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Crossroads
Studio album by
Jerry González
Released1994
Label Milestone
Producer Todd Barkan
Jerry González chronology
Moliendo Café
(1991) 		Crossroads
(1994) 		Pensativo
(1995)

Crossroads is an album by the American musician Jerry González, released in 1994. [1] [2] He is credited with his Fort Apache Band. [3] [4] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Latin Jazz Performance". [5]

Production

Crossroads was produced by Todd Barkan. [6] Steve Berrios played on the album, as did John Stubblefield. [7] [8] "Lament" is a cover of the J.J. Johnson song; "Fort Apache" is a cover of the Jackie McLean song. [9] [10] "Thelingus" is a tribute to Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and Charles Mingus. [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [12]
DownBeat [3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music [13]
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide [8]

The Edmonton Journal wrote that the band is "equally adept at diving into bop arrangements, ballads and Afro-Cuban rhythmic patterns with considerable zeal." [14] The Times Colonist called the band "the world's premier Latin jazz group," and praised the "great writing, dynamic soloing ... thoughtful arranging, and fiery rhythmic grounding." [9]

The Toronto Star deemed the album "Afro-Cubop at its best, a live-wire 12 tracks mixing rumba and riff, Western horns with fierce Latin rhythms over constant percussive cutting sessions." [15] The News & Observer praised the "baked-in-coals rhythm section." [16] The Wichita Eagle declared: "Perhaps today's best blend of Afro-Cuban music and jazz, this 15-year-old sextet is stunning as it roars through a varied program." [17]

AllMusic wrote that the band "somewhat de-emphasizes the Latin side of its music in favor of swinging hard bop." [12]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Malandro" 
2."Rumba Columbia I" 
3."The Vonce" 
4."Thelingus" 
5."Guaguanco I" 
6."Ezekiel Saw the Wheel" 
7."Rumba Columbia II" 
8."Viva Cepeda" 
9."Lament" 
10."Guaguanco II" 
11."Fort Apache" 
12."Elegua" 

References

  1. ^ Rozzi, James (Dec 1994). "Crossroads by Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band". Audio. Vol. 78, no. 12. p. 125.
  2. ^ Lloyd, Jack (9 Dec 1994). "Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 20.
  3. ^ a b Birnbaum, Larry (Dec 1994). "On the Latin fringe". DownBeat. Vol. 61, no. 12. p. 63.
  4. ^ Smith, Will (October 16, 1994). "Fiery Sextet Brews Blend of Jazz, Salsa". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 11.
  5. ^ "Jerry Gonzalez". Recording Academy. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Album reviews — Crossroads by Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 37. Sep 10, 1994. p. 88.
  7. ^ McNally, Owen (22 June 1995). "Apache's rhythm master...". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 6.
  8. ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 299.
  9. ^ a b Blake, Joseph (17 Nov 1994). "Crossroads Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band". News. Times Colonist. p. 1.
  10. ^ Campbell, Tom (August 19, 1994). "Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P3.
  11. ^ Hale, James (19 Nov 1994). "Artists switch genres, drum up superb CDs". Ottawa Citizen. p. E4.
  12. ^ a b "Crossroads". AllMusic.
  13. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 812.
  14. ^ Levesque, Roger (8 Oct 1994). "Jazz". Edmonton Journal. p. D5.
  15. ^ Chapman, Geoff (10 Dec 1994). "Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band on Crossroads...". Toronto Star. p. K18.
  16. ^ Cordle, Owen (September 11, 1994). "Memorable Latin jazz". The News & Observer. p. G6.
  17. ^ Roe, Jon (November 21, 1994). "Sextet stunning". The Wichita Eagle. p. 10A.
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