Discover Eddie Allen and Salongo

I have to be honest. I had never heard of New York jazz trumpeter Eddie Allen. Come to think of it there are tons of working jazz musicians I haven't heard of. Mostly sidemen who have been working the ropes and then emerge seemingly out of nowhere, when in fact they'd been honing their skills and paying their dues all along. Eddie Allen is one of those underdogs, except that now he directs several different projects, none of which have garnered the media attention they deserve. The cat's been playing since the 70s, working his way up from Milwaukee to the Big Apple, where he's worked with such legends as hard bop drummer Art Blakey, bebop brass bohemian Dizzy Gillespie, avant-garde bandleader Henry Threadgill, and pioneering percussionist Mongo Santamaria, among others, no doubt taking it all in. In 1994 Allen struck out on his own with a quintet and an album titled Remembrance. One of his latest ensembles, Salongo, is a seven-piece Afro-Cuban-Brazilian group that has a four-pronged approach to jazz. The outfit combines the late congero legend Mongo Santamaria's rhythmic latticework, with Brazilian beats and sense of time, the harmonic concepts of contemporary jazz, and the commercial veneer of Santana. Crisp lines and smooth improvisation immediately came to mind when I listened to Salongo's self-titled debut. Allen is a well-versed player with an astonishing emotional range which he fully takes advantage of in the setting of a three-piece horn section -- comprised of himself, Bruce Williams on alto sax and flute, and Teodross Avery on tenor sax. The nine-track disc appropriately opens with "Brasilian Sunset," a laidback groove with Deigo Rivera keeping time with a samba-like backbeat on drums, and Hector Martignon infusing elegance on the piano. "Being Here With You" displays Afro-Cuban cadence on piano and sputtering congas. While "Nymph of Sudan," is the hands-down gem of the album. Midway, "Touch" exudes downtempo sensuality. Salongo wraps up the exquisite jaunt with "Just So You Know," on which the group's keen attention to detail is reiterated. This album is a seamless whole where every piece of the puzzle has its place -- just so you know.