MARK WEINSTEIN - CON ALMA (2007)
Mark Weinstein - flutes
Mark Levine - piano
Mauricio Herrera - drums
Santi Debriano - bass
Pedrito Martinez - congas
1. Santi's Africaleidescope (Santi Debriano)
2. Broadway Local (Mark Weinstein)
3. Con Alma (Dizzy Gillespie)
4. Crescent (John Coltrane)
5. Fee Fi Fo Fum (Wayne Shorter)
6. Evidence (Theloniuos Monk)
7. La Coneja Loca (Mark Levine)
8. Gotcha (Bobby Hutcherson)
9. Soul-Leo (Mulgrew Miller)
10. Monte Adentro (Orlando Maraca Valle)
11. Stella by Starlight (Victor Young)
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Review by Paul J. Youngman - KJA Advocate for WWW.VINILEMANIA.NET
With all my soul, the poets translation for Con Alma, and the feeling that pervades the new CD by Mark Weinstein. Weinstein has put together a quintet that plays jazz tunes, a few standards, and a few originals with heavy Latin influences. Little known tunes, such as “Gottcha” by Bobby Hutcherson, “Soul-Leo” by Mulgrew Miller, “Crescent” by John Coltrane and “Fee Fi Fo Fum” by Wayne Shorter are all presented with a Latin groove underpinned by exciting Latin percussion, dynamic bass playing and excellent solos by Mark Levine on piano and Mr. Weinstein on flute.
The age of great liner notes has returned two full pages that present a detailed view into the process of composition. Larry Harlow introduces Mark Weinstein as a talented multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer and educator. Harlow pens a brief description of each song, time signatures, basic song structure, type of flute that Weinstein utilizes during the performance (he uses at least three different flutes, a standard flute, an alto flute and a bass flute), as well as his personal take on the soloing of each member of the quintet.
The title track “Con Alma” by Dizzy Gillespie opens with a piano introduction, joined by drums and flute the song features Mark Weinstein on alto flute, a very refined and composed flute stylist. The song is played in a laid back ballad groove, the bassist Santi Debriano takes the song up a notch with some intense pizzicato playing during his solo.
The recording features three original songs, one written by the bass player Santi Debriano, entitled “Santi’s Africaleidescope” a fast paced Afro-Cuban big band number that makes do with a powerful, straight ahead flute solo by Mark Weinstein and some inspired piano playing by Mark Levine, while the rhythm section raises the roof with their ferocious playing.
“Broadway Local” by Mark Weinstein an up-tempo tune that swings in Jazz-Latin form and features a fine piano solo by Mr. Levine. “La Coneja Loca” an original composition by Mark Levine that gives ample opportunity to Mr. Weinstein to breakout and lay down his inspired playing that seems so technically perfect.
The drum solo for the song “Monte Adentro” composed by Orlando Maraca Valle, features drummer Mauricio Herrera that sounds very much in the style of a timbalist, flashy fast fills, augmented by off-beats and down-beat cymbal crashes, supported by heavy handed, melodic piano chords by Levine, that Herrera play off with a fiery Latin spirit.
The final song of the CD, the standard “Stella By Starlight” composed by Victor Young is performed in anything but a standard manner. A standard starting point that rapidly transforms into a high powered opportunity to solo, Mr. Weinstein sets the pace with the first exploration of the melody with-in the melody. Mark Levine takes up the challenge and responds with beautiful melodic playing of his own, single note runs, arpeggios and full sounding expanded chords all set off against the timba rhythm of the bass and drums. The bassist Santi Debriano lays down a col-arco solo of classical proportions that causes a stir with the percussionist’s who let loose with a fast paced call and response to end Con Alma in an exiting and highly pleasing manner.
