres and rhythmic styles; he writes with appropriate differences between Afro-Cuban and Colombian style. With a firm respect of cultural traditions, Torres exerts his creativity upon each context, playing with harmony, textural shadings, and arranging ideas. His use of electronic instruments and the occasional backbeat reference integrate some elements of fusion into his music, but it serves more as a color than a defining factor. Most importantly, Torres’ compositions create strong structures to highlight the outstanding performances as a band. The percussionist shines in many roles here, supporting his group with a rock solid groove and creative embellishments while soloing with fire and integrity. He rises above the typical one instrument percussionist and integrates a broad stroke of colorful sounds into his performance, pushing the music to a higher level. Valera and Benitez both frame the album with class and style; Benitez delivers a driving bass presence filled with spontaneous creativity, while Valera’s harmonic palette fills the album with rich sonorities. Both Rodriguez and Frahm consistently contribute outstanding solos to the album, inspiring enthusiastic performances from the rhythm section. Between the high level performances and diverse musical ideas, Torres has a lot of artistic elements to balance on Yaoundé, but he steadily keeps his eye on the prize; the result is a deep and inspiring musical statement that blends several pieces into an engaging display of musicianship.

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