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| Tito Carrillo, Urbanessence (Origin Records) - New DL Experience Urbanessence is the second solo album of trumpeter/composer Tito Carrillo. Of the music on the album, Carrillo states the following: "I love the energy of the city, always have. Having been born in Austin, TX, and raised musically in Chicago, I've always been drawn to the melting pot, the high-energy pace, the festivals, the food, the diversity of cultures, and, of course, the music. As my career as a performer morphed into a career as a performer/educator, life has taken me out of the city for a number of years. I've adjusted for the sake of stability and family, and I wouldn't change it, but my heart has never left the city. This album draws from my years in Chicago, playing jazz, salsa, Latin Jazz, gospel, blues, funk, and soul, and performing several times at the Chicago Jazz Festival and Hyde Park Jazz Festival, both as a leader and a sideman. These nine originals (plus one non-Tito original by Phil Kocheril) seek to blend and meld my experiences into one language, rather than keep them as separate experiences inside my memory. Through my life lens, Urbanessence is one musical landscape - that I proudly share with you." Tito Carrillo is a trumpeter, composer, and educator, whose music blurs the lines between Afro-Caribbean music traditions and modern jazz. Born and raised in Austin, TX by a Puerto Rican father and Mexican-American mother, Carrillo came to prominence in the mid 90's in Chicago's rich jazz and Latin music scenes, becoming a top call soloist, sideman, and bandleader. The Chicago Tribune describes him as having "acquired a reputation as a fluid improviser, doubly-blessed with a warm lyric style and technique to burn." The artists he has collaborated with are as diverse as his skill set: Chicago heavyweights Willie Pickens, Ryan Cohan, and Geof Bradfield; Chicago Latin groups Chinchano (Juan Pastor) and the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble (Victor Garcia); big bands such as the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, and the Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra (David Baker); salsa legends Andy Montañez, Cheo Feliciano, and Cuban flutist Orlando "Maraca" Valle; jazz greats such as Kurt Elling, Claudio Roditi, Jon Faddis, and Paquito D'Rivera; and pop icons Quincy Jones and Phil Collins. He released his debut solo album in 2011 entitled Opening Statement (Origin Records) to rave reviews, and his next solo project Urbanessence (Origin Records) was released on October 21, 2022. Tito Carrillo is equally passionate about jazz education, and he has served on the faculties of Roosevelt University, Northwestern University, and his current post, the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, where he has served as full-time professor of jazz trumpet since 2006. He has taught at secondary and collegiate music programs across the U.S. and Latin America, and his long list of former students include many who have established careers as both performers and educators and includes winners of international jazz competitions at the highest level. Personnel: Tito Carrillo, trumpet, flugelhorn Troy Roberts, tenor, soprano saxophones Ben Lewis, piano Clark Sommers, bass Jay Sawyer, drums and cymbals Victor Gonzalez, Jr., congas Tracks & Times: 1. Momentum (Tito Carrillo) (6:35) 2. Fire & Ice (Tito Carrillo) (9:21) 3. Bliss Point (Tito Carrillo) (6:38) 4. Urbanessence (Tito Carrillo) (11:43) 5. Crazy, Stupid Fine - bass intro (Clark Sommers improvised solo) (:59) 6. Crazy, Stupid Fine (Tito Carrillo) (8:54) 7. Up The Down Staircase (Phillip Kocheril) (6:54) 8. Poor To Rico (Tito Carrillo) (7:46) 9. Justice & Mercy (Tito Carrillo) (7:45) 10. Fly By Night (Tito Carrillo) (7:12) 11. Sublime (Tito Carrillo) (3:38) write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |