CD Review: Afro Bop Alliance's 'Angel Eyes'

Afro Bop Alliance
Angel Eyes
Zoho 

The Afro Bop Alliance is a Washington, DC-area band that showcases a wide-range of Latin jazz, salsa, bossa nova, and South American-inspired tunes on their latest release, Angel Eyes. The seductive album cover art draws in listeners by way of visual cues, but the visual quickly leads to the aural, as the sounds emanate from the album with such vivacity. The tracks are littered with infectious tunes and instruments, including the steel pan, bass, piano, drums, congas, sax, trumpet, cello, clarinet, and violin. The group enlists numerous jazz lines and Latin fusions that take on a lively life of their own. There are eleven tunes, but only two tracks include vocals: "Nature Boy" and "Minor Details." The Afro-Cuban elements are evident throughout. However, anyone with an interest in classic, Latin jazz music will love Afro Bop Alliance's Angel Eyes. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Morpheus Hang's 'Listening In The Dark'

Morpheus Hang
Listening In The Dark
Sketis Music

Yuri Rubin (aka Morpheus Hang) is a Russian composer and performer on the hang and steel drum. The hang is an instrument currently only made in Bern, Switzerland that is an idiophone played with fingers and hands. It is a UFO-shaped steel sheets welded together as two discs. The instrument is played on the lap in both horizontal and vertical positions. The sound is quite indicative of the steel pan, but that is typically brighter in tone. The hang is more muted in tone, which adds a kind of bass sound to the songs. There are no additional instruments or vocals on the eight tracks that range over forty-minutes in length. The tonal qualities overall are very contemplative and meditative. The hang is very dreamy and melodic. Yuri succeeds with Listening In The Dark. ~ Matthew Forss