Volume 5: Carnival by Los Hombres Calientes

27 Feb

Written by Richard Bourcier
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Los Hombres Calientes represent the sound of New Orleans in the new millennium. Their compositions and delivery are joyful and exuberant.

Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and percussionist Bill Summers offer their fifth CD as Los Hombres Calientes for Basin Street Records. Volume 5: Carnival is their first release in two years. The two are recipients of numerous music awards including a Grammy and Billboard Music Award.

Both Summers and Mayfield love to blend African, Cuban, European and Latin American styles creating an explosive and exciting musical treasury. The leaders lend their compositional and arranging talents to every recording session. Their names appear on the composer credits for most of the 19 songs on this disc.

The tunes on Carnival are based upon themes from Congo, Cuba, West Africa to the strains heard in New Orleans’ Congo Square. The latter includes Crescent City musicians like trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, drummer Keith Frasier and tuba player Philip Frasier. The famed John Boutte takes the vocal while Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews handles the tailgate stuff.

Other tracks showcase a dozen or more guests including Steve Walker, George Porter Jr., Ricky Sebastian and vocalist Philip Manuel.

Carnival is nothing less than we have come to expect from Los Hombres. It’s a happy journey that’s loaded with hot solos and crackling percussion.

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Los Hombres Calientes
CD Title: Volume 5: Carnival
Genre: Latin Jazz / Latin Funk
Year Released: 2005
Record Label: Basin Street Records
Tracks: Carnival (Havana); Camparsa De Carnival; Latin Tinge II; Ewesi Para Hevioso; Estan Tocando Pt 1; Estan Tocando Pt 2; Indians; James Booker; Rojo’s Revenge; Mardi Gras Second Line; Cubacajun Carnival; George Porter; Carnival Lullaby; Alakati Owo; Melena; Carnival de Phunk; Mardi Gras Bayou; Carnival Kongo; Kendavshubi.
Musicians: Irvin Mayfield (trumpet, B3 organ, vocal); Bill Summers (percussion, arranger). Many guest musicians.
Label Website: http://www.basinstreetrecords.com
Rating: Four Stars