Neff Irizarry: 'Cambio'

To quote Aristotle: "Change in all things is sweet", and the latest album from composer and guitarist Neff Irizarry provides the sweetest jazz. 'Cambio' (‘Change’) brings Latin Jazz without the piano in a highly intuitive and innovative manner. Released on Blue Canoe Records back in September, this is one of my favourite albums of 2024.

Composer, guitarist, author and educator specialising in Latin and contemporary jazz, Neff Irizarry brings a delightful and energetic use of the guitar in a blend of influences from Puerto Rican Sabor and a Nordic cool known as Sisu. This latest album - Cambio - combines innovative jazz guitar in combination with the vibraphone.

The Cambio ensemble features three-time Grammy-winning Jimmy Haslip (bass), Martin Fabricius (vibraphone), and Ricardo Padilla (percussion) in a fusion of Latin rhythms and soulful melodies. The overall sound is uplifting and a reflection of Latin American heat combined with Scandinavian cool. Start with my favourite track - The Rain Song - and enjoy the rest of this sweet album as we head towards 2025.

Check out more of Neff’s music here.

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In June 2020, I released the first episode of my podcast - Harmonious World - and I had no idea how much delight it would bring me to share conversations with musicians from around the world. Whether you're a guest, a listener or one of the collaborators who have helped me find my guests, thank you! I now have listeners in 2, 475 cities across 129 countries, so wherever you are, welcome to our collective musical attempts to make the world more harmonious. Season 20 guests were: Chris Gall Sultan Stevenson Fotina Naumenko Quinn Sternberg Tara Minton for International Jazz Day Nicole Zuraitis Dave Keech Ute Lemper Vonn Vanier Iain Farrington Cecilie Strange Becca Wilkins Dave Handler

Hilary Seabrook - writer, podcaster, musician

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