NEW RELEASES - CONJUNTO IMPACTO, PAOLO RECCHIA, LUIGI MARTINALE TRIO FEATURING REUBEN ROGERS

CONJUNTO IMPACTO - EL REGRESO

Miami's own Conjunto Impacto has delivered a great new set – working here in a classic style that really shows their roots! The album's no-nonsense salsa right from the start – great rhythms at the core of each tune, some soaring work on trumpets and trombone to really give the cuts a jazzy sparkle, and lyrics sung with plenty of soul – including a few numbers by a younger female vocalist who joins the group! The whole thing's a salsa dura gem from the underground – issued by the band on their own label, and with the feel of some rare indie set from the 70s. Titles include "Me Marcho", "Hoy Por Hoy", "Bala Perdida", "Negra Dura", "Para Cali Querida", and "Sorpresas De Amor".  ~ Dusty Groove

PAOLO RECCHIA - THREE FOR GETZ

From Paolo Recchia comes a wonderful blend of alto sax, guitar, and bass – served up at a level that reminds us of some of the Lee Konitz/Billy Bauer collaborations of the 50s – but with a sound that's a bit more soulful overall! Paolo Recchia handles the alto, and Enrico Bracco the guitar – and the only other instrumentation on the record is the bass of Nicola Borrelli – used to give the tunes a slight buoyant feel, and underscore the rhythmic playing of both musicians. The Stan Getz reference in the title is very well-placed – as Recchia's alto lines have that great sense of flow that Stan hit in the 60s – particularly the blend of lyricism and soul we love so much during his Sweet Rain period. Titles include "Grandfather's Waltz", "O Grande Amor", "Voyage", "The Peacocks", "First Song", and "Three Little Words".  ~ Dusty Groove

LUIGI MARTINALE TRIO FEATURING REUBEN ROGERS - STRANGE DAYS

This one's a great one from the trio of pianist Luigi Martinale – an Italian player who's got a really wonderful sound! Martinale can be lyrical and poetic one minute, yet also hit a groove the next – a very sort of old school approach to the keys that comes across here in a fresh way, thanks to the trio's rhythms from bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Paolo Franciscone! Both players never get in the way of the piano – and certainly let Luigi take the lead – yet they're always shaping the tunes in subtle ways, especially with Rogers' bass – so that there's a depth of tone and sense of soul that graces even the gentler moments on the record. Titles include "Strange Days", "Christmas Eve", "Opus A Pop One", "The Electric Blue Flight Case", and "Passagio Ad EST".  ~ Dusty Groove