Omar Sosa & NDR Bigband - Ceremony
2010

Brought to you by TQMP
The Quality Music Project

Two brilliant minds joined forces on Ceremony, the new album by Cuban pianist and composer Omar Sosa, who is one of the most exciting musicians in the current international jazz scene. The album is the result of the collaboration between Omar Sosa and renowned Brazilian cellist, composer and arranger Jacques Morelenbaum. 

Ceremony features the reputable 18–piece NDR Bigband (North German Radio / Norddeutscher Rundfunk) from Hamburg, and the excellent Omar Sosa Quartet, featuring Cuban drummer Julio Barreto, Mozambican bassist Childo Tomas, and Cuban percussionist Marcos Ilukбn. Sosa himself plays piano and marimba. Sosa's impressive body of work has deep Cuban roots, including the music batб ceremonies, Cuban son, danzуn, and cha cha chб, as well as elements from Pacific Coast Afro-Colombian and Afro-Ecuadorian traditions, featuring the use of various traditional rhythms and marimbas.  

The album was recorded in two sessions (2007 and 2008) at NDR's Hamburg studios, under the direction of Morelenbaum and Sosa. Ceremony includes Morelenbaum's masterful arrangements of musical pieces from Omar Sosa's recordings Spirit of the Roots (1999), Bembуn (2000), and Afreecanos (2009) . In addition, two new compositions by Omar Sosa are featured, "Llegada Con Elegba" (Arrival with Elegba, the introductory track) and "Salida Con Elegba" (Departure with Elegba, the closing piece). Elegba is a Yoruba deity worshipped by some Cubans, the divine messenger and guardian spirit, the all-powerful medium and diviner of human fate.

Ceremony grew out of a conversation with Hamburg producer Stefan Gerdes of NDR, who brokered the connection with Jacques Morelenbaum, who is much sought after as an arranger, reflecting his signal work with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Cesбria Evora, and Mariza, among many others.

The NDR Bigband is an ensemble of accomplished soloists. Jцrg Achim Keller is the musical director. The orchestra includes trumpeters Thorsten Benkenstein, Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stцtter and Reiner Winterschladen; saxophonists Fiete Felsch (alto), Peter Bolte (alto), Christof Lauer (tenor), Lutz Bьchner (tenor) and Frank Delle (baritone); trombonists Dan Gottshall, Klaus Heidenreich, Stefan Lottermann and Ingo Lahme; keyboardist Vladyslav Sendecki; guitarist Stephan Diez; bassist Ingmar Heller; and percussionist Marcio Doctor.

The NDR Bigband has worked with such noted arrangers as Steve Gray, Colin Towns, and Michael Gibbs. Over the years, the NDR Bigband has recorded with the biggest names in jazz,  including Chet Baker, Paquito D'Rivera, Pee Wee Ellis, Joe Gallardo, Lionel Hampton, Dave Holland, Abdullah Ibrahim, Pat Metheny, Joe Pass, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Oscar Brown, Jr., Al Jarreau, and Bobby McFerrin.

Ceremony is a new masterpiece by one of the powerhouses of jazz and Afro-Cuban music.  The album will have its international debut at NDR in Hamburg on March 18–19, 2010.
-- WorldMusicCentral.org

Tracks
01- Llegada con Elegba
02- Chango en esmeraldas
03- Danzon de tus ojos
04- Yemaya en agua larga
05- Luz en el cielo
06- Cha con marimba
07- Mi tradicion
08- Carambab 
09- Monkuru
10- Salida con Elegba

Artwork, EAC log and CUE sheet included.

Audio format: FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) 
http://flac.sourceforge.net/index.html 

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