JIMMY BOSCH — Soneando Trombon (review)

JIMMY BOSCH — Soneando Trombon album cover

Album · 1998 · Afro-Cuban Jazz

4.5/5 · 2011-02-05
Matt

Old school is a good description concerning the approach that "Jimmy Bosch" with his trombone has taken to Salsa and Latin Jazz. He has played with a few lumanaries in the Latin world with "Marc Anthony","Oscar De Leon","Ray Barretto","Willie Colon", "Ruben Blades","Celia Cruz" and the list just goes on and on. Being one hell of a talent on the trombone is most definately the reason for Jimmy's success in the music industry. Picked the trombone up at eleven and was playing professionally at thirteen and today is credited with starting the "Salsa Dura" movement which is of course old school with a New York edge and one great hard driving approach is what Jimmy takes to his music with great vocalists, superb muscians and that is not all because Jimmy writes his own music and arranges the majority of it as well.We have some special guests on Jimmy's debut with the soaring trumpet of "Alfredo ( Chocolate) Armenteros" who appears on three tracks,"Arturo O'Farrill' on piano doing two ,also "Alfredo Valdez Jr tickles the ivories and he is just listed as a band member and he is doing two tracks as well.'Steve Wilson" appears with his alto saxophone on the last two tracks and that man breathes jazz with his experience. The vocalists are "Herman Olivera","Frankie Vasquez","Jimmy Bosch" with three guests "Jimmy Sabater" "Mary La Rose" and "Pete ( El Conde) Rodriguez" doing "Gaviota". The vocalists are not on every track with each doing there own but they do share duties on certain numbers and also provide coros as well on others. Jimmy can do everything with his instrument he can have it blazing or play the gentlest at times but lucky for us with this album it is lot more towards the blazing aprroach, also Jimmy is not a solo hog who knows that to create great music there must be variety which "Soneanda Trombone" contains with a distinct Latin approach.

"Decargarana" is the first rocket on the album which is how it begins with the coros stating the title and percussion driving it. " Chocolate Armenteros" is playing trumpet with his great high pitch and solo's first with Jimmy second which just builds and when the trumpet joins him towards its end with those stabs Chocolate plays between. "Alfredo Valdes Jr " is one great cuban style pianist and one wonderful solo is performed by him as well in this descarga that Jimmy wrote and arranged. "Otra Opurtunidad" a son tune is sung by "Herman Olivera and Frankie Vasquez" is next and just drives itself along picking up intensity with some great trumpet by "Junior Vega", also doing flute " Mauricio Smith" and Jimmy gets stuck right into the song with his solo and finish. More driving son for the next one with Herman Olivera doing a wonderful job on vocals, just listen to the repitition with the coros and Jimmys trombrone at the end of the tune, sublime. Jimmy does a mix of styles with his repertoire, just listen to how 'Gaviota" begins with what is best described a cuban rhumba drum intro and quickly turns into a descarga with some great percussion injected with one full on brass approach to the tune. We also have "Cha Cha Gabriel" with its name stating the style and the band is the usual high standard that the album maintains throughout with "Alfredo Valdez Jr" doing another of those piano solos. "Erben on The Phone" comes in second last and is has a Brazillian flavour with some great sax from "Steve Wilson". The song just motors along and is a real delight. "Jimmys Bop" is the album closer and is an instrumental which has a great New York latin sound with some great jazz solo's in the tune.

It is lucky we have artists like Jimmy Bosch who get out there and do great music Latin or otherwise and keep it exciting. Salsa and Latin Jazz needed a kick up the bum at this time and Jimmy is no romantic salsa man that is for sure. He is from the best school. The old one.