Drum Jam

Artist: Grupo Exploracion Label: Bembe Records Category: Music Average customer rating: Media: Audio CD Number Of Discs: 1 UPC: 602303202626 EAN: 0602303202626 ASIN: B00004X0KN Release Date: 2000-11-14

Tracks:

1. Bomba Makuta
2. Descarga Al Tambor (Drum Jam)
3. Plena De Arcata
4. Rumba Columbia
5. Cuarapachangeo
6. Iyesá
7. Agbe
8. Monte
9. Ritmo Changüí
10. Congo Timba
11. Chenche Gudugudú
12. iMe Voy A Puerto Rico!
13. Vodú
14. Kanekela
15. Congo Oriental
16. Descarga Al Tambor/ (Drum Jam) Close

Customer Reviews:

Simply a Masterpiece!.......2001-03-13

Descarga Distincta y Distinctiva by Kaysee. Grupo Exploraciýn's recent release Drum Jam - Descarga al Tambor - presents an interesting combination of the minimalistic and the complex, the introspective and the unreserved, the traditional and the modern. Across 16 tracks ranging in length from less than two minutes to almost six minutes, the artists share a sense of elastic boundaries with their listeners and unveil the tonal and rhythmic power of the drums.Grupo Exploraciýn has created an album which appeals to the listener by creating a sense of intimacy with drums and drummers rarely achieved in a more straightforward Afro-Latin setting. Its creative purpose, according to producer David Peýalosa was to demonstrate that "the orchestra of drums can be a complete and full sound on its own". As a result the savor of the album is the sound of the drums, with no singing and very little in the way of non-percussive instrumentation. The basic ingredients used to create this effect are the drums we are familiar with - congas, bongos, batý drums, - even the bombo and the cajýn (a drum made from a box) are relatively well known. To this mix is added the alchemic blend of more exotic, mainly traditional Caribbean percussion; shekere, rainsticks, agogý bell, marimbula and steel pan join the maraca, cowbell and gýiro to infuse the individual items with their own unique flavor and appeal. The few non-percussive instruments, notably bird whistles, corneta china and trombones, act as accents to the percussive sound rather than as melodic objects in and of themselves. The unmasked sounds of percussion persuade the listener to examine the complex rhythmic and harmonic relationships between instruments and to become immersed in their purity. While some parts of this album seem designed supply a musical dish for reflection ("El Monte" seems particularly indicative of this mood), others make it very easy indeed to move one's feet. Particularly appealing to my sense of "get-up-and-dance" were "Ritmo Changýi", "Congo Oriental", "Vodu", "Kanekela", all representative of Cuba's Eastern district, "Plena de Arcata" with its steel pans (of Trinidadian origin) and "Congo Timba", which is the closest in sound to modern day salsa. Additionally the entire album, while heavily Cuban in derivation, is representative of the diverse Afro-Caribbean drumming traditions. It draws from not only the rumba and orisha traditions but also from Puerto Rican bomba, plena, and the Vodýn traditions of Haiti. The inclusion of such a variety of rhythms suggests a very exciting level of cultural exchange, and the talented ways the drummers explore these rhythms suggest both spontaneity and deliberation. When one considers that Grupo Exploraciýn counts among its members acclaimed artists from Cuba, Puerto Rico and the United States, it is easy to understand why I found Drum Jam both fascinating and impressive.

Percussion Masterpiece!!.......2001-03-10

It is difficult to pick specific cuts in this CD because each one has it's own distinctive sound. However, the one that immediately captured my attention was track #3, "Plena de Arcata," in which the combination of the quinto drum (masterfully performed by Luis Cepeda (from the world renown Puerto Rican Cepedas' Family) and the bass pans (by Eugene Novotney) had me dancing on one foot! Also, check track #8, "El Monte" (The Forest), an assemble of bird whistles combined to simulate the sounds of the forest while at the same time creating a very nice melody. You also have the closest to a straight-up mambo format on track #10 "Congo Timba," and it is still mixed with the African marimbula and the modern drum set. In this cut you even have a trombone mo?a and a timbal solo (performed by Michael Spiro).

Well, don't get me started on the other 13 tracks on this CD. Overall, it's a party of drums and Afro-Caribbean rhythms that will get to your body and soul...and before you know it, you would find yourself carrying the rhythms as each song plays along. Go get it!!

Beat Magazine 03/01/01 by Spencer Harrington. Percussion aficionados will appreciate Bemb?'s Drum Jam. Grupo Exploraci?n, the five-man ensemble on Drum Jam, probes the link between contemporary Cuban song styles and ancient liturgical African rhythms. The album is an outgrowth of "Explorations of Afro-Cuban Dance and Drum", a yearly course held at Humboldt Sate University in Northern California. Bemb? producer David Penalosa requested that several Afro-Cuban maestros teaching courses gather to record a descarga, or jam session. Isolating the drum this way is unusual since many percussionists derive their inspiration from singers and dancers. Still, the session gives Afro-Cuban percussion instruments rare focus. Certain drums assume melodic roles, playing a "song", while others create a second strata of melody beneath the soloist. If you ever wanted to know what an iy? bat? sound like, this is your album.

Beat Magazine 03/01/01 by Dave Hucker. A groovy percussion outing comes in the shape of Drum Jam by Grupo Exploraci?n, made up of luminaries of the Afro-Cuban drumming world: Miguel Bernal, Juan Brown, Lu?s Cepeda, Harold Mu?iz and Michael Spiro. Described as the most important drumming album since Tito Puente's excursion into pure drumming on Puente in Percussion (Tico) in the 60's, which featured Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo and Patato, it's not far off.

by Dennis M. Reed "Califa" 01/23/01 One of the cleanest drum recordings I have ever heard. Great compilation and liner notes.

What a Beautiful Percussion Party!.......2001-01-05

Definitive, new all-percussion.......2000-12-31

Pure Percussion.......2000-12-13

Review by Don Heckman, LA Times, 12/10/00.

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