1. Nuyorica! (not to be confused with Nuyorican Soul)
(this is a rough synopsis due to the cover being en mi casa)
This is a 2-disk comp of New York Latin Jazz/Funk players. Eddie
Palmieri, Ocha, Harlem River Drive, etc.
It's got a excellent mix of soul funk, salsa, and experimental
tracks on it. For example the last track on the first CD is an
Experimental track by Palmieri that gets pretty abtract, with the use of
tape loops and distortion, pretty out there for the usual idea of Latin
Jazz.
Alot of the other tracks are simply quality grooves.
Well worth checking out.
2. Routine
This was a random find in the local record shop, it seems to be
two years old but I have never even heard of it before. What prompted me
to check it out was that Hiroshi Egaitsu was involved ( a Tokyo Jazz DJ
who spins some great tunes (thank for to hint ben!)). Well the whole CD is
quite interesting, smooth grooves, definitly with heavy Silent Poets
tendencies, which are enhanced with guest apperences by the Silent Poets
doing a track(as well as the cover design) and Umar Bin Hussain (Last
Poets) doing poetry on another track. Other poetry by James Vyner,(for
some reason this name seems familiar but can't quite place it...).
All in all it was a great find IMHO, if you stumble `acrost`...
more later....
And right now in the Headphones -> Dr John ........... now there is
someone to check out.