TOLU

C’est à L.A. que la fusion jazz latino d’Alex Acuña et Justo Almario, colombiens à l’énergie contagieuse, s’est imposée depuis les années 80’s en grillant leur jazz funk aux barbecues de la cumbia, du mambo et de la salsa.
LYLO

La presse spécialisée américaine du nord et latine, est unanime : Tolu est la formation latine jazz la plus excitante du moment. De ce côté-ci de l’Atlantique, voici la bonne surprise du mois. Ce groupe de San Francisco se lance, dans la fusion et la bonne humeur, sur tous les rythmes latinos. Présentation : Justo Almario, d’origine colombienne, joue des cuivres, pas mal influencé par Charles Mingus. Dans les années 80, regroupant des musiciens d’horizons différents (Cuba, Nicaragua, Pérou, Corée, Polynésie, USA), il compose pour Tolu un répertoire multiculturel, entre afro-cubain, jazz, merengue, funk, salsa, rumba…sur la dominante latin jazz, Tolu joue de tout. L’album s’ouvre sur une version très suave de Giant Steps (Miles Davis). Puis Litha, composition plus jazz rock de Chick Corea, cède la place à des rumbas, mambos et pour finir : le standard de toutes les alcôves, Besame Mucho, vivifié. Un eclectisme bien pratique pour les radios latinas qui en ce moment programment la tracklist de Rumbero’s poetry selon l’humeur de l’émission. Disque du mois à Porto Rico.
Patricia BUSSY - OPENMAG

What passes for Latin jazz is often a shaky compromise between two different forms of musical expression. In the process, important elements of each – usually associated with rythm – can easily become diluted. The group Tolu – led by saxophonist Julio Almario and drummer Alex Acuña – is one of the rare ensembles that manages to establish a connection between jazz and latin rythms that ignites the energy in each. Their performance Tuesday at Catalina Bar & Grill, in the opening set of a too-brief two night run, was a stirring example of how well that connection works when the band is at its explosive best. Tolu’s music revealed a recognition of an essential difference betwenn jazz and Latin music –  the reliance upon a metric time-keeping bass in jazz, and the use of a clave (a subtly repeated rhythmic phrase) as the organizing foundation for multiple layers of rhythms in Latin music. Acuña, leading a four-man percussion section, combined the two, maintening the metric, forward movement of jazz within the framework of a marvelously complex tapestry of rhythm, its surge driven by the power of John Pena’s floating bass lines. The three man horn section, playing several surprisingly complex arrangements – including a danzon version of Charlie Parker’s « Donna Lee » a variation on Bill Evans « Five » and a theme song in the disjunct meter of 14/8 – drove the music with the force of a much larger ensemble. And Almario’s soloing on alto and tenor saxophones as well as clarinet (which he featured in a lovely rendering of the traditional-styled « Cumbiamba »), was consistently eager to stretch the boundaries of his improvisational world. In an evening  in which latin and jazz came together into a genuinely meaningful phrase, the only mystery was why this superb band has not yet achieved higher visibility. At a time when the importance of Latin Music is being trumpeted in all the music trade publications, Tolu clearly has all the attributes to become a valuable acquisition for a major record label.
LOS ANGELES TIMES

This label created by Frémeaux & Associés specialises in the review of the popular musical heritage : Susana Baca, Melcochita, David Fackeure, David Ornette Cherry. Co-production or licence granted by
Frémeaux & Associés, Tonga and Plainisphare.