By Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine
Venezuelan pianist and Latin Grammy nominee Gabriel Chakarji augments his trio for his studio recording debut New Beginning, redefining the relationship between jazz and Afro-South American/Caribbean music with eight original and innovative compositions. He features several fellow Venezuelan musicians who are equally connected to the Afro-Venezuelan lineage: vocalist Carmela Ramirez, percussionist Daniel Prim, and percussionist Jeickov Vital. Longtime collaborators of Chakarji in his trio, drummer Jongkuk Kim (JK) and bassist Edward Perez, are aboard as well two consummate horn players, trumpeter Adam O’Farrill and tenor saxophonist Morgan Guerin. Read the full review here.