Bobby Ramirez Pan Con Bistec

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 2003 by Rudy Mangual

(Ritmo City Records)

Pan Con Bistec (Cuban steak sandwich) is the title and opening track of this latest release by reedman/bandleader Bobby Ramirez. The culinary sensation of biting into a juicy steak sandwich with all the trimmings is musically represented in this recording through the fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz idioms. The composition Pan Con Bistec travels swiftly through different time signatures such as 6/8, 4/4, and 2/2 (double time) as it weaves a cohesive colorful tapestry of Afro-Cuban and jazz rhythms, setting the stage for the rest of the recording. Ramírez's versatility as a composer/arranger/instrumentalist (on flute and tenor saxophone) is well represented throughout all the selections. As an added bonus, the talented Uruguayan master violinist Federico Britos Ruiz joins Ramirez on several leads and solos, adding his unique sound and color to the mix.

The classic Consuelo Velázquez composition Bésame Mucho gets a face-lift on this production, arranged acoustically by pianist Daniel Zaremba and performed with the aid of a full string section and Ramírez playing the lead on the tenor sax.

On the track Massive Machine, Ramírez and gang get funky with whaling horn line arrangements as they dabble through R&B and Brazilian rhythms that transform into some hard-edge Latin jazz grooves. Other favorite tracks include the progressive jazz-chá Encuentro, the dance friendly Pink Mambo, and the blues Bajo Blues, featuring bassist Ramsés Colón, solos by Britos Ruiz on violin and pianist Abel Pabón, plus percussion exchanges between drummer Rubén Jiménez and conguero Johnny Conga (JC).(RM)