New Releases: Paolo Marini Latin Jazz Combo – Soul Of Tumbao; Michael Alan – Distant Worlds; Uziel Colon - Intersections

Paolo Marini Latin Jazz Combo – Soul Of Tumbao

A sweet little session of Latin jazz – one that begins with an instrumental cover of a great soul tune by Omar – then only gets better as things go on! Percussionist Paolo Marini is at the helm of the ensemble – but he almost always has a tight blend of trumpet and trombone in the lead, crafting these lines that are richly jazzy, and serve to bring lots of soulful currents to the music – maybe following a more contemporary take on classic meetings of Latin and jazz you might have heard on Verve Records in the 60s. Titles include "There's Nothing Like This", "Prince Of Peace", "Moanin", "Overjoyed", "Spain", "Good Morning World", and "At Sunset". ~ Dusty Groove

Michael Alan – Distant Worlds

Drawing from his diverse resume as a sound designer, mixing and mastering engineer, producer and gigging saxophonist in R&B, Rock, Jazz and Latin ensembles, Michael Alan’s debut Distant World’s is one of the most melodically compelling, stylistically eclectic Smooth Jazz albums of the year. While his tech skills translate to the dynamic use of synth, loops, keyboards and drum samples, Alan makes this a showcase for his alternately fiery and heartfelt sax playing, as well as his soulful, perfectly placed flute and EWI performances. Among the vibrant originals are a couple of irresistible covers and a sultry piece featuring Marie Veillard singing in French. You don’t have to travel to Distant World’s to enjoy the future of Smooth Jazz!  ~ smoothjazz.com

Uziel Colon - Intersections

Uziel Colon is a pianist and composer whose remarkable talent has earned him a name as a prominent musician in the Boston and Los Angeles area. His new album is out and the first single is called Intersections, which he describes: "Rhythms from South America meet the sounds of Classical Rondo form; where the Candombe and Samba styles of rhythm meet Mozart." His talent ranges from brilliant piano improvisations in Latin jazz to commercial pop, from contagious rhythms of salsa to the soulful sounds of gospel. Uziel has performed and recorded with the likes of Abraham Laboriel, Eguie Castrillo, Victor Mendoza, Marc Quiñones, Paoli Mejias, Oskar Cartaya, Greg Hopkins and Humberto Ramirez, among others. He has also performed at exceptional events and places such as The Heineken JazzFest in Puerto Rico, The Beantown Jazz Fest in Boston, MA, CJW in Beijing, China and the MadaJazzcar Festival in Madagascar, Africa.