Improvijazzanation: Issue #166
The mix of live recording sounds with the vibrant energy is superb on this January 2017 album; Mariah’s piano leads a stellar crew on this high-energy live recording, including reedmaster Paul McCandless, guitarist Matthew Montfort, Ian Dogole on percussion, as well as bassists Fred Randolph and Kash Killion, percussionist Brian Rice, tabla maestro Debopriyo Sarkar and conga player Duru Demetrius in a glorious celebration of Latin music unequaled by any others! As you listen to the soul-stirring sounds on the 6:55 “Close Passage“, you’ll realize just how right I am about this! It’s actually been a long time (issue # 88) since I reviewed her work (as a leader; I’ve reviewed on several other albums, though). This is truly one of the most “alive” live recordings I’ve listened to (yet) in 2017, as evidenced on my personal favorite of the eight songs offered up… it’s the stirring percussion on “Jaguar Dance” that made it my pick, to be sure… every player is totally on-target, no doubt, and this WILL have you up & dancin’, folks! I give Mariah and her musical cohorts a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.99 for this superb release. Get more information at Mariah’s website.
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