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Santana's percussionists Karl Perazzo and Raul Rekow CD,
Just Another Day is a bit of a leap from Carlos Santana's particular fusion
of Latin, rock, and R & B. In fact, it is hardcore Afro-Cuban with few concessions to electric instruments and drumset. What Santana's longtime percussionists offer is rumba: vocals, dance rhythms, guaguanco and yambu. "Bara su wayo" is
an example of vocal call and response, in which a two-vocal chorus expands
to a full choir. (1:40 - 2:47) During a percussion interlude, the insistent
cowbell anchors a crisp conga solo. Here, Raul and Karl demonstrate again their
impeccable timing. Their feel is smack on top of the beat where it belongs.
The plaintive vocals and deep timbres of the hand drums on "Yambu for" give pause. By the time the vocal chorus joins in, with joyous, almost religious overtones, (3:26 min.) the tune has already become a favorite.
The folkloric element is especially prominent in the repeated chorus in "Maraca guiro y tambor." Batacumbele used to do refrains like this, but with full orchestration. Raul and Karl have cut it down to absolute folk basics, the point being you could perform it in a park.
"Llego mi guajira" is a cha cha cha that marks the introduction of keyboards, bass, and horns. Rebecca Mauleon turns in the perfect piano solo for the medium. Raul and Karl give it uncommon life - their rhythm track is that clean and snappy. While the cha cha can sometimes meander, or even slow down, this one stays energetic. Students of Latin take note.
In the uptempo "Iron water," a single vocal line converses with a chorus of voices in the West African tradition. While in the first half the bell suggests 4/4 time, the conga is emphatically in 6/8. This tugging, inherent in the music, represents the contradictions that Raul and Karl pull off so well. What is that gongy cymbal that closes the track?
In "A Little R & R", we have a conga solo, very staccato, that builds in intensity. A bass drum punctuates, accompanied by splash cymbals - the segue into the next song, "Karlsbad caverns." Presumably, it's Karl on timbales here - judging by his customary role in Santana. He plays in the middle of the head, rimshots, shell, and jumps to blocks and bells. In a surprise move, (see 4:19) he adjusts his timbale pattern to accommodate a street clave 3/2 on cowbell - a real tease! Elbows on the timbale raise the pitch. Back to bass drum and crash exclamations, and the song is over the way it started.
Even non-musicians will appreciate the charming interplay of vocals and percussion here. While Raul and Karl obviously have the chops to take it outside, they show the maturity to stay within traditional parameters. Nice to hear them playing intimate patterns far from the stadium.
For more information, or to purchase the CD, please visit: Mona Records.
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