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Diego Urcola releases "Viva" on Cam Jazz

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Diego Urcola's new record Viva, features the Grammy-nominated trumpeter leading an all-star lineup. The core group of Edward Simon, Avishai Cohen, Antonio Sanchez, and Pernel Saturnino are joined by guests Paquito D'Rivera, Jimmy Heath, Dave Samuels and Conrad Herwig.

Viva features four Urcola originals, two from fellow Argentine composer/big bandleader Guillermo Klein, a pair from another Argentine composer and one of Urcola's best friends, Juan Raffo, a piece by Heath, and the Astor Piazzola classic, “Adios Nonino," a sublime melody the bandoneon master wrote for his father.

Raffo's tunes include the sizzling, horn swinging “Afroraffo," an old number from the 80's that was a big fusion hit in Argentina, and a new lively, percussive piece “Gringo Dance," teeming with South American rhythms. Klein's songs, the title track and “El Camino," are slow, reflective beauties that Urcola brought to the sessions to balance the uptempo offerings.

Urcola bookends Viva with his own compositions, opening with the spirited tango-meets-jazz “Tango Azul" and closing with the rapturous ballad “Emilia" inspired by his 1-year-old daughter. Urcola also contributes “Blues for Jimmy," a straight-ahead blues he wrote for Heath as a class assignment and featuring buoyantly swinging solos by the trumpeter, tenor saxist and trombonist. Arguably the highlight track of the CD, “40/40," features Urcola and D'Rivera brilliantly reflecting, conversing, dancing, frolicking and chasing. The tune opens in slow tempo with a middle section that is best described as celebratory.

On Viva, a sensibility of experimentation is vibrantly apparent. So too is Urcola's aim to integrate his homeland's voice into the jazz idiom. “I like to bring the tango flavor from my country into the mix," he says, then adds, “But foremost I'm a jazz musician."

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