TOMAS R. EINARSSON - radio vinilemania web-radio Latin - Jazz

TOMAS R. EINARSSON (BASSIST)

The Icelandic bass player/composer Tómas R. Einarsson (1953) studied with classical bass players in Reykjavik and in Copenhagen 1980-84 and has since been one of the most active jazz musicians in Iceland, performing mainly with his own groups, as well as visiting soloists (a.o. the late Chet Baker and Kenny Drew). He has recorded 13 records with his own music and performed at several European jazz festivals, The Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Berliner JazzTage and the Glasgow Jazz Festival, to name a few, and in 2006 his Latin group performed both at Moscow´s main jazz venue, Le Club, as well as in the historical Casa de la Amistad in Havana. His first Latin jazz record was Kúbanska, recorded in 2002. American critics had praise for the music: “It´s a funny thing, all of this Latin Jazz coming from such remote places. But when it´s played that well, who cares?” (C. Michael Bailey: All About Jazz). In 2003 he went to Cuba to record the CD Havana, which received two prizes at the Icelandic Music Awards. Einarsson´s latest Latin CD is Romm Tomm Tomm, recorded in 2006 in Reykjavik and in Havana´s EGREM studios, with 14 musicians. It was welcomed in Iceland by both critics and record-buyers; the Cuban critic Ricardo Alonso Venereo praised the energy and the supreme skill of the musicians (El Habanero 21/11 2006) and Peter Watrous, a critic of jazz and Latin music in the New York Times, called it “a beautiful, weird hybrid out of the Cuban diaspora.” (Descarga.com 6/2 2007) Einarsson´s three Latin jazz records have now sold 7000 copies in Iceland, which is exceptional for jazz records in a country of only 300,000 inhabitants. They will be available on i-tunes, E-music and Tune Tribe at the end of July 2007, and two of his tunes will appear on compilations this summer; the Columbian DJ´s El Chino “Solar Latin Club Vol. 1”, and Putumayo Presents Latin Jazz (to be released June 26th), where Einarsson is the only European included, in a company of people like Tito Puente, Machito and Ray Barretto. A remix CD of Einarsson´s Latin music will be released in October. The participants are from Iceland, Britain, Germany and the US and include Moonbotica, Mark Brydon (Moloko), Matthías MD Hemstock, Tom Pooks, Hólmar Filippsson, Namito, Thor, DJ Margeir and people from the Icelandic bands GusGus and Trabant.

TOMAS R. EINARSSON - ROMM TOMM TOMM (2006)

Tomas R. Einarsson
Samuel J. Samuelsson
Kjartan Hakonarson
Daniel "El Gordo" Ramos
Oskar Gudjonsson
Omar Gudjonsson
Cesar Hechevarria
Osvaldo Perigo
Matthias M.D. Hemstock
Petur Gretarsson
Jorge Luis Reyes
Alvin Gonzalez
Jorge Yeramis Silego
Gisil Galdur Porgeirsson
TOMAS R. EINARSSON - ROMM TOMM TOMM (2006)

review by Peter Watrous: TOMAS R. EINARSSON - ROMM TOMM TOMM (2006)

Jörfagleoi - Orgy 3:33
Romm Tomm Tomm - Rum & Drums 5:53
Eineygoi Kötturinn - The One-eyed Cat 5:03
Spjallad Vid Baendur - The Farmer's Song 3:44
Djamm - Jam 7:00
Fyrimyndarskatinn - A Perfect Woman 6:18
Havanablus - Blue Havana 5:14
Dulo - Mysterious 5:11
Gledispjarir - Stark Naked 3:07
Söknudur - Melancholy 4:04

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TOMAS R. EINARSSON - HAVANA (2004)

Tomas R. Einarsson Kontrabassi
Cesar Hechevarria Mustelier Tres-guitar
Emilio Morales Piano
Daniel "El Gordo" Ramos Trompet
Juan Carlos Marin Baisuna
Jorge Luis Reyes Guiro, maracas, regnstafur
Arian Angel Gomez Bongotrommur, bjalla
Manuel Alendro Mayor Kongatrommur, timbales

TOMAS R. EINARSSON - HAVANA (2004)