Paquito D'Rivera	Website:	www.PaquitoDRivera.com
	Genre(s):	Latin Jazz, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Classical, World Music, World Fusion
	Instrument(s):	Clarinet, Flute, Alto Saxophone
	Trademark(s):	Latin Jazz Master, Lyric, Virtuoso
	Album(s):	40 Years of Cuban Jam Session
	Collaborations:
Translate This Page To: Deutsche Francaise Espanol Italiana Português Russian Chinese Korean

Cuban jazz master, Paquito D'Rivera delivers a phenomenal performance on his 2004 release, 40 Years of Cuban Jam Session. Teaming up with an all-star lineup of Latin jazz players, Paquito integrates world class percussion and rhythm sections headed up by Horacio Hernandez, Rogelio Rivero, Rigo Herrara, Victor Valdes, and Andy Garcia, that relentlessly drive the effort with dazzling, savvy Afro-Cuban beats. Paquito's improvisational and arranged segments are fueled by his boundless, melodic lyricism that streams charismatic, exquisite musicality without limits. Jam partners, Rene Toledo on guitar, Mike Orta on piano, Alfredo Perez on trumpet, Tata Palau on piccolo flute, Alfredo Armenteros on trumpet, and Juan Pablo Torres on trombone, among others, extensively exchange captivating leadwork and themes with Paquito that span a broad spectrum of highly animated, expressive qualities from the delicate, poignant, endearing and enchanting to the rousing, vigorous, high-spirited, and intoxicantingly exuberant, though always maintaining an air of sophisticated control regardless of the diverse, engaging emotions explored. Similarly, the assortment of multifarious arrangements on this monumental album span a wide range of compositional forms and Latin-flavored styles.

The arrangements on this album center around well-developed and highly accessible themes that strike a comely balance between musical intricacy and listener appeal. The fluid instrumental orchestration is orchestrated with exacting precision to transition control from one instrument to the next for sections that trade leads. Paquito craftily manages the selection of instrumentation to create lush sonic textures that beautifully integrate the ever-present percussion and rhythm sections with the exotic sounds of alto sax, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, violin, and vibrophone that ascend to the solo lead and sometimes polyphonic lead roles to contrast against the jazz ensemble backings comprised mainly of piano, guitar, bass, and drums. But, all technical analysis aside, the resulting music is saturated with Paquito's fluent lyricism that clearly projects an unending demonstration of moving emotional content that spawns from his ability to communicate through his instruments. And, this warm projection of enkindled feeling bestows this outstanding effort with a enchanting quality that words cannot serve justice.

Paquito D'Rivera's reputation and honors as a jazz master are proven to be well-deserved on this album. 40 Years of Cuban Jam Session is one of Paquito's finest efforts to date and lives up to the expectations set by his towering stature in the jazz and world music communities. This album is essential listening for Latin and Cuban jazz. Musicians will be interested in this album to ascertain the striking manner that D'Rivera integrates complex rhythms to accentuate his finely cultivated melodies, themes, and improvisational exposition. This aspect of rhythm and timing that is intrinsic to Paquito's style is an essential dimension of music that many jazz musicians do not develop anywhere near to the remarkable extents that Paquito and his ensemble have achieved via their mastery of rhythmic elements. No jazz collection would be complete without this landmark album in world fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms, Latin, jazz, classical and contemporary musical styles from the reigning master of Latin jazz world fusion, Paquito D'Rivera.

* * * * *

Copyright 2006 - 2007 Christopher Ruel. All Rights Reserved. www.ChrisRuel.com