Richie Zellon: The Nazca Lines

If you think that Jimi Hendrix set to a cha-cha rhythm is merely a muzak nightmare, you’ll think again after checking out Richie Zellon’s The Nazca Lines (Songosaurus 724773; 56:24). The totally original walking percussive cha-cha read on Hendrix’s “Fire” is but one of the wild surprises Zellon has in store. The guitarist’s covers here are meticulously melded with traditional Latin rhythmic forms as tribute-he dissects Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” into an accordion-fortified tango, giving the

familiar melody unusual breathing spaces. Zellon’s other Hendrix nod, “Purple Haze,” incorporates a percolating rhythm with stinging melody lines on guitar, for a completely different feel from the acid rock standard. His originals are no less ambitious, with

“Merenbop”‘s zany and light merengue-bebop combo providing a swinging venue for Zellon and pianist Jose Luis Madueno to

explore, and “Mission Marinera” walking tall on a stately Peruvian marinera dance groove (listen up for threads of the “Mission: Impossible” theme, too). A demonstrated expert on the roots of rhythm, from the Dominican Republic to Argentina, Zellon offers compositions that are as educational as they are seductive and danceable.

Originally Published January 1, 1997