So far I’ve got these titles in the works (all originals except where noted):

1: Dragonfly Taxi (more of a rap than a song, based on Hendrix’s Spanish Castle Magic)

2: Liquid Shiva (lyrics and vibe based on the Bhagavad Gita) Here’s an excerpt:

3: Dub Jumper (trippy and SLOW reggae original). Here’s an excerpt:

4: Sure (a rap tune I wrote years ago and dug out of the vaults.). Here’s an excerpt:

5: Fake That (great little reggae riff I wrote some years ago and gots to complete it)

6: War (my funk/neo-soul arrangement of the Marley classic)

7: Your First Million (a tune about the expectation that certain people feel in the US, if not the world, that they are entitled to making millions)

8: Nag Champa (an aggressive rock/reggae instrumental)

Musicians on the recording, so far,  (besides Matt on drumset, keyboards and vocals)…..
– Danny Mo – bass
– Kudisan Kai – vocals
–Jeff Cressman – trombone solo: Dub Jumper
–Steve Hogan – human beat box
–Maroghini – hand percussion

Recently Jeff Cressman (awesome sound engineer and great trombonist [been with Santana for a number of years now] was staying at my house along with the amazing body percussionist, Keith Terry.  They were in town from the SF area to do a couple of gigs in Boston. (I met these great musicians at Jazz Camp West last summer.) I was able to get a couple of hours free with Jeff and set up my portable studio in my living room and got him to play a GREAT solo on my tune, Dub Jumper.  Check out this excerpt:

Go to the Dragonfly Taxi recording project page to hear a couple more excerpts.

I also found the time to lay down Fender Rhodes and Hammond organ tracks (yup, the REAL THING baby!), borrowing a friends Rhodes and finding a quiet couple of hours Sunday morning to record the organ at Berklee.

Next, it’s time to finish ALL the drum tracks and keyboard tracks, then choose the right guitar players to lay down lead and riddim tracks. And after that, to get the horns done (flute, trumpet, tenor, bone) and then the back up vocals.  I’ll complete all the lead vocals at various points along the way.

The group has provided Matt with an opportunity to learn how to play traditional Afro-Cuban music with some of the best Latin players from NYC and north. Since its inception the group has been playing to packed houses, private parties, weddings in the greater Boston area, Maine, Western Mass and New Hampshire. They have twice received the Portsmouth Herald’s (NH) reader’s poll award as “Best World Music Band.”

Check out this phone call Matt received after playing a 40th birthday party!

Combo Sabroso is primarily a LATIN DANCE BAND and list as their main influences the ensembles of Latin piano icon Eddie Palmieri and the grand percussionist, Tito Puente. In fact Jenson studied with Palmieri and maintains a friendship with the Maestro and works extensively with Mr. Palmieri’s timbale player, Jose Claussell. With influences such as these you can bet that the group remains committed to the deeper side of the idiom…..it’s SOUL CLEANSING LATIN DANCE MUSIC!!

They follow in the tradition of these venerated maestros by incorporating their formula of layering exciting jazz solos over relentless, energetic dance rhythms. Their repertoire includes compositions that range in style from Cha Cha to Danzon, from Bolero to Salsa, from Latin jazz to Plena. Jenson, who now lives in Boston and teaches piano and a class on Bob Marley at Berklee College of Music, incorporates his blues and reggae influences by bringing Latin dance arrangements of various American R&B and Jamaican reggae tunes to the Afro-Cuban table.

Combo Sabroso features, from Costa Rica, Manolo Miarena, a well known percussionist and singer who has performed internationally with La Timba Loca, the Latin Party Boys and pianist Rafael Alcala. Performing on timbales and vocals, from Venezuela is Ernesto Diaz. Known for his enthusiastic and animated performance style has been a mainstay in the Boston Latin music scene for 20 years and is on the faculty at Berklee College of Music. Peruvian bassist and singer Alex Alvear, is also an anchor of the Latin music scene in Boston and NYC and is known for his organic and infectious tumbao (groove) and amazing vocal work. He leads his own group, Mango Blue and has performed with many internationally known Latin artists including Paquito D’Rivera. On horns, Combo Sabroso presents trombonist Angel Subero and saxophonist Matt Langley. Angel is an internationally known classical bass trombonist who has performed with nearly every major symphony in the world, and moonlights as an energetic (to say the least!) Salsa and Latin Jazz trombonist. Matt Langley’s relentless and soulful tenor playing is well-known throughout New England and especially in his recorded work with the Charlie Kohlhase Quintet is sublime.

At any one performance you may see a cross-section of the core band members listed above and:

Pablo Bencid – percussion, vocals
Jeff Galindo – trombone
Squantch – trombone
Scott Flyn – trombone
Tim Mayer – saxophone, flute
Mondongo – trombone
Oscar Stagnaro – bass
Paulo Stagnaro – percussion
Kalani Trinidad – flute, vocals
Karina Colis – timbales, vocals
Gabriel Lugo – percussion
Yaure Muniz – trumpet
Carlos Deleon – trumpet
Carlos Averoff – tenor sax