Daylight was fading in Tulum’s main square as the stage lights came up. Locals and visitors alike filtered in to the mellow sounds of the Araya Orta Latin Jazz Quartet, kicking off the first concert of the 2010 Riviera Maya Jazz Festival. The Miami-based quartet is made up of two sets of brothers–Ramses and Carlomagno Araya, and Michael […]
Jazz
Viva Italia!
Planning a summer trip to Italy? Putumayo‘s Italia will get you prepped and pumped for that trans-Atlantic journey. Simone Lo Porto’s “Il Girasole” is sweet slow dance (reminiscent of an American country music ballad), while Alessandro Pitoni’s “Colpo di Coda” is a saucy tango with rich instrumentation. “Il Mare Mi Salva” from Rossomalpelo is jazzy […]
Nuttin’ But Stringz
Another week and another hot duo has caught TravelTracks’ ear: Nuttin’ But Stringz. Brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar aren’t your typical violin virtuosos–these two bring hip hop, jazz, and r&b into the mix, producing addictive rhythms. Think of the group Bond, but with a harder edge, and you’ll get the idea. The pair studied at […]