Olajope

Amazon.com
Anyone looking for a thoroughly contemporary, easy-beat driven take on Afro-Cuban/Latin-jazz dance groove--look no further. Batidos pairs Groove Collective reedman Jay Rodriguez and DJ/producer Ron Trent--along with Grammy Award-winning Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes and all-star percussionist Eddie Bobe--into a smooth, elegant, and infinitely danceable combo on their debut CD, Olajope. For this outing, well-known house/techno DJ Trent proves a master of restraint, providing an undercurrent of beats and programming that is often opaque and subtle to the point of being felt as much as heard. This gives Rodriguez & Co. plenty of room to fly. And soar they do, Rodriguez's sax, flute, and clarinet leading the way through nine jazzy variations on the Afro-Cuban theme. "Tengo Sed" may be the real highlight, with Valdes's piano and Bobe's percussion laying down a fabulously groovy carpet for Rodriguez to strut all over. Other tracks revive the spirit of '70s fusion jazz, when Weather Report and Return to Forever were turning on new audiences to mixes of traditional Latin music and modern jazz. Excellent for either listening or dancing, Olajope is as perfect and enticing as a summer day in the Caribbean. --Carl Hanni

Product Description
Batidos is a New York-based duo comprising Ron Trent, legendary resident DJ at NYC's Giant Step, and Jay Rodriguez, a founding member of Groove Collective. Afro-Cuban percussion, vocals and rhythms merge with jazz, house and soulful organic Latin melodies on the band's Six Degrees debut, Olájopé. Also featured on Olájopé, in addition to producer/programmer/percussionist Ron Trent and the woodwinds of Jay Rodriguez (who has played with everyone from Wu-Tang Clan to Prince to Tito Puente), are Chucho Valdés, the Grammy™-winning Cuban pianist, and star percussionist Eddie Bobé. Batidos delivers dance music that is both sensuous and beat-savvy.

Olajope

Tracks:

Just A Dream
Agua
Dear Neven
Cumbe
Tengo Sed
Oya
Olajope
Buscame
Myths & Realities

Amazon.com

Anyone looking for a thoroughly contemporary, easy-beat driven take on Afro-Cuban/Latin-jazz dance groove--look no further. Batidos pairs Groove Collective reedman Jay Rodriguez and DJ/producer Ron Trent--along with Grammy Award-winning Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes and all-star percussionist Eddie Bobe--into a smooth, elegant, and infinitely danceable combo on their debut CD, Olajope. For this outing, well-known house/techno DJ Trent proves a master of restraint, providing an undercurrent of beats and programming that is often opaque and subtle to the point of being felt as much as heard. This gives Rodriguez & Co. plenty of room to fly. And soar they do, Rodriguez's sax, flute, and clarinet leading the way through nine jazzy variations on the Afro-Cuban theme. "Tengo Sed" may be the real highlight, with Valdes's piano and Bobe's percussion laying down a fabulously groovy carpet for Rodriguez to strut all over. Other tracks revive the spirit of '70s fusion jazz, when Weather Report and Return to Forever were turning on new audiences to mixes of traditional Latin music and modern jazz. Excellent for either listening or dancing, Olajope is as perfect and enticing as a summer day in the Caribbean. --Carl Hanni

Album Description

Batidos is a New York-based duo comprising Ron Trent, legendary resident DJ at NYC's Giant Step, and Jay Rodriguez, a founding member of Groove Collective. Afro-Cuban percussion, vocals and rhythms merge with jazz, house and soulful organic Latin melodies on the band's Six Degrees debut, Olájopé. Also featured on Olájopé, in addition to producer/programmer/percussionist Ron Trent and the woodwinds of Jay Rodriguez (who has played with everyone from Wu-Tang Clan to Prince to Tito Puente), are Chucho Valdés, the Grammy™-winning Cuban pianist, and star percussionist Eddie Bobé. Batidos delivers dance music that is both sensuous and beat-savvy.

Customer Reviews:

This Surprised Me.......2005-03-18

Batidos are sax man Jay Rodriguez & house man (think "Deep & Sexy" series) Ron Trent. It's quite an interesting fusion of sounds - and what's more it makes my mind swim with wondering what sound could be like if the likes of Stan Getz teamed up with Kerri Chandler or John Beltran or John Cutler even. This album was released on the Six Degrees label, home to several other great musicians from around the world like Bebel Gilberto ,Zuco 103, dZihan & Kamien, Euphoria, Banco De Gaia among others.

I saw this in the shops several times but never picked it up. But seeing that venders were off-loading it on the cheap, I figured why not give it a whirl? And boy, I wondered why I waited so long to pick this up. It starts out with a hint of what to expect in "Just a Dream", easy going on the vocals and nice tropical sounds. There's some nice latin touches in the 2 minute "Cumbe" cut but it's not as ambient and lush as "Dear Neven". What a beautiful song!! Easily the biggest pleasant surprise on the cd. But the real reason I picked this up was because of the track "Oya". Latin house bliss, sensational flute work and a beat that's not over-bearing and mad smooth. I love it. It's followed up by the title track "Olajope", which for some reason reminds me of the atmosphere in a club-like Miami night. There are a few other cuts in there that give off a nice festive mood - the cd makes me smile.

I certainly recommend this album - it was one of the best kept secrets in the Six Degrees music family. If there is a downside to the tracks, it would be that not all of the songs got me and it has a distinctly late 90's feel IMO. And in some ways I can see how maybe to some this could be a 'love it' or 'hate it' cd. But the cuts are stand alone, of good quality to me and I enjoyed this - and for the price I paid you simply couldn't go wrong. Check it out! And if you like it, you might also like John Beltran's "Sun Gypsy", Brazilectro vol II, Latin Deluxe Dia Em Noite, Latina Cafe and try to find some work by MAW.

Pretty good, once you get into it.......2004-03-04

This CD is a good amalgm of Hispanic and African-American music styles; on the first listen, I wasn't too impressed with it, but on subsequent listens, I began to notice the many different textures present within the structure of each individual song. On the whole, the CD is a very strong effort, but it could have done with another couple of more upbeat tracks in the spirit of the danceable "Tango Sed"

CUBA.......2002-03-12

RON TRENT TAKES YOU ON A SMOOTH JOURNEY AND BACK TO THOSE AFRO-CUBAN ROOTS! I love it and everytime I play it, it seems to lift the spirits! For those of you who love percussion and jazz rythms, try it, I PROMISE YOU WILL NOT BE LET DOWN. Track 6,8,9 are by far my fav's!

Not a Top 10 Essential Electronic Album of 2001............2002-01-06

... the album draws on *strong* Latin rhythms and vibes to set a easy and upbeat tone....a different web site...listed this album as a Top Ten Essential Electronic Album of 2001 however, I feel that it falls well short of that bold accolade; no if's, and's, or but's. That other web site even dares to say that this album is within the category of "house" music.

The sax, flute, and percussion work is delightful. The tone is upbeat. It's a good album for listening to on a sunny Sunday afternoon by the Hotel Delano's pool in Mi-AH-Mi, but I feel it does not deserve the praise which the other website gave it. My expectations were high, and while I still will listen to this album I was expecting more pure dance/house rhythms such as those found in St. Germain's standout Latin-house single of "Soul Salsa Soul" off the 'From Detroit to St. Germain' album. Those listeners expecting a bass thumping, booty shaking, latin-house album will be disappointed; those looking for a easy listening, upbeatlatin-jazz album will be pleased. There are no serious "electronic" or "house" vibes to be had here and the album is strongly geared towards a more jazz-centric listener. ....

Hey... it's on Six Degrees!.......2001-09-07

Okay I haven't heard THIS particular CD... yet. HOWEVER, I have at least two dozen (or more) CDs in my collection from the Six Degrees label and I enjoy the "heck" outta every last one of 'em. Some peoples at this label have very similar musical tastes to mine. So, I appreciate their product. Nice grooves and real visceral textures. The sound is eclectic, fresh, it be bumpinin' ...it be the international stylee, yah mon. Now when I am browsin' in the international musique section at the CD store, mining them racks for the new titles, I always look for the Six Degrees packaging and logo... and always purchase their new releases - unheard - based on the strength & quality of their previous product. PS: I DID NOT receive any commercial or monetary consideration from Six Degrees to write this. I jest likes the musics.

Album Review:

Album Review

album review

Album Review

Freestyle Party, Vol. 6 [Import]

Schumann: Romanzen Op.94, Adagio & Allegro Op.70

Music for a Moonlit Night

Music: Di Doo Dah [Import]

Oldies But Goldies [Import]

Return to Earth '91-'93

Irish Homecoming

More Than Us [EP]

Patsy Cline Karaoke [Karaoke]

Juntos De Nuevo [Import]

Smile

Over An Hour of Irish Folk [Import]

Pulp Fusion V.6: Magnum [Import]

The best of the Moonglows: Millennium Collection

All Souled Out