TOMMY MATTIOLI & RICO VIBES   08.30.18

PERSONNEL

In the pantheon of Latin Jazz instrumentation, the vibraphone stands alone for its effervescence and sweetness of tone, and few players embody these characteristics better than band leader Tommy Mattioli. Billed as a Tribute the Cal Tjader, Mattioli's two sets at Zinc, accompanied by his band Rico Vibes, built in intensity throughout the night. Mattioli is a dexterous player, and with Willie Martinez on timbales and Tito Andino on congas, the band beautifully evoked the spirit of Tjader, Willie Bobo and Mongo Santamaria, the three legends of Latin Jazz who frequently played together in the early 1970s. Ranging from sexy and sweet to percussive and hot, the music reached a feverish pitch in the second set, which lasted ninety minutes, with the band -- and the audience -- in perfect synchronicity while grooving to some smokin' Afro Cuban rhythms.