Giovanni Hidalgo - Traveling Through Time

Styles: Latin Jazz, World Fusion 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:45
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

( 6:09)  1. La Maquinita
( 6:49)  2. Un Cha
( 4:28)  3. Timba y Bateria
( 6:23)  4. Timba y Bateria II
(10:39)  5. Enea
( 5:39)  6. Enea II
( 4:28)  7. Drum Solo
( 3:25)  8. Timba Solo
( 7:41)  9. Juntos

Giovanni Hidalgo is a renowned Puerto Rican conga player and Traveling Through Time is his 7th studio album as a leader.  This album was released late in 2014 under Incipit Records.  It features Giovanni Hidalgo and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez on percussion and drums. With nothing but percussion on here, one might think that Traveling Through Time would become either boring or tiring.  That couldn’t be farther from the truth.  With two percussionists of this caliber, magic has happened here.  The album grooves and keeps things interesting, never remaining in one place for too, too long, yet retaining the drive and energy that is essential to anything Latin.  It’s an extraordinarily layered album as well.  There’s something to be discovered with every listen.  It sometimes is hard to believe that Traveling Through Time features just two people.  

The opening track, “La Maquinita,” sprints in roaring with a complex rhythmic melody (admittedly a weird word to be using without melodic instruments, but trust me there’s a melody) that sounds as though it could be a percussion ensemble of four or five people. In sum, then, Traveling Through Time is a gem.  For an album that relies entirely on percussion, Giovanni Hidalgo and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez created something wonderfully energetic and interesting. https://elliottmusicreview.wordpress.com/2016/01/10/giovanni-hidalgo-traveling-through-time/

Traveling Through Time

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Giovanni Hidalgo - Hands Of Rhythm

Styles: Latin Jazz, World Fusion 
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:12
Size: 119,0 MB
Art:

(5:53)  1. And Sammy Walked In
(5:08)  2. Footprints
(4:22)  3. Amo Esta Isla
(4:16)  4. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
(4:11)  5. My Soul Beat
(4:50)  6. Papa Boco
(3:47)  7. Blue Monk
(5:15)  8. If You Knew...
(4:05)  9. En Mi Viejo San Juan
(6:18) 10. Hello And Goodbye
(3:02) 11. Hands In Motion

Could a collaborative effort between Dominican piano virtuoso Michel Camilio and Giovanni Hidalgo, who is commonly known as the finest living conguero, possibly live up to the expectations? The answer Hands of Rhythm offers is nothing short of "All that and them some, baby." The beautiful thing about hearing both Camilo and Hidalgo in a rare duo format is that unlike larger band contexts, their genius does not compete for sonic space with anyone. Every note, every stroke is clearly audible, and crystal clear. Almost as fantastic as the instrumental performance was the repertoire chosen. In fact, the overall flavor is not what one might expect from two players known well for blistering speed. A haunting, sensitive rendition of "Footprints" and the reminiscent "En Mi Viejo San Juan" are welcome surprises from a percussion lead duo. "Softly as in the Morning" and "Blue Monk" are swinging from start to finish. With these jazzy selections, the bossa nova-at-its-best "If You Knew," and the merengue "Papa Boco," Hands of Rhythm shies away from the clave-driven music that made these two men famous. 

And yet, they prove themselves as adept in any one idiom as the other. Hidalgo and Camilo make up for their small numbers with both taste and sheer brilliance. Hands of Rhythm is required listening for both these musician's loyal fan bases, and the Latin jazz listening public alike. ~ Evam C. Guttierrez https://www.allmusic.com/album/hands-of-rhythm-mw0000081472

Personnel: Giovanni Hidalgo: Bongos, Chimes, Composer, Congas; Michel Camilo: Piano

Hands Of Rhythm

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