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Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band: The Pan American Nutcracker Suite

By Jack Bowers
February 5, 2023
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Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band: The Pan American Nutcracker Suite

Yes, Peter Tchaikovsky's timeless Nutcracker Suite is basically holiday music; and, yes, the 2022 holiday season is squarely in everyone's rear-view mirror. Even so, there is always room for a fresh approach to the annual festive staple, which is what drummer

Joe McCarthy

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band brings to The Pan American Nutcracker Suite.

The Nutcracker has been rhythmically amended before, but never quite like this, as McCarthy and the band use the strong rhythmic traditions of Cuba, Brazil, Africa and even China to place new accents on the holiday classic. The opening "Overture," for example, nestles in a pleasing "Afro-groove" accentuated by elaborate passages from brass and reeds, and encompassing an elegant trumpet solo by

Alex Norris

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Alex Norris. And that is just for starters.

"March" begins as a bolero before adding mambo and straight-ahead swing to crisp solos from pianist

Luis Perdomo

piano
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Luis Perdomo and tenor saxophonist

Ben Kono

saxophone, tenor
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Kono, after which the familiar "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" morphs into a not-so-familiar cha-cha in six-eight time whose muscular solos are by Perdomo, baritone saxophonist

Frank Basile

saxophone, baritone
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Basile, trombonist

Ryan Keberle

trombone
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Ryan Keberle and alto saxophonist

Alejandro Aviles

saxophone, alto
b.1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Alejandro Aviles. The "Trepak" (Russian dance) is presented as a mambo, underscored by McCarthy's persuasive timekeeping, "Arabian Dance" as a sensuous Afro-Cuban melody with an agile soprano saxophone solo by

Andrew Gould

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Gould.

"Chinese Dance" features more outstanding work by the rhythm section—McCarthy; Perdomo; bassist

Boris Kozlov

bass, acoustic
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Boris Kozlov, percussionist Samuel Torres—as well as by the trombones amid a rhythmically challenging backdrop. "Dance of the Reed Flutes," inspired by Brazil's partido alto rhythm, swings heartily from funk to samba as guitarist Vinny Valentino lends essential substance, as he does on the closing "Waltz of the Flowers," another flat-out blazer that embraces a Venezuelan Joropo beat and an ardent tenor solo, by either Kono or

Luis Hernandez

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Luis Hernandez.

On the plus side, McCarthy's band is superb, the arrangements by

Vince Norman

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Vince Norman are bright and pleasing. Having said that, the Nutcracker is in essence holiday music, even though McCarthy and Norman have done their best to overpass that boundary. And the eight-part suite clocks in at slightly under forty minutes. Weighing the pros and cons, the pros have a clear and decisive advantage. Well worth one's time.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Overture; March; Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy; Trepak; Arabian Dance; Chinese Dance; Dance of the Reed Flutes; Waltz of the Flowers.

Personnel

Joe McCarthy

drums

Boris Kozlov

bass, acoustic

Luis Perdomo

piano

Samuel Torres

percussion

Vinny Valentino

guitar

Andrew Gould

saxophone

Alejandro Aviles

saxophone, alto

Ben Kono

saxophone, tenor

Luis Hernandez

saxophone, tenor

Frank Basile

saxophone, baritone

Nick Marchione

trumpet

John Chudoba

trumpet

Brandon Lee

trumpet

Alex Norris

trumpet

Mark Patterson

trombone

Ryan Keberle

trombone

John Yao

trombone

James Borowski

trombone, bass

Vince Norman

composer / conductor

Album information

Title: The Pan American Nutcracker Suite | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Angel Face Records

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