Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, the Mbira, Afro-Cuban Chants, Jazz, Cumbia...these elements are all part of the mix. This group was formed in the spring of 2002; we have performed in NYC at Small's, Satalla, Cachaça, Hunter College, the Soul Cafe, Fat Cat, Makor, El Taller Latinoamericano, etc...
We have also been playing around the Northeast, including Boston, Ithaca, Syracuse, Utica, Hudson; and other major urban centers :)
I frequently collaborate with Rumbatap creator Max Pollak; check out the track "Ochun" for a taste of what we do together.
Our first CD, called Other Tongues, was released in 2006 and received stellar reviews and extensive airplay; it features Max as well as very special guest Buddy Terry on tenor saxophone. Buddy, the Original B.T. Express, has had a long and storied music career and is the real deal. Another guest is vocalist Ileana Santamaria, daughter of Mongo Santamaria. But the real stars are the regular bandmembers, who make the music swing and who infuse the notes on the page with brilliance, imagination and drive.
Our 2nd CD is in the process of being mastered; I am aiming for a release date of July/August 2008. In the meantime, we'll be doing some road dates as well as shows in the NYC area.
As for my personal specs: I have been active on the New York City jazz and latin jazz scenes for sixteen years, having performed with and/or composed for James Hurt, Phil Bowler & Pocket Jungle, Harvie S, Clave y Guaguanco, the late Afro-Cuban star Juan Pablo Torres (the track "Boogie Down Broder" is dedicated to J.P.), Grupo los Santos, Rumbatap Dance Company, Swingadelic, Sonido Isleño, the Ileana Santamaria Orchestra, and Phil Woods, as well as leading my own groups. I've performed at regional, national and international music festivals, including touring all over the U.S., the Caribbean (including Cuba), and South America. In film, I appeared as a member of Grupo los Santos in two documentaries about Latin music, one called "Como se forma una Rumba", and the other, "Latido Latino". One of my original songs, Soul Soliloquy, found a home in filmmaker Kern Konwisers street basketball documentary On Hallowed Ground, originally aired on the TNT Television Network in May of 2000. (This song is on my quartet CD, Looking Up). I recently completed a Masters Degree in Music Composition at The City College of New York, where I studied with Mike Holober, John Patitucci and American master David Del Tredici.
