Vega, Carlos / Bird's Up
Album: Bird's Up   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Vega, Carlos   Added:Jul 2017
Label:Origin  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2017-08-26 Pull Date: 2017-10-28 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Oct 29 Oct 22 Oct 15 Oct 8 Oct 1 Sep 24 Sep 17 Aug 27
Airplays: 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1

Recent Airplay
1. Oct 27, 2017: Magic Mix
Untitled Waltz For The Wednesday
4. Oct 14, 2017: Music Casserole
Bird's Up
2. Oct 26, 2017: No Cover, No Minimum
On A Mission
5. Oct 07, 2017: Old Fart at Play
Untitled Waltz For The Wednesday
3. Oct 19, 2017: No Cover, No Minimum
On A Mission
6. Oct 05, 2017: No Cover, No Minimum
Los Osos Grandiosos

Album Review
Be Sharp
Reviewed 2017-08-15
JAZZ: SMALL ENSEMBLE

Saxophonist Carlos Vega leads his quintet through a set of 10 tracks, all of them his original compositions. The lineup is tenor & soprano saxophones by Vega, plus trumpet (sometimes flugelhorn), piano & Fender Rhodes piano, bass, and drums. Track #3 has a bigger group, with added female vocalist, electric guitar, second flugelhorn, and trombone.

No FCC issues.

1 * Mid-fast. Bright & lively. Long solos on Rhodes piano, trumpet, soprano sax. (9:56)
2 ** Fast. High energy hard bop. Solos on trumpet, tenor sax, acoustic piano. (5:36)
3 Slow waltz time. Vega on soprano. Bigger group (see the intro above). Uninspired. (5:49)
4 Slow piano intro, then mid-fast. Trumpet & sax share melody. Piano solo. (6:53)
5 Mid-slow, mellow. Intro on horns. Solos on flugelhorn, Rhodes, tenor, bass. (7:01)
6 * Mid-tempo. Toe-tapping hard bop. Long solos on piano, trumpet, tenor, drums. (7:01)
7 ** Mid-tempo, swingin’. Solos on bass, soprano sax, piano. (5:00)
8 Fast. Enthusiastic but scattered. Solos on trumpet, tenor, drums. Piano ‘comp. (8:11)
9 ** Mid-tempo, bluesy shuffle. Good solos on trumpet, tenor, piano, bass. Fun! (5:53)
10 Slow. Solo piano intro. Tenor & trumpet unison melody, then solos. Gentle. (8:13)

Track Listing
1. On A Mission   6. Swayed Elements
2. Bird's Up   7. Curve Ball
3. Untitled Waltz For The Wednesday   8. The Wizard Swings
4. Los Osos Grandiosos   9. Reflections Of Happy
5. Morphology Of Freedom   10. A Play For Keeps