Powerhouse organist Walter Wanderley defies convention with his trio release Cheganca. Most jazz listeners would assume Wanderley would not want to hold down the fort without another tonal instrument in the lineup. In this case, he chooses to fill out his trio with a drum set player and auxiliary percussionist, forgoing bass or guitar entirely. He doesn't need to help harmonically, and he's all set melodically. Just that supple, confident Brazilian groove, expertly performed by percussionists Bobby Rosengarden and Sol Gubin ...
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Powerhouse organist Walter Wanderley defies convention with his trio release Cheganca. Most jazz listeners would assume Wanderley would not want to hold down the fort without another tonal instrument in the lineup. In this case, he chooses to fill out his trio with a drum set player and auxiliary percussionist, forgoing bass or guitar entirely. He doesn't need to help harmonically, and he's all set melodically. Just that supple, confident Brazilian groove, expertly performed by percussionists Bobby Rosengarden and Sol Gubin, and Wanderley is ready to cook. With repertoire choices that most modern-day jazz aficionados would find familiar, either because they were classics at the time or because Wanderley's rendition made them such, like "Agua de Beber" or "Here's That Rainy Day," Cheganca would be a welcome addition to any bossa nova fan's collection. The fat, swinging sound of this surprisingly small combo is a marvel even by modern standards. Alongside organ giants like Jimmy Smith or today's Joey DeFrancesco, Wanderley will go down in history as one of the instrument's champions. ~ Eva C. Gutierrez, Rovi
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