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This 18 year old East Coast ensemble "has
joined the pantheon of great latin jazz groups" says the 52nd Street
Review. Veteran members have performed,
recorded and toured
extensively with jazz and latin greats of the past and future: Lionel Hampton,
Monguito Santamaria, Manny Oquendo, Miles Davis sideman Gary Thomas, Avishai
Cohen's International Vamp Band and Lonnie Plaxico to name a few. Each of their
four recordings on the prestigious PALMETTO record
label, are produced by latin jazz luminary, Andy Gonzalez of FORT APACHE BAND
fame. Their latest release 'Radio Mundo', played to raves from DOWNBEAT, JAZZ
TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, LATIN BEAT and the LA PRESS. The CD received extensive
airplay and awards from some of the most widely listened to Jazz and Latin radio
stations from coast to coast like WBGO in New York and KLON in Los Angeles.
Formed eighteen years ago, this legendary nine-piece
ensemble features members that live and perform in New York City, Washington
DC and Baltimore. They have performed all over the US
- in the west including a week's stint at the JAZZ BAKERY in LA, and Midwest,
and continue to frequent jazz and dance clubs around the eastern seaboard including
the BLUE NOTE in Manhattan and BIRDLAND 'the jazz corner of the world.
This summer they will appear at jazz festivals including the San Jose AAT Jazz
Fest in California and Lake George Jazz weekend in upstate New York. The band
made its' international debut last summer at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival.
After performing together and sharing the stage with Latin greats like Tito Puente, the group caught the attention of Andy
Gonzalez - considered to be one of Latin jazz's greatest bassists. Andy has produced
and is a featured guest on each of their recordings. 'MAMACITA', their second
CD, was a breakthrough success receiving generous amounts of airplay on jazz
and Latin stations around the country. One month
in 1998 'MAMACITA' made top ten on radio stations in LA, San-Francisco, Puerto Rico and Miami
simultaneously according to polls in LATIN BEAT magazine. PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL honored the group by selecting
'MAMACITA' as one of the ten best recordings of 1997. Their third release,
'ESPIRITISTA' was chosen by WBGO in New York City as one of the ten best Latin
records of 1999.
Their latest 2001 release 'RADIO MUNDO' has
received outstanding critical acclaim and was recently selected as one of last
year's ten best CD's by JAZZIZ Magazine.
The band continues to forge its own synthesis of jazz and instrumental Latin dance
music described as "a style of their own making'. Meanwhile they continue to make
what LATIN BEAT magazine has called 'the finest dancing and listening music possible'.
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