Asere Ko represents my vision of combining Afro-Latino music with whatever musical styles I feel comfortable mixing into them. This recording brings a conglomeration of influences from artists of different backgrounds, musical styles, and geographic locations to make this vision a musical reality. Finding material for me is always a challenge. This project started slowly, with the recording of just two songs in a one-year period, and with only a handful of musicians. Not having a set band, however, allowed me to use different orchestrations, instrumentations, and music styles, and bring in some of the most talented people to record with me for the first time: Erick Barberia, Madeleine Eastman, Oscar Hernandez, Mark Levine, Louie Romero, Jovino Santos Neto, and Destani Wolf. Over a period of two years, some 40 musicians and singers from the San Francisco Bay Area, Havana, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle helped this project come to fruition. The title track "Asere Ko,” based on the Arsenio Rodriguez song "Dilo Como Yo,” aptly represents the CD because of its African American and Afro-Latino elements. The title is also a reworking of aserekó, a traditional Efik-language greeting or salutation among close friends. Here I wish to thank all the participants in the project as well as those who will listen and enjoy it! —John Calloway ABOUT THE SONGS: The CD opens with Obatala, a dance piece that pays tribute to this Yoruba deity with a powerful vocal intro by Erick Barberia … Child’s Play, which I wrote some years ago for my first-born, Paul, mixes the Brazilian rhythms baião and partido alto. For the Love of Money, the classic O’Jays song, is treated with an infusion of Cuban timba and features the astounding vocalist Destani Wolf ... Asere Ko adds gospel, jazz and R&B influences into a soca rhythm, with vocal styling by Orlando Torriente … Casinha do Olho D'Água, written by the great Hermetto Pascual, is a guarânia rhythm from Southwestern Brazil, and includes his trademark singable melodies over complex harmonies. Noted jazz vocalist Madeline Eastman and I share some improv time on the project’s lone jazz standard, Softly as in a Morning Sunrise, done as a passionate Cuban rumba led by Jesus Diaz. Alamar City, composed by Cuban pianist Charlie Gaytan, is one of two songs recorded in Havana; an all-Cuban band with yours truly! Nostalgia de Futuro features a slow, contemplative melody along with some compelling lyrics about the life cycle process from Carlos Baron ... Neptuno Street, the other Cuban-recorded piece, is a descarga that echoes the traffic of one of the busiest streets in Centro Habana, and features Carlos Caro and Yasek Manzano. Descarga Something Like That, an old school jam with blues stylings, brings in the NY alumna of Louie Romero and Oscar Hernandez, along with a lot of the “old school” cats that have been playing with me for many years. CD Personell: Obatala David Belove -bass Murray Low - piano David Flores - drums Jesus Diaz - congas Carlos Caro - timbales Mike Olmos - trumpet Daniel Casares - tenor sax Natalie Cressman - trombone Erick Barberia - lead vocals and coro Jesus Diaz - coro John Calloway - flute/guiro/clave For the Love of Money David Belove -bass Marco Diaz - piano Camilo Landau - guitar David Flores - drums John Santos - congas Jesus Diaz - timbales John Calloway - guiro Mike Olmos - trumpet Melecio Magdaluyo - alto and bari saxophones Ruben Sandoval - trombone Destani Wolf - lead vocals Rebecca Bouc, Bryan Dyer, Monica Fimbrez, Orlando Torriente - chorus Asere Ko Ayla Davila - bass John Calloway - piano/ keyboard/flute Javier Navarette - percussion John Santos - percussion Daniel Casares - tenor sax Orlando Torriente - lead vocals Bryan Dyer - additional vocals Rebecca Bouc, Monica Fimbrez, Javier Navarette - chorus Casinha do Olho D’Água David Belove -bass Jovino Santos Neto - piano David Flores - drums Michael Spiro - percussion/congas Mike Olmos - trumpet John Calloway - flute Sandy Cressman - vocals Bryan Dyer - additional vocals Softly as in a Morning Sunrise David Belove -bass Murray Low - piano David Flores - drums Jesus Diaz - congas John Calloway - flutes/chekere/clave Madeline Eastman - vocals Nostalgia de Futuro Saul Sierra - bass Mark Levine - piano David Flores - drums John Santos - congas John Calloway - flute/clave/chekere - Anthony Blea - violin Laura Boytz - cello Edgardo Cambon - vocals Neptuno Street Jose Hermida - bass Charlie Gaytan - piano Ruy Lopez-Nussa drums Octavio Rodriguez - conga Carlos Caro - timbales Yasek Manzano - trumpet John Calloway - flute/guiro Descarga Something Like That Saul Sierra - bass Oscar Hernandez - piano Michael Spiro - congas Javier Navarette - bongos Louie Romero - timbales John Calloway - flute/guiro Anthony Blea - violin Melecio Magdaluyo - tenor sax Orlando Torriente - spoken word Child’s Play (John Calloway) David Belove -bass Jovino Santos Neto - piano David Flores - drums Michael Spiro - percussion/congas Mike Olmos - trumpet John Calloway - flute Alamar City Charlie Gaytan - piano Jose Hermida - bass Leivy Lopez Guibert - timbales Octavio Rodriguez - conga Carlos Caro - bongo Ruy Lopez-Nussa drums Ariel Jorge Perez Caballero - Trombone Jesús Fuentes Aldama - tenor sax Yasek Manzano - trumpet John Calloway - flute/guiro