Omar Sosa
In a curious coincidence, the theme of recent big band releases by drummer Dafnis Prieto, and pianists Chucho Valdés, Arturo O’Farrill and Omar Sosa, is to pay tribute to some seminal figures in Latin jazz, creators such as Mario Bauzá, Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, Frank “Machito” Grillo, Chico O´Farrill, and Bebo Valdés.
Tributes have long become a lazy, ready-made narrative in jazz. What sets these releases apart is that rather than evoking the past, they celebrate the spirit of adventure and discovery that made these creators and their music immortal.
