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06/10/08 Blue Note Columbia, MO
Discography
06/12/08 Bonnaroo Music Festival TN* 06/13/08 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN* 06/14/08 Festival of the Arts Columbia, MD* 06/14/08 Columbia Festival of the Arts, MD* 06/15/08 Arts Center Carrboro, NC* 06/17/08 World Grotto Knoxville, TN* 06/18/08 Ravari Room Columbus, OH* 06/19/08 House of Blues Chicago, IL* 06/20/08 Beachland Ballroom Ohio* 06/21/08 Black Cat Austin, TX 06/22/08 Festival of Arts and Ideas CT* 06/24/08 Stubbs Austin, TX 06/25/08 Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA* 06/26/08 Ironhorse Northampton, TX* 06/27/08 SOB’S New York, NY* 06/28/08 Nectar’s Burlington, VT* 07/01/08 33 Hess Hamilton, Ontario* 07/02/08 Horseshoe Toronto, Ontario* 07/03/08 Comerica Cityfest Detroit, MI* 07/04/08 Sunfest London, Ontario* 07/05/08 Sunfest London, Ontario* 07/06/08 Montreal Jazz Fest Montreal, Quebec* 07/07/08 Festival D’Ete Quebec, Quebec* 07/09/08 Cisco Systems Bluesfest Ottawa, Ontario* 07/12/08 Rotown Rotterdam* 07/13/08 North Sea Jazz Festival Rotterdam* 07/18/08 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia* 07/19/08 Tipitina’s New Orleans, Louisiana* 07/25/08 The Parish Austin, Texas** 07/26/08 Antone’s Austin, Texas* 07/28/08 Pole Pole Festival Gent* 08/01/08 Cambridge Folk Festival Cambridge* 08/02/08 Riverside Festival Nottingham* 08/03/08 Danouter Folk Festival Danouter* 08/04/08 Farmleigh Affair Dublin, Dublin * with Grupo Fantasma ** with Brownout
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The first time I heard The Alchemist Manifesto from Ocote Soul Sounds and Adrian Quesada, I thought it was a soundtrack to a 70s French movie, filming on location in Spain. It is wonderful background music that seems to have been yanked from afro-jazz, reggae, funk, latin beats, etc.
Ocote Soul Sounds is really the stage name for musician/producer Martin Perna, and this will be the third Ocote Soul Sounds release, but the second with Adrian Quesada.
Perna's actually pretty well-established, working with as many artists as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings to TV on Radio, while Adrian Quesada is a founding member of the Latin big band Grupo Fantasma and their side project Brownout.
With The Alchemist Manifesto, I would have to say that the album is largely instrumental, with the exception of "Hacia Un Manana Mejor", "La Reja" and "El Pescador", but I wouldn't call these typical singing lyrics. They sound more like marching Spanish chants or background with the music in the foreground.
I read that "El Pescador" is actually a cover of a classic Afro-Colombian song, but I'm not familiar with the original. What I can tell you is that the song features a killer flute sound.
Flutes and other organic sound seems to be the basis of The Alchemist Manifesto, with more flute madness can be found on "Gunpowder" and "Hacia Un Manana Mejor", while "One Hundred Years" emphasis on hand drums.
I love the excellent bass, on "Contra El Sol" (Against the Sun), but my only complaint is that the song is too short.
Overall, an wonderful easy-listening album for fans of latin jazz soundtracks. The Alchemist Manifesto is released today, June 10th from ESL Music. Look for Grupo Fantasma on tour, they seem to be doing all the major US festivals.
Trivia: incidentally Perna acted as session musician for Scarlett Johansson's mixed-review Anywhere I Lay My Head
