SAMUEL TORRES: Skin Tones

Samuel Torres

Skin Tones

© 2005 Samuel Torres (828867002926)

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Jazz with a mixture of Cuban, Colombian, African, Spanish and Classical music; with an All Star band lead by virtuoso percussionist and composer Samuel Torres

tracks

1 Crazy Montuno
2 Interlude One
3 Saying Goodbye
4 Interlude Two
5 Observatory
6 Rumba con Maria
7 Ajiaco (Colombian potato soup)
8 The Key
9 Skin Tones
10 October 22nd
11 Express To Queens
12 Fairy Tale
13 Interlude Three
14 Ajiaco (Radio Version)
15 Obervatory (Radio Version)
16 Crazy Montuno (Radio Version)
17 The Key (Radio Version)

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notes

“Music was always the main communion between the members of my family, my friends and me. It also helped me find out who I am.” – Samuel Torres Percussionist extraordinaire Samuel Torres has made his debut recording as a leader for the One Soul Records label. Skin Tones showcases the brilliant playing and beautifully crafted compositions of the Colombia-born musician. It emphasizes not only the rhythmic components of Latin jazz but also Torres’ love of song and the melodic tone qualities of the conga and other percussion instruments. The album introduces singer Julia Dollison and highlights the performances of a group of musicians handpicked by the leader – including Hector Martignon on piano, John Benitez on electric bass, Ernesto Simpson on drums, Michael Rodriguez on trumpet and flugelhorn, Mike Campagna on tenor saxophone, Ralph Irizarry on timbales, Edmar Castaneda on harp, Wolfgang Barros on Colombian maracon - Skin Tones can be seen as contemporary jazz album with rich Latin colors and also as a road map to that place where musics of several worlds meet and influence each other. The album also reflects Torres’ family, background and life thus far. Samuel Torres was born in Bogota, Colombia to a family with musical roots. His maternal grandfather was a trombonist in Ecuador who heard jazz in Panama and had records for his family to hear. His grandmother was a self-taught guitarist and singer who taught music to her four brothers despite the fact that she’s never had a lesson. She also played and sang with local bands. Samuel first appreciated the music of his two uncles – Eddie and Juan Martinez – when he was twelve years old. (He had been actually hearing this music since he was a small child.) And on his grandmother’s records he was taken with the sound of the percussion of Tito Puente and Machito. “I went to sleep with this music and the sounds floated in my head all night long.” It was a record by Ray Barretto that truly introduced young Samuel to the sound of the conga drums. “If we could have afforded this drum then in Colombia then, I would have had one. But they were very expensive – it was cheaperbuy a car.”
Amazingly enough at the time, Samuel’s mother, once she saw her son’s fascination with rhythm, took him to local clubs to listen and dance to the salsa bands. During that time he was attending a strict conservative school but his mind was on music. Samuel convinced his mother that he wanted a career as a musician. He was enrolled in a music program at the Universidad Javeriana despite the fact that he was still in high school. “On a typical day,” says Samuel, “I would get up early to go to school, go to the university class after my high school day, come home in the evening and then go out to the local clubs, often staying out until 3 or 4 in the morning. I guess it sounds crazy, but I loved it.” In the early 1990s, as Samuel’s musical education continued as did his experience. He came to play with local bands and he also was formally enrolled at the college studying classical composition, percussion, harmony, history and more. By this time he had his own conga drums. From a Cuban musician – Ernesto Simpson - Samuel learned reappreciate and learn more about Cuban music. Says Torres, “ I was learning so much - on the job certainly, but also about form, space, silence and shape in the classroom.” When Simpson went to America to play with Arturo Sandoval, Samuel followed soon thereafter. He met and got to work with the Cuban trumpeter, touring the United States. After much experience, he moved to New York and got to know and jam with other Latin musicians. In this context, he met the celebrated African performer Richard Bona and is now the percussionist in Bona’s band. In 2003, Samuel worked on a demo with acclaimed singer Julia Dollison and was inspired to begin to think of doing his own first recording. “I have many influences,” says Torres, “from the masters of Latin music to Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis, from contemporary classical music to flamenco and Pat Metheny. And all of this, I hope, is reflected in the colors, shapes and melodies in Skin Tones.”

reviews

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  • Must have CD
    author: your dutch friend Emile

    dear music lovers, this musician is very talented. He is also a great person, love his humor. This CD is pure from a musicians heart, you feel the music, Thanks Samuel

  • Skin Tones
    author: John Duarte

    Excellent Percussion playing,great songs, very high quality recording, loved it.

  • author: Jazz Times/Rebeca Mauleon

    Colombian-born percussionist Samuel Torres makes his debut as a leader with a pastiche of textures and captivating compositions, accompanied by some top-notch Latin-jazz artists including the ever-funky John Benítez on bass, supreme pianist/composer Hector Martignón and drummer Ernesto Simpson. Torres links several of the tracks with brief conga interludes and provides thoughtful and interesting moods for his excellent cast, including the lyrical vocal scatting of Julia Dollison. There is a richness and diversity to Skin Tones in everything from the chosen musical genres to the occasional use of odd meter. The opener “Crazy Montuno” creates a funk-infused atmosphere and offers Martignon freedom and space to explore, followed by a very melodic conga solo by Torres, who must have at least six precisely tuned drums in his arsenal. The dialog between sax man Mike Campagna and trumpeter Mike Rodríguez continues through the song’s faded ending, leaving you wanting more. “Saying Goodbye” features a wonderfully jagged and sophisticated melody between vocalist Dollison and Rodriguez on trumpet, then calms the mood for a probing trumpet solo over a 7/4 groove punctuated by the rhythm section. Other highlights include “The Key”—a fabulously rich piece with hints of Afro-Colombian and Puerto Rican folklore, and the powerful and harmonically dense “Express to Queens.” Skin Tones is at once intelligent, sophisticated and explosive.

  • author: EN CLAVE DE JAZZ / Jorge Rocha

    Nuevamente – como ha venido siendo, una constante reafirmación de convicciones, para mi – otra excelente muestra del mejor quehacer jazzístico sudamericano, mestizo, hispanoamericano. Me llega este trabajo de Samuel Torres. A Samuel lo conocí (personalmente) hace poco tiempo, habiendo escuchado y leído de el dado que forma parte del staff del carismático y formidable músico que es Richard Bona. Señores! hay que estar atento a el. Todos los temas de Skin Tones, como bien lo describe Gary Domínguez de La Conga y, los cuales son todos de la autoría y arreglos del propio Samuel, nos proporcionan un viaje musical de diversidad, colores y matices. El CD está muy logrado de principio a fin, sin fisuras, con demostraciones de virtuosismo y dominio del los instrumentos pero, sin estridencias ni exagerados protagonismos sino, que todo está cohesionado para darle un resultado equilibrado a todo el producto. En lo personal he encontrado picos de gran altura en los diferentes temas, como en “Ajiaco” un aire de cumbia de gran factura o, impresionado con el arpa de Castañeda en “Rumba con María” llanerísmo, todo el mérito sin duda es de Samuel Torres al reunirlos para este resultado, como la misma introducción del canto de Julia Dollinson (un hallazgo) incluso el percibir un sonido “Irirraziano”, finalmente homenaje, en “Crazy Montuno” repito, para una cuidada y atractiva producción total. (JR)

  • author: JAZZ REVIEW/ Savon Edwards

    It comes as no surprise that the Columbian-born musician is exceedingly talented. You don't get the opportunity to play with Arturo Sandoval, and celebrated African performer, Richard Bona, by being less than great. It also is no surprise that Torres comes from a family deeply rooted in music, his grandfather a trombonist, and his grandmother a self-taught guitarist, and singer. These great early influences also provided the jazz records in which the percussionist was first taken by. "I went to sleep with this music and the sounds floated in my head all night long," says Torres. If there is any surprise, it comes with Samuels' sensitivity and maturity as a composer and band leader at such a young age. The musicians on Skin Tones, the 2006 One Soul Records release, were hand-picked by Torres. John Benitez has a warm, rich tone on his electric bass that goes tightly with the time-keeping skills of drummer Ernesto Simpson. Hector Martignon on piano brings out much of the classical elements of Skin Tones, and also beautifully accompanies the soft, silky voice of Julia Dollison, which floats brilliantly over the music on tracks such as "Observatory," and "The Key." Mike Campagna on tenor saxophone and Michael Rodriguez on trumpet and flugel horn are the dynamic horn section that take this immensely diversed band from Latin jazz, to shades of early bebop, to classical jazz. Rounding out the line up for Skin Tones are Edmar Castaneda on harp, Wolfgang Barros on Columbian maracon, and Ralph Irizarry on timbales. Skin Tones showcases the textural melodies of Samuel Torres, but it is not a show-off album. Each player here contributes and leaves thier own mark, which in turn, makes this record a modern classic for all jazz lovers. Jeff "Tain" Watts has called Torres an "inventive, lyrical and special artist" and I could not agree more.

  • author: LATIN BEAT MAGAZINE

    Listening to Colombian percussionist and composer Samuel Torres on his debut album Skin Tones, you discover a knowledgeable and skillful musician coming into his own. Fusing the sounds of his generation with the fundamentals of his chosen tradition, Torres creates refreshing Latin jazz blends that, for the most part, are acoustic in nature and filled with joyous contemporary harmonies and youthful vibrancy. The opening selection, Crazy Montuno, is a perfect example. John Benítez lays down with a thumping funk bass line that along with the pumping backbeat of drummer Ernesto Simpson, the boogaloo-style montuno of pianist Hector Martignón and the hardbop melodies of trumpeter Mike Rodríguez and tenor saxman Mike Campagna, sets a smoking groove in motion. Torres adds to the setting with a keen sense of tonality and superb time. Highlights abound and include the tune titled Saying Goodbye, which features the gifted Mike Rodriguez and vocalist Julia Dollison (who is heard on several other tracks). Rumba Con María adds the harp of Edmar Castañeda and lets Torres wail on a driving conga solo. For hardbop lovers, Express to Queens is a jazz gem with a well-contoured melody and an excellent solo by the unsung Héctor Martignón. Special guests include timbalero Ralph Irizarry, who helped to introduce Samuel Torres, a promising new talent that will invigorate Latin jazz for many years to come, according to my prediction. (JV)

  • author: Israel Sanchez / HERENCIA LATINA

    Que tamaña sorpresa nos ha causado este talentoso músico de origen colombiano con su segundo trabajo titulado Skin Tones. Samuel Torres es su nombre y ejecuta la conga, lo hace con unos toques compactos, firmes y prolongados. Demuestra como domina a la perfección los cueros y cuan comprometido es con su trabajo. Y no es porque lo plasmemos en estas cortas líneas, sino que personalmente lo vimos actuar en el Teatro de la Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico - Recinto Metropolitano, para noviembre de 2005. Allí con su vitalidad puso de relieve cuan refrescante se ha constituido para nuestra música latina y desde luego, en una joven promesa para las congas, (luego de la reciente perdida del maestro Ray Barretto). En dicho espectáculo le sometió a un solo de cueros por cerca de 25 minutos, además de hacer un alto en una de sus piezas y tocar con ambas manos un prolongado solo de maracas, que robo un caluroso aplauso de un público sorprendido por su actuación. En este CD Samuel Torres ejecuta las congas y se hace acompañar de una nomina de lujo: John Benítez en el bajo, Héctor Martignon en el piano, Jualia Dollinson en las voces, Mike Rodríguez en la trompeta, el cubano, Ernesto Simpson en la batería; Cowell EFX y Mike Campagna en los saxofones tenor, Edgar Castañeda en el arpa, Ralph Irizary en el timbal y Wolgang Barros en las maracas. Es un trabajo prometedor e independiente que merece el apoyo de todos. El trabajo se puede conseguir a través de su página en la Internet: www.samueltorres.com (Israel Sanchez Coll)

  • author: LATIN PERCUSSION

    It's your wake up call! Samuel Torres' Skin Tones is no sleeper. It's exciting from the get go, emphatically contemporary. This is not to say that Torres rejects tradition. But rather than reiterate, Torres has chosen to reconstruct in an instantly pleasing fashion. Also of significance, he has chosen instead to record fully seventeen concise tracks, many of which we'll look at. First off, to the personnel, a distinguished lot. LP artist Samuel Torres is a percussionist of unique ability, one who uses percussion as much for color as for rhythm. Not only that, he is a gifted composer capable of a blend of melody and intricacy-a difficult balance to achieve. Usually one triumphs by sacrificing the other. What that means is that the casual listener can hum, while the musician can do all those "musicianly" things: analyze, take apart, and listen over and over. Incidentally, Torres also plays Fender Rhodes, piano, and various percussion. Torres is aided by the nimble bassist John Benitez, pianist Hector Martignon, vocalist Julia Dollison, and killer kit drummer Ernesto Simpson. That would be enough, but we also have Mike Rodriguez on trumpet, Mike Campagna on tenor, guests Edmar Castaneda, harp, Ralph Irizarry on timbale, and Wolfgang Barros on Columbian Maracon. To the Tracks! "Crazy Montuno" is not so crazy as it is slick. Ernesto Simpson begins with a lick that reminds equally of LP artists Steve Gadd and Dave Weckl-with a nod to Harvey Mason. Ernesto is crisp and definite; there's never a doubt as to his intentions. Samuel has his congas tuned perfectly to complement Ernesto; it's a nice blend of mellow to crisp, respectively. As the tune closes, Mike takes a spirited sax solo and it's not so much of a mambo as a New York funk chorus. "Interlude One" is just that, a little stretch for Samuel Torres on congas, unaccompanied. It's concise and to the point. We move to the funky "Saying Goodbye", with its salsa undercurrent, wherein vocalist Julia Dollison, to this point an acquired taste, begins to take hold. She reminds a little of, say, Flora Purim in the way she comes up behind the note, very much in the South American tradition. Benitez holds this one together, popping and slapping the bass strings, particularly around 4:15. Twenty-four measures later a rousing drum solo appears over his ostinato. Again, who is this Simpson? The stereo panning on this track is wide, with toms to the outside, making for an exciting listen. "Interlude Two" finds Torres in melodic mode. It's just a snippet, mind you, but it sings to you as congas rarely do. Picking a radio hit is easy: It's "Observatory", featuring Julia's wistful, delicate vocals, very clean and attractive. Interestingly, and contrary to the pop formula, the bass takes a solo and it's totally right for the track in terms of texture and melodic content. Melodic congas and harp provide a memorable opening for "Rumba con Maria". You're actually hearing harp in a Cuban context-plucked, struck for full improvisational effect. Meanwhile, Torres treads softly, contributing melody and interesting conga counterpart to the defined attack component of the harp. Ernesto's sharp snare drum backbeat and firm bass drum, much in the Joey Heredia tradition, defines the next track, "Ajiaco" (Columbian potato soup), as does the languid trumpet of Mike Rodruigez. Again, we're humming along, not fighting to comprehend, and yet there's plenty of musical challenge below the surface. A darker feel pervades "The Key", which, despite its suggestive title, is not in clave, at least the Cuban sense. Pianist Hector Martignon does some welcome stretching out around 1:36, with bass and drumset shadowing him each step of the way. We said we'd look at a selection of the seventeen tracks presented herein, but we'd be remiss not to consider the title track. "Skin Tones" is nimble as nimble gets, a tribute to Samuel Torres' light touch, crisp articulation, and respect for exact note values. It's a beautiful solo and gone in the blink of an eye. Other tracks to note include the angular "Express to Queens", fraught with syncopation and bustle. During the piano solo, a clave, or perhaps LP block, rears up a couple of times and vanishes, unable to take root, more significant as a color rather than in an Afro-Cuban organizational sense. Sounding a little out-of-context is the shuffle, "Fairy Tale", perhaps the best forum for Julia Dollison's vocals. A "radio version" of "Ajiaco" is just that, as is a radio-friendly take of "Observatory" (funny, I'd already labeled the earlier version as radio-friendly!). Perhaps the vocals are mixed more to the fore. Certainly the track length is reduced by a couple of minutes. That smart bass solo is still there, if abbreviated. And that's how Skin Tones rides out, with two more radio versions of previous tunes. To some this will appear a wise move; to others the real music will have already gone by. But all will agree this is a major release.

  • author: LA CONGA.ORG / Gary Dominguez

    SAMUELITO TORRES nuestro "Manenguito criollo" cumplió su cometido con su primera producción discográfica titulada SKIN TONES (me atreví a traducirla como TONOS DEL CUERO). Sorprende y hace reaccionar al melómano del jazz y la música latina, no solo por la calidad en la produccion y grabacion que es vital en este tiempo, sino por el multitalento que esgrime su protagonista al componer, hacer los arreglos y tocar conga al estilo atrevido y progresivo de un Giovanni Hidalgo, Anga, Joel y Poleo (que son palabras mayores), claro sin olvidar esa milenaria herencia de Chano, Mongo, El Niño Alfonso y Tata. Este joven "rolo bogotano" con pinta de estudiante decente de la Universidad Javeriana tiene un background (yo lo traduciria "recorrido") que incluye 4 años con el exigente e implacable Arturo Sandoval, festivales de jazz en Japón, Usa y Europa, Segundo puesto en el dificilísimo concurso de jazz a mano libre en percusión de Thelonious Monk y sobrevivir en el dificil ambiente newyorkino del jazz latino donde ya es reconocido y aplaudido. LOS TONOS DEL CUERO de Samuel Torres reitera que en estos dias la profesión de conguero no se limita a la "guaperia" de meterle mano fuerte al tambor y que se puede hacer un arcoiris de música alrededor del cuero, si se estudia, se escucha, se aprende y se inspira como lo ha hecho con dedicación, técnica y disciplina el joven Torres. El recorrido por los surcos de este apasionante disco compacto autofinanciado como muchos otros buenos productos alternativos que no tienen "mecenas" en este oscuro tiempo musical en que hasta los "secretos" grammy ya se sabe quienes se los ganan y quienes los otorgan, abre con un montuno loco, que calienta el cd desde los primeros acordes, y prepara al oyente para un viaje musical que te lleva desde la madre patria, la de los gitanos y su rumba, pasando por Colombia, a Brazil, el medio oriente y termina en el subway número 7 rumbo a Queens, New York. En medio de todo este "ajiaco musical" a punto de hervir nos apacigua la voz de una sirena de nombre Julia Dollinson. Los créditos de los músicos acompañantes demuestran que Samuel y sus Tonos de Piel merecen el aplauso (la standing ovation diría yo) y el respeto de la comunidad del jazz latino internacional. Con Ernesto Simpson en la bateria, con John Benitez en el bajo y Hector Martinong en el piano "haciendo tierra" (término eléctrico que evita los cortos circuitos) un virtuoso conguero como Samuel pudo ir del cielo al infierno, arrebatarse por las 4 congas y volver a la realidad (en otras palabras al afinque que a veces lo pierden los velocistas del tambor) con toda la tranquilidad y seguridad que este triángulo de las Bermudas musicales registro en esta singular grabación. SKIN TONES y Samuel Torres nuestro "Giovanni colombiano" ya entró en el listado de los "grammy underground" 2005-2006 que lo otorgan los anónimos compradores y melómanos de buen latin jazz en el mundo! Samuelito "sacaste la cédula" y te la comiste! Altísimamente Recomendado Gary Domínguez

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