Press
Bach in Havana by Tiempo Libre "is a landmark recording in the sense that Miles Davis's Kind of Blue was approximately 50 years ago…. this is nothing short of miraculous."
– Latin Jazz Network, 2009
“Let this magical recording transport you to a new dimension, a new reality… but don’t forget to take along your dancing shoes – you are definitely going to need them!”
– SalsaPower.com, 2009
“And judging by the audience's reaction, the group's new direction [in Bach in Havana] is a hit. Throughout the Bach-induced numbers the elegantly dressed crowd danced and spun to Tiempo Libre's new classical-Cuban hybrid.”
– Broward-Palm Beach New Times, 2009
“Bach is back with a vengeance. And in the hands of power pianist Jorge Gomez and his Grammy-nominated Cuban timba group Tiempo Libre, you can be sure there will be dancing in the streets...With the release of Bach in Havana, Gomez masterfully merges a fierce, seemingly limitless piano technique with jazz colors, classical forms, and Cuban dance figures.”
– Keyboard, 2009
“Precise musicianship…spellbinding grooves throughout”
– Philadelphia Inquirer, 2009
“[On] their first album for Sony they have brought together their Cuban-Latin musical world and that of J.S. Bach for an irresistible combination”
– Audiophile Audition, 2009
“a joyful vibrancy, turning every staid expectation of orchestral music on its head”
– The Intelligencer, 2009
“It’s an inspired maneuver to bridge the worlds of popular and classical, all the while keeping the party going”
– The Examiner.com, 2009
“Simply put, the orchestra's modern take on Afro-Cuban roots blended with Latin jazz is second to none“
– Miami New Times blog, 2009
“This merging of classical, African, and Latin styles is flawlessly reflected in the songs on Bach in Havana”
– Maruch.com, 2009
“…the results are utterly stunning”
– ElectricReview.com, 2009
“Overall, it’s a seamless fusion of disparate stylizations, although the ensemble projects a worldly view and express notions that innumerable genres can coalesce within the proper hands. The artists reinforce the premise that music in general, is an illimitable frontier”
– JazzReview.com, 2009
“…presenting a very original fusion of sounds…sure [to] yet again catch the attention of Grammy voters, dancers, and Latin Jazz fans from around the world“
– Timbastars.com, 2009
“They pack a resounding punch as they keenly splice Bach’s fugues and sonatas into buoyant and emotive storylines, sparked by sassy horns choruses and their energized solo spots“
– EJazznews.com, 2009
"Bach in Havana is a passionate fusion of fiery Cuban rhythms and the timeless music of Johann Sebastian Bach“
– WorldMusicCentral.com, 2009
[Bach in Havana is]...a fantastic set of high tempo, rhythm-based songs... It is no surprise the playing is first-class. The arrangements by Gomez are outstanding. The horns sound creamy and the overall feel is not unlike early Santana in full flow. Tracks, such as ‘Fuga’, based on Sonata in D Minor and ‘Gavotte’ have a wonderful, jazzy, brassy sound that will get you mixing a Cuba Libre and dancing around your living room.
– Exclusive Magazine.com, March 2009
the results [Bach In Havana] are utterly stunning
– Electric Review, March 2009
From Maine to Minnesota, the conservatory-trained Miami-based musicians of Tiempo Libre are bringing orchestral audiences out of their seats – and onto the dance floor….when the San Antonio Symphony struck up… Rumba Sinfónica and then passed it effortlessly on to Tiempo Libre, there was a charge in the air a sense that two genres that had never comfortably shared a stage were learning to dance with one another.… The energy was irresistible, and when the piece was over, an audience composed of equal parts older subscription concertgoers, young, sharply dressed San Antonio debutantes, and members of the local Latino community responded with thunderous applause. As for whether anyone would dance in the concert’s second half – well suffice to say that when Tiempo Libre took the stage the seated audience suddenly found itself vastly outnumbered.
– Symphony Magazine, November – December, 2008
The final result is a bouncy, spicy take on Bolling’s classical jazz, with plenty of virtuosity from both Galway and the Cuban musicians. This is not such a big stretch for them, after all, because they all studied at Cuba’s top classical conservatories and only later moved into jazz and pop. Comparison with the Rampal/Bolling originals show the older versions to sound a bit staid and stilted next to these fresh new views of the music.
– Audiophile Audition, September, 2008
Best Latin Band.
– The Miami New Times, May, 2008
Cuba is a tough destination to visit, but you can enjoy a taste of its culture and of the Cuban-American experience in general by attending the world premiere of “Miami Libre,” a bilingual musical that is set in both Havana and Miami, and runs through Aug. 17.
– The New York Times, August, 2008
Most times it is cliché to say that a Latin band in “hot.” But with Tiempo Libre we are reminded that clichés are so named because obviously truths are at their base. Be warned: Muy caliente!
– Hispanic Magazine, June/July, 2008
A classical piece [Rumba Sinfónica] "where everybody parties"
– The Ottawa Citizen, January, 2008
Nothing short of high voltage…Tiempo Libre is a hot, hot act.
– Blaze, Australia, December, 2007
(Tiempo Libre’s) Timba is…tribal, joyful, genial vibe that demonically possesses the body from the waist down.
– The Miami New Times, June, 2007
Their combined résumés read like a who’s who of Cuban roots music. Artists accompanied by Tiempo musicians include Roberto Torres, Albita and legendary Latin jazz Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.
– Arizona Star, May, 2007
They dance, they sing, they hoot and holler, and they are boy-group beautiful. The dynamo vocals of these super-charged young singing sensations are intended to make you shake your fanny onto any dance floor they sing around.
– MKE, March, 2007
The authentic nature of Tiempo Libre’s band members and their individual friendships unveiled itself on stage, where the guys harmonized, synchronized, and just generally, threw one wild party.
– The Boca Raton News, March, 2007
Rooted in the classics and driven by Havanan tradition, these musicians are firming up a distinctive voice of the Cuban diaspora, and it’s inevitably exuberant, surging with determination, the sound a fast-rising tide of adamant pride.
-CNN.COM, February, 2007
Timba, sabor and son. What You've Been Waiting For [Lo Que Esperabas] is the most joyful voice of a new generation of Cubans who synthesize the essence of a people who, without doubt, know how to sing, enjoy and share all their musical blessings.
– People en Español, October, 2006
The music of Miami-based Tiempo Libre is so hot and danceable that even when you talk about the group, you find yourself moving your hips.
– Richmond Times-Dispatch, September, 2006
It’s hard to believe, listening to Tiempo Libre, that timba was recently considered a dying art form. There’s no question it is alive and well on Lo Que Esperabas.
– The Hartford Courant, June, 2006
The new album [Lo Que Esperabas] relentlessly cooks… This CD vibes late night perspiration in Miami.
– Billboard Magazine, May, 2006
Tiempo Libre is comprised of some of Miami’s heaviest Cuban-born, conservatory educated players, and the pedigree shines through easily. Tiempo Libre is what we’ve been waiting for.
– All Music, May 2006
With its fiery blend of Afro-Cuban jazz, and Latinized funk grooves, Tiempo Libre set loose a tropical musical storm that transformed the Lied into an ecstatically swaying dance club. An extraordinary site. Both young and older couples, parents with babes, preteens and tens, all sharing in the joy of moving bodies and souls. The exuberant rainbow coalition of happy humans proved anew the power of music to communicate to all.
– Lawrence, Kansas Capital Journal April, 2006
During the almost four hundred years since my ancestors brought their heritage to this country, every immigrant group has added to the richness that has made the American experience unique in the world. It’s Tiempo Libre’s turn.
– Knoxville News Sentinel October, 2005