Pianist Frank Emilio Flynn has recorded, albeit infrequently, in combo settings, and has interpreted the music of Cuban classicist Ernesto Lecuona. For this one he pulls out the entire Afro-Cuban arsenal of rhythms and son stylings. He features a good mix of clave, rhumba, descarga, romantico, and Latin-based pieces with a flair that is not as frantic as Eddie Palmieri or Chucho Valdes, but is easily as literate and skilled. Among the nine musicians are the great percussionists Tata Guines and Changuito, wooden flute player Joaquin Gavilan, bassist William Rubalcaba, two violinists, and two singers. The kicker "Sasaumo" is an 11-minute jam with plenty of room for all to take solos, while the closer, the title track, has a languid piano line that leads to collective percussion workouts, including Enrique Varona, Tata Guines on congas, and Changuito on timbales. The middle includes some treasures like the very famous and well-done "Bilongo," the flute riff clave "La Mulata Rumbera" with guiro scratcher solo from Varona, and Flynn's purposefully tipsy, off-kilter piano chords accenting "Rumba Elegante," with plucked strings from Lazaro Enriquez and Pablo Suarez, and a bold flute solo by Gavilan. On the romantic side is "Rico Melao" sung by Juan Masa and Enrique Orama, with more violins and flute, the very slow "Pueblo Nuevo," and a Spanish guitar intro for "El Arroyo Que Murmura" that gives you another hint as to the origins of Afro-Cuban expressionism. Flynn may be the last of the wave of great pianists to be recognized in the '90s, but that does not mean he's the least. In fact, if the staggering technique of Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Valdes, or Palmieri is a bit much, Flynn might fill the bill, as does Ruben Gonzalez. Get hip to Frank Emilio Flynn on this very, very good recording.
© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo