Smooth jazz influenced grooves,with a message. Of Word & Rhythm is somewhere between Gil Scott Heron, Jazzmasters and Ronnie Laws. An absolute must have.

6 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Smooth Jazz, SPOKEN WORD: With Music



Details:
"I'm a man who fights with his music, and I really don't have any other man's help. "These compositions come from deep within. They're God given. I believe that no matter what music you play, it has to say something. The truth may be offensive to some, but the reality is that its not a sin, though it may be a crime in many places across the globe. The lyrics are upfront, but do not overpower the music, which is given ample time to do its thing. Of Word & Rhythm talks about the world around us, and the issues you won't hear on prime time".

"I was born on an offshore district of the island of Puerto Rico, the inheritance of the Tainos, the African and the Spanish. Even though my parents barely spoke ten words of the english language between them, they moved to the nearby english speaking islands. I spent most of my childhood there. This is where I started listening to english speaking caribbean folk music,calypso (soca), reggae and of lot of the american music. I would hear salsa and rock music being played many times during the same radio program. I can only describe this experience as a giant size music education."

"My musical interests became vast. The influences were anywhere from Mandrill, Santana, Osibisa, The Wailers, James Brown, Otis Redding (his rendition of Try A Little Tenderness was the bomb). It also included the calypsonian Sparrow, Ray Barretto, Byron Lee, and many others."

"I made my first band at age fifteen, and practiced every saturday for hours on end, inside a small building being constructed by my parents. We began playing our cover rendition of R&B and caribbean music. My mother was perplexed, and my father patient. It was deafening, with its brick walls and our cheap instruments. We were noisy and sounded awful, but we got some gigs, and I was proud.
I had the blood of my ancestors, but I got hooked on the music which I had heard."

"My music today reflects some of those influences. This EP contains five tracks from the Digital Release 'A Global Warning', and one previously unreleased track. Of Word & Rhythm's sound is somewhere between Gil Scott Heron, Jazzmasters, and Ronnie Laws, although sometimes you may find a bit of Ray Barretto and Cal Tjader.
I play the keyboards, congas, bongos, cajon, and instead of using a string bass, I play the Marimbula."

The smooth jazz influenced grooves are complimented by solos which shine, as in 'Before The Storm', where a powerful organ solo is followed by an infectious conga a la Ray Barretto. The cajon solo on 'Of Things To Come' cuts through the music, makes you tap your fingers, and keeps you wanting some more.

This is definitely smooth music with a message. For those who absolutely have to have a rhythm, and for those who must have something more. Here is Of Word & Rhythm.