Omar Sosa & NDR Bigband - Es:sensual (2018)

'Es:sensual' presents a continuation of Cuban pianist-composer Omar Sosa's collaboration with Hamburg's NDR Bigband and Brazilian cellist-composer-arranger Jaques Morelenbaum, whose inaugural effort can be heard on the album 'Ceremony' (Otá, 2010).

Recorded at NDR's Hamburg studios under the direction of Sosa and Morelenbaum, 'Es:sensual' features the latter's vivid arrangements of selections from Omar's albums 'Free Roots' (1997), 'Mulatos' (2004), 'Live à FIP' (2006), 'Promise' (2007), 'Across the Divide' (2009), and 'Ilé' (2014).

Rooted in Afro-Cuban spiritual and percussive traditions, and intimately versed in a range of contemporary world music, Omar's finely textured compositions present Morelenbaum with the foundation to summon forth an expansive palette of sounds, inspiring the NDR Bidband's brilliant soloists, maximizing the ensemble's sonic potential, and providing ample latitude for Sosa's own luminous keyboard improvisations.

'Es:sensual' pays tribute to the majestic figures of Afro-Cuban big-band jazz - Frank "Machito" Grillo, Chico O'Farrill, Cachao, Mario Bauzá, Dizzy Gillespie, and Chano Pozo - while also drawing inspiration from Cuban luminaries such as Armando de Sequeira Romeu, Peruchín, Pancho Quinto, Lázaro Ros, Lili Martínez, Benny Moré, Arsenio Rodríguez and Rubén González.

NDR Bigband collaborations comprise a virtual "Who's Who" of world jazz, including Chet Baker, Oscar Brown, Jr., Paquito D'Rivera, Pee Wee Ellis, Joe Gallardo, Lionel Hampton, Dave Holland, Abdullah Ibrahim, Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Joe Pass, Joe Sample, Maria Schneider, and Wayne Shorter.