Free Roots - Omar Sosa | Jazzbo Notes

Jan

5

Free Roots - Omar Sosa

≡ Category: 1990s, Afro Cuban Jazz, Essential, Jazz Funk, Latin Jazz, Post Bop, Reviews, World Fusion |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING

Rating:

Omar Sosa is up to his old tricks on Free Roots, trying to cram the entire African diaspora into every tune. Amazingly, it doesn’t just sound like a freeway pileup, which is due to Sosa’s amazing skills as a pianist, composer, and arranger.

For example, on Travieso, hiphop collides with Latin, Afrocuban and jazz. The rapper is Will Power and while he may not technically be the best rapper, I appreciate that he raps about real things like how difficult and how necessary it is to retain the enthusiasm of a child as an adult instead of debased crap like how wack other rappers’ rhymes are and how much booty you tapped today.

Fue Mentira (It Was A Lie) cooks on a beautiful Latin groove, and then slows down for a tango, of all things. If you don’t like the tango, don’t worry. Sosa will switch to another rhythm within seconds.

Omar Sosa has to be one of the most restless and talented jazzmen on the planet. Sosa’s learned the percussive and off-the-beat lessons of Monk, he’s got the harmonic knowledge of a Herbie Hancock, and he’s got a sure feel for rhythms from Africa, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and goodness knows where else.

I should probably say that Free Roots isn’t all crazy African diaspora mashups. For example, Mis Tres Notas (My Three Notes) is a slow 2/4 that maintains the same style for the length of the tune. Sherma is even simpler, a rubato duet for piano and bass clarinet in which the focus is squarely on lyricism instead of fireworks.

Sosa is aided in his quest to weave together the musical roots of Africa by superb musicians: Rahsaan Fredericks on bass, Elliott Kavee on drums, Jesus Diaz on percussion, Sheldon Brown on saxes, Bill Ortiz on trumpet, Marty Wehner on trombone, and many others. But if you’ve ever heard other Omar Sosa releases from the late 90s and early 00s, you realize that Free Roots is Omar Sosa’s show. He plays the individual musicians like an orchestra, ending up with a sound that is unmistakeably his.

You can add Free Roots to the string of great recordings by Omar Sosa.