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Justin Vasquez
Angel Roman & Mambo Blue: Festive Interplay
by Pierre Giroux
Latin Jazz as presented by guitarist Angel Roman, is a combination of Afro Latin rhythms from a variety of sources, but when blended with Brazilian, pop, and fusion the music results in a new stew which, while recognizable, has different flavours, fragrances and textures. Delivering this mélange is the band Mambo Blue, whose membership ebbs and flows depending on Roman's residency. This iteration is composed mainly of musicians from Austin, Texas, and they have delivered on their talents with a ...
read moreAngel Roman: Mambo Blue
by Richard J Salvucci
Latinos know that there is no such thing as generic Latin music, although you can find common rhythmic patterns, melodic motifs, instrumentation and harmonies spread across the Caribbean, Mexico, central and South America . So if you are looking for typical" Latin stuff, you will not find it here. Although to a nonexpert ear, there is something distinctly Boricua (Puerto Rican) about Mambo Blue, even if it was conceived in Austin, Texas. The music scene there is probably about as ...
read moreJustin Vasquez: Triptych
by Phil DiPietro
Young saxophonist Justin Vasquez acquits himself assertively on this 2009 debut, adapting the model of the tough Texas tenors to his own assiduous Austin alto. But that convenient alliterative to Vasquez's lone star origins belies his true lineage in the modern, slashing altoist mold carved out by the likes of David Binney,Greg Osby, Steve Coleman and Kenny Garrett.
Possessing all the firepower necessary to fuel an over-the-top debut, Vasquez upped the ante by exercising restraint, pulling together a band full ...
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