By Tom Ineck

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Norman Hedman's Tropique gets rave review

The following is a review of the Oct. 6 performance of Norman Hedman & Tropique at the American Museum of Natural History. The band, which has a longtime association with the Berman Music Foundation, appeared as part of the museum’s "Starry Nights" series. This review is reprinted by permission of Jazz Improv, which publishes Jazz Improv Magazine (a quarterly of 250-300 pages with a companion CD in each issue), which NPR’s Curious Listener’s Guide to Jazz described as "hands down the best," and Jazz Improv’s New York Jazz Guide, New York’s largest circulation jazz monthly, available at 250 locations and as a downloadable PDF from www.jazzimprov.com. To subscribe to Jazz Improv Magazine or Jazz Improv’s New York Jazz Guide call 1-888-472-0670 or write Jazz Improv, P.O. Box 26770, Elkins Park, PA 19027.

By Harry Maisonette

NEW YORK CITY--Walking in the brisk fall New York air and entering "Starry Nights" at the Natural History Museum, all the stars were aligned in the Norman Hedman universe. The Rose Center Conservatory, cavernous in scope, seemed to transport one back to the Palladium or the St. George, where Latin and Latin jazz music first held court. The stars of this universe were Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto and Joe Cuba to name but a few. As soon as you walked into this huge ballroom, you could feel the pulsing of the bass and the pounding ring of the percussion.

Ah, I was home again courtesy of Norman Hedman and Tropique. And they were taking flight on a tune called "Flight of the Spirit," a piece in 6/8 reminiscent of the Tito/Mongo/Bob groove. It proved to be a perfect vehicle for this setting. Smooth, flowing, clean and tight, the transformation was complete. I was in Latin jazz and Latin soul heaven. The band’s funky solos showed off this wonderful unit’s cohesiveness and polish, signaling what was yet to come.

Hedman is a renaissance man if ever there was one; musician, composer, producer, and scholar; a hands-on player who makes his own percussion instruments. With a polished attitude yet humble demeanor, Hedman allows you readily into his universe and says, "Welcome and enjoy the ride."

The next selection up was "Rundadar Dance," written by vibraphonist Alexei Tsiganov. The percussion at first traded licks with pianist Misha Tsiganov, the other half of this brother team, and urged the band along. As they broke into a funky mambo jazz, flutist Craig Rivers took a tasty solo, followed by Alexei on vibes showcasing his tune. This is a cat that definitely has his clave together. A Latin-piano vamp followed, introducing us to Hedman on congas. His riffs, slaps and rolls grooved in the pocket and made for a smoking tune. "Walk in the Moonlight," a piece written by Hedman in a bolero jazz groove with flute and sax blowing the harmonious rhythm, took the tempo down. A segue into a slow guaracha and back to bolero provided ample space for the vibes and piano to lay down flowing textured solos, meeting again for the melody to cap off this relaxing and beautiful arrangement.

Hedman and the members of Tropique set the pace perfectly, constantly mindful of their audience while moving from one chart to the other. In return, an eclectic crowd of all ages and backgrounds applauded in all the right places. On "Cutting Loose," bassist Ron Monroe and Hedman on congas laid down funky rhythms before the rest of the group joined in to create a mélange of Latin soul, jazz, and Caribbean funk highlighting the piano and vibes. This, I learned later, is what separates and defines Norman Hedman’s Tropique—his ability and willingness to incorporate different rhythms, genres and cultures into his music.

The last selection of the evening was the self-titled "Hed-Theme," inspired by Hedman’s travels, observations and daily rituals of living. The chart began with shades of the "I Love Lucy" theme, something Hedman remembers as one of his first personal experiences that has remained with him. The band heated up on this one as Norman laid down that Latin tumbao, followed by Willie Martinez—one of the hottest drummers on the scene today—on timbales. This led into a ripping piano solo by Misha Tsiganov that flowed like a rhumba, transitioning into a fiery sax solo courtesy of Roger Byam while Monroe laid down the foundation and kept it going. As for the percussion, Martinez led the way. Demonstrating his funkiness and dexterity on timbales, rolls, flams, rimshots, and various combinations thereof erupted out of the drums, all placed perfectly on the 2-3 clave. The band was bounding along to a heavy descarga finish. As Hedman’s turn came to put his tag on the chart, he exemplified a command of the rhumba with a round of slaps and beats before riffing in a cohesive and exhilarating flurry reminiscent of his early mentor, Mongo Santamaria. The mark of a true drummer, Hedman made the drum talk in his own unique musical language.

Norman Hedman & Tropique are a unit whose time has come. His ability to fuse different genres—Latin, r&b, Latin soul—makes for an exciting yet unique style. If you run across this exciting group, don’t pass it up. Stay and enjoy the ride; you won’t regret it.