- Neff Irizarry II
Guitarist Neff Irizarry and his group Nepenthe combine contemporary Jazz with Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Puerto Rican styles of music in a way that few have attempted before: the absence of a piano player in a Latin group is rare if not unseen, but in this band – with saxophone, guitar, bass, drums and percussion- Neff fills the 88-key gap with clarity and fire. Guitaristic feast of montunos, guajeos, intriguing harmonizations, burning hardbop lines… the result is so interesting that it even gained world-renowned Yellowjackets bass player and Grammy Award winner Jimmy Haslip’s attention and brought about a fruitful co-operation, this debut CD by Neff called “Nepenthe” [=Gr solace for sorrow], which he co-produced, partly co-wrote and played on.
You can purchase the Nepenthe by sending an email to neff@nepenthe.com
Neff’s CD features seven of his own compositions as well as new arrangements of compositions by Thelonius Monk, Paquito D’Rivera and a catchy version of Mambo Ricci tune made famous by Eric Dolphy. One of Neff’s original compositions on the CD “El Juego”, featured on a charity CD entitled “Junction”-Union Station, Pasadena, has already gained airplay in the US before the CD’s actual release. You can purchase the CD at www.yellowjackets.com in the charity section. The Band is a fine combination of the finest percussionists in Finland, HOT new talent from abroad and solid cross Atlantic groove.
