The Vibraphonist and the Pianist

Image Credits: www.albumoftheyear.org

Cal Tjader was an accomplished vibraphonist who also played congas, timbales, and piano. Growing up, he was a tap dancer and jazz musician who fell in love with Afro-Cuban music during the New York mambo craze of the 1950s.

Salsa legend Eddie Palmieri is a Puerto Rican pianist and bandleader from New York's Latin neighbourhoods of the South Bronx. He is renowned for his contributions to Afro-Cuban music, especially his electrifying solos and montunos.

El Sonido Nuevo is the product of a successful collaborative friendship between Tjader and Palmieri. Their shared artistic vision and stylistic palette are prominent. They build upon many melodic fragments and rhythmic patterns while carefully responding to each other's spontaneous improvisation, producing a kaleidoscopic soundscape.

This album has a strong Cuban character, with an elaborate Afro-Cuban percussion set-up, a horn section, and also some delicate flute parts.

The best song is Picadillo, an extended performance of Tito Puente's mambo classic. Tjader and Palmieri's musical imaginations combine brilliantly, creating a sleek masterpiece of Latin-jazz improvisation.

Unidos is my favourite song on the album, and I just can't get enough of its infectious groove. This song borrows its rhythmic structure from the folkloric songs of African tribes, though it is a contemporary jazz interpretation. All of the solos are supported by a hypnotic montuno.

Several decades after its release, El Sonido Nuevo remains a Latin jazz classic. It still sounds fresh and original today and is a solid recommendation for musicians and dancers alike.