|
05.30.08 | My Island is nominated by The Jazz Journalists Association for best Latin-Jazz album of 2008
01.06.08 | Rafi Wins Best Latin-Jazz Trombone Player of 2007 at The Latin Jazz Corner Website!
01.06.08 | My Island is one of the best five Latin-Jazz albums of 2007 at ALLABOUTJAZZ New York
01.06.08 | My Island gets an Honorable Mention in the Village Voice best of 2007 Jazz Poll
09.05.07 | My Island review by Chip Boaz, The Latin Jazz Corner
“My Island from trombonist Rafi Malkiel came as quite a surprise for me. There's a deep knowledge of both jazz and Latin music present in the recording. Many of the songs bring a rich sense of Caribbean tradition to the recording without sounding too folk or dance tinged. Lots of great playing from Malkiel and Anat Cohen on clarinet as well.”
Chip Boaz. The Latin Jazz Corner
08.29.07 | My Island climbs to #19 on CMJ Jazz Top-40 Chart
08.28.07 | My Island is #1 in M3 Radio FM New York, NY
08.28.07 | My Island will be featured on La Guagua radio in Argentina on September 11th at 8 pm, Buenos Aires time
08.27.07 | My Island is #1 in WTUL 91.5 FM New Orleans, LA
08.26.07 | My Island is #2 in WSOE 89.3 FM Elon, NC
08.22.07 | "My Island" climbs to #21 on CMJ Jazz Top-40 Chart
08.18.07 | “My Island” on 3 out of 6 of the September issue of Latin Beat's Top 20 Hit Lists
3 out of 6 Latin jazz programmers on the Top 20 Hit Parade panel in the August 2007 issue of Latin Beat magazine listed a track from My Island in their charts.
Bomba is #12 in Vicki Sola's top 20 - WFDU 89.1FM, NY
Gozambique is #12 in Arturo Gomez's top 20 - KUVO 89.3FM, Denver
Coballende is #19 in PR in Jaime Rodriguez' top 20 -WZNT-FM 93.7 in San Juan , 93.3 in Ponce and, 93.5 in Mayaguez (Purto Rico)
08.17.07 | "My Island" stays #1 in CHUO 89.1FM Ottawa, Canada
08.17.07 | Rafi will be a guest on Vicki Sola's Que Viva La Musica - WFDU - FM 89.1
08.12.07 | "My Island" climbs to #1 in CHUO 89.1 FM in Ottawa, Canada
08.10.07 | "My Island" climbs to #23 on Root Music Jazz Chart
08.08.07 | "MY Island" review at All About Jazz NY
My Island
Rafi Malkiel | Self Published (2007)
By Laurel Gross
Will My Island change the course of jazz? As the Gershwin song goes, “Who Cares.” We’re having too much fun swaying along to dreamy orchestrations and anticipating what may happen next in this world trombonist Rafi Malkiel has conjured out of thin air and musical prowess to worry about such things.
His creation could be Cuba, a place of memory or some other port of call. But you can hear it in all its liveliness. The aural snapshots offered through Latin-inflected orchestrations of originals and standards can transport listeners to the island of their choice.
If there’s surface gloss shimmering atop the sea surrounding this sleekly produced Island, there’s depth too. A listener would swear there’s a real moon out here, not a paper one. And if this all seems a bit like a Hollywood “location” in the golden age of film, well, those guys knew how to invoke romantic island settings and like here, no mosquitoes or sunburn.
With a few exceptions, Malkiel dedicates each tune to the exploration of a different Latin rhythm and musical curves and intricacies abound. In the bolero of “Los Tres Juanes,” by Bienvenido Julian Gutierrez, he delivers an embracing trombone sound that is warm, robust and authentic and the vocals by Abraham Rodriquez will blow you away too.
The transition into Eden Ahbez’s “Nature Boy” is so smooth it’s instant seduction. Is that Anat Cohen on clarinet? (Got to be and no complaints.) This time on euphonium, the Jerusalem-born Malkiel sounds very agreeable. So does this group of nineteen players. “Stardust” is faultlessly translated into Cuban Danzon style. An interpretation of Ellington’s “Black and Tan Fantasy” as a New Orleans funeral march features Howard Johnson on tuba.
At times, it can be hard to keep score of all the players and Latin (and other) influences. A tribute to Cachao isn’t surprising in this context but JS Bach? No problem. Any feeling that the feast might be a little too rich can be easily rectified. Just lie on the sofa and pretend you’re in a hammock swaying in an island breeze or dancing under a star-punctured sky.
Visit Rafi Malkiel on the web.
Rafi Malkiel at All About Jazz.
Track listing: Gozambique (Mozambique, Cuba); Black and Tan Fantasy (March, New Orleans); Danza Magica (Fandango, Colombia); Los Tres Juanes (Bolero, Cuba); Nature Boy (Porro-Cumbia, Colombia); Stardust (Danzon-Cha, Cuba); Coballende (Son, Cuba); Blue Bomba - includes “Blue” and “Bomba” (Bomba, Puerto Rico); Fuga, Fuga, Fuga; Ze Hu Ze; Choro for Anat; (Choro, Brazil); Guajira con Trombon (Guajira, Cuba).
Personnel: Rafi Malkiel: trombone (1, 2, 4-9, 13), euphonium, (3, 5, 10, 12), leader, arrangements; Abraham Rodriguez: lead vocal (4, 7), vocals (7, 13), hand percussion including clave, guiro, maracas (4, 6, 7, 13); Anthony Camillo: bongo, timbas, bells, chekere, maracas (1, 4, 6-9, 13); Andy Gonzalez: baby bass (1, 4, 7-9); Dave Hertzberg: upright bass (2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13); Henry Cole, drum set (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13); Jack Glottman: piano (1, 2, 4-9, 12, 13); Pablo Mayor: piano (3); Anat Cohen, clarinet (2, 3, 5-7, 10, 12, 13); Chris Karlic: tenor saxophone (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13); Itai Kriss: flute (1, 2, 4, 6-9, 13) vocals (7), guiro (6); Steve Gluzband: trumpet (2, 6, 8, 9, 13); Gili Sharett: bassoon (2, 6, 13); Howard Johnson: tuba (2); Chacho Schartz: trez: vocals, lyrics (13); Ronald Polo: tambora, snare drum (3, 5); Morris Canate: alegre, platilos (3, 5); Sergio Borrero, llamador, maraca (5); Ze Mauricio: pandero (11, 12).
Style: Latin/World | Published: August 04, 2007
08.04.07 | "My Island" is #2 in Ottawa's International Chart!
07.25.07 | "My Island" will be featured on WMEB 91.9 FM (Orono, Maine) Wed. 7/25 4-6 PM
and there will be a live interview with Rafi on the Show "Streams of Consciousness" Host: Lester A. French Jr.
07.25.07 | “My Island” climbs to #28 album on JazzWeek's "World" chart
07.24.07 | "My Island" debuts on CMJ Jazz Top-40 Chart at #35
07.23.07 | "My Island" climbs to #29 album on JazzWeek's "World" chart
07.22.07 | “My Island” on 3 out of 6 of the August issue of Latin Beat's Top 20 Hit Lists
3 out of 6 Latin jazz programmers on the Top 20 Hit Parade panel in the August 2007 issue of Latin Beat magazine listed a track from My Island in their charts.
Coballende is #4 in Arturo Gomez's top 20 - KUVO 89.3FM, Denver
Blue Bomba is #18 in Vicki Sola's top 20 - WFDU 89.1FM, NY
Cooballende is #19 in PR in Jaime Rodriguez' top 20 -WZNT-FM 93.7 in San Juan , 93.3 in Ponce and, 93.5 in Mayaguez (Purto Rico)
07.20.07 | "My Island" review by LaConga.org
Rafi Malkiel, prodigioso trombonista de origen israelí, nos permite comprender, a través de su nuevo trabajo My Island, que la música es un lenguaje que trasciende fronteras y nacionalidades.
En su lanzamiento como líder / director de banda Malkiel nos embarca en la música de su ensamble a través de un fascinante viaje rítmico por latitudes rítmicas insospechadas para el melómano de oído delicado.
My Island es un trabajo en el que, respetando de manera profunda las raíces folclóricas de los ritmos originarios, Rafi Malkiel se permite fusionar de manera casi mágica armonías tan heterogéneas como el fandango colombiano, el choro brasileño, la bomba puertorriqueña y las cubanas Mozambique, danzón–cha, son y guajira con delicados arreglos de latín jazz, género en el que Malkiel se desenvuelve brillantemente.
Recomendados: Los Tres Juanes, Nature Boy, Coballende, Choro for Anat, Guajira con trombón.
Altamente Recomendado
Diego Silva
07.16.07 | “My Island” climbs to #40 album on JazzWeek's "World" chart
07.12.07 | “My Island” climbs to #24 album on Root Music Report Top 50 Jazz Chart
07.09.07 | “My Island” debuts as #44 album on JazzWeek's "World" chart
07.06.07 | “My Island” debuts as #43 album on Root Music Report Top 50 Jazz Chart
07.01.07 | "My Island" will be featured on July 1st, 2-4pm “Sunday Afternoon with Nick Marrero” WUSP 105.5FM and there will be a live interview with Rafi.
7/1 2-4pm My Island will be featured on “Sunday Afternoon with Nick Marrero” WUSP “Wisconsin Rapids WI” 105.5FM and there will be a live interview with Rafi.
06.10.07 | "My Island" will be featured on "Radio Block" +Live interview with Rafi, Sunday 6/10 from 2pm to 4pm
Please check out the show Radio Block on Sunday 6/10 from 2pm to 4pm (my interview will be around 2:30pm) on WBAI 99.5 FM (NYC), I will have a live interview with Ibrahim Gonzalez and he will play tracks from the new album My Island. This is the Puerto Rican day Parade, so it’s a double party!
04.17.07 | "My Island" review by Chris Ruel
|