WALLACE: The Reckless Search For Beauty

Wayne Wallace

The Reckless Search For Beauty

Wallace brings his wide-ranging experience to a vibrant set that mixes Afro-Cuban music with funk and a myriad of Latin dance styles, plus R&B shadings, a dash of pop sensibility, and, always, a superb polyrhythmic drive. The opener, “El Duende Africano,” sets the tone: insistent and brassy over multiple percussion that bubbles and pops with an infectious, danceable vibrancy. “Paso a Paso” brings Dizzy Gillespie's Latin Big Band work to mind; and Bill Withers' rhythm and blues hit “Use Me” features a saucy, picante vocal by Alexa Weber Morales, mixing English and Spanish lyrics. Mongo Santamaria's “Afro Blue” gets modernized with a deep bass groove and some soaring synth work in front of a multiple-bata rhythm section and a passionate, smooth-toned lead vocal by Alexa Weber Morales again, flying over some lush vocal harmonies. Duke Ellington's “Chromatic Love Affair” is done in a more mainstream mode; Murray Low provides a sparkling Duke-like piano behind Wallace's beautifully!
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