Zarate Pollace Project
Soul Redemption
© 2005 Abel Zarate and Michelle Pollace (783707061207)
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Abel Zarate and Michelle Pollace's music sizzles with Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban rhythms, grooves with funk flair, and soothes the soul with jazz sophistication -- it's a sound we call "global jazz."
tracks
- 1 Moonlight Tango
- 2 Apples, Kisses, & Dreams
- 3 Autumn Song
- 4 Baiao Zuayla Part I
- 5 Baiao Zuayla Part II
- 6 Alba Negra
- 7 Tristeza, Alegria, y la Luz
- 8 Vorticity
- 9 Chanson Afrique
- 10 In Love with Ghosts
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The Zarate Pollace Project features guitarist Abel Zarate and keyboardist Michelle Pollace, who have teamed up to create a sound they call "global jazz," which combines alluring shades of Afro-Brazilian and Latin jazz with a funk flair. The duo's original compositions are melodic and rich in texture, taking listeners on a journey, often into unexpected territory ... but we think listeners will be pleasantly surprised with their destination.
Produced with the help of Grammy-nominated producer Greg Landau, "Soul Redemption" features some of the San Francisco Bay Area's brightest musical talents: John Santos (Machete Ensemble, Cachao, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, others) on percussion; Paul van Wageningen (Pete Escovedo, Ray Obiedo, Stan Getz, Machete Ensemble, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, others) on drums; Curtis Ohlson (Ray Obiedo, Ray Charles, Pete Escovedo, Pee Wee Ellis, Bernie Krause, others) on bass; and Anthony Blea (San Francisco Symphony, Charanga 76, Machete Ensemble, Omar Sosa, Boz Scaggs, others) on violin and viola.
The CD was mastered by John Greenham at Paul Stubblebine Mastering, in HDCD format for superb audio fidelity. The cover features the vibrant African American folk art of Mari Hall.
HERE'S WHAT LISTENERS ARE SAYING:
"Unique and inspiring"
"Awesome, a pleasant surprise"
"This is beautiful! Very relaxing!"
"Impressive, a good piece of work."
"woow, great sound, really nice production too, you did a fantastic job!!!"
"If you are a jazz fan, and you like jazz with an international flavor, I think that you will enjoy this CD very much. It has an upbeat yet relaxed tempo, Latin flavors sizzle throughout with a touch of African and South American." [this last one is what cover artist Mari Hall wrote in her newsletter]
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Abel Zarate, Guitar. Abel is well known on the Bay Area music scene for his contribution to Latin-rock band Malo. His songs appear on Malo's first and second albums and include the band's international hit "Suavecito," which he co-wrote. Abel has also recorded and performed with Coke Escovedo and Willie Bobo. Through his career he has played such notable venues as the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden, as well as the Montreux and Newport Jazz Festivals. In the mid-'90s Abel enjoyed the rekindled popularity of "Suavecito," receiving Platinum and Gold records for Sugar Ray's sampling of that song on "Every Morning."
Michelle Pollace, Keyboards. Michelle brings eclectic musical experience to the Zarate-Pollace Project. She studied jazz and classical piano, as well as Indonesian orchestral gamelan, at San Jose State University. After college she performed numerous concerts and recorded two CDs with Lou Harrison's internationally acclaimed Gamelan Si Betty. Michelle then ventured into popular music, recording and performing as keyboardist and bassist in projects that ran the stylistic gamut of popular music. Musicians she has played with include Jose "Chepito" Areas (original timbalero and arranger in Santana) and Robbie Hoddinott (Kingfish, Bob Weir/members of Grateful Dead). Michelle recently co-authored a music-education book/CD set, Musicreation (http://www.fretnfiddlepub.com).
reviews
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True compassion and beauty with every note they play
author: Joe RossPlaying Time – 53:46 -- With an all-original set of smooth jazz, Abel Zarate and Michelle Pollace’s musical dreams have flown. The songs on “Soul Redemption” present refined jazz with powerful rhythmic intensity and evocative melodies that make emotional statements. Zarate’s guitar and Pollace’s keyboard take us on a magical sojourn. Recorded in the San Francisco area, the project also features John Santos (percussion), Paul van Wageningen (drums), Curtis Ohlson (bass), Anthony Blea (violin, viola) and co-producer Greg Landau (loops). A guitar master, Abel Zarate is particularly featured as he paints a brilliant aural palette from new age acoustic jazz to Latin and funk. For a slight change, it might have been nice to hear more acoustic settings or a few vocals incorporated for one or two tracks like “Chanson Afrique.” However, the vision for this professional product was clearly to provide a exhilarating and stimulating breezy instrumental jaunt from start to finish. Guitarist Abel Zarate has achieved international success with the Latin rock band Malo, and he has been featured in the book, “Voices of Latin Rock.” Michelle Pollace’s global musical interests resulted in her studying jazz, classical and Latin piano, as well as Indonesian gamelan. Her co-written music education book and CD called “Musicreation” has been well received. Leader of the Machete Ensemble, percussionist John Santos is a master of Afro Latin rhythms. Drummer Paul van Wageningen and Abel Zarate go back to the 1970s when they played together in an R&B band, The Force. Throughout this project, bassist Curtis Ohlson conveys great power and strength on the low end of the sound spectrum. Ohlson toured with Ray Charles’ band for six years. String wizard Anthony Blea has played classical, salsa, rock, and he currently heads up his group, Anthony Blea y Su Charanga. A two-time Grammy nominee, Greg Landau has produced many CDs, film soundtracks, and videos. On “Soul Redemption,” Zarate and Pollace lead us through a inspiring musical journey of life itself, and the joy of their uplifting music is largely in its picturesque natural and earthy elements. Some song titles give an indication of how the musicians’ instinct and intuition create gripping depictions of moonlight, autumn, ghosts, and other apparitions. “Apples, Kisses and Dreams,” for example, is beaming with happiness, pleasure and bliss. The stellar accompanists also take nature’s rhythms and allow us to connect with the music. Zarate and Pollace create circular patterns from within their soul, and they then use their compositions to illuminate the surroundings as they paint with their sonic palattes. “Soul Redemption” delivers some creative goods from ethereal textures to energetic cosmic wavefiles. So, in a sense, the album’s redemption is a type of musical fulfillment or deliverance. Carlos Santana once said, “whether you are [playing] in the bar, the church, the strip joint, or the Himalayas, the first duty of music is to complement and enhance life.” I’d say that Zarate, Pollace and their friends get it. They rise above sheer technical mastery to exhibit true compassion and beauty with every note they play. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)