SASKIA LAROO

This song’s spirit springs from the boogaloos of two jazz exemplars, the late great Teddy Edwards and much alive great Lou Donaldson. Amsterdam’s 1990s’ jazz dance scene led Saskia to fascination with this latin, jazz, and pop fusion born of the New York City’s 1960s. Her spin on the genre is to fashion a rock-n-roll-flavored ditty over the “A”, chased by an authentic salsa bridge. To build the tension, she extends the last bridge of the piece-her solo out—and thickens the descarga adding a tres under a “tête- à-tête” between herself and borinquen cantador Clave. It emerges transformed from it’s classic quintet start in that true Laroo form: from its jazzy Beets-n-Byrd beginning to it’s sharp halt.