CARLOS HENRIQUEZ

MONK CONCLAVE

Independent label

Carlos Henriquez, bass/bandleader/composer/arranger.

It’s a somewhat daunting declaration to say you have reimagined the music of Thelonious Monk, but Carlos Henriquez said it and he has done it in a wonderful way!  Beginning with “Round Midnight”, this amazing bassist, bandleader, composer and arranger shows his genius by rearranging the rhythms and production of these great jazz standards.  Featuring the extraordinary piano brilliance of Gonzalo Rubalcaba with Michael Rodriguez on trumpet, this group of stellar musicians paint “Round Midnight” with a fresh face.

“In African musical tradition, the Lya, (the mother drum) is the guiding voice.  She calls, commands, and gives direction to the rhythm.  She is the pulse and origin.  Listening deeply to Monk’s music, I began to imagine where that voice might live – inside his phrasing, his silences, the tension of his harmonies.  There, beneath the surface, she speaks. Subtle, but undeniable,” explains Carlos Henriquez.

It is definitely the rhythms that transform and invigorate these arrangements. You will hear familiar Monk standards like “I mean You” where Henriquez takes a bass solo right at the top of the tune that snatches my attention and displays his mastery of that instrument. I enjoyed the baritone sax solo by Paul Nedzela. The group’s great arrangement of “Ugly Beauty” featuring the lyrics sung in Spanish is a pleasant surprise.

Carlos Henriques is a competent composer.  His two originals on this production are full of energy and joy.  “El Son de Teo” features Jeremy Bosch on vocals and once again, Gonzalo Rubalcaba sparkles like a star on the piano, fingers racing up and down the keys chasing the rhythm with precision and creativity. Throughout, Henriquez’s Nuyorican heritage shines, meaning a mixture of Puerto Rican culture blended with New York City’s East Coast American culture.

Henriques built his artistic life spending decades slurping up Jazz culture at Lincoln Center.  As a teen, he performed with Wynton Marsalis, later becoming a full-time orchestra member. His awesome ability to incorporate his cultural roots into the music of Thelonious Monk is brilliant. Every reimagined tune on this album displays a piece of his genius.

CARLOS HENRIQUES BAND: Carlos Henriquez, bass/bandleader/composer/arranger; Obed Calvaire, drummer; Bobby Allenoe, bongos; TRUMPETS: Jesus Ricardo, Michael Rodriguez, Kali Rodriquez, Nathaniel Williford. TROMBONES: Marshall Gilkes, Elliot Mason, Dion Tucker. SAXOPHONES: Sherman Irby & Ted Nash, alto; Chris Lewis & Abdias Armentero, tenor; Paul Nedzela, baritone sax. GUESTS: Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Osmany Paredes & Robert Rodriguez, piano; Pedrito Martinez, congas/vocals; Jeremy Bosch, vocals/flute; Anthony Almonte, vocals.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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