RON RIEDER

DIA PRECIOSO!

Meson Records

Ron Rieder, composer; Alain Mallet, piano; Claudio Ragazzi, guitar; Mark Walker, drums; Fernando Huergo, bass; Ricardo Monzón, percussion/arranger/producer; Fernando Brandão, flute; David Harris, trombone; Greg Hopkins & Yaure Muniz, trumpet; Alex Roitman, bandoneon; Mike Tucker, tenor saxophone; Queralt Giralt, cello.

If your heart is warmed by Latin jazz, this album will set your world on fire.  It’s a project that surrounds, encapsulates and interprets eight original compositions by Ron Rieder.  The arrangements are written by Ricardo Monzón who also produced this album. The tunes are played by some of the finest Latin jazz musicians in the Boston, MA area.

Rieder’s album presents a mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms, sambas, tangos and jazz waltzes. The tune called “Beautiful Day” is one such waltz featuring a pretty melody.  Another original song, “I Fell into a Meme” gets the listener back to a danceable arrangement with percussive incentive, while the flute of Fernando Brandao dances like a Latin ballerina above the groove. The chord changes remind me a little of “You Stepped Out of a Dream,” but the melody stands on its own.

A tune called “Dizzy Hechizo” has arranged the horn section (trumpet, trombone & flute) in a joyful, appealing way.  Mike Tucker gives a stellar tenor saxophone solo, propelled by percussive drive. Greg Hopkins steps forward with a spirited trumpet solo, followed by Alain Mallet on piano expressing himself creatively.  The “Birthday Song” sounds like a party. It puts me in a festive mood.  Speaking of festive, a composition called “Danca Festiva” is another Ron Rieder composition that encourages me to rhumba across my listening room. All of the horn solos on these arrangements lift the songs, like helium party balloons.

The seventh song on this album is called, “Funday” and begins with a warm guitar solo introduction. However, when the band joins in, the tempo doubles and a very appealing samba grows from the guitar’s original rubato statement.

Composer, Ron Rieder, continues to make an impression on the Latin jazz world.  First it was his debut release called, “Latin Jazz Sessions” that received rave reviews praising his compositions. This time, a jazz octet interprets the Rieder song catalog. The arrangements are by percussionist and producer, Ricardo Monzón.  This music is guaranteed to have you tapping your toes and putting on your dance shoes.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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