Percussionist, composer and arranger, Victor Rendon is a musician based in the city of New York, Rendon has released four albums as a leader, and has worked with the likes of Mongo Santamaria, Chico O’Farrill, Carlos “Patato” Valdes, Ray Santos, Caribbean Group, The Coalition of Latin Jazz orchestra Xavier “New” Cugat, Bravest, Grupo Latin Vibe, Cubarama Rudy Calzado, and many others. The Bronx connection currently leads Latin-Jazz Big Band and his group of Afro-Caribbean percussion, Co-Tim-bo. Victor is an active author of “The Art of Playing Timbales” published by Music in Motion Films and distributed by Alfred Music. Currently a professor of percussion at Lehman College in New York, where he co-directs the Lehman Latin Jazz Ensemble with his longtime colleague, Armando Rodríguez.
The band, with its base of operations at Lehman College in the Bronx, brings a group of veteran musicians with a wide range of experience in the Latin Jazz scene. This Big Band maintains a legacy left by the legends of rhythm, Tito Puente, Machito, Mario Bauza, among others. The backbone of this band is certainly in contemporary arrangements, original compositions and experience of the musicians that make this band one of the best of all time.
The first and song composed by Victor Rendon and arranged by Joe Mannozzi, “True Flight” shows us that latin jazz is very danceable when the arrangements are done in the manner Joe constructed this tune “Super Bailable” as is track #2 my favorite song “Generoso” which I’m previewing and has a terrific Trombone solo by Rick Faulkner and smooth piano solo by Joe Mannozzi.
If you love Latin Jazz I strongly recommend that you pick this CD up for your Latin Jazz collection.
Tracks:
True Flight
Generoso
Café Sin Leche
Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile)
Buena Gente
Island Woman
Oriente
Lagos
No Woman, No Cry
Musicians:
Victor Rendon – timbales, bata shekere, quijada
Wilson “Chembo” Corniel – congas, bata
Cascadu – shekere, cajon, bata, cuica y vocakes
Yasuyo Kimura – bongo, guataca, cajon repicador
Ron Smith – batería
Jessica Valiente – flauta
Al Acosta – saxofon alto
Debra Kreisberg – saxofon alto
Joe Stelluti, Chris Stelluti – saxofon tenor
Karl Watson – saxofon barítono
Anibal Martinez, Guido Gonzalez, John Reploge, Kathleenn Doran – trompetas
Rick Faulner – trombón
Joe Mannozzi – piano
Ray Martinez – bajo
Invitados
Claudio Roditi – trompeta
Jennifer Freedman – vocales
Johnny Rodriguez – bongo
Jorge Maldonado – maracas y guiro
Lew Tabackin, Lou Marini Jr. – saxofon tenor
Rated 5 Stars