Hades Forum

Bio: Coleman Hawkins

Until Lester Young arrived on the scene, there was but one great tenor sax name: Coleman Hawkins. The man nicknamed "Bean" had a large, gruff, burly sound that was far different from Young's lighter, cooler approach. Hawkins made the tune "Body And Soul" his own in a 1939 version that has become a jazz classic. Many maintain that Hawkins was an inspiration for the bop revolution, that his playing provided the improvisational foundation with his small combos on 52nd Street in the early '40s.
Born Nov. 21, 1904, in St. Joseph, Mo., Hawkins began his jazz journey in his early teens, regularly traveling a short distance south to Kansas City to play or heading east to Chicago for weekend visits. He became a member of Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds in 1921, then joined Fletcher Henderson in 1924, spending a decade in the band that included Louis Armstrong. He established himself as a star soloist, highlighted by his 1925 solo on the tune "Stampede." He also dressed expensively and drove fast cars, and in 1934, Hawkins left for a five-year stay in Europe.



With his return to the United States in 1939, and the resulting "Body and Soul" hit, Hawkins re-established his supremacy in the jazz tenor sax ranks. His link to the bop era came in 1943 when his sextet included trumpeter Benny Harris and pianist Thelonious Monk. Over the next few years, he also employed such greats as trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Fats Navarro and drummer Max Roach, among others. Although moving into the role of elder statesman in the '50s, Hawkins continued to test himself, and in mid-1963 recorded with the forward-looking group of Sonny Rollins for RCA. He also worked with Duke Ellington and Jazz At The Philharmonic in the '60s. He died May 19, 1969, in New York.

aseara am avut deosebita placere sa urmaresc pt a 12 a oara concertul lui Herbie Hancock "Future 2 Future" foarte tare ......pe langa intrumentistii clasici in acest concert este si un Dj Dj Disk in turneul acesta sau Rob Swift ........dak il gasiti pe undeva va recomand cu caldura sa-l vedeti pt k merita din plin.......!
Sa va zic kam despre ce e vorba:jazzul lui Herbie + instrumente noi....clape,samplere pick-up etc.....e un experiment f tare ....

Ps:la tobe e o fata dementiala ca tehnica+voce ....oh my good...

ENJOY!

Bio: Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock, born in 1940, began playing piano at his home in Chicago when he was seven years old. He gave his first public performance two years later, performed Mozart's D Major Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony when he was 11, and in high school he picked up an ear for jazz. After he graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa, he moved to New York City and at age 20, hooked up with trumpeter Donald Byrd. Byrd introduced him to Blue Note Records executives, and Hancock recorded his first solo album in 1963, Taking Off, which included appearances by Freddie Hubbard and Dexter Gordan. This album contained Hancock's first Top 10 hit, "Watermelon Man."
Soon Hancock got the attention of the legendary Miles Davis, who invited Hancock to join his new group. While working with Miles, Hancock was introduced to and developed an interest in funk, particularly James Brown and Sly Stone. After working with Davis for several years Hancock decided to form his own band -- the Headhunters -- a sextet that included Julian Priester, Buster Williams and Eddie Henderson. With this group Hancock began to pioneer what would later be called fusion as he, through his original compositions, melded ideas of funk and rock with jazz. Hancock took this opportunity to introduce himself to synthesizers.

The innovative Headhunters (1973) was the first album on which Hancock used a synthesizer. Up to that point his work was acoustic with the exception of a Rhodes Electric Piano. The album, which became the largest-selling jazz album in history, contained "Chameleon," another of Hancock's crossover hits. Incorporating synthesizers at this pace was mitigated by Hancock's experience with electronics and aptitude for the subject. After a few years, Hancock returned to his roots as an acoustic pianist with the V.S.O.P. Quintet, a recreation of Miles' band (without Miles), and several other jazz artists.



In 1983, Hancock released Future Shock, which was both a pioneer electronic piece but also a hit on both R&B and dance charts. The single "Rock It" won Grammy for best R&B Instrumental, and the album went gold. Hancock released Dis is Da Drum (Polygram) in 1994, which reverberates with West African rhythms.

In 1997 Hancock released 1+1, a duet session with saxophonist Wayne Shorter. The following year he reunited with his old Headhunter bandmates, to record an album, Return of the Headhunters, and hit the road for a series of summer concerts.

si sa nu uitam Deena ca este unul din cei mai semplati artisti....de jazz

asa si?!?!??! ....nu numai de la el sempleaza cei care au nevoie de surse de inspiratie, sunt o multime de artisti de Jazz a caror muzika este semplata...
in finee..

aaaa....am zis k este unul din cel mai semplati.....nu k este singurul....bineinteles k se sempleaza de la multi.....bla bla bla....

B i o g r a p h y of Pink Martini (by Official site)

Somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brasilian marching street band and Japanese film noir is the 12-piece Pink Martini. Part language lesson, part Hollywood musical, the Portland, Oregon-based 'little orchestra' was created in 1994 in Portland, Oregon by Harvard graduate and classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale to play at political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, clean water, and public broadcasting. The group made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival and in the years following went on to tour throughout Europe (including France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and Monte Carlo), Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, Lebanon and the United States. Equally at home performing its multi-lingual repertoire on concert stages and smoky bars, Pink Martini draws a wildly diverse crowd. The ensemble made its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra in 1999 under the direction of Norman Leyden. Pink Martini has also performed with the symphony orchestras of Seattle, Nashville, New Jersey, Charlotte, San Antonio, Kansas City and Jacksonville, among others. The group performed for three nights with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in 2000 and two nights with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on a co-bill with Sergio Mendes at the Hollywood Bowl in 2002. In October 2003, Pink Martini performed at the grand opening of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's new Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. They were invited back to play two sold-out performances for the hall's first New Year's Eve celebration in 2003 (and confirmed for 2004). Other appearances include the Kennedy Center, the opening of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and the William Morris Agency's 100th birthday celebration with soul legend, Al Green. Pink Martini's debut album, Sympathique, was released independently on the band's own label, Heinz Records (after Lauderdale's dog, Heinz) and has sold over 650,000 copies worldwide. Nominated for "Song of the Year" and "Best New Artist" in France's Victoires de la Musique awards, Sympathique has gone Platinum in France and Gold in Greece.



The Music : "We're kind of like musical archaeologists, bringing melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together to create something which is modern," says founder and pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale. "It's like an urban musical travelogue....and I think as citizens of the world and in a sense as musical ambassadors for the United States, we must always strive to study the languages, customs, and histories of other countries. We're very much an American band, but we spend a lot of time abroad, in Europe, in Turkey, in Lebanon and therefore have the opportunity to demonstrate that Americans are indeed serious about engaging in a dialogue with the rest of the world." "One of our goals is to make music which has broad appeal to people, no matter who they are or where they come from. We play the same set of music wherever we go, whether it's in a small farming community in Oregon or in France or Turkey or with a symphony orchestra. Music should be like a wonderful dinner party. I don't want to always sit next to people who share my opinions. I think each of us wants a hugely diverse tapestry of influences in our lives. That's what makes life much more interesting. Every day becomes an adventure." "My hope is that we're creating exquisite musical wallpaper which can be turned up or down, and played on almost any occasion, from background music to a love affair to vacuuming around the house," Lauderdale says. "I think our music allows people to dance and sing again with its beautiful melodies and beautiful lyrics. It is entirely romantic and expresses hope and eternal optimism, all the while recognizing that there is a great amount of sadness in the world."


Hang on Little Tomato, Pink Martini??€�s long-awaited second album, features mostly original songs written by the band and its extended family. Drawing on themes articulated in its first album, Hang on Little Tomato is the result of the group's diverse collaborations and inspirations. From an advertisement for Hunt??€�s Ketchup from a 1964 issue of LIFE magazine to a dance sequence in the 1950 Italian film Anna, Hang on Little Tomato includes songs in French, Italian, Japanese, Croatian, Spanish and English.
??€?Una Notte a Napoli,??€? for example, was written with Alba Clemente ??€� an Italian stage and television star in the 1970s ??€� and DJ Johnny Dynell of the legendary New York-based nightclub Jackie 60. In a reworking of the Japanese song ??€?Kikuchiyo to Mohshimasu,??€? Pink Martini collaborated and recorded in Japan with Hiroshi Wada, the slide guitarist whose group originally recorded and released the song 40 years ago.

Hancock Collaboration Album Set For Release
08/26/2005

The diverse lineup of artists who accepted Herbie Hancock's invitation to create and record music with him for his forthcoming duets album, Possibilities, is a testament to the breadth and magnitude of his impact. Hancock had a vision of collaborating in studio to create music with some of the artists he most admires. The final list of collaborators is a diverse group of world renowned musicians who represent genres of music well beyond the world of jazz, including: John Mayer, Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, Sting, Annie Lennox, Joss Stone and Johnny Lang, Paul Simon, Carlos Santana and Angelique Kidjo, Christina Aguilera and Trey Anastasio. Possibilities will be released simultaneously at Starbucks Company-operated locations and traditional retail stores by Hancock Music, Vector Recordings and Starbucks Hear Music beginning Aug. 30.
Hancock describes Possibilities this way: ??€?This is real collaboration that we're doing here. It's all been decided at the session,??€? and calls the album, ??€?a record without borders, woven like a tapestry with many colors.??€? John Mayer came to his session with a simple guitar phrase from which he and Hancock created a fully arranged song, replete with lyrics and a rhythm section of drums, bass and keyboards. Sting and Hancock freshly reinterpret Sting's song ??€?Sister Moon,??€? from the album Nothing Like the Sun.

As with Ray Charles??€� multiplatinum, Grammy-winningGenius Loves Company, Starbucks will participate in all facets of the project's lifecycle??€�from facilitating production to distribution and marketing of the album, which will be sold in traditional retail outlets as well as at Starbucks locations.

??€?We have always admired the enormous talents of Herbie Hancock,??€? said Vector principal Ken Levitan. ??€?When Jack Rovner and I first learned that we might be able to work with Herbie, we immediately jumped at the opportunity. And for the relationship to begin with a project as exciting as Possibilities is more than we could have hoped for. There are very few artists whose contribution to music has been as substantial and original as Herbie Hancock's. It is a great privilege to be undertaking this project with him.??€?

Cullum Prepares New Album
08/26/2005

After a whirlwind 2004 that saw Jamie Cullum sell 2 million albums worldwide and garner a Grammy nomination, when it came time for the singer/pianist to write songs for his new album, Catching Tales, Cullum started with a clean slate.


??€?The first song I wrote was on Jan. 2,??€? said Cullum about the Oct. 11 release on Verve Forecast. ??€?I was at home with my folks and they asked me to clean out the cupboard and I found these old photos. The same day I was reading fan mail and this 7-year-old kid wrote and said that he??€�s just starting out but he loves playing riffs from my songs. It made me think of something childlike, simple, a riff you could play with one hand. That was the basis for ??€?Photograph.??€�??€?

As for the song ??€?Mind Trick,??€? Cullum says, ??€?My brother and I had just been hanging around listening to Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye all day and ended up in the basement, just playing.??€?

But it??€�s ??€?21st Century Kid??€? that Cullum holds closest to his heart. ??€?I think that??€�s the best song I??€�ve ever written,??€? he says. ??€?Though it doesn??€�t start out that way??€�it was originally 11 minutes long. Once I decided I wasn??€�t going to become a prog rocker, I was able to pull it down into something I like very much.??€?

For details on Cullum, go to www.jamiecullum.com

Bio: Stacey Kent

An American language student visits Europe to study French, Italian and German for a Masters degree in comparative literature.

Her life takes an unexpected twist that sees Stacey Kent become one of the world's foremost jazz singers.


Stacey now boasts six best-selling albums, a string of awards, including the 2001 British Jazz Award and 2002 BBC Jazz Award for 'Best Vocalist,' and the 2004 Backstage Bistro Award, a fan base that enables her to sell out concert halls around the world, as well as a voice on BBC Radio 3, as presenter of Jazz Line Up.

The twist of fate that took her life in this new direction was a chance meeting in Oxford with saxophonist, Jim Tomlinson. Like Stacey, Jim was embarked on an academic path, but their meeting sparked in each other the desire to pursue their love of music together.

After a year's study at the Guildhall School of Music, Stacey set about honing her skills on the London jazz scene in the company of, now husband, Jim Tomlinson.

A demo tape, sent simultaneously to Polygram, Candid Records and broadcaster, Humphrey Lyttelton, secured her a role in Ian McKellen's film version of Richard III, a recording contract and national airplay and endorsement from Britain's most respected jazz broadcaster.

Since the release of Stacey's first album, Close Your Eyes, she has achieved, without compromise, both critical and popular success, with her fresh and heart-felt interpretations of the finest love songs of the twentieth century.

Her most recent album, The Boy Next Door, a celebration of many of her heroes, was launched in style with a year-long concert tour of 250 appearances, including a show at New York's Carnegie Hall and a month-long sell-out run at the famed Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel. The Boy Next Door also earned Stacey the 'Silver Disc' in France four months after its release and remained in USA's Billboard Charts for 35 weeks.

Stacey's admirers are not limited to the loyal fans that buy her albums and pack out her concerts. A track from her third album, Let Yourself Go, was selected by Kazuo Ishiguro on his recent appearance on Desert Island Discs, and Best-selling crime writer, John Harvey, has Stacey sing, if only fictionally, in his latest novel, Still Water.

Clint Eastwood invited Stacey to sing at his 70th birthday party, Michael Parkinson, invited Stacey to sing on his television show, as did Sir David Frost, who asked her to join him one Sunday morning in January 2003, to sing a song and review the morning papers on "Breakast with Frost."

Most tellingly perhaps, Stacey is appreciated by the writers of the songs she sings.

Three-time Oscar-winning songwriter, Jay Livingston, wrote of her, "Stacey Kent is a revelation. There is nobody singing today who can compare with her.
She has the style of the greats, like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. And she sings the words like Nat Cole - clean, clear and almost conversational with perfect phrasing. And that's as good as it gets."

If there is one theme that runs through Stacey's music, it is that of romance. Stacey is herself an avowed romantic, and the songs she sings are timeless stories that touch young and old alike, fulfilling a desire for sophisticated love songs that is not catered to by today's music industry. She receives fan email from people of all ages and nationalities and, in an age where music is more likely to divide than unite the generations, it is quite common for three generations of the same family to attend her concerts.

It is not easy to account for Stacey's success and she herself remains characteristically coy.
What is sure is that Stacey has a voice that grabs you.
It demands to be listened to and yet never draws attention to itself. Instead, her natural and unaffected delivery allows the craft of the songwriters, whose work she performs, to shine through.
She has an appeal that transcends category.

When CBS Sunday Morning gave Stacey national exposure in the USA, it was followed by a surge in demand that placed her album, The Tender Trap, at No. 1 at Amazon.com and No. 2 in the Billboard Charts.
The following year, after a feature on National Public Radio in the USA, all four of her albums simultaneously made the top 10 charts at Amazon.com, again,including the No.1 slot.
Her appearance on The Parkinson Show in the UK had a similar effect and an appearance on Swedish television propelled her album, Dreamsville, into the Scandinavian Pop Charts.

Without the large marketing budgets of a major label, it is clear that Stacey's voice sells itself.

To hear her is to love her.

Bio: Fats Waller

Pianist, organist, vocalist and composer, Thomas "Fats" Waller played stride piano with a sophisticated style that influenced pianists as stylistically different as Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and Joe Zawinul. Count Basie even took lessons from him. But his colorful uptempo playing and humorous vocals made him popular with audiences oblivious to the magnitude of his musical skills. Though presenting himself as a comic figure, a young Waller studied with Leopold Godowsky and attended Juilliard. He remains best known for his compositions "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Ain't Misbehavin'," the latter made popular by both Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. Waller was also the first jazz organist of importance.
Born in New York on May 21, 1904, the young Waller showed enough musical prowess by age 15 to become an organist at the Lincoln Theater, in the process disappointing his minister father who had hoped he would follow in his footsteps. Waller studied piano with James P. Johnson, who also taught him how to make piano rolls.



Waller's first recordings were "Muscle Shoal Blues" and "Birminham Blues," cut in October 1922. Soon after, his prowess as a writer led to a number of other jazz and blues players recording his compositions. Waller would later collaborate with Alberta Hunter, Sidney Bechet, Jack Teagarden and Fletcher Henderson. During the '30s, Waller left his New York base for the West Coast and Europe. As a result of his immense popularity, Waller continually increased his touring and recording during the remaining years of his life, even appearing in three films, including Stormy Weather with a young Lena Horne.

His unhealthy lifestyle and the stress of legal difficulties over alimony battles resulted in him succumbing to pneumonia on a train taking him back to New York. Only 38 years old, Waller died in Kansas City, Mo., on Dec. 15, 1943.

In 1968, Waller was elected by the Critics into the Down Beat Hall of Fame.

De acum inainte, pe langa biografiile artistilor & stiri, voi posta si un dictionar de termeni pt cei interesati!
ordinea este alfabetica...asa k incepem cu inceputul..

A:

after beat= timp slab, neaccentuat

alamuri= grupa instrumentelor de alama(trompete si tromboane) dintr'o formatie( brass section in engl.)

all a jump= termen ce defineste o executie foarte infierbantata, cu mult temperament

alligator= denumire data unui pasionat amator de jazz; cuvantul este inlocuit de termenul cat sau mai nou fan

all stars= formatie alcatuita numai din vedete

alto= termen folosit curent pentru saxofonul alto

ancie= lamela plata, subtiata la varf, confectionata din trestie de bambus, care se monteaza la extremitatea mustiucului instrumentelor de suflat din lemn(saxofon si clarinet) ; suflul instrumentistului face sa vibreze ancia, provocand o oscilatie a coloanei de aer din tubul sonor

Apollo= cinematograf si music-hall celebru din Harlem, in care s'au consacrat numerosi jazzmani; in concursurile de amatori organizate acolo s'au remarcat intre altii Ella Fitzgerald si Sarah Vaughan

Apple sau Big Apple= denumire data de jazzmani orasului New York

aranjament muzical= organizarea prealabila a materialului sonor in vederea interpretarii unei bucati muzicale, prin care se stabilea rolul interpretilor in ansamblu, precum si spatiile destinate improvizatiilor; pentru formatiile mici , se pot folosi aranjamente orale, care se stabilesc si se memoreaza la repetitii, dar pentru orchestrele mari ele se scriu intr'o partitura, comform normelor orchestratiei

aranjor= autorul unui aranjament ; de obicei marile orchestre foloseau mai multi aranjori, iar acestia la randul lor , lucrau pentru mai multe formatii

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane- At Carnegie Hall
Release Date: 9/27/2005
Label: Blue Note


This never-before heard jazz classic documents one of the most historically important working bands in all of Jazz history, a band that was both short-lived and, until now, thought to be frustratingly under-recorded. The concert, which took place at the famed New York hall on November 29, 1957, was preserved on newly-discovered tapes made by Voice of America for a later radio broadcast that were located at the Library of Congress in Washington DC earlier this year.

Monk and Coltrane had been working together for a solid four months by the time they set foot on stage at Carnegie Hall that night. By all accounts, Coltrane had been tentative early on in the Five Spot run, challenged at first by Monk??€�s quirky melodies and chord changes, but the 51 minutes of music captured in pristine sound quality on At Carnegie Hall, present the quartet, which was completed by bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik and drummer Shadow Wilson, at the height of their powers.


The tapes from that evening at Carnegie Hall were inadequately labeled, filed away amongst the Voice of America??€�s vast collection of recordings, and apparently forgotten until January 2005 when Larry Applebaum, a supervisor and jazz specialist at the Library of Congress, came upon them by accident during the routine process of digitally transferring the Library??€�s collection for preservation purposes. Applebaum noticed a set of tapes simply labeled ??€?sp. Event 11/29/57 carnegie jazz concert (#1),??€? with one of the tapes barring the sole marking ??€?T. Monk.??€? Until now, remarkably little recorded documentation of Monk??€�s quartet with Coltrane has been known to exist, a fact that makes this finding all the more significant.


Track Listing
1 Monk's Mood
2 Evidence
3 Crepuscule With Nellie
4 Nutty
5 Epistrophy
6 Bye-Ya
7 Sweet & Lovely
8 Blue Monk
9 Epistrophy (incomplete)
10 Promotional EPK Stream

B:

background= fond sonor, improvizat de membrii orchestrei sau scris de un aranjor, care sustine si completeaza melodic, armonic si ritmic partea improvizata de catre solist

bad= executie excelenta(in argou)

ballad= cantec din repertoriul comercial american, interpretat in tempo lent, care se preteaza la improvizatiile de jazz

bandleader= sef de orchestra

banjo= instrument cu 4 corzi, facute sa vibreze prin ciupire, a carui cutie de rezonanta e o toba mica; folosit la inceputurile jazzului in stilurile New Orleans si Dixieland, iar uneori si in stilul New Orleans Revival, a fost inlocuit, prin 1930, cu chitara

bariton= termen folosit curent pentru saxofonul bariton

barrel house= casa cu butoaie, taverna din cartierele sarace ale negrilor; prin extensie, numele dat manierei primitive de interpretare a formatiilor care cantau- in respectivele localuri- blues, ragtime si boogie-woogie

bass drum= baterie

bassfiddle= contrabas

baterie= grupul instrumentelor de percutie, actionate de obicei de un singur executant, care cuprinde toba mare, toba mica, un cinel dublu, unul sau doua cinele mari , doua tobe mici neamortizate etc.

be bop= termen onomatopeic denumind stilul aparut prin 1944, la cabaretul Minton's , care a marcat inceputurile jazzului modern

big band(bb.)= orchestra mare, formata adesea din 15-20 de instrumentisti, cuprinzand la sectia melodica 3-4 trompetisti, tot atatia trombonisti, 4-5 saxofoane(inclusiv clarinet si flaut), iar la sectia ritmica pian, chitara, contrabas si baterie

blue note= denumire pentru trapta a treia si a saptea din gama majora europeana, alterate coborator aproximativ cu un semiton; negrii din America, care au utilizat initial gama pentatonica a stramosilor lor africani(gama lipsita de aceste trepte si de semitonuri), au introdus in melodie, sub influenta sistemului european, respectivele trepte(3 si 7) ; instabile insa, aceste trepte devenite blue note provocau oscilarea climatului tonal intre minor si major

blues= cantec popular caracteristic folclorului negrilor americani, executa initial vocal, apoi si instrumental, axat pe blue note

boogie-woogie= stil pianistic de interpretare a blues'ului

brass band= fanfara

break= scurta fraza ritmico-melodica improvizata de un instrumentist in timp ce toti ceilalti se opresc din cantat

New Omar Sosa CD Release "Ballads"

While Omar Sosa is often lauded for his high-energy, percussive piano style, he has also a profound sense of expression in the delicate, lyrical realm. In this collection of ballads, loosely defined, taken from four of his early recordings, we are treated to a listening experience of beautiful melody and rich harmony, full of romanticism and grace - all with a Latin jazz heart. His new album Ballads will be released on September 13, 2005, distributed in the United States by Harmonia Mundi. The compilation opens with Omar Sosa's signature ballad, ??€?Mis Tres Notas??€?, taken from his first ensemble recording, Free Roots, and closes with the beautiful love song, ??€?Shirma??€?, taken from the same album, and featuring the artistry of reedman Sheldon Brown on bass clarinet. Also from Free Roots, we find ??€?Raya??€?, this time with Sheldon Brown on alto saxophone.

Included from Omar Sosa's second ensemble CD, Spirit Of The Roots, we have ??€?Para Ella??€?, with Sheldon Brown on tenor saxophone, ??€?Antes De Ir Va Esto??€?, featuring John Calloway on flute and Orestes Vilato on timbal, and ??€?Tienes Un Solo??€?, featuring the divine Anastacia (Newkirk) on vocals.

And from the final recording of Omar Sosa's Roots Trilogy, Bembon, we find ??€?Gracias Senor??€? and ??€?Para Dos Parados??€?, both featuring poignant string arrangements, and the later featuring the exquisite vocal styling of Maria Marquez. Finally, from the groundbreaking CD Prietos, come two very delicate pieces, ??€?Fragile??€?, again featuring vocalist Maria Marquez, and ??€?Twice As Sad??€?, with Sheldon Brown on tenor saxophone.

Ballads has a remarkable unity and organic quality, carrying the listener away on a relaxed, dream-like journey. For Omar Sosa fans who may have missed some of his early ensemble recordings, or for those who have enjoyed the quieter, more introspective dimensions of this remarkable artist, Ballads is a must-have. For those new to Omar Sosa, Ballads is a very accessible beginning.