Author Archives: Mel Minter

Pianist Omar Sosa Blends ‘Field Recordings’ of East African Musicians with Jazz and Contemporary Elements

Omar Sosa and Olith Ratego

While on tour in East Africa in 2009, pianist/composer Omar Sosa embarked on a musical safari, equipped not with a rifle, but with mobile recording equipment (and a very able sound engineer, Patrick Destandeau), a love of African musical cultures, and a vast imagination. Now, 12 years later, Sosa releases An East African Journey (available March 5), which combines exquisite recordings of traditional musicians with augmentations from Sosa and colleagues—the latest chapter in Sosa’s long-standing fascination with blending the folkloric and the modern, the acoustic and the electronic.

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Go Dark, Cut Deep with Dust City Opera. Hold On, Sleep Tight with Rooster Blackspur

  • Dust City Opera: Jared Putnam, Clara Byom, Travis Rourk, Paul Hunton, Justin McLauchlin, Greg Williams, Scott Brewer
  • Rooster Blackspur

Singles are not the usual fare on Musically Speaking, but when you get two remarkable and quite different songs from two remarkable New Mexican artists, you need to share. Dust City Opera’s “Stars” ventures into dark territory, and Rooster Blackspur’s “Big Dipper” takes place in the dark of night.

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Deep Listening with Dino Saluzzi, Trio Tapestry, and Shai Maestro

  • Dino Saluzzi
  • Trio Tapestry: Joe Lovano, Marilyn Crispell, Carmen Castaldi. Photo by Caterina di Perri.
  • Shai Maestro quartet: Philip Dizack, Ofri Nehemya, Maestro, Jorge Roeder. Photo by Caterina di Perri.

In the right hands, music can be shamanistic, a tool that alters one’s consciousness, keying open the door to deep interior spaces. The shamans Dino Saluzzi, Trio Tapestry, and Shai Maestro and company all have the right hands for the job.

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‘On the Road with Aretha’ Raises Money for Kids with Live Music Performances and a Very Talented Canine

Aretha on the set in Albuquerque

Producer John Nichols is deeply passionate about (at least) three things: live music; raising money for New Day Youth and Family Services; and his dog, Aretha. Clever guy that he is, he’s found a way to combine all three. In February, the four-part series On the Road with Aretha, 10th Annual New Day Benefit will stream video of live performances featuring local artists in five cities—Albuquerque/Tucson, Austin, New Orleans, and Nashville. Music fans can enjoy terrific music and the sterling personality of canine hostess Aretha—voiced by vocalist Hillary Smith, a soulful force of nature—while helping young people in difficult straits.

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Gabriel Alegría’s Afro-Peruvian Sextet Takes on the Pandemic and Racial Injustice

Gabriel Alegría’s Afro-Peruvian Sextet: Hugo Alcázar, Freddy “Huevito” Lobatón, Alegría, Yuri Juárez, Mario Cuba, and Laura Andrea Leguía.

Virtuoso trumpeter/composer Gabriel Alegría’s latest release with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet, Social Distancing, chronicles a raging pandemic and the justified rage over racial injustice, and it offers uplift without ignoring the harsh reality of these difficult times.

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