Product Description
Conga player {|Ray Barretto|}'s {|Trancedance|} is hardly a typical {|Latin|} affair, as the music is extremely wide-ranging, including 20th century {|classical|} works, {|classic jazz|} works from several decades, a {|pop|} hit, and originals by the leader. His core band consists of trumpeter {|John Bailey|}, pianist {|John Di Martino|}, saxophonist {|Adam Kolker|}, bassist {|Gregg August|}, and drummer {|Vince Cherico|}. {|Di Martino|}'s intricate scoring of {|Monty Alexander|}'s {|Renewal|} (incorporating several guest {|Latin|} percussionists plus {|James Moody|}'s magical flute) is the perfect opener, followed by a similar lineup tackling the pianist's brisk arrangement of {|Randy Weston|}'s {|Hi-Fly.|} {|Kolker|}'s inventive take of {|Thelonious Monk|}'s {|'Round About Midnight|} may be the most innovative since {|George Russell|}'s famous recording of {|'Round Midnight|} on the {|Riverside|} release {|Ezz-Thetics|}. {|Kolker|}'s intriguing approach to two segments of {|The Grand Canyon Suite|} ({|Sunset|} and {|On the Trail|}) find him interweaving his soprano sax with {|Moody|}'s flute, while the {|Latin|} percussion fits right in with the loping gait of the donkeys in {|Sunset.|} {|Kolker|} switches to tenor sax for a rather brisk rendition of {|On the Trail.|} Transforming {|Peggy Lee|}'s hit {|Fever|} into a {|Latin|} setting makes it even more sensuous, particularly with his come-hither soprano sax. All of {|Barretto|}'s originals also merit praise, especially his tribute to the late conga player {|Tito Puente|}, who helped put the instrument on the map in {|jazz|}. This is easily one of {|Ray Barretto|}'s best all-around recordings. ~ Ken Dryden
