On this intriguing set, flutist and soprano saxophonist
Jane Bunnett explores music from the Guantánamo region of Cuba, music originally brought to the area from Haiti and West Africa.
Bunnett's group infuses the exciting styles with jazz improvising and, due to the inclusion of
Jumpin' Johnny Sansone on guitar, harmonica, accordion, and vocals, a dose of the blues and New Orleans rhythms. There is a great deal of variety to this set, ranging from the folkloric music of the voice and percussion ensembles Grupo Changui de Santiago and
Grupo Changui de Guantanamo to the brilliant tenor saxophone playing of
Dewey Redman, the contributions of
Howard Johnson on tuba, and
Bunnett's regular group with trumpeter
Larry Cramer. While some numbers are dominated by vocals, even those pieces generally include interplay with the horns. For jazz listeners, the instrumentals are of greatest interest, as is the mixture of styles and idioms. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow