Conrad Herwig - The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

After receiving four Grammy nominations for his highly successful series of recordings that InchlatinizeInch the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Horace Silver, Conrad Herwig turns his attention to the legendary Charles Mingus. An imposing figure in jazz, Mingus was known for being complicated, volatile and a touched-by-genius innovator. As an homage to this influential artist, Conrad Herwig provides a fiery excursion into the world of Afro-Caribbean rhythms skillfully applied to Mingus' wildly imaginative compositions. Joining Herwig is special guest trumpeter Randy Brecker together with long-time InchLatin SideInch band colleagues pianist Bill O'Connell, reedman Craig Handy and the trumpet/flugelhorn of Alex Sipiagin with the rhythm section of Luques Curtis, Robby Ameen and Camilo Molina. Collectively they bring a vibrant spirit and authority to this repertoire which is unique among today's salsa ensembles. Featured tunes run the gamut from the thoughtful and intimate InchDuke Ellington's Sound of LoveInch to the unbridled joy of InchBoogie Stop ShuffleInch with the somewhat lop-sided introduction to the opening track, InchGunslinging Bird,Inch being the perfect harbinger of things to come. This latest installment in Conrad Herwig's InchLatin SideInch series pays tribute to the work of Charles Mingus with progressive arrangements, propulsive rhythms, exciting solos and the consummate musicianship of the leader and his bandmates.

For more than three decades, trombonist Conrad Herwig has worked the sweet spot where modern jazz meets Afro-Caribbean fire, building his acclaimed Latin Side of... series into one of the most distinctive runs in contemporary jazz. Forged in the company of masters like Eddie Palmieri, Mario Bauzá, and Tito Puente, Herwig brings authority and imagination to the bandstand. Now he takes on The Latin Side of Chick Corea, celebrating a composer whose music thrives on motion, color, and cross-cultural spark. Drawing from Corea's catalog, from early landmarks like the albums Tones for Joan's Bones and Now He Sings, Now He Sobs to the electric energy of Return to Forever, Herwig and co-arranger Bill O'Connell dive in with bold ideas and a fearless approach, reshaping the material with a sure feel for where it comes from and where it can go. Pieces like InchSpain,Inch Inch500 Miles High,Inch and InchWindowsInch ride a deep groove, opening fresh pathways while keeping their melodic impact front and center. With a crack ensemble featuring Craig Handy, Alex Norris, and a rhythm section that locks in and lifts off, Herwig leads performances that are tight, driving, and full of attitude. This is no reverent retread. It is living, breathing music that engages and excites. The series here hits another high mark, the conversation growing deeper, richer, and more compelling.

2015 , a nine-track Pantera primer that includes some of Pantera's most legendary tracks from five studio albums. Pantera was formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers - drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell. The band’s profile was raised when vocalist Phil Anselmo joined the band in 1986. For the next 17 years, they became one of the heaviest and most influential metal band in the U.S. Not bad for a bunch of troublemakers from Texas! This includes ‘Cowboys From Hell’, ‘Fucking Hostile’, ‘Cemetery Gates’ (Demon Knight Edit), ‘Revolution Is My Name’, ‘Drag The Waters’, ‘Mouth For War’, ‘Five Minutes Alone’ and more.