Tito Carrillo - Urbanessence

Urbanessence, the second solo album by veteran trumpeter and composer Tito Carrillo, is an homage to the funky beauty and unique energy of city life--where profound human connections are established daily with those who look and speak differently from one another, and where the art, language and delicacies from every tribe are celebrated. Cities are home to the creators, the visionaries, and the innovators, who marshal armies of people motivated by the hope they provide and the vision they impart. For the artists themselves, the city is their playground. With saxophonist Troy Roberts, pianist Ben Lewis, bassist Clark Sommers, drummer Jay Sawyer, and percussionist Victor Gonzalez, Carrillo channels and celebrates the black music traditions from the three Americas through this set of 10 original compositions.

Carrillo captures the essence of Freddie Hubbard in his prime - the brash, pithy bite on trumpet and, on flugelhorn, the burnished majesty and hoppy sparkle that allows even a heartfelt ballad to preen and pirouette. - Chicago Examiner

...a skilled improviser, building complex and multi-faceted musical lines with seeming effortlessness. - Chicago Jazz Magazine