Haque, Fareed: Casseus!

Chicago-based guitarist Fareed Haque has had a successful career as a member of the Chicago Latin Jazz Collective Chevere, and then as a sideman to Cuban saxophonist/clarinetist Pauquito D’Rivera. In the late 80’s he began a solo career with a string of albums on Blue Note. He’s also a member of Garaj Mahal and has toured with jazz icons Joe Zawinul, Dave Holland, and Billy Cobham; do you need to hear anymore? On Casseus! he has reimagined the music of Haitian-American guitarist/composer Frantz Casseus (1915-1993), who is considered the father of Haitian guitar. Haque describes the compositions of Casseus! “it definitely comes out of the melodic tradition of Haitian music. Elegant music with a French feeling, but also African coming through in the rhythm.�

Casseus! offers a nice change of pace from my usual listening taking me down a more traditional jazz road (“Simbi�, “Rara�), but the track that grabbed me was “Congo�, makes you want to get up and dance. This one combines a great feel and wonderful interplay between Haque’s guitar and pianist Kevin Kozol who does a great job throughout. “Percussion Trio� is what you might expect, featuring Cajon, Djembe, and table. Haque offers up jazz, classical, he’s a terrific player. Chalk up “Dance of the Housies� as another favorite, hot soloing from both guitar and piano, but the bass and drums are ripping underneath; don’t forget to check out the rhythm section! “Serenade� is a moody guitar piece; I love just hearing the guitar, gorgeous. The closing “Fi Nan Bois� feature haunting vocalizations (Ugochi Nwaogwugwu) that accompany Haque’s classical guitar.

If you enjoy a more traditional sound with plenty of fiery playing, give this one a shot. The mixture of jazz, classical, Latin, and world influences was a nice change of pace for me. Haque is an amazing player, I love the vibe, it feels pure and open, and it felt like what I could imagine hearing walking into a small jazz club.

Track List:
1. Prelude
2. Simbi
3. Congo
4. Rara
5. Percussion Trio
6. Dance of the Hounsies
7. Come Sunday
8. Serenade
9. Coumbite
10. Fi Nan Bois

Added: March 3rd 2024
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
Hits: 193
Language: english

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