Reflections-Facing South [CD]

Trombonist Conrad Herwig, one of the most adventurous voices in Latin jazz, is back with a terrific new Savant release. This time he's teamed up again with the legendary Eddie Palmieri, a true icon of the genre, and bassist Luques Curtis, forming a trio that breaks all the rules. What sets this album apart? There's no drummer. In a musical style as rhythm-centric as Latin jazz, going drumless is almost unheard of - but that's precisely what makes this project so exciting. Curtis keeps the pulse moving forward with his rock-solid, melodic bass playing, while Palmieri fires up all his usual excitement and rhythmic complexity, using the piano like a percussion instrument. Herwig, of course, soars over it all with his high-flying, bold and fluid trombone sound. Herwig and Palmieri go way back, having played together on several of Palmieri's Grammy-winning records. With "Reflections-Facing South," they strip things down to the essentials, and the result is Latin jazz like you've never quite heard it before-energetic, unfiltered and full of surprises.