Caminando
Moondo, 2021
8/10
A Colombian guitar wizard, Juan Carlos Quintero’s early music is not often easy to come by, and here The Way Home!, which has been out of print for decades, is reissued as Caminando, where jazz, pop, Latin and Caribbean flavor all mesh under Quintero’s inimitable vision.
“El Baile” starts the listen with Quintero’s agile and intricate guitar playing as light drumming and subtle keys from Joe Rotondi add much to the elegance of the cumbia influences, and this smooth formula continues to the rhythmic and cultured “Caminando”, which is Quintero’s version of the cha-cha-chá.
“Libre” lands in the middle, and displays calm moments of beauty along with meticulous picking in the agile climate, while “This Way Home” finds a romantic place to reside as timeless jazz qualities are presented with much care. “Spring”, one of the album’s best, then flows with playful Latin ideas imbedded in the dreamy landscape that actually began as a nursery rhyme.
Near the end, the percussively strong “Little Indians” alternates between firm moments of dynamic instrumentation and calmer ebbs of unparalleled guitar acrobatics amid the Latin jazz, and “Porque Si!” exits the listen with a mesmerizing and fascinating execution of roots steeped in Cuban descargas.
Recorded live in the studio onto 2” tape, Quintero and company find a comfortable medium between straight forward jazz, and Latin and World music on these 10 tracks, and we should all be grateful that this classic is back in print.
Travels well with: David Sanchez- Carib; Diego Baliardo And The Gypsy Evolution- Este Ritmo