Title: The Rhythm of Invention
Artist: Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet
Label: Patois Records
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: June 7, 2019

Trombonist Wayne Wallace does it again with his latest jazz album, The Rhythm of Invention. Released three years after his Canto América (2016), the new release features the established Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet and maintains the harmonious sounds of Canto’s chamber orchestra. The Rhythm of Invention includes 10 tracks of original compositions and arrangements of jazz and Latin jazz classics.

On the opening track Wallace pays tribute to Eddie Palmieri with a spirited rendition of “Vamanos Pa’l Monte,” which is followed by an elegant arrangement of “Take 5” intermixed with Afro-Cuban bembé and clave. Wallace’s original compositions “El Arroyo,” “Se Me Cayó El Veinte,” “Atardecer Matancero,” and “Mi Descarga,” all feature rich timbres, rhythmic contours, and “swinging” Afro-Latin grooves. However, the title track, “The Rhythm of Invention,” is definitely the focal point on the album. On this track Wallace combines bata drumming, Afro-Cuban rhythms, a spoken word piece by Akida Thomas, and the voice of the late David Baker talking about the essence of jazz rhythm. The Rhythm of Invention is an ideal example of what happens when “rhythms intersect each other in places where they are not normally expected to meet.”

Reviewed by Jamaal Baptiste