Word: mayfield
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...sweet soul. This disc is so understated and mellow that it almost sounds as though a different singer has commandeered the spotlight after the exhausting pitch of the live material. “Gotta Get Up” is a classic soul song that might have been a Curtis Mayfield cover were it not for the reference to “staying at home and playing video games.” Even the additional live track, “Thickness,” is shot through with a profound sense of sympathy that verges on grief, a stark contrast...
Perhaps as a result of the recent departure of Jason Marsalis from the band, Los Hombres have focused a lot more attention on Mayfield. This is quite fitting, as Mayfield has much of the technical virtuosity and bluesy style associated with New Orleans trumpeters such as Louis Armstrong and Wynton Marsalis. However, his showmanship seems overly self-conscious, as he tends to overuse stage techniques such as circular breathing...
...performing suite-like tunes in the past. They indulged themselves with a lengthy, multi-sectioned rendition of “Bill’s Q Yvette,” a title which refers to Yvette Summers, the band’s diva and percussionist. After another dynamic solo from Mayfield, the focus was turned to the outstanding sideman of the group, pianist Red Atkins. With bassist Ed Livingston keeping time, Atkins danced through the tune, playing with various rhythms. This feature was followed by a showcase of the entire percussion section, from master percussionist Summers to drummer Horacio Hernandez...
...Bill Summers’ bandmates call him the Guru, and for good reason.While Mayfield was the center of attention, Bill Summers subtly drove the band from behind his varied percussion set. He conjured numerous rhythms from his percussion collection, playing cowbells, shekere, bongo, tambourine, even unleashing his sticks on the stage lights. At times, he commanded the whole room, as was the case when he led both the band and audience in a recreation of traditional West African call-and-response. The band’s spontaneous transitions all seem triggered by Summers, as when he guided...
...classic “Night In Tunisia.” Switching back and forth between Dizzy’s classic rhythm and a rhumba, the band weaved their way through all the twists of the tune, and added a few themselves. The tune ended with a spellbinding cadenza by Mayfield, his trumpet wailing and growling, with the audience goading him on. After Mayfield closed out the tune, Summers turned to the audience matter-of-factly and said, “There. You don’t have to go to church tomorrow. You have just been blessed...