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Virtual Birdland
Zoho, 2021
8/10
The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance have kept quite busy during these difficult times for the arts by doing weekly streams to raise money for those deeply impacted by Covid. Virtual Birdland is a product of this effort, where Arturo O’Farrill brings several dozen musicians with him who all contributed their parts from their own homes with no immediate feedback or paycheck, but merely as a labor of love.
“Gulab Jamón” starts the listen percussive strong as horns and plenty of rhythm enter the cultured, busy landscape, and “Pouvoir” follows with Malika Zarra’s vocals entering the very lively and highly melodic display of soaring, gorgeous texturing.
In the middle, “Ana Mashoof” benefits from Ghazi Faisal Al-Mulaifi’s expressive singing and skilled guitar amid the graceful keys and bright brass, while “Samba For Carmen” moves with plenty of dance friendly spirit as Paquito D’Rivera’s alto sax acrobatics shine alongside Everton Isidoro’s precise percussion packed into the Brazilian samba.
The best track lands deep in the album, where “En La Oscuridad” emits a soulful, elegant display of timelessness that builds into a very unpredictable landscape, and “Para Los Rumberos” exits the listen on an energetic and playful adventure that does justice to the Tito Puente tune.
Though the shutdown of the music industry was certainly a dark time for many artists, O’Farrill and company created a place for themselves to exist, and provided a sense of community for anyone willing to get involved. This listen displays a strong sense of synergy among the many players, and, as always, represents a thriving and easily embraceable vision from O’Farrill’s unique mind.
Travels well with: Alfredo Rodriguez- The Little Dream; Negroni’s Trio- Acustico