Latin Funk is a real thing. To experience it is all its glory today all you have to do is spin this [sadly all-too-short] disc by Bill DiCosimo and Edgar Pagán. Its seductive grooves will begin to wash over you in waves that beckon you to another world altogether.
Mr DiCosimo and Mr Pagán ought to need no introduction, of course. They have brought a similar rippling and shuffling groove to the bands whose music they have enhanced for over two decades. Con Moto is a masterful production by the bassist Jimmy Haslip, a legendary southpaw, who set, for eternity, the incredible tone and bass line melody with the Yellowjackets – and superbly engineered by none other than Jeff Lorber. At its heart, however, lies repertoire comprising songs [five of seven] songs that has been composed by the keyboardist and the bassist. The charm of each of the originals rests in the deceptive simplicity of the melodic lines, which are countered by twisting and turning harmonic lines, interesting key changes, and – of course – the funky rhythmic wall made up of a bass-drum-percussion ensemble with Mr DiCosimo and Mr Pagán leading the charge with a stellar cast of musicians who are all at the top of their game.
Interestingly this music is almost completely an ensemble effort. There is only one – percussion solo by Jimmy Branly. Everywhere, however, the music is played through with each musician involved interpreting the music with idiomatic grace that flows inexorably from one harmonic progression to the next with a down-home and heaving funky groove. If “So it Begins” is the perfect beginning to this album, then it’s pinnacle may certainly be “Cisco Kid”, an iconic Latin funk song, written by Thomas Allen, Harold Brown, Morris “BB” Dickerson, Charles Miller, Howard Scott, Lee Oskar and Lonnie Jordan who together comprised the great west-coast ensemble: War.
This is a short album and thus by the time the half hour of music winds down the chances are you will be left wanting desperately for more…
Track list – 1: So it Begins; 2: Magic Carpet Ride; 3: Samba Pagan; 4: Blues Clues; 5: Cisco Kid; 6: Taino Spirit; 7: Show the World
Personnel – Bill DiCosimo: Fender Rhodes [1, 3, 4], Hammond B3 [2, 5], piano [6, 7] and synth flute [3]; Edgar Pagán: bass, lead vocal [2, 7] and background vocals [5]; Karma Auger: drums [1, 3, 4, 6] and percussion [1, 3, 4]; Nick Kellie: guitars [1, 3, 4]; Jimmy Haslip: additional synths [1 – 5], additional bass [2], percussion [1 – 6], cuatro [6] and background vocals [2, 5]; Gary Novak: drums [2, 5]; Jeff Lorber: keyboards and bass keys [2, 5]; Jeff Richman: guitar [2, 5]; Jose Varona: percussion [2]; Paulie Cerra: horns [2]; Jimmy Branly: percussion [6 – solo]; Bob Halligan Jr: vocalist [7]; Joshua Dekaney: drums and percussion [7]; Hideo Matsufuji: guitar [7]
Released – 2021
Label – SubCat Records
Runtime 32:21
