Panamanian-American bassist Santi Debriano took his Flash of the Spirit band, with Andrea Brachfeld (flute), Bob Franceschini (tenor sax), Bill O’Connell (piano) and Tommy Campbell (drums), to the Django for a one-night-only show (Aug. 1) of rousing Latin jazz. the group, named for the iconic robert Farris thompson volume examining African and Afro-American art and philosophy, kicked off its first set with a rendition of Sam Jones’ classic “Del Sasser”. the Cannonball Adderley Quintet swinger got a heaping helping of Latin spice via Campbell’s clave beat, which propelled fiery solos from his four colleagues and his own climactic exchanges with Debriano. Solo bass opened Archie Shepp’s elegant “Steam”, on which Franchesini blew burly tenor, recalling the composer’s brawny sound, and brachfeld played a soaring songbird flute, followed by O’Connell’s lilting piano and a lyrical outing by the leader. Campbell’s explosive drumming had the crowd raucously cheering. the mood calmed for O’Connell’s “Lazy rumba” on which tenor and flute harmonized the easy-grooving melody over Campbell’s gamboling rhythms. Highflying flute, dug-in tenor, sparkling piano and fleet-fingered bass solos followed. Unaccompanied bass opened the closer, “ripty boom”, which featured a breathtaking uptempo Brachfeld solo, beautifully bowed bass from Debriano and Campbell’s always-entertaining squeaky toy percussion. (RM)
~ nycjazzrecord.com, September 2023