“Puerto Rican flautist Carlos Jimenez and his Mambo Dulcet band released the 3rd volume of their “Red Tailed Hawk” series this summer. The songs in the album move to the beat of Salsa, although they have spices of Latin Jazz all around. The EP of “Red Tailed Hawk, Vol. 3” includes 5 songs, although it’s really 5 versions of 2 songs. In doing this, Carlos wanted for the people to focus and spread the message of the songs. Since the other versions highlight different soloists in each, the other versions serve to highlight the all-star lineup in the album. Musicians in “Red Tailed Hawk, Vol. 3” Carlos Jimenez must have great networking skills. The musicians in this recording are all-star caliber, which include: The Salsa music in Red Tailed Hawk Vol. 3 has great cadence, with good solos that provide hints of Latin Jazz. Carlos Jimenez-flute/vocals/composer/arrangerOscar Hernandez-piano/conductorEddie Montalvo-congasNicky Marrero-timbalesLewis Kahn-violin/tromboneRay Martinez-bassIvo Tirado Jr.-bongo/cowbell/coro The music these guys put out is certainly enjoyable to listen. It’s worth mentioning that the first two volumes also had great musicians in them. These include Sonny Bravo, Edy Martinez, Pate Nater, Alfredo Valdes Jr., Guillermo Jimenez (brother), Lewis Kahn, and Orlando Marin, among others. Music in “Red Tailed Hawk, Vol. 3” As Carlos indicated to me, “I dedicated this volume to Puerto Rico with all my heart, and with the realization that if [Puerto Ricans] love Puerto Rico, they need to wake up and move forward.” The above is the main message on the song “Despierta Boricua” (Wake Up Puerto Rican). The songs features the nice playing and solo of the maestro Oscar Hernandez on piano. Carlos, who is from the town of Villalba, adds that to meet this goal, we need to “help each other, support each other, and respect each other”. Since I live in Puerto Rico I can tell you that right now we are far from that goal, so I hope these songs do bring a change in behavior among Puerto Ricans in the island. The second song in the album is “Cacique del Yukayeque”. I was going to try to describe this song for you, but I found Carlos own description of it in his website… “Cacique Del Yucayeque is a dream that I was invited to meet the Lider of the Tainos in Puerto Rico and to have their traditional foods like malanga, chayote, yautia, yuca, batata and play batu in the batey and also help prepare casabe with the very beautiful India Taina. Then after being lost for many days in the huge forest I finally arrived but the Bohio was burning and that was a very disturbing dream. I also added some Arawak taino language that I am trying to learn and I hope those who really know this great history help out more…”. In the main version of “Cacique” there are solos of piano, bongo, and conga. In the alternate version, Nicky has a chance to stretch out his arms in the timbal. Here’s the YouTube audio of the song “Despierta Boricua”. Summary of “Red Tailed Hawk, Vol. 3” By the way, before I end this blog and forget to mention it, “Red Tailed Hawk” is the English name for the Puerto Rican bird called “Guaraguao”. Although Vol. 3 of this collection is short, it’s certainly sweet and full of flavor. In case it peaks your curiosity, the other two volumes; Vol. 2 (2013) and Vol. 1 (2011) have 7 and 10 songs respectively. With the great musicians that participate in these recordings, I think it will be worth your while to check them out. You can find more information on Vol 3., the previous volumes, and all of Mambo Dulcet’s music at the web page of Carlos Jimenez Mambo Dulcet.” - Hector Aviles
“ Expresión Latina Published on Jun 15, 2018 SUBSCRIBE El flautista Carlos Jiménez tiene toda la esencia puertorriqueña en las venas, a pesar de haber nacido en New York. Es más, su formación musical la inició en Puerto Rico y la completó en La Gran Manzana, estudiando a los grandes del latin jazz. Jiménez ha sabido cultivar varias virtudes musicales a lo largo de su formacion y experiencia en la música y los escenarios, es cantante, compositor, arreglista, además de flautista. Este sobresaliente y dedicado músico está profundamente involucrado con el jazz y los ritmos latinos, como es natural, y desde que lanzó el primero de los volúmenes de la serie Red tailed hawk se ha empeñado en destacar los grandes estándares que lo han ido cautivando en su vivencia personal, tanto en el latin jazz, el jazz y la música cubana. En este tercer volumen "Red tailed hawk Vol III" (2018) una co producción entre Carlos C. Jimenez y Cjmartinete Music Co, la idea es más bien como un tema convariaciones, centrado en 2 líneas centrales, la salsa y el latin jazz, para lo cual se ha sabido acompañar de extraordinarios maestros de nuestra música sabrosa, como Oscar Hernández y Eddie Moltalvo, leyendas vivas de los ritmos latinos. Los Músicos que intervienen: Carlos Jiménez – flute/vocals/composer/arranger Oscar Hernández – piano/conductor Eddie Montalvo – congas Nicky Marrero – timbales Ray Martinez – bass Lewis Kahn – violin/trombone Ivo Tirado Jr. – bongo/cowbell/coro” - Fernando Cataño Florian
“DJ Rey Boricua, Salsa Warriors: Review of Red Tailed Hawk Vol.3 by Carlos Jimenez Mambo Dulcet. Despierta Boricua: The first track on the Red Tailed Hawk Vol.3 cd is Despierta Boricua, a jazzy Salsa track featuring an awesome piano solo buy Oscar Hernandez and vocals/flute solo by Carlos Jimenez. The track while jazzy yet very danceable with swing. Highly recommended. Cacique de Yucayeque: The second track Cacique de Yucayeque is another smooth Jazzy Salsa track featuring an awesome piano solo by Oscar Hernandez and Bass solo by Ray Martinez and ended with masterful percussion solos by legends Eddie Montalvo on Congas & Nicky Marrero on Timbales. Highly Recommended. ” - Renan Morales
“Nativo de Nueva York Carlos Jiménez es un extraordinario flautista de jazz y jazz latino. También es vocalista, compositor, líder de la banda de salsa y productor de muchas grabaciones. La familia regresó a Villalba, Puerto Rico, donde el entonces músico de seis años continuó su formación musical en la Escuela Secundaria Francisco Zayas Santana, donde estudió con el famoso maestro, el profesor Pablo León. En 1995, Carlos regresó a la ciudad de Nueva York y estudió en el Conservatorio de Música de Westchester. Luego amplió su repertorio al jazz estudiando con los maestros músicos Dave Valentin, Hilton Ruiz, Mario Rivera, Bobby Porcelli, Sonny Bravo, Mike Longo y Alfredo Valdés Jr. Carlos Jimenez ha grabado con; Hilton Ruiz, Oscar Hernández, Nicky Marrero, Eddie Montalvo, Stephane Ronget, David Schnitter, Edy Martínez, Dave Valentin, Sonny Bravo, Gilberto “El Pulpo” Colón, Ray Martínez, Enrique Haneine y el maestro Alfredo Valdés Jr.Dos temas con diferentes versiones nos dejan pasmados al escuchar estas monstruosidades de temas, ingenio nato, casual y elegante versifican su propuesta tan original y fina sin duda dara mucho de qué hablar estos temas, excelente y muy recomendados.” - La Salsa Es Mi Vida
“Carlos Jimenez / Mambo Dulcet: Red Tailed Hawk Mark Weinstein have helped to widen this avenue of instrumental exploration. They've paved the way and opened up a world of possibilities for fine and feisty flautists of the present and future to flourish in danceable domains. Carlos Jimenez is one of the beneficiaries of their trailblazing. Jimenez, who was brought up in New York, moved to Puerto Rico at the age of six and returned to the Big Apple to further his musical studies in 1995, has absorbed the work of his instrumental forbearers and peers, but he's no copycat. Red Tailed Hawk presents an artist who stands firmly on his own two feet, which are both likely moving to the tasty grooves that power this music. Vamps and a steady percussive flow are part and parcel for these pieces, which tend to value feel and solo work over harmonic movement. While this can cause interest to wane on occasion, the personalities involved usually keep this problem at bay with a steady flow of excitement and energy. Jimenez delivers bright, perky solos that are fun-filled snapshots of his chipper musical persona and he aligns his axe with different front line allies from track to track. Trumpeter Peter Nater proves to be a strong soloist and simpatico partner, though his horn has some occasional intonational rub with the leader's flute ("Goza Nena"). Likewise, Lewis Kahn is a highly skilled double threat, capable of creating a stir with trombone or violin. While Guillermo Perez's guitar is only heard on "La Playa," it adds volumes to that track. When Jimenez isn't doling out sweet flute treats, he puts his instrument down and sings. His voice, like his flute, cuts straight to the heart of the music and proves to be an equally powerful instrument. The real Red-Tailed Hawk may be a bird of prey, but Jimenez's music harbors no threat. It merely invites hip shaking and rewards open ears. Track Listing: Tanto Rogarte; Goza Nena; Tu Boquita Dulce Y Maravillosa; Alma Con Alma; Guaraguao (Red Tailed Hawk); My One & Only Love; La Playa; Mambo Terrifico; Cachita; Tomando Cafe. Personnel: Carlos Jimenez: flute, vocals, piano (10); Edy Martinez: piano, vocals; Willie Cintron: bass; George Cintron: timbales; Juan Rodriguez: congas; Lewis Kahn: trombone, violin; Guillermo Jimenez: chekere, bongo; Peter Nater: trumpet (3, 4, 6); Richie Viruet: trumpet (10); John Guth: guitar (5, 8); Orlando Marlin: timbales (6); Guillermo Perez: Fender Rhodes (7), guitar (7), vocals (7); David Cruz: piano (8); Sonny Bravo: piano (7); Alfred Valdes, Jr.: Piano (2). Title: Red Tailed Hawk | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: CJMartinete Music Co. www.carlosjimenezjazzflutist.com ” - Dan Bilawsky
“Flute is a scary instrument; jazz flute doubly so. Too often flute players fall back on either candy sweetness or the tired breath tricks that Ian Anderson has been doing with Jethro Tull for more than thirty years now. The instrument suffers as well by its overuse in Muzak and tepid soft rock, to the point where people reflexively assign flute music to the “eww” file. For my part, all the great jazz flute players who push my buttons (and that’s not many, owing to my own ignorance) are experimenters who use the flute as a tool to explore the outer limits rather than just play some good old straight music. All this goes triple for Latin jazz flute, where the light tone of the instrument can get buried underneath an avalanche of percussion. It’s a neat trick, then, that Yonkers, NY native Carlos Jimenez has pulled off. As a young Latin jazz flutist, he has made an album that leaves the flute front and center, counterbalanced by a rhythm section that for all their propulsion and weight still leave plenty of room for the flute on top. Moreover, Jimenez is a straight-ahead player interested in exploring groove and melody rather than orbiting Neptune on a descending-modal whole tone run. And even though the words “tasteful flute” generally make me want to run screaming for my Slayer albums, he has made a very promising debut album, titled Arriving. Jimenez’ tone is light and airy, about as far from the round caramel sweetness of classical flute as it’s possible to get, and he has developed a voice as a soloist that makes the most of this lightness. He sometimes leaves phrases open ended, building up questioning statements for bars at a time before tying them together again. Although he is young (and plays young), his ideas have enough meat on them to promise a lot of room for him to develop as a player. His band backs him up in style with great comping and tight rhythms that balance the Latin and jazz sides of their sound nicely. Bassist Geoff Brennan in particular skips across the beat with a feel that digs in like Stanley Clarke but bounces like a salsa band. The percussion line of Hilton Ruiz (piano), Guillermo Jimenez (timbales), Aryam Vazquez (congas) and Adam Weber (drum kit) keep Brennan tied to earth with knotty and dense rhythms that smolder and spark. In particular, Ruiz’ solos and tartly dissonant comping fill in harmonic and rhythmic details beautifully, and the occasional backbeat fill from Weber sometimes send things in a welcome bebop direction. Arriving is a collection of originals by Jimenez (plus Miles Davis’ “So What”), most of which are open-ended head charts that devote most of their space to soloing (I’m not even sure if a couple of Jimenez’ compositions even have heads or not). While this suggests that Jimenez’ writing has a lot of growing up to do, it doesn’t actually detract from the album as a whole. With a rhythm section as tight and alert as his, Jimenez can carry tunes on solos that, though sometimes limited, are expressive enough to retain interest. Standout tracks include the opening “Tomando Cafe,” “Natalie’s Cha Cha Cha” and “Arriving,” which percolate with sparkling rhythms and probing solos from Jimenez, Ruiz, and guest player Bobby Porcelli (alto sax) on “Arriving.” Elsewhere, as on “Tunnel of Flowers” and “My Allison,” Jimenez and crew give over to prettiness that goes on too long to really hold interest. The greatest compliment I can give is that I have Arriving on an IPod playlist with a number of heavy hitters in Latin and Latin hybrid music – The Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Mandrill, Jimmy Bosch, Poncho Sanchez, Mongo Santamaria, and so on – and the best selections from Arriving always send me rushing back to the “now playing” screen to remind myself who’s making this good noise. Although not perfect, Arriving is a strong debut from a young player.” - John Owen
“New York city is home to a thriving Latin jazz scene, including several fine flutists, Andrea Brachfeld, Mark Weinstein, Jessica Valientes and recent Grammy winner Dave Valentin. Carlos Jimenez is a new addition to this fold and this is his debut CD appropriately entitled Arriving. Jimenez arrives after a number of years paying his dues, some in his birthplace and current home of Yonkers, some in Puerto Rico where he spent several years. Since taking up the flute he has studied with some fine Latin players, Mitch Frohman from Tito Puente's band, Mario Rivera, Bobby Porcelli, who appears on this recording, and, more recently, Dave Valentin who also puts in a guest appearance. Jimenez also attributes much of his inspiration to pianist Mike Longo. These influences can be heard in Jimenez' flute work; he has a good full sound, a secure rhythmic sense and a good flow of invention in his improvisations. He has wisely chosen to center his rhythm section around a seasoned veteran-pianist Hilton Ruiz, with whom Jimenez has also studied. With Ruiz at the controls the rhythm section snaps and crackles. Jimenez takes central stage as soloist but leaves room for Ruiz, plus cameo appearances by Khan, Porcelli and Valentin, the latter on the final track, the only one not an original composition by Jimenez. It says something for Jimenez' prowess as a flutist that it is hard to tell him and Valentin apart! This is certainly a fine debut for a new artist. Along with his flute work, he also contributed seven original compositions. On the whole these are strong, with the usual Latin vamps and grooves, bossas and cha chas, with one slower ballad, My Allison. One caveat. If I had been the producer, I would have suggested leavening these with one or two standards. Jimenez' originals are not quite distinctive enough to carry the whole album. Dave Valentin, Jessica Valiente--these are good composers, but their recordings benefit from a program that mixes their originals with traditional Latin forms and/or jazz standards. I think such a formula would serve Jimenez well on his next recording, which I look forward to hearing.” - Peter Westbrook
“Carlos Jimenez: Arriving There is no doubt that for a large part of the movie-watching population, jazz flute will instantly call to mind Will Ferrell's heroically unhinged performance on said instrument in a scene from Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. That Ferrell is now synonymous with jazz flute in some quarters says something, although I'm not exactly sure what. Regardless, Carlos Jimenez approaches the flute on Arriving in a traditional manner, without a sense of irony. The great danger of playing flute in a jazz setting is that the light breathiness of the instrument can evaporate into the ether, leaving listeners with nothing to hold on to. Luckily, Jimenez solves this problem by ensuring that the music behind him has a heavy percussive base. For the most part, the rhythm section locks into a solid timbal and conga-spiced groove while Jimenez solos freely on top. The contrast between the high and low makes both ends that much more compelling and vivid. Four of these eight tracks feature guest musicians who help keep the sound fresh and evolving. Violinist Lewis Khan's appearance on "Flute & Violin is particularly stimulating. Khan and Jimenez play over a Middle Eastern-tinged melody that is both exotic and alluring. On Miles Davis' "So What —incidentally, the only track not composed by Jimenez—Dave Valentin also sits in on flute, with a deeply hypnotic result. Arriving is a fine display of mellow Latin jazz on which the high points outnumber some of the more generic tunes. And, just in case fans of Anchorman may be wondering, the album does not feature a quote from "Aqualung. Track Listing: Tomando Cafe; Flute & Violin; Natalie's Cha Cha Cha; Arriving; Tunnel Of Flowers; My Allison; Que Paso?; So What. Personnel: Carlos Jimenez: flute; Hilton Ruiz:piano; Guillermo Jimenez: timbales; Geoff Brennan: bass; Aryam Vazquez: congas; Adam Weber: drums; Dave Valentin: flute (8); Bobby Porcelli: alto saxophone (4,6); Lewis Khan: violin (2). Title: Arriving | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: CJMartinete Music Co. ” - Stephen Latessa
“Carlos Jimenez – Arriving Yonkers, Nueva York natal, Carlos Jiménez es la nueva generación de flautistas extraordinarias. Sigue los pasos de grandes como José Fajardo, Dave Valentin, Néstor Torres.Pasión por la música de Carlos comenzó a la edad de cuatro años, cuando bajo la dirección de su padre aprendió a tocar la trompeta. La familia regresó a Villalba, Puerto Rico, donde el entonces de seis años de edad, el músico continuó su formación musical al final lo de aterrizar la admisión a la prestigiosa escuela Francisco Zayas Santana alta en Villalba, Puerto Rico, donde estudió con el famoso maestro, el profesor Pablo León .En 1995, Carlos volvió a Nueva York para estudiar en el Conservatorio de Música de Westchester. Durante la realización de un año de su educación en música clásica, que amplió su repertorio al jazz estudiando con músicos maestros Dave Valentín, Hilton Ruiz, Mario Rivera, Bobby Porcelli, Sonny Bravo y Longo Mike.Su talento y su pasión por el Jazz, Latin Jazz, Salsa, así como sonidos brasileños y asiáticos se ha traducido en su grabación con muchos grandes de la música, incluyendo: Hilton Ruiz, Ronget Stephane, Sermones Saunders, Willie Cintrón, Sonny Bravo, Martínez Edy, Alfredo Valdez Jr., David Braham, Rubén Rodríguez, Dave Valentin, Jay Hoggard, David Schnitter, Jennings Jerónimo, Orlando Vega, Geoff Brennan, Chris Smith, Fidel Cuéllar, BRUN Jeremy Kahn Lewis, Gregg agosto, Weber Adán, Cherico Vince, Guillermo Jiménez, Aryam Vázquez, Wilson Corniel, Juan Rodríguez, Cintrón George y Bobby Porcelli.Leer más...” - L'Ostia
“ Carlos Jiménez, Arriving (2005)Small-combo Latin jazz, particularly flute-led, always runs the risk of becoming superficial background music. Jiménez is at higher risk, because he has a low-key, mellow sensibility, but fortunately he beats the odds: the ballads ("My Allison") are sensitive but not sappy, while the high-gear numbers show welcome unpredictability ("Tomando Café"). Similarly, the compositions don't knock you off your chair, but feel like they've always been in your life, like a favorite uncle ("Tunnel Of Flowers"). The elegant closing run through the Miles Davis standard "So What" (featuring Dave Valentín) exemplifies the unhurried, subtle but substantive approach, though the centerpiece is the contemplative, moving title track. The backing band is Hilton Ruiz (piano), Geoff Brennan (bass), Guillermo Jiménez (timbales), Aryam Vázquez (congas) and Adam Weber (drums); Lewis Khan guests on "Flute & Violin." (DBW)” - Wilson & Arroy's