While attending my very first Yankees game, which also happened to be my first live baseball game ever, I was told that one of the team - Bernie - was an excellent guitar player and composer. I was intrigued to hear his music, so when I heard this CD I was blown away by his talent. Go Bernie, it's a home run! - Paul McCartney
Take note! If there's one lively Latin-flavored guitar jazz disc by an all-star center fielder you must listen to this year, make it this one. Don't do it however, just for the novelty of a .300 career-hitting New York Yankee legend making music for a hometown-based label, but because his hobby comes loaded with great melodic ideas and some buoyant, snappy playing. No doubt many critics will see this as a sports celebrity vanity project, and much will be made of all the top musicians who jumped into the fray (Béla Fleck, David Sancious, T-Bone Wolk, Luis Conte), but Williams truly holds his own. The opening track, "La Salsa en Mi," is feisty Latin jamming with an instantly catchy melody, and sets a lofty standard that some of the mellower tracks simply can't match. High-spirited exotic sessions like that and the percussion-intense "Desvelado" run rings around more conventional but still engaging light funk-jazz tracks like "The Way" and the lush ballad "Just Because," whose contribution by labelmate pianist David Benoit is surprisingly subtle. Those who like simple fingerstyling may most enjoy the interlude "Samba Novo," while pop fans may best enjoy the mainstream readings of "Dust in the Wind" and Billy Joel's plaintive "And So It Goes." The best evidence that Williams can funk out as well as he can do salsa ( remember, he's a native Puerto Rican ) is the turbocharged fusion jam "Stranded on the Bridge." In contemporary jazz circles, Wayman Tisdale* has made a successful move from basketball to bass (+). When Bernie Williams retires, more discs like this will ensure that he's more than a one-shot deal. ~ Jonathan Widran, AMG
Que divertido. Hace unos años, en un centro comercial por aquí cerca, tomando café en el acogedor “coffee shop” -llamado “Schubert”-, de una ya desaparecida tienda -El duende- que vendía de todo, mientras hojeaba – antes de decidir la compra- la nota introductoria de Octavio Paz a un libro - Las enseñanzas de don Juan-, ví de reojo en el “brookshield” al lado este compacto de la vieja estrella -center fielder- portorriqueña de los "Yankees" de Nueva York, Bernie Williams. Como el libro ya lo había leído, sin prólogo, mejor me decidí por él y aquí dejo unas canciones -para diversificar el canasto- y la recomendación de que en caso lo adquieran, lo lean acompañado de “The fire from within” de la misma saga autoral del mencionado, de repente les implosiona. ¡Es bueno, lo dice Paul, vamos¡. Disfrútenlo.
Take note! If there's one lively Latin-flavored guitar jazz disc by an all-star center fielder you must listen to this year, make it this one. Don't do it however, just for the novelty of a .300 career-hitting New York Yankee legend making music for a hometown-based label, but because his hobby comes loaded with great melodic ideas and some buoyant, snappy playing. No doubt many critics will see this as a sports celebrity vanity project, and much will be made of all the top musicians who jumped into the fray (Béla Fleck, David Sancious, T-Bone Wolk, Luis Conte), but Williams truly holds his own. The opening track, "La Salsa en Mi," is feisty Latin jamming with an instantly catchy melody, and sets a lofty standard that some of the mellower tracks simply can't match. High-spirited exotic sessions like that and the percussion-intense "Desvelado" run rings around more conventional but still engaging light funk-jazz tracks like "The Way" and the lush ballad "Just Because," whose contribution by labelmate pianist David Benoit is surprisingly subtle. Those who like simple fingerstyling may most enjoy the interlude "Samba Novo," while pop fans may best enjoy the mainstream readings of "Dust in the Wind" and Billy Joel's plaintive "And So It Goes." The best evidence that Williams can funk out as well as he can do salsa ( remember, he's a native Puerto Rican ) is the turbocharged fusion jam "Stranded on the Bridge." In contemporary jazz circles, Wayman Tisdale* has made a successful move from basketball to bass (+). When Bernie Williams retires, more discs like this will ensure that he's more than a one-shot deal. ~ Jonathan Widran, AMG
Que divertido. Hace unos años, en un centro comercial por aquí cerca, tomando café en el acogedor “coffee shop” -llamado “Schubert”-, de una ya desaparecida tienda -El duende- que vendía de todo, mientras hojeaba – antes de decidir la compra- la nota introductoria de Octavio Paz a un libro - Las enseñanzas de don Juan-, ví de reojo en el “brookshield” al lado este compacto de la vieja estrella -center fielder- portorriqueña de los "Yankees" de Nueva York, Bernie Williams. Como el libro ya lo había leído, sin prólogo, mejor me decidí por él y aquí dejo unas canciones -para diversificar el canasto- y la recomendación de que en caso lo adquieran, lo lean acompañado de “The fire from within” de la misma saga autoral del mencionado, de repente les implosiona. ¡Es bueno, lo dice Paul, vamos¡. Disfrútenlo.
(+)Wayman falleció no hace mucho.
PD. Nos dejó Olga Guillot.
