Search - Omar Sosa :: Remix Album

It's hard to mess up Omar Sosa . . .

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 05/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

". . . and thankfully these remixes don't do too much damage to the original performances; indeed, in some cases they actually add new insights to the originals--which is much more than one could have hoped for.



Look.



I'm not a big fan of jazz remixes. I mean, what's the point? Isn't jazz the quintessential improv art? Isn't its success dependent on actual players' interaction and conversation in real time?



Yes and yes.



Granted, remixing can add a deep rhythmic sensibility and/or various colors that could, conceivably, beef up interesting but not strongly groove-oriented or highly coloristic performances.



But that's exactly what Omar Sosa is justifiably famous for--killer world-jazz grooves and brilliant instrumental coloration. So on the face of it, he wouldn't seem a great candidate for remixing.



Nevertheless.



I'm pretty taken by this disc. Much of the coloration comes in the form of either wordless vocals or repeated phrases that cast strange new light on the proceedings, bringing out certain aspects of the compositions that may have been insufficiently highlighted in the original performances. And the rhythmic augmentation, in the form of handclaps, electronic blips, scratches, and other manipulations does add a certain verve and even insouciance.



All in all, I think it's a trade-off: the addition of pure aural detail at the price of real-time interaction.



Me, I prefer the latter. But I can see how there could be those who might prefer the former. And the more I listen, the more I like. Who knows, I might actually, somewhere down the road, become a convert to the wonders of remixed jazz.



****1/2."