The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock (The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock)

A sideman who’s played with Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, and Paquito D’Rivera, trombonist Conrad Herwig has also released numerous albums as a leader. His solo efforts include a series of Latin jazz albums honoring John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Wayne Shorter, and 2010’s The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock, recorded live at The Blue Note in New York, is another addition to this impressive series. Herwig, along with pianist Bill O’Connell, arranged eight compositions for a 7-piece band; pianist Eddie Palmieri and trumpeter Randy Brecker make welcome guest appearances. “Oliloqui Valley,” from Hancock’s 1964 release, Empyrean Isles, starts things off and fine solos abound throughout. Two other pieces from Isles, “One Finger Snap” and “Cantaloupe Island,” also get covered here, and the latter features more exciting work from Palmieri. The group switches gears to bring the proper funk feel to “Actual Proof,” which originally appeared on 1974’s Thrust, and the album closes with an inventive cover of the well-known “Watermelon Man.”