Francisco Mela's Cuban Safari скачать в хорошем качестве

Francisco Mela's Cuban Safari

Acclaimed Cuban-born drummer Francisco Mela is a favorite among jazz's elite instrumentalists, among them, Joe Lovano, John Scofield, JoAnne Brackeen, Kenny Barron, and McCoy Tyner, all of whom cite his charisma, sophistication, and life-affirming spirit as an extension of his incredible talents as a composer and drummer. Francisco Mela was born in 1968 in Bayamo, Cuba. Inspired by his artistic father and the explosive sounds of Irakere, Mela immersed himself in Cuban traditional music and the jazz being played and performed in his hometown. Mela's career began when he was asked to perform with Emiliano Salvador in his quartet "Nueva Vision." Just a year later, he began performing with pianist Gabriel Hernandez, playing at the Jazz Plaza Festival in Havana, organized by Chucho Valdez. Mela moved to Boston in 2000 to pursue a degree at the acclaimed Berklee College of Music. The faculty quickly recognized that Mela had much to offer students and promptly hired him to teach at the school. Mela quickly made a name for himself on the Boston scene, becoming the house drummer at Wally's Café Jazz Club, one of the most important venues in the Boston area. It was at Wally's that Mela began developing a concept for his own band, one that would feature the sounds of modern jazz with the traditional music he grew up with in Cuba. Fellow Berklee faculty member and world-renown saxophonist Joe Lovano heard Mela and was immediately impressed, hiring him soon thereafter to play in his quartet. Since 2005, Mela has been an integral part of Joe Lovano's quartet and his new group "Us Five," a two-drummer quintet that features Lovano and Mela with bassist Esperanza Spalding, pianist James Weidman and drummer Otis Brown III. Their 2009 Blue Note Records recording, titled Folk Art, was considered by many critics to be Lovano's most adventurous to date. In 2007, Mela's unique style and sound was noticed by piano legend Kenny Barron. Mela joined Barron's trio in 2007, performing and touring all over the world until late 2009. In 2009, Mela was tapped by jazz legend McCoy Tyner to join his trio. Mela joined Tyner for a sold out week at Yoshi's in San Francisco, in a showcase at the Highline Ballroom in early 2010, and a recent stint at the Blue Note featuring Steve Turre and Dave Valentin. Said Tyner of his new young drummer, "Mela is just a fantastic player. He has his own style and his own sound, which is what I look for in a drummer." Mela's first CD, Melao, featuring Joe Lovano, George Garzone, Anat Cohen, and Lionel Loueke, among others, was released in 2006 and called one of the best albums of the year by All About Jazz. Similarly, The Village Voice picked Melao as the best debut by an artist of '06. With the success of the new album and a sold out debut at New York's famed Blue Note, Mela was inspired to move to New York to further his career as a drummer, composer and bandleader. Mela's second release as a leader, Cirio, was recorded over a week-long period at the Blue Note for Half Note Records in 2008. The recording featured an all-star cast of Mark Turner, Jason Moran, Larry Grenadier and Lionel Loueke. The tracks on the recording were inspired by Mela's family, including his father Cirio, whose image (drawn by then pre-teen Francisco) graces the cover, and Urick, Mela's newborn son. Ken Dryden of AllMusic called the recording a "compelling blend of many influences," and BlogCritics wrote "this is modern jazz of high order, but with Mela's own touch of Havana added..." affirming Mela's unique niche in the melting pot that is now New York's "jazz scene." Mela's latest project, Cuban Safari, is an amalgamation of his favorite bands that inspired him to become a drummer -- Miles Davis' fusion group featuring Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett, Weather Report, and the Latin-jazz super group Irakere. The Cuban Safari consists of pianist Elio Villafranca, saxophonist Uri Gurvich, guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Luques Curtis, and percussionist Mauricio Herrera. Whether it's with Cuban Safari, his trio, quintet, or as a sideman in the groups of McCoy Tyner or Joe Lovano, the result is the same -- Francisco Mela provides a passionate, thrilling display of exuberance and vivacity from the drum chair that is as pleasing to listen to as it is to watch. Understandably, jazz critics are quick to point out the strong influences of traditional Cuban and jazz music in his sound. With a charming, wry smile, Mela responded; "I don't want to call it Latin Jazz, or Jazz, or Afro-Cuban jazz -- I just want to call it music." Over the coming years, Mela's stock will keep rising as he continues to carve a niche for himself, playing the music that is so distinctly and uniquely his own.