CD Reviews | Proverb Trio
All About Jazz

Down Beat Editor's Pick


CD Reviews l Si o Si Quartet Live at the Jazz Standard "Love it when a working band gets captured on a hot night. Jazz boasts several superb live discs, and the Cuban drummer's decision to document his foursome's controlled delirium was a wise move that adds another title to the list. Prieto has made some exciting albums previously, but those who catch him on a regular basis know that the bandstand is where the real action is... He's expert at calibrating his incredible chops to suit the tune at hand. Turn up the volume on Si O Si's work and discover what happens when judiciousness and exhilaration make a deep connection." **** –Jim Macnie, Downbeat

"Ten tracks that display Prieto's masterful drumming and willingness to take risks as a composer. There's great stylistic diversity and emotional range with room for playfulness... Prieto conjures moods by employing folkloric elements, propulsive polyrhythms, and funk-inspired arrangements, all while engaging the ensemble in unconventional dialogues. In his quest to create a sonic realm where the mind and all things sentient can mingle freely, Live at the Jazz Standard represents the latest chapter in an ongoing, trailblazing career." –Lissette Corsa, Jazziz

"On his fine new release, the irrepressible Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto leads his current working band – with Peter Apfelbaum on saxophones, Manuel Valera on piano and Charles Flores on bass – in a smartly rollicking sort of interplay." –Nate Chinen, The New York Times

"Prieto is one of the supermen drummers of contemporary jazz – Cuban-born, fluent in all idioms, a multitude of patterns flowing through him and into his hands and feet at any given point – [whose] pieces are always defined with those clear, original outlines and rhythmic through-ideas..." –Jon Garelick, The Boston Phoenix

"Dafnis Prieto is a revolutionary drummer as well as visionary composer and bandleader. His Si o Si Quartet, made up of the core members from his usual sextet, possesses an ability to musically communicate that almost borders on telepathy." –Drumhead Magazine

"... some of the most interesting and complex compositions and arrangements I've heard in quite some time.  This music is deep, rich and complex and to hear such a world class quartet navigating this music live is an experience not to be forgotten." –Damian Erskine, Bass Musician Magazine

"This is truly extraordinary jazz music. The rhythmic and melodic motifs in the compositions are so pronounced, and the musicianship so lissome, no matter the tempo, the impact of these live recordings from early in 2009 is deceptively strong. Put this on 'Best of 2009' list now!" –Doug Collette, glidemagazine.com

"Live at Jazz Standard NYC, by the Si o Si Quartet, is drummer/bandleader/composer Dafnis Prieto's fourth album of all-original material, cementing his reputation as a formidable technician and visionary. A vibrant set, [it] shows off Prieto's polyrhythmic prowess: orchestrated across the drum kit, each limb playing independently, his time is dense but uncongested, intense without ostentation. The tunes blend challenging harmonies with elements of Latin music and progressive jazz, many in additive time signatures." –Tom Greenland, allaboutjazz.com

"All eleven songs are Prieto compositions and the prolific composer continues to write music that is Cuban-influenced, yet unorthodox and unmistakably the drummer's own... a recording of strong songs that should help cement Prieto's already stellar reputation as a true trailblazer in the modern jazz arena." –jazzchicago.net

“Drummer Dafnis Prieto’s third release as a leader shows him to be a composer of considerable depth. Taking the Soul for a Walk offers 12 pieces of precise, propulsive polyrhythm and intricate parts. There’s plenty of solo playing, but the power of this music is in the ensemble’s confident communication. The performances have a sense of community, and despite the structural, harmonic and rhythmic complexity, the music packs an emotional punch… This is a splendid album that stands up to many listenings.” **** 1/2 stars
– Ned Sublette, Down Beat Magazine

“Never has the line between traditional Latin-jazz and 21st-century postbop been so wonderfully blurred as on Taking the Soul for a Walk. Drummer-composer Dafnis Prieto outlines the dance rhythms of his native Cuba, but his sextet adds complexity that evokes John Lewis’ quote about Duke Ellington: ‘His music was too exciting to dance to.’ … Subversive genre-bending or not, Taking the Soul for a Walk is solidly in the pocket – and it’s glorious.” ­
– Michael J. West, Jazz Times Magazine

“… it is the strength of the arrangements of these fantastic compositions that really allows everyone to shine. Showing confident maturity and youthful excitement in their proper places, these songs simply shimmer with vitality… Music this dense and colorful is nearly impossible to describe. There are more great changes and ideas in a single track than one often finds in whole albums. Joyful, masterful, and brimming with beauty and power, "Taking the Soul for a Walk" simply astonishes, and is clearly one of the best releases I've heard so far this year.”
­– Brad Walseth, jazzchicago.net

“While Cuban-born and New York–based Prieto has already proven himself a virtuosic drummer, this masterful release (the first on his own label) insists that we recognize his remarkable gifts as a composer, too. On Taking the Soul for a Walk, Prieto gives full, emotionally articulate expression to the exile’s internal life, the angst of separation scissoring across the exhilaration of liberty. His skillful use of texture seems to double the sextet’s sound and heightens compositional nuances, and complex rhythms rub bellies together to produce an affecting dance for the spirit.”
– Mel Minter, alibi.com

“Prieto displays the best qualities of a composer on Taking the Soul for a Walk, blending tradition with personality and always finding a connection to his individual vision… (He) wisely utilizes his band members’ unique abilities to help shape his sound, creating structures that bring out their strongest performances… Taking the Soul for a Walk delivers everything that a traditional Latin Jazz promises - driving rhythms, fiery improvisations, and overall intensity; yet Prieto’s strength as a composer lifts this collection of songs into the realm of true artistry seldom seen in today’s world.” – Chip Boaz, The Latin Jazz Corner / allaboutjazz.com

“Prieto is a virtuoso behind a trap set but it's his creative writing and unselfish leadership that sets him apart from his peers. An elaborate hybrid of Afro-Cuban rhythms and sophisticated jazz harmonies, Prieto's compositions are complex, multi-layered affairs that surpass conventional notions of Latin jazz without sacrificing accessibility… A balance between impeccably written charts and fluid interplay, the selections veer from the impassioned to the romantic… Taking The Soul For A Walk is a well crafted blend of multi-faceted writing and heady improvisation, coupled with a highly accessible melodic foundation.” – Troy Collins, All About Jazz

Dafnis Prieto's music explodes with energy… He is the essence of a modern drummer, propelling his original compositions with a singular passion and intensity…  –The Sacramento Bee