Afrodysia – A Mi Tierra @ Latin Jazz

Track Listing:
1. Malevo - 5:45   2. A Mi Tierra - 5:13   3. Por Si Acaso - 4:34   4. 'Chate a un Lado - 8:26   5. Candela - 4:28   6. Ilusiones - 7:08   7. Yorugua - 7:05   8. Para Vos - 3:42   9. Yatra-Ta - 6:06   10. Utopia - 6:25   11. Hide and Seek - 5:25   12. St. Thomas - 6:39

Personnel:
Deborah Aviles (vocals) , Mario Cazeneuve (keyboards, agogo bells, backing vocals) , Mark Gatz (alto & soprano & tenor sax) , Paul Kendall (clarinet, flute, soprano & tenor sax) , Stefan Held(bass) , Danilo Aviles (drums, bata & chekere, conga & bongo, percussion) , Luis Andino (conga, bata, guiro) , Arturo Prendez (tambor piano) , Washington Guanco (tambor chico) , Eloy Carrizo (tambor repique)

Reviews:

1. AllMusic - Glenn Astarita
The members comprising this Latin jazz septet (although there are only six folks depicted in the group photo) originate from Cuba, Austria, Uruguay, South Korea, and the United States. This is a tight-knit outfit for sure. Marked by tricky time signatures, expressive soloing, and oscillating Afro-Cuban grooves, the band also reaps noticeable dividends from Cuban-born diva Deborah Aviles' lighter-than-air vocalizing. On five tracks of this radiantly recorded CD, the singer embellishes the generally peppery grooves with her lyrically rich incantations amid some scat-based vocalese on certain tracks. Guest percussionists, performing tambor chico and tambor repique, enhance the band's meticulously engineered arrangements, as these instruments are rooted within the African-derived Uruguayan rhythmic genre. Hence, the artists perpetuate a multifaceted representation of the Afro-Cuban idiom, awash with multi-reedman Paul Kendall's whispery flute work and other niceties. The musicians consummate the proceedings with a perky rendition of Sonny Rollins' classic "St. Thomas." Overall, the ensemble injects a refreshing viewpoint into familiar musical terrain.