Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gabriel Espinosa: From Yucatan to Rio

Gabriel Espinosa: From Yucatan to Rio

By John Barron
June 9, 2009
View read count

Mexican-born bassist/composer Gabriel Espinosa has spent the past 13 years as director of jazz studies at Central College in Pella, Iowa. With a fresh batch of Brazilian-flavored compositions and arrangements, the Yucatan native organized an all-star session in the fall of 2008 to produce the aptly titled From Yucatan to Rio. The disc features an impressive cast of world-class musicians including

Romero Lubambo

guitar
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Romero Lubambo (guitar),

Helio Alves

piano
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Helio Alves (piano),

Claudio Roditi

trumpet
1946 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Claudio Roditi (trumpet),

Anat Cohen

clarinet
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Anat Cohen (clarinet),

George Robert

saxophone, tenor
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">George Robert (alto saxophone) and

Antonio Sanchez

drums
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Sanchez (drums).

The disc settles into a swaying groove with Espinosa's arrangement of

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Agua de Beber." The popular Brazilian melody is handled by vocalists Darmon Meader and Kim Nazarian, of the New York Voices, and Alison Wedding, an old friend of Espinosa. Roditi solos with fluency here as well as on the pop-sounding "Klavier Latino," an Espinosa composition with lyrical wordless vocalizing and an inspired alto solo by Robert.

Bossa nova and cha-cha-cha intersect on Espinosa's romantic "LP 07" with a spirited, improvised back-and-forth between Roditi and Robert. Vocalist Wedding leads the way on her own composition "We've Come Undone," featuring pondering lyrics and an especially lush solo from pianist Alvez. Espinosa's energetic 6/8 Latin romp, "Nuevos Horizontes," features crisp, punctuated drumming from Sanchez and a well-developed clarinet solo from Cohen. An idyllic tropical scene is portrayed on a pair of Espinosa originals: the tranquil bossa "Morning Breeze" and the light samba "Azul y Negro."

Nylon-string guitarist Lubambo solos vibrantly on "Remain," a samba composed by Wedding that features the vocalist scatting gleefully. Robert and Roditi take control of the funky "Maria" with an inspired trading of ideas. The up-tempo "Huracan" is propelled by drummer Adriano Santos and Espinosa, whose electric bass playing acts as a subtle yet flawless foundation throughout. The high-flying closer finds Alves in top form.

From Yucatan to Rio is full of memorable themes, vibrant solos and infectious grooves. Espinosa proves himself a talent destined for greater recognition.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Agua De Beber; Klavier Latino; LP 07; We've Come Undone; Nuevos Horizontes; Morning Breeze; Azul Y Negro; Remain; Maria; Huracan.

Personnel

Gabriel Espinosa

bass

Gabriel Espinosa: bass, background vocals; Claudio Roditi: trumpet, flugelhorn; George Robert: alto sax; Helio Alves: piano, keyboards; Alison Wedding: lead vocals (4, 8), backing vocals (tracks 2 and 9), alto (track 1); Antonio Sanchez: drums (2, 5, 6, 8, 9); Adriano Santos: drums (1, 3, 4, 7, 10); Darmon Meader: vocals (1); Kim Nazarian: vocals (1); Anat Cohen: clarinet (5); Romero Lubambo: guitar (3, 4, 6, 8, 9); Dende: percussion; Patricio Espinosa: background vocals (9).

Album information

Title: From Yucatan to Rio | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Zoho Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Travail, Transformation, and Flow
< Previous

Ran Blake: Lurking in the Shadows
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.