House music DJ Ron Trent
and Groove Collective reedman Jay Rodriguez know as well as anyone that Latin
music is made for dancing. But they're also New Yorkers, and they know
that on humid summer nights in the city, the last thing you need is something
to help you sweat. On Olájopé, the Six Degrees debut from their
new group Batidos, Trent and Rodriguez offer a sensual blend of cool grooves
and jazzy elegance – and for those hardy souls undeterred by the heat, a chance
to dance to some very old Afro-Cuban rhythms in very contemporary arrangements.
The Batidos recipe starts
with Ron Trent's deep house/techno drum programming and Jay Rodriguez's
trademark sax/flute/clarinet playing. Add a generous portion of piano,
courtesy of Cuba's
legendary Grammy-winning Chucho Valdes, and percussion from Latin all-star
Eddie Bobé, and you've got the basic ingredients of Olájopé.
Along the way Batidos mixes in a wide variety of musical spices, from the Fania
All-Stars to Cal Tjader to ambient electronica. They've even managed to
find common ground between old Latin pop and classic disco – check out the
chattering rhythms, the flowing piano riffs, and punctuating horns on the song
"Agua." It's an unlikely combination, but that's exactly what
fans of Trent and Rodriguez have come to expect from them.
Batidos served notice that
something was brewing in the Trent/Rodriguez kitchen when their song
"Esta Osquiridad" appeared on Six Degrees' Traveler 01
compilation. Restrained but still full of Latin pasión, it was an
excellent example of the Batidos sound. Jay Rodriguez has been one of the
leaders of the Groove Collective, who were a "jam band" before that
term was ever coined. For over a decade, this merry band of New
York-based musicians has played its own irresistible blend of Latin, funk,
jazz, rock, and world music. Rodriguez has also been in demand as a
sideman, playing with Prince, the late Tito Puente, and Tupac Shakur, among
others. Both Ron Trent and Chucho Valdes collaborated on recent
Groove Collective recordings, setting the stage for the current Batidos
project.
Trent, originally from Chicago, became a part of that city's
groundbreaking house music movement while barely a teenager. His first record,
"Altered States," made the 15-year old Trent a household name – or at
least, a "house" name – and at the end of the 80s, he was developing
a distinctive sound in his DJ stints that included a lot of old soul and disco
music. He founded Prescription Records in 1993, and since moving to
New York, Trent has become resident DJ at Giant Step
and has continued to record under the name USG (Urban Sound Gallery).
Olájopé wastes no time in staking a claim
to a wide musical territory. On the opening track, "Just A
Dream," Batidos immediately introduces the house beats that Ron Trent has
become famous for. But the song also echoes the sounds of West African
Yoruba music, both in its insistent use of the bell and its half-sung,
half-chanted chorus. Jay Rodriguez's sax lurks in the background of the chorus,
emerging for a tasty solo halfway through the song and giving a good preview of
the album's accessible mix of Latin, jazz, and dance music. The Yoruba
influence (which is the foundation of the Cuban santeria prayer and
drumming rituals) is evident throughout Olájopé, not just in some of the
titles ("Oya," for example, is named for one of the most important
Yoruba and santeria deities), but also in the Afro-Cuban rhythms that
propel much of the album. Perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than
in "Cumbe," a largely unplugged song, perhaps a bit hotter than rest,
where the old West African roots of the music are clearly audible.
The urban side of Batidos
comes to the fore in "Tengo Se (The Batidos Song)," which includes
sounds of the city streets as well as the incomparable piano playing of Chucho
Valdes. A smoother, lighter sound colors songs like "Buscamé,"
where multiple layers of muted percussion support wisps of voice and
Rodriguez's stylish sax. Yet another incarnation of the
Batidos sound ends the record: "Myths and Realities" is the album's
chill-out finale, using keyboards and bass clarinet to create a nocturnal
backdrop for some of Rodriguez's most lyrical playing.
The most impressive part of Olájopé might just be the
least noticeable: the blend of sequenced or programmed drums and traditional
Afro-Cuban percussion is so organic and convincing that it's difficult to tell
where one leaves off and the other begins. It's like a really first-rate
salsa, where all the ingredients combine to create a single rich and complex
flavor. And in the case of Batidos, it's an easily acquired taste.
Press Quotes
"Batidos, Olájopé (Six
Degrees album). Chicago-born/Brooklyn, N.Y.-residing DJ/producer Ron Trent and
Groove Collective reedman Jay Rodriguez are Batidos. Together– along with
such guests as percussionist Eddie Bobé and Grammy-winning pianist Chucho
Valdes — the pair has concocted a glorious journey for the mind, body, and
soul, with elements of jazz, soul, disco, Latin, and West African Yoruba
effortlessly prevailing. Simply sublime." - Billboard
"From Six Degrees
comes a spice rack of Latin fusion housers where Coltrane, Palmieri and R&B
sensibilities meet at a rhythmic crossroads. Jay Rodriguez (ex-Groove
Collective) and prominent DJ Ron Trent, who comprise Batidos use woodwinds,
strings and keyboards to create an enticing blend [that] displays a jazzy
pastiche. - Montreal
Mirror
Anyone looking for a
thoroughly contemporary, easy-beat driven take on Afro-Cuban/Latin-jazz dance
groove--look no further…. Excellent for either listening or dancing, Olajope
is as perfect and enticing as a summer day in the Caribbean.
-- Amazon.com
"It
has roots in Chicago
house, Latin jazz, rap and Prince, but it's organic and totally it's own.
It's jazz, it's dance and it's still something more. Wild, wide open set
form a hungry team that has been around the fringe too long … Hot stuff that
will not be denied." –Midwest
Record Recap
"Comparisons may be
made with St. Germain but Batidos sound more like a tropical island – more
outrageous and luxurious. The waves of synth and vocals recapture the dreamy
feel of 'Return to Forever' while the sound also echoes Dizzy's 'Closer To The
Source' " – Straight No Chaser (UK)
"Chicago house guru Ron Trent and Groove
Collective reedman Jay Rodriguez, aided by a slate of guest musicians that
include Chucho Valdés and Eddie Bobé, have masterminded a premium blend that
makes time for sensual vocals, spicy salsa and free-spirited improv, all within
a gracefully produced postmodern context. Defragmentizing musical cultures is
merely the method; the payoff is a tremendously gratifying album that gives and
gives and gives." – Isthmus Weekly
"…the ensemble takes
its cues from European artists like Jazzanova, St. Germain and Erik Truffax,
who are updating jazz traditions by adding elements of club music… the group
adds elements from its NYC roots in Latin, jazz and house music, the result,
further embellished with Afro-Cuban percussion, is a hip, pan-cultural
cocktail. … It's a fittingly modern and soulful sound that pays its respects to
the traditional connection between Latin music and jazz, but steadfastly avoids
living in the past. " – Time Out New
York
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