Wednesday, July 30, 2014

CD Review: Afro Bop Alliance's 'Angel Eyes'

Afro Bop Alliance
Angel Eyes
Zoho 

The Afro Bop Alliance is a Washington, DC-area band that showcases a wide-range of Latin jazz, salsa, bossa nova, and South American-inspired tunes on their latest release, Angel Eyes. The seductive album cover art draws in listeners by way of visual cues, but the visual quickly leads to the aural, as the sounds emanate from the album with such vivacity. The tracks are littered with infectious tunes and instruments, including the steel pan, bass, piano, drums, congas, sax, trumpet, cello, clarinet, and violin. The group enlists numerous jazz lines and Latin fusions that take on a lively life of their own. There are eleven tunes, but only two tracks include vocals: "Nature Boy" and "Minor Details." The Afro-Cuban elements are evident throughout. However, anyone with an interest in classic, Latin jazz music will love Afro Bop Alliance's Angel Eyes. ~ Matthew Forss

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