The Snake Trio Light the Candle

Latin Beat Magazine, August, 2003 by Jesse Varela

(Snake Trio)

The fusion of Venezuelan musical folklore with jazz is a relatively new thing. In the SF Bay Area we've been fortunate to have two leading purveyors of these efforts--singer Maria Márquez and mandolinist Jackeline Rago. With cuatro in hand and an array of indigenous percussion instruments, Rago keeps the pendulum swinging with her Snake Trio, featuring members Donna Viscuso (flute/alto sax) and Saúl Sierra (bass). On this second album, the group presents largely original tunes, using jaropo, merengue and other Venezuelan rhythms. The compositions are melodic with strong solos and infectious 6/8 meters. The opener, Josefina, is joyous with Viscuso on flute, and Rago adding interesting harmonic embellishments on the four-string ukulele-like cuatro guitar. From there, it's a ride through the musical imagination of these gifted musicians. Highlights abound, like Wayne Shorter's Footprints, Light The Candle and Redondo, a live performance track. www.thesnaketrio.com (JV)