12°c Light rain showers
8°c Mainly cloudy
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Cooking up some hot Latin beats
MICHAEL Philip Mossman is a triple threat.
That means he's a great trumpet player, composer and arranger with a special affinity for Latin jazz.
Mossman had the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra cooking on high heat Sunday afternoon, in the first of two concerts that day, with his arrangements of some classic Latin jazz tunes and his own composition, Cubauza.
The WJO, augmented by percussionist Rodrigo Mu±oz and pianist Ron Paley making a rare appearance on electric bass, easily turned the Winnipeg Art Gallery auditorium into a Cuban dance hall.
Mu±oz and drummer Quincy Davis were key, laying down the infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms that form the basis of Latin jazz.
The concert included compositions by WJO director and trumpeter Richard Gillis (Ciro) and trombonist Jeff Presslaff (Retreat!), as well as pieces by Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Carlos Santana.
Gillis's Ciro opened with a great solo spot by Mu±oz before the rest of the rhythm section and the big band joined in. The piece was a showcase for the band's ensemble play, for Mossman's trumpet solo, and the first sign Davis and Mu±oz would be essential to the concert repertoire. Paley, recognized as a top pianist and band leader in town, helped lay down that Latin beat in a rhythm section that included the bright young pianist Will Bonness.
Presslaff's Retreat! was a great piece, with tight ensemble play and good soloing by Presslaff and tenor saxophonist Paul Balcain. It was good Latin jazz and an example of Presslaff's delightfully off-centre style of composition.
No concert dedicated to Latin jazz could ignore the Gillespie trademark, A Night in Tunisia, and the WJO wisely closed its show with the well-known and well-loved tune. Mossman had some big shoes to fill in the trumpet solo spot, but his high notes hit the stratosphere, evoking the great Dizzy himself.
Mambo Nights
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Nov. 18
4 stars out of 5
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 19, 2012 D4
More Columnists
- Back to Top
- Return to Columnists
More Columnists
(1 of 49 articles for this week)
He's been taking funny seriously for 60 years
05/18/2013 1:00 AM 0
Poll
Most Popular Columnists
- Tell husband you're not talking to her... maybe tell him why
- Katz bogeys again
- 'Most hated man' in Senate
- He's been taking funny seriously for 60 years
- 'It's a beautiful story': There's not always a tomorrow to say you're sorry or make things right
- Can't lose when ends justify means
- Feds trim the beef from research
- Mount Carmel Clinic: An oasis of acceptance in a judgmental world
- Ex-Jets MacLean, Carlyle on Sochi coaching list
- More than a new boss
- Katz bogeys again
- 'It's a beautiful story': There's not always a tomorrow to say you're sorry or make things right
- Tell husband you're not talking to her... maybe tell him why
- Burke will be back; he's just that good
- When money talks, it says, 'End fighting in the NHL'
- Mount Carmel Clinic: An oasis of acceptance in a judgmental world
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Cancer doesn't care who it may kill
- CFL gains when draft picks go south
- Age is just a number, so don't count love out
- Goodbye, Susan; a privilege to know you
- Twins are theirs, but province doesn't agree
- Bun Brouhaha: Kitchen staff's snap firing worthy of reality TV
- Beloved piece of Winnipeg's music history deserves better
- Facebook pokes Manitoba
- Katz bogeys again
- Dugouts could change the game
- Winter is coming
- White sucker right for Manitoba
- 'It's a beautiful story': There's not always a tomorrow to say you're sorry or make things right
- 'It's a beautiful story': There's not always a tomorrow to say you're sorry or make things right
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Late deal in workplace sex-harassment case
- 3D printers will make outsourcing so yesterday
- Explore Desire seminars to 'push the boundaries'
- Going gluten-free doesn't mean giving up foods you love
- Cancer doesn't care who it may kill
- Mount Carmel Clinic: An oasis of acceptance in a judgmental world
- Katz bogeys again
- No better place to be than Fort McMurray
- Twins are theirs, but province doesn't agree
- 'It's a beautiful story': There's not always a tomorrow to say you're sorry or make things right
- Bun Brouhaha: Kitchen staff's snap firing worthy of reality TV
- Dugouts could change the game
- Happily selling shoes at age 89
- Facebook pokes Manitoba
- White sucker right for Manitoba
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Selinger's ability to sell case weak link in tax-hike plan
- Emotional roller-coaster
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.