CD Review: Pedro Bermudez - No Limits

CD Review: Pedro Bermudez - No Limits

Year: 2010

Record Label: Luizama Music

Style: Latin Jazz / Latin Funk

Musicians: Pedro Bermudez (piano, fender rhodes), Eddie Gomez (bass), Ruben Rodriguez (bass), Duduka Da Fonseca (drums, percussion), Ivan Renta (sax), Nelson Jaime (trumpet), Richie Flores (congas), Vince Cherico (drums), Diego Lopez (drums), Cristian Rivera (congas), Carli Maldonado (timbal, congas), Efrain Martinez (drums), Gabriel Rodriguez (bass), Felipe Salles (sax), Mike Arroyo (guitar), David Rodriguez (trumpet), Ana Baiana (vocals), Oscar Stagnaro (bass)

Review:
Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Pedro Bermudez is a pianist with lot of experience playing with salsa legends like Willie Rosario, Roberto Roena and the Puerto Rican Latin Jazz group Batacumbele.

The opening track Yuba a Santurce is precisely an homage to Pedro's town, Santurce. This is a piece with Bomba and Jazz fusion, reminiscent of the music of another great Jazz musician from Puerto Rico, trombonist William Cepeda. Good improvisations by Ivan Renta on sax and Oscar Stagnaro on bass.

Pedro plays the fender rhodes en La numero site, and Mike Arroyo also from Puerto Rico plays the guitar. The track breaks into kind of a montuno in the end. El Jarriero feels like a slow mambo, this time with another good bassist, Ruben Rodriguez, excellent trumpet by Nelson Jaime, who is also the recording engineer, and Richie Flores spectacular as always on congas.

Pedro great technique and experience can be fully appreciated on latin tracks like ALC. It is amazing the quality and quantity of musicians playing on this CD. On the more traditional Jazz track, The Dreamer, the bassist is Eddie Gomez. Some might remember Eddie as the bass player with Bill Evans. And in this format of just piano, bass and drums the music here reminds me at times of the legendary Jazz pianist.

Pedro goes back to the Fender Rhodes in the Samba influenced Bombaiao with Felipe Salles on sax, Oscar Stagnaro back on bass and master brazilian percussionist/drummer Duduka Da Fonseca.

Redentor includes another virtuosic bassist from Puerto Rico, Gabriel Rodriguez. A young but experienced musician currently playing with Charlie Sepulveda and Jazz trio San Juan Collective.

Duduka also plays on Chorinho para Maria, a piece with traditional brazilian rhythms where Pedro shows his versitality as a composer and improviser, even quoting in his improvisation recognized brazilian songs like Samba da minha terra.

All compositions are originals by Pedro Bermudez except Jobim Caminhos Cruzados. The wonderful interpretation and voice on this one is Ana Baiana. No limits and Long Walk have two of the more interesting arrangements with nice tempo changes.

Tracks: Yuba a Santurce, La numero siete, El jarriero, ALC, The dreamer, Bombaiao, Redentor, Chorinho para Maria, Ivan's Cha, Caminhos cruzados, Offbeat, Ni limits, Long walk

Artist's Website: http://www.pedrobermudezpiano.com

Reviewed by: Wilbert Sostre