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Jazz Times Reviews Una Mas

2012-01-02T23:03:00.002-05:00

MUSIC REVIEW: Afro Bop Alliance, “Una Mas”

by Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes

Drummer Joe McCarthy and saxophonist-arranger Vince Norman have been leading the Afro Bop Alliance for over a decade. Following their Latin Grammy Award in 2008, they put together an all-star big band for 'Una Mas,' the group's debut on OA2. This potent collection includes stellar renditions of luis Perdomo's dynamic "Golpe de Cumaco," Joey Calderazzo's "El Nino" and Cal Tjader's vibrant "Viva Cepeda," along with a Latin-jazz take on Benny Golson's "Along the Way," Vibraphonist Dave Samuels guests on his own compositions, the turbulent descarga "The Gathering" and the lovely "Cherry Blossom," as well as on Mike Pope's clave-fueled "The Avid Listener" and Hector Martignon's challenging "The Floating World," which features some fiery exchanges between drummer McCarthy and conguero Roberto Quintero.

@Critical Jazz Reviews Una Mas

2011-12-31T13:44:00.007-05:00

@Critical Jazz

The finest in jazz, blues and alternative!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

AfroBop Alliance Una Mas OA2 Records 2011

Musical stereotypes and labels attached to various genres and sub genres are musical road blocks set up by the recording industry to better package, pigeon hole and peddle their product. Latin jazz has the image of being foot to floor jam sessions that are so drenched in the appropriate culture that accessibility for others may be limited. Not here!

Balance. Musical symmetry is the corner stone of an impeccable Latin jazz recording that while distinctly Latin, steers clear of an over the top percussive sound and instead focuses attention on the more improvisational driven artistry of the band members. Dave Samuels makes an appearance on this release much in the same vein of the 2008 Carribbean Jazz Project and the Afro-Bop Alliance featuring Dave Samuels. Joining Samuels is pianist/composer Luis Perdomo to add a deeper and richer flavor to an ensemble that has now been together for a little over a decade.

What is Afro-Bop? Essentially a Latin derivative of Cubop mixing Afro-Cuban rhythms and harmonies with the more standard timbre of traditional Bebop. This amazing septet from Annapolis Maryland takes the rhythmic grooves of Cubop and adds just a splash of unique harmonic development and allow the soloist to literally drive the musical train. Una Mas as well as the rest of this Grammy nominated ensemble's music is true Latin fusion done with incredibly style and flair.

Opening with "Golpe de Cumaco" which is a conceptual/historical piece written by Perdomo and exploring the impressions of Afro-Venezuelan music as influenced by African slaves, AfroBop Alliance begins sitting the table for a rhythmic feast for the senses. "Golpe de Cumaco" is a textured rhythmic adventure which is punctuated by some colorful improvisation and shifting harmonic development throughout. The Joey Calerazzo tune "El Nino" is done with a passionate swing, a poly rhythmic groove that attacks on a purely visceral level. Fluid solos from Luis Hernandez on tenor saxophone and Harry Appelman on piano create musical intensity with a sense of purpose. Jazz for the feet. "Viva Cepeda" is a Cal Tjader tune that is pulled off with finesse and precision. An infectious beat with great soloists including Dave Samuels, "Viva Cepeda" is over flowing with vibrant sonic color. Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton are perhaps the two "founding fathers" in terms of the development of these Latin jazz elements into the more traditional western improvisational setting. The AfroBop Alliance much like the music is evolving and developing on a regular and consistently high quality level.

Whether performing original work or putting their own spin on tunes from Dave Samuels, Benny Golson or Cal Tjader there is little room for doubt this is an ensemble at the very top of their game. Do they cut any new musical ground here? Not really. Cutting new ground or reinventing the musical wheel is not a necessity when you are the very best at what you do. A good chef, may tweak the spice slightly but not the overall preparation of the dish! A musical feast to savor!

KoSA PASiC Convention 2011 Report

2011-12-07T14:09:00.003-05:00

Click Here to read about the convention, including Joe's presentation.

MUSIC REVIEW: Afro Bop Alliance, “Una Mas”

2011-11-28T10:17:00.004-05:00

by Adam Greenberg, All Music

Una Más is an outstanding set of Latin jazz from the D.C. area's finest Latin big band. The band makes use of surprisingly complex arrangements of largely new compositions, both Latin pieces transformed into somewhat jazzier arrangements (as in the opening "Golpe de Cumaco") and jazz pieces given a Latin flavor (as in main arranger Vince Norman's "El Otoño"). Rounded out with a few Latinized classic pieces from the likes of Cal Tjader and Benny Golson, the band swings strongly through a variety of Afro-bop, post-bop, and modern Latin jazz realms. The key here isn't just in the arrangements, though. It's in the performances, with the group displaying much of what separates a modern big band from a classic-styled big band -- an ability to create large-scale fanfares and harmonies as a group, but to back down and allow long solos to shine. It's in those solos -- those periods of contrapuntal wanderings, those blasts of brass that punctuate the bridges -- that the band really shines. They work together closely, but when they combine their power, and especially their brass, for both explosions and explorations, they find a special sort of ground.

Una Mas Review in The Jazz Word

2011-10-07T14:53:00.004-04:00

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

Afro Bop Alliance – Una Mas
2011 OA2 Records

The Afro Bop Alliance, based in Annapolis MD, is an energetic big band specializing in contemporary approaches to the rhythms of Latin American music with a strong jazz emphasis. Led by drummer Joe McCarthy, the group won a Latin Grammy Award in 2008 for their release with Vibraphonist Dave Samuels and the Caribbean Jazz Project. The alliance is poised to garner further acclaim with its latest project, UNA MÁS, a well-conceived session full of first-rate playing and unconventional material.

Saxophonist Vince Norman handles the arranging duties for the orchestra and manages to find a satisfying balance between showcasing the entire band and leaving enough breathing room for small group interplay. The arrangements are both clever and accessible, featuring interesting twists, such as the odd-metered rendition of Benny Golson's "Along Came Betty" that somehow manages to come across as danceable. Norman's own composition "El Otoño," has a Brazilian-type feel with a syncopated catchiness to the melody. Here, Luis Hernandez contributes one of many exceptional tenor saxophone solos heard throughout the disc.

Bassist Mike Pope's "The Avid Listener" and "Luis Perdomo's "Golpe de Cumaco" stand out as extraordinary. Both feature the unrelenting drive of the rhythm section, featuring McCarthy, Pope, percussionist Roberto Quintero, pianist Harry Appleman and guitarist Jim Roberts. Samuels comes aboard for a handful of tracks with outstanding solo work and contributes one of his own tunes, "Cherry Blossom," a lush 7/4 bossa nova featuring the melodic prowess of Pope's electric bass and a well-balanced string ensemble.

A captivating listen from start to finish.

www.afrobop.com

Modern Drummer Reviews Afro-Cuban Big Band Play-Along DVD

2011-01-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

Publication: Modern Drummer : MD

Author: Potter, Jeff

Date published: December 1, 2010

***** JOE McCARTHY'S AFRO-CUBAN BIG BAND PLAY-ALONG SERIES

DVD LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED $19.99

What a kick watching Joe McCarthy blaze through complex Afro-Cuban big band jazz numbers with ergonomic perfection. He's so sweat free and centered, it's like he's relaxin' with some café con leche. McCarthy plays to tracks from his exciting Latin Grammy Award-winning CD, Afro-Bop Alliance, and discusses his grooves and his approach to the charts. DVD-ROM content includes charts, groove transcriptions, and play-along tracks. In performance, McCarthy doesn't break down the tricky patterns, which would be helpful for less experienced players, so this video is best suited for drummers with solid reading skills. But viewing is still worth the time, as McCarthy transforms dense ink into effortless, well-oiled grooves. (Alfred) Jeff Potter

Jazz Times on Bright Future

2010-07-23T23:59:00.004-04:00

06/11/10

Vince Norman/Joe McCarthy Big Band
Bright Future
OA2 Records
Harvey Siders

Release number two for the Norman-McCarthy band, and the momentum from its debut album, Words Cannot Express, as well as ten of its key players being intact, lend continuity to this exciting D.C.-based organization. Since Washington seems to have an inexhaustible supply of eager, first-rate sidemen thanks to the profusion of service bands in the Capital, co-leader/arranger, multi-instrumentalist Norman had no problem picking up where he left off in 2007.

The 18-piece band is a model of sectional clarity and precision that delivers everything Norman challenges them with; the opener, "Knight For A Day," is eloquent proof. Based on a programmatic premise -- conflict between a knight and a dragon (or, as Norman reveals, his heroic victory victory over a "15-foot tall plant growing on my fence line") -- it begins with McCarthy's simple percussive kick-off that launches a contrapuntal encounter: evil reeds ascending vs. intrepid brass descending. Stalwarts from the debut album -- altoist Andy Axelrad, pianist Tony Nalker, guitarist Gary Malvaso -- contribute lionhearted solos.

Norman dedicated the ballad "For My Beloved" to his wife Amy, but Tim Stanley elicits such a warm interpretation from his flugelhorn, you wonder just who is married to her. Keeping it in the family, when Norman's son Ray (not yet two), created a minor-mode motif at the piano that Norman Sr. kept in mind, it was later adapted into the line that bassist Mike Pope snakes under "Ah Dju Bah" and inspires Malvaso and tenorist Ben Bokor to fine, straightahead variations on Ray's scale fragment. The scat-like title came wholly from the toddler. There seems to be a modal kinship between "Ah Dju Bah" and the next track, "Trilogy." It gives rise to excellent explorations by baritonist Rob Holmes (who adds a muscular lead timbre to the unison line before the out chorus) trombonist Joe Jackson and trumpeter Stanley.

Another highlight is "Sugar," which Norman based on the changes to Stanley Turrentine's "Sugar." But don't try to dance to it; it's in 5/4. A small combo within the band tackles it expertly: Norman, a combo all by himself, doubles on C soprano and alto saxes; trombonist Ben Patterson, tenorist Luis Hernandez and Malvaso round out the group. The same Turrentine chords lead to another track, the ballad "Katelyn," which could single-handedly lead to the rejuvenation of the melodica, played quite tenderly by Norman. Not to be overlooked are his intense tenor solo on the title tune, and the doubling contributions by Steve Williams, who lights up "Super Grover" on soprano and "Goodbye Mr. Schulz on alto sax.

Underpinning this versatile ensemble, one can hear the firm tones of trumpet lead Chris Walker and the kinetic drumming of co-leader Joe McCarthy. It is a first-rank aggregation.

Alfred's Afro-Cuban Big Band Play Along Promo

2010-07-21T18:31:00.008-04:00

Click Here to read about the Afro-Cuban Big Band Play-Along DVD, and read Joe's Survival Guide for the Drumset: Three Afro-Cuban Grooves

Drummerworld

2010-07-21T18:18:00.003-04:00

Drummerworld has recently added an extensive section about Joe. Links to MP3s and videos in addition to educational resources, biographical info and photos are included. Thanks Drummerworld!

Afro-Cuban Big Band Play-Along DVD

2010-06-09T01:19:00.003-04:00

From Alfred Music Publishing

The Afro-Cuban Big Band Play-Along DVD gives the drummer/percussionist an opportunity to play contemporary Afro-Cuban music in a big band setting. Playing tunes from the Latin Grammy-winning group Afro-Bop Alliance, drummer Joe McCarthy focuses on three of the predominant groove categories of mainstream Afro-Cuban music: mambo, cha-cha-cha and 6/8 Afro-Cuban. State-of-the-art camera work gives an in-depth look at Joe’s multi-level approach to playing these exciting rhythms, while his focused, straight-ahead concepts take the mystery out of applying these grooves to the music of today. The DVD features play-along tracks (minus the drums), an E-book containing the complete charts and examples demonstrated on the DVD, and bonus tracks of additional tunes from Afro-Bop Alliance.

Bright Future Review

2010-03-19T23:23:00.003-04:00

Vince Norman Joe McCarthy Big Band - "Bright Future"
(OA2 Records)

The only indication on this CD as to where all these hot player hail from is the name of a recording studio in Springfield, Virginia. Go figure. But there’s some sparkling musicianship in a menu of all original music mostly from co-leader and reedman Vince Norman. Several high-energy soloists are given plenty of opportunity to fly their colors as this band cooks it up on one cut after another. Kudos to anyone who can even keep a big band together nowadays. From the sound of their energetic big band, they indeed deserve a bright future.

- George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon, www.jsojazzscene.org

Bright Future Review

2010-03-01T13:02:00.007-05:00

Vince Norman Joe McCarthy Big Band - "Bright Future"
(OA2 Records)

This Washington D.C. big band will knock you out right off the bat as opening composition "Knight for a Day (Dragon's Demise)" features an ample horn section blasting out of the speakers. With an exciting arrangement that hints at some of Gil Evans' "Porgy and Bess" themes with a Maynard Ferguson touch and some tasty solos, a big band fan will find themselves pleasantly entranced. Led by veteran multi-reedist, primary soloist, primary composer and arranger Vince Norman and drummer Joe McCarthy, who both have military band ties - who knew the stars and stripes could swing like this? Running through this new release is the shadow of saxophonists Stanley Turrentine - whose "Sugar" is covered here and also was the inspiration for two other songs, and Grover Washington, Jr. - who is given his due on the grooving "Super Grover." "Peanuts" piano legend Vince Guaraldi - of "Linus and Lucy" fame - is also feted on the wonderful waltz "Goodbye Mr. Schultz" - with nice piano work by Tony Nalker. The blend of pop jazz and big band is attractive. Delicious arrangements and fine solos highlight songs like the Latin-flavored "For My Beloved" and the catchy bass-driven "Ah Dju Bah." Meanwhile, Norman's solo on melodica on his lovely ballad "Katelyn" is a true highlight along with the intricate Latin-groove of "Connect the Dots" (with excellent Bb soprano solo by Norman). The multi-talented Norman switches to tenor on the brightly swinging title track, then does double-duty on alto and C soprano on their 5/4 take on "Sugar." Full of colorful arrangements and rock solid playing on a well-recorded and mixed recording, this particular band does appear to have a bright future. And maybe the big band genre as well.
OA2Records

Afro-Cuban Big Band Play-Along Reviewed

2010-02-02T00:42:00.008-05:00

Modern Drummer, March 2010

Click image to see larger version

WYPR's Maryland Morning interviews Joe McCarthy

2009-08-10T12:55:00.001-04:00

Holy Alliance!

Afro Bop Alliance bandleader and drummer Joe McCarthy is interviewed by cultural reporter Tom Hall for the program "Maryland Morning with Sheila Kast" This aired August 4, 2009 in the Baltimore area on WYPR (88.1 FM).

Click here to launch WYPR Site and listen to interview

What's Up? Magazine Interviews Joe

2009-03-27T17:29:00.003-04:00

What's Up? Magazine, which server Annapolis & Maryland's Eastern Shore, interviewed Joe about Latin music, Afro Bop Alliance, and receiving a Grammy nomination.

Click Here to read the article.

AFRO BOP WINS LATIN GRAMMY!

2008-11-14T00:03:00.005-05:00

Caribbean Jazz Project / Afro Bop Alliance won the Latin Grammy award for Best Latin Jazz Record!

Afro-Cuban Play Along Book Coming Soon

2008-10-29T14:16:00.007-04:00

Alfred Publishing plans to release two play along books featuring music from the Grammy Nominated Caribbean Jazz Project/Afro Bop Alliance CD. The first book is for Drumset & Percussion, by Joe McCarthy. The second book is for Mallets/C Instruments, by Dave Samuels. Each book includes a play along CD

Both books will be available for preview during the 2008 Pasic Convention at the Alfred booth.

Additional information will be available here once the books are available for purchase.

Latin Grammy Nomination

2008-10-29T14:04:00.007-04:00

Caribbean Jazz Project / Afro Bop Alliance CD is up for a Latin Grammy!

The winners will be announced on November 13, 2008.

* Click Here for the official announcement.

* * Click Here to read the article from The Capital published on October 26, 2008

Modern Drummer Reviews

2008-03-08T14:00:00.004-05:00

A pool of impressive Washington, DC area talent is tapped on two vibrant releases. One features a hard-swinging big band, the other a joyful, grooving Latin jazz sextet. Both are masterfully helmed by drummer JOE McCARTHY . As leader of Afro Bop Alliance he shares kit and percussion roles on Camino Nuevo (Jazz Maniacs Records), mixing modern and traditional grooves with fluid ease. Co-leading his big band on Words Cannot Express (OA2) , McCarthy's voracious drive fuels the thrilling, surprising arrangements of multi-instrumentalist Vince Norman. An in-demand freelancer, McCarthy's also the drummer for the United States Naval Academy's jazz ensemble. If his sworn duty is to swing, then he's serving his country well.

Jeff Potter
Modern Drummer
April 2008

Caribbean Jazz Project-Afro Bop Alliance Big Band

2007-12-02T12:54:00.004-05:00

The Caribbean Jazz project unites with the Maryland-based Afro Bop Alliance for the release of the aptly titled Caribbean Jazz Project – Afro Bop Alliance, set for release on Heads Up in March 2008. The album recasts nine CJP signature pieces – by Samuels, Coltrane, Monk and Oliver Nelson – in a fresh new light via full-bodied arrangements as played by the Afro Bop Alliance Big Band. This collaborations is one of the most exciting new sounds on the Latin jazz scene today.

“Repackaging something that I had played a lot in a smaller group made me hear the music in a new light,” says Samuels. “You react differently to it. It’s a different ball game. It’s the difference between playing on a five-man team and a fifteen-man team. And if you’re the listener, you may have heard these tunes with the small group, but it’s a completely different experience hearing it with this big band.”

Over the course of eight acclaimed recordings, a Grammy Award and two Grammy nominations, the inventive Caribbean Jazz Project has blended scintillating rumbas, sambas, boleros and cha-chas with the uncut spirit of jazz improvisation. As the leader of this continually evolving entity, Samuels explains: “Caribbean defines part of what we do, and jazz defines the other part.”

=======================================================

HUCD 3137 (053361313722)
THE CARIBBEAN JAZZ PROJECT WITH THE AFRO-BOP ALLIANCE BIG BAND

Led by vibraphonist Dave Samuels, the Caribbean Jazz Project has been crafting brilliant Afro-Caribbean sounds since the mid -1990s. More than a decade after recording their earliest albums on Heads Up International, Samuels and company return to the label and unite with the Maryland-based Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band, the seven-piece Latin jazz collective that has garnered high praise from critics since Encarnación, their 2004 debut recording. Produced by Samuels with arrangements by Afro Bop Alliance trombonist Dan Drew, The Caribbean Jazz Project Afro-Bop Alliance showcases material from CJP’s seven previous recordings spanning 15-years, yet recasts each tune via innovative and full-bodied arrangements. Catch this musical match made in heaven and hear the Caribbean Jazz Project like you’ve never heard them before. (Mike Wilpizeski)

=========================================================

Click Here for sound previews and more information

"Words Cannot Express" Review

2007-12-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

MUSIC REVIEW:
Vince Norman / Joe McCarthy Big Band, Words Cannot Express

by Jack Bowers, Cadence, Oct-Dec 2007

The Vince Norman / Joe McCarthy Big Band bears more than a passing resemblance in a number of ways to the Taylor / Fidyk Big Band. First, it is also from the DC area; second, it is co-led by a splendid drummer (McCarthy) and resourceful arranger (Norman); and third, its sidemen were recruited by and large from the area's armed services bands(I counted four each from the Airmen of Note and Army Jazz Ambassadors, three from the Navy Commodores). The overriding similarity is that, like Taylor / Fidyk, these guys know how to swing and do so under any and all conditions. There are, on the other hand, some essential differences, the most obvious of which is that this is a studio date, not a concert. Moreover, the big band doesn't play on every track; there are three numbers by a sextet. And besides writing (or co-writing) every number except for the Bop-era opener, "Tadd's Delight," and producing all the charts, Norman displays his impressive talents elsewhere, playing piano with the band and alto, tenor, soprano sax and bass clarinet with the smaller group, which is heard on "Remember Me When," "El Otono" and "Voo Zsa Day." Trumpet Tim Stanley is eloquent on "Remember" and "Otono," as he is with the big band on "Words Cannot Express." The ensemble closes the session with Norman's captivating three-part "Suite Baby Ray" - the breezy "Left My Baby in Baltimore," Latin-inspired "Back to Bayview" and flag-waving "Coming Home." Norman is a standout on every instrument, underpinning trim and persuasive solos by trombonists Ben Patterson, Chris Buckholz and Jeff Martin, trumpeters Paul Armstrong and Greg Reese, guitarists Jeff Reecer and Gary Malvaso, tenors Tedd Baker and Ben Bokor, soprano Steve Williams, alto Andy Axelrad, baritone Fred Wolfe, pianist Harry Appelman and bassist Max Murray. Norman's also a first-class writer, and none of his compositions is less than engaging. Admirable writing and sharp musicianship usually prompt an emphatic endorsement, and that is certainly the case here.

Joe to appear at MusicFest Canada

2007-08-27T12:03:00.000-04:00

Joe, a Zildjian artist, has been invited as a clinician to MusicFest Canada. The event will be held May 13-17, 2008 Ottowa, ON. Click Here to view the flyer

Joe Interviewed

2007-06-30T14:51:00.002-04:00

I did an interview for WWUH that will air on the 12th of July, on Thursday Morning Jazz with Mark Channon. Click this link www.wwuh.org for more info, or click here to listen to the archived interview.

We talked about the newly released "Words Cannot Express" CD by the Vince Norman/Joe McCarthy Big Band, available on OA2 Records

"Words Cannot Express" was 92 on the top 200 National Jazz Playlist and continues to climb.
Words has been submitted to the GRAMMY board, if you are a member, please vote for us!!!!!!

I have a play-along afro-cuban drumset book with Alfred Music coming out at the beginning of '08. The music for the book is from the new Caribbean Jazz Project recording with Afro Bop Alliance on the Heads Up Label. Release date is in March 08.

We have 2 great guests playing with the band on Aug 22nd at the Kennedy Center. Steve Davis, one of the great young trombonists on the scene today( Art Blakey, Chick Corea) and Ed Fast, a great percussionist, drummer and composer who leads Conga Bop, and just finished a tour with Chita Rivera. Show time 6pm, free to the public.

I spent time in Texas the week of Oct 15th for clinics and performances at the University of Texas, Arlington, Texas Christian University, SMU and Southwestern University. It was a great tour, had a chance to see old friends and meet many new. Thanks again to Doug Howard, Tim Ishii/Jim Yakas, Brian West and Thad Anderson and my sponsors:Zildjian, Yamaha, Lp and Innovative for their continued support.

I also had 3 great days at the end of October in Colorado at the University of Northern Colorado, performing with the UNC Salsa Band, and doing a clinic/masterclass. Thanks to Jim White and my sponsors for 3 days fo great music!!

2008 Winter/Spring Highlights:
Clinic/Masterclass Westfield State. Special thanks to Dr. Peter Coutsouridis and my sponsors.

Maryland Day of Percussion clinic/performance, special guest conguero Roberto Quintero with Afro Bop Alliance. Special thanks to Michelle Humphries and to my sponsors.

University of New Mexico Jazz Festival: guest adjudicator/featured soloist
Special thanks Glenn Kostur.

CD Release
Caribbean Jazz Project/Afro Bop Alliance on Heads-Up International