Drummer Joe McCarthy and his New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band to release new recording “Upwards” 11/8/19
“On his second ZOHO release, drummer Joe McCarthy leads his impressive, NY based large ensemble through two vintage jazz numbers and six colorful pieces written by current and past band members. While there are many big bands on the scene, there none quite like this. That the band can move quickly from angular, intervallic runs to lush, pensive moments is a testament to the virtuosity of its performers and the artistic suppleness of its leader.” – Kabir Sehgal
“Congratulations to Joe and his band mates for creatively pushing Latin big band jazz forward in exciting new directions!” –Rich DeRosa
"There’s a grand precedent for Afro-Cuban big band jazz. If the genre had a Hall of Fame, it would be stocked with vivacious, exuberant figures: Machito’s Afro-Cubans, Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band, Tito Puente. As Afro-Cuban big bands of today aim to extend this genre’s great legacy, their success depends largely on how these ensembles define themselves against existing tropes. The Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band, captained by drummer Joe McCarthy, occupies a singular spot in the timeline of Afro-Cuban ensembles, at once a torchbearer of the genre’s storied history and also one of its fiercest innovators."DownBeat Magazine
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