Local musicians help to lift the October cold by bringing some hot sounds from south of the border to Athens.
Los Viejos Blanquitos, a Latin jazz sextet made up of professors from the Ohio University School of Music, created their first studio album, LVB: File Under Latin Jazz.
Blending the soul of jazz with the rhythmic percussion of Latin America, the band has created a distinct improvisational-based sound. Afro-Cuban rhythmic styles and the diverse use of artist instrumentation have exposed listeners to a unique form of music.
In a rendition of the jazz classic Take Five
pianist Andre Gribou sets a tone for the style of the entire album, turning an ordinary set of musical notes into an upbeat, Afro-Cuban-infused jam. The band harmonizes the sound of drums played in a textbook-jazz style with the Latino-inspired beat of congas. Their rendition has managed to take what is considered an overplayed song and turned it into a composition not heard enough.
Percussion becomes the theme in the song Wahkeena as Ernie Bastin introduces listeners to jazz in a tribal form. A deep bass line and distinct piano accents bring listeners to a place where classical jazz meets Afro-Cuban inspired improvisation.
In one of the three original tracks by the group, Guysville begins with a caxixi playing progressively louder until it is accompanied by a piano. The instrument is an African beaded basket that creates a sound much like a maraca. The song exemplifies the range of sound the group is adept in capturing and shows their progressive style.
This band is one of Athens' greatest secrets. Somehow, the sound of Latin America has made its way to OU's campus. The artists are professors playing the music they love. Who would have thought that school could be so cool? 17
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Patrick Clark
