Collaboration lies at the heart of any musical endeavor, and often times, a project’s success relies upon musicians working together coherently. This concept proves ultimately important in Latin Jazz ensembles, where trust and collective thought enable truly meaningful and interesting improvisation. For many groups, collaboration can be a learned skill; it becomes the art of give and take, where musicians learn when how to grab the spotlight and when to support their peers. Sometimes this lesson sinks into the ensemble quickly, and for some musicians, it takes years of shared musical experiences to refine their group process. Live performance often serves as the training ground for this process, giving musicians the chance to rise or fall through their team work. The recording studio tests the heart of a group’s collaborative spirit, capturing their musical output and exposing the success of failure of the group’s mutual work. When a group of musicians come together for the first time in the studio, they face an interesting challenge – since they don’t have years of trust built into their relationships, their collaboration needs to be based strictly upon musicality. Success involves an open mind, a mature artistic attitude, and high level musical skills; a hole in any of these areas can curse the project. Flautist Mark Weinstein works with a group of young Cuban musicians on Timbasa, creating a highly collaborative environment that sparks some amazingly original and exciting interpretations of standards and new compositions.

Imaginative Arrangements Of Jazz Standards
Weinstein and his group turn several classic jazz standards inside out with imaginative arrangements and impressive performances. The drummers establish a very modern take on a son montuno as Weinstein and pianist Axel Tosca Laugart visit the classic melody on Miles Davis’ “Milestones,” accompanied by long round notes from bassist Panagiotis Andreou. Weinstein explodes into a flurry of quick runs over the assertive accompaniment from the rhythm section, delivering a fast and furious display of creativity. Laugart quickly contrasts Weinstein with a quietly intense entrance into his solo, using tense syncopations to drive the band into energetic solos from Ogduardo Diaz on bongó, Pedrito Martinez on congas, and Mauricio Herrera on drums. Andreou lazily implies the classic bass line to Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” before the rhythm section kicks into a seven beat cycle behind the melody with short leaps into cha cha cha on the turnaround. Weinstein floats over the odd meter groove with a relaxed fluency, spinning long lines full of rapid runs and sharp accents. Laugart moves around the seven beat cycle with a confident vigor, using the groove’s natural tension to his advantage, until Andreou makes a short statement, running low melodic lines through the texture. The rhythm section places their own mark upon Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” with a laid back cha cha cha groove while Weinstein personalizes the familiar melody with liberal embellishments. Weinstein flies over the funky background with a bluesy edge, prodding the rhythm section with assertive lines, while Laugart uses broad open washes of understated lines to build his statement. Panagiotis combines rising sequences and virtuosic lines to construct an attention grabbing solo before the rhythm section provides an off-set series of attacks for an exciting improvisation from Martinez. These pieces find the group working together to produce highly original arrangements and awe inspiring performances that shed new light upon classic tunes.

Applying A Distinctive Performance Approach To Latin Jazz Pieces
The group adds their distinctive performance approach to repertoire closer to home, developing interpretations of pieces from the Latin Jazz world. Quick ascending lines explode into a broad pedal tone full of forward motion on Chucho Valdes’ “A Ernesto” before the rhythm section establishes a short vamp for Weinstein’s improvisation. The flautist charges into a frenzied combination of bebop licks and traditional Cuban phrases, inspiring enthusiastic response from Laugart and Herrera. A sharp break from the rhythm section allows Laugart to storm into his improvisation with a bluesy swagger evoking the spirit of the song’s composer with virtuosic flights of jazz melodies that lead into an impressive series of solo from all three percussionists. Andreou melds amazing bass technique, impeccable musical construction, and sung accompaniment into an inspiring introduction for Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol’s “Caravan.” After Weinstein visits them melody with a free sense of phrasing, Laugart dramatically enters his improvisation, stretching musical lines into a long statement full of staggering rhythms and engaging melodies. Weinstein crafts an interesting solo that explores the edges of the song’s harmony, moving into a stunning timbale solo from Martinez. A laid-back funky vamp from Laugart and Andreou give a boogaloo feel to Weinstein’s “Just Another Guajira,” while Weinstein plays the familiar melody over the band. Laugart jumps into a tasteful improvisation that captures the song’s laid back feel, followed by Weinstein, who pushes the groove with quick lines and a bluesy edge. Andreou storms through a ferocious improvisation that combines percussive lines with chordal passages, and after Weinstein returns to the melody, Martinez opens into a polyrhythmic improvisation full of energy and class. These pieces once again offer a different perspective on familiar tunes, utilizing the collection power of the group to reinvent Latin Jazz classics.

Exploring Original Compositions From The Group
Weinstein appreciates the contributions from his group, taking the time to explore several of their original compositions. Jaw dropping percussion fills explode over a clave figure on Martinez’s “Timbasa,” leading into a rhythmic unison melody from Weinstein, Laugart, and Andreou. Weinstein stretches across a long improvisation, taking his time to build his ideas into a wild frenzy before Laugart glides over the keyboard with a distinct sense of rhythmic placement and thematic development. Andreou starts his statement with understated melodies, opening into impressive runs across his instrument until a spectacular percussive trade between Diaz, Martinez, and Herrera. Weinstein riffs around Andreou’s Middle Eastern vocal scat on “Kavaklari Cubano,” until batá drums provide a Cuban background to the cultural blend. Andreou sings along with his bass and Laugart on a slow and contemplative melody, as the group builds into a dramatic flourish for a contemplative improvisation from Weinstein. The group wraps around the vocal melody again, taking dynamic turns to let Andreou and Weinstein extend their ideas and contribute thoughtful embellishments. Laugart introduces an engaging vamp over driving percussion while Andreou riffs on Martinez’s “Encuentro,” leading into a catchy melody from Weinstein. The rhythm section turns up the heat behind Weinstein’s improvisation, driving the flautist to hit sharp rhythmic accents and fast runs. Both Laugart and Andreou thrive off the song’s addictive groove, building attention grabbing solos, until aggressive percussion statements from Herrera, Martinez, and Diaz send the song into an exciting climax. These tracks allow Weinstein to share his ideas with the group and bring their compositional voices into the forefront of the album.

A Memorable Collaboration Between Master Musicians
Weinstein displays a supremely collaborative spirit on Timbasa, letting his musicians stretch their chops and enjoying the outcome. Despite the fact that this studio date represents an early effort from the group, Weinstein enables an environment where all the musicians work together fluently, showing both individuality and team effort. There’s a distinctly modern approach from Weinstein’s sidemen throughout the recording, mixing equal pieces of timba energy, Irakere influenced experimentation, and contemporary jazz harmony. While the band’s roots differ from Weinstein’s background, the flautist has spent his career exploring new and challenging repertoire. The band aggressively pushes Weinstein with their high energy approach and the flautist responds with some of his most engaging playing. As the musicians approach standards, they respect tradition, but they also rip each tune open and search for their own identities. Weinstein encourages the exploration and enters each familiar tune with a new perspective that delivers inspired playing. Laugart emerges as a potentially major voice in Latin Jazz piano, while Andreou presents a unique and impressive bass presence that demands attention. Martinez, Diaz, and Herrera supply a triple threat, providing an unstoppable percussion section with an interactive spirit and considerable improvisation abilities. Each song on Timbasa unfolds with inspiring and joyful performances that make this a memorable collaboration between master musicians.