Hideaki Nakaji's Obatala “Conquistador”

"Conquistador"

(Spice of Life) 2005

Hideaki Nakaji--Trombone

Yoshihisa Suzuki—Guitar

Tomohiro Sunada--Keyboards

Toru Nakajima—Piano

Tatsuya Ikeda—Bass

Akihiro Tsuzuki—Percussion

Setsu Fujii--Drums

Nakaji's latest and best recording " Conquistador " might be called Latin fusion. Layers of keyboard synthesizer sounds and electric guitar wrap around the Latin rhythms, but the core is intense Latin drive. The total sound of the CD, captured with excellent sound recording values, is full and expansive. Here, the sound is distinct from the hard-core salsa his live shows feature, but has perhaps a broader appeal, without giving up the intensity for which his groups are well known.

Most important is Nakaji himself. His trombone work has graced nearly every Latin group in Tokyo, and here he is in fine form. In addition to a magnificent tone, his fluent soloing and spot-on rhythmic sense are shown here at their best. Nakaji, though, is not one of those leaders who keep all the soloing time for themselves (though if he did, no one would complain), but seeks to create a holistic sound that drives forward with everyone playing together. The solos are of course more contained here than in his live shows, and one misses the give and take of a bigger horn section, but Nakaji clearly wants to create a recording that is more than just a live salsa performance.

There's plenty to dance, too, though. With tight piano and nuanced percussion, the tempo may be just slower than dance speed, but sinks deep into great grooves. Attention was given to all aspects of the sound, making the tunes as much for listening as dancing. The compositions would work either way, but the tenderness given to them all here is a pleasure. At times the sound drops down to acoustic guitar and brushwork on cymbals or to just trombone and acoustic piano, before building back up to a rollicking forward drive.

Nakaji is also a tremendous composer. Except for "Round Midnight" and a Pat Metheny tune, all are his own works. The tunes are complicated, but without sounding so. They have an almost orchestral feel, with interlocking melodic passages that resonate with each other as they evolve into a coherent and sophisticated total composition. This is sophisticated work, but one that knows how to enjoy itself. Hopefully, Nakaji's next CD will not be long in coming.