The Cultural Force of Jazz - Artículo Breve

Hispanic Times Magazine, June 22, 2001

The dawn of the new millennium has seen a ravenous cultural appetite develop for all things Latin. Santana's GRAMMY@sweep, the ongoing success of pop artists like Ricky Martin and Marc Anthony, an unprecedented interest in Latin jazz, and the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon are just a few examples. It's the perfect climate for listeners eager for more of the real deal to discover the multi-cultural excitement of Freddie Ravel. His fiery and sensual self-titled GRP debut recording draws upon his lifelong passions for jazz and R&B, his diverse heritage, and his intense spirituality.

"Finally the timing is perfect for the kind of music I most love to do," says Ravel. "The primal energy and infectious rhythms of the genre are so accepted that now, more than ever, I can focus on the drive, pulse, and elements of all the Latin music I grew up adoring--cumbia, tango, salsa, rumba, bolero, meringue, Baion and samba," he continues. "I've been writing songs with Spanish lyrics for a long time and had experimented with these rhythmic schemes, but for this album I didn't have to ask myself, 'Will people get it?' They're getting it."

While it could be easy for artists with some affinity for the genre to hop on the bandwagon and create a few hot percussive grooves, for Ravel this new album represents the musical story of his life. "My father is a very metaphysical man whose parents were Eastern European, and my mother hails from Cali, Colombia, the home of a music known as cumbia. I grew up with these multi-spiritual influences, speaking both English and Spanish and, most of all, hearing an amazing variety of music. True to his European heritage, my dad brought home the classical music, and my mom played the music of the Colombian jungles and northern Caribbean coast," Ravel says. "Today, I find the purest moments come when I'm just sitting at the piano letting all of this flow through me to make music that speaks from the heart."

Freddie Ravel features an amazing cast of sidemen-including Earth, Wind & Fire's bassist Verdine White and guitarist Al McKay; gypsy guitar duo Strunz & Farah; original Miami Sound Machine percussionist Rafael Padilla; bassist Jimmy Earl, guitarist Michael O'Neill; and longtime smooth jazz associates Peter White, Eric Marienthal, and GRP labelmate Marc Antoine.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ravel began his musical education at age 7, and later studied jazz and classical composition at Cal State Northridge, where he graduated with cum laude honors. He was very soon established as one of the top session players, cited by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of L.A.'s truly great keyboardists." His first two recordings as a leader, 1991's Midnight Passion and 1996's Sol to Soul further raised his profile as musician, composer, and producer.

When people say they "know" Ravel, most likely they have only heard one side of his diverse artistry. Contemporary jazz audiences are best aware of the composer/keyboardist from his two popular previous recordings, Midnight Passion and Sol to Soul-enduring favorites at the NAC radio format where they still receive recurrent airplay-as well as his collaborations with guitarist Peter White. R&B fans worldwide know him from his recordings and performances with Earth, Wind and Fire in the mid-'90s. Ravel was also featured on Al Jarreau's GRP release Tomorrow Today, co-writing the Latin-flavored title track and touring with the legendary singer to all corners of the globe. His work on the original motion picture Evita included appearing with Madonna in a video for "You Must Love Me" and a featured piano solo on the popular house remix of"Don't Cry For Me Argentina." Ravel's all-star resume also includes his work with Quincy Jones, Sergio Mendes, Tony Bennett, Bobby McFerrin, and countless others.

In addition to his unique contemporary and Latin jazz creations, Ravel composes symphonic works; he received rave reviews from appearances as guest composer and pianist with the seventy-piece California Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to his musical activities, Ravel dedicates time to cycling, hiking, running, yoga, and spiritual studies; he also actively supports environmental and human rights causes.

"Music is so profound that I consider it to be the very fabric of the universe. It is amazing that simple variations of pitch, frequency, and chordal structures can have such a profound universal power to make people jump for joy, feel melancholy, or create a sense of deja vu-to bring our hearts back to a certain place and time," says Ravel.

For more information, contact:

J'ai St. Laurent-Smyth (212) 331-2047

[jai.stlaurent-smyth@umusic.com]

Susan Deneau, (323) 658-8468

[sdeneau@earthlink.net] www.grp.com