Quantic and his Combo Barbaro - Tradition In Transition

Rating:

* * * *

The story behind

Tradition In Transition

by Quantic and His Combo Barbaro starts in 2007 when British musician/producer William Holland (aka Quantic) upped sticks to the city of Cali in Colombia to pursue new musical challenges.

Since then he has scouted Cali for some of its top players to make up his Combo Barbaro, got Brazilian arranger and band leader Arthur Verocai on board, added in some guests from Panama and India, and the result is the colourful and celebratory

Tradition In Transition

.

The stand out is

Linda Morena

, which starts traditionally enough, with a romantic and moochy vocal, before it sprawls out into a rickety piano and rambling groove, with outbursts of brass, for more than eight blissful minutes.

Elsewhere

Un Canto A Mi Tierra

is a minimal traditional chant; Albela is a snappy romantic set-to; and the instrumental

New Morning

beams as the players take turns at solos, with sparkling piano and brass squawks, all the while an incessant groove in the background.

Tradition In Transition

harks back to the days when noodly Frenchman St Germain was sashaying round on global dancefloors, only this is more authentic, raw and challenging in its rhythms and instrumentation.

It's brilliantly arranged, using class players, and it will make you dance all night long, in whatever time zone you find yourself in.

Scott Kara