Humberto Ramirez: “8 Doors” Review
It turns out that “8 Doors” is the 30th album for trumpeter and bandleader Humberto Ramirez. Like good wine, Humberto’s music has gotten better with time.
Although this is a bit of a late review (“8 Doors” was released in September), I didn’t want to finish the year without sharing with you my thoughts on it. I like to think that not everyone that reads this blog might have been aware of the release of this album.
For those of us who fondly remember “Jazz Project” (1998), the album with which Humberto Ramirez jumped from Salsa music into Latin Jazz as a bandleader, it’s almost a surprise that he’s now in his 30th recording.
For me, a big fan of Willie Rosario’s orchestra where Humberto sharpened his chops after graduating from Berklee, “Jazz Project” was his come-out album which basically told me that he could do Latin jazz with a smooth concept for those moments when I wanted to take a break from listening Salsa music. I loved it and became a fan of his music.
Today, I hear “8 Doors” and its like if he had buried “Jazz Project” in the ground (like a bottle of good “pitorro” – Puerto Rican moonshine), letting it age for 21 years, and now taking it out to give me a drink. Spoiler alert: it’s great!
Music in “8 Doors”
Since I’ve already giving you quite a long intro, I’ll be short and to the point in describing the music.
Humberto Ramirez’ “8 Doors” is a masterful album of smooth Latin Jazz. The music is sharp, clear, and energetic without being rowdy. The percussion is clear and sharp without interfering with the flow. Humberto’s trumpet and arrangements are incredibly melodic, with a variety of tempos and yet keeping it all within a range of enjoyable melodic music.
“8 Doors” has faster and lower beats, including a some “montunos”, “guajiras” and “boleros”. The mix keeps it listening experience interesting and pleasant.
Another thing I liked about the album is that Humberto gives all musicians in the album their chance to solo and demonstrate what they can do. He is a master of knowing when and how much for each.
Loved “8 Doors”
As you see from my comments above, I loved “8 Doors”. I find it a great listening experience and highly recommend you check it out.
I couldn’t find a video of the album live, so I got this track from YouTube, which Humberto Ramirez dedicated to Puerto Rico’s basketball retired player and coach star Raymond Dalmau. I believe it captures a good sample of Humberto’s concept throughout the album.