Album Notes

“This music has a very emotional meaning. "Taking the Soul for a Walk" is a journey to all of the emotions evoked by the Titles of the 12 tracks. I have experienced these emotions as most of us probably have, and this music is flying through our ears before it touches infinity and disappears.”
–Dafnis Prieto, February 2008

Musicians:
Peter Apfelbaum- Sop sax, Tenor sax & Melodica.
Avishai Cohen - Trumpet.
Yosvany Terry - Sop sax, Alto sax.
Manuel Valera - Piano.
Yunior Terry - Bass.
Dafnis Prieto - Drums.
Itai Kriss - Flute on track 10.

All compositions by Dafnis Prieto
Published by Dafnison Music BMI

Press Quotes:

“Drummer Dafnis Prieto’s third release as a leader shows him to be a composer of considerable depth. Taking the Soul for a Walk offers 12 pieces of precise, propulsive polyrhythm and intricate parts. There’s plenty of solo playing, but the power of this music is in the ensemble’s confident communication. The performances have a sense of community, and despite the structural, harmonic and rhythmic complexity, the music packs an emotional punch… This is a splendid album that stands up to many listenings.” **** 1/2 stars
– Ned Sublette, Down Beat Magazine

“Never has the line between traditional Latin-jazz and 21st-century postbop been so wonderfully blurred as on Taking the Soul for a Walk. Drummer-composer Dafnis Prieto outlines the dance rhythms of his native Cuba, but his sextet adds complexity that evokes John Lewis’ quote about Duke Ellington: ‘His music was too exciting to dance to.’ … Subversive genre-bending or not, Taking the Soul for a Walk is solidly in the pocket – and it’s glorious.”
– Michael J. West, Jazz Times Magazine

“(Prieto) has transformed Afro-Cuban rhythms to the trap set with a light touch and a gracefully deceptive manner of speeding up and slowing down tempos. These pieces are emotionally charged and stylistically diverse, carried along not just by rhythm but also through lovely harmonized passages, horn fanfares, and powerfully conjured moods.”
– Larry Blumenfeld, The Wall Street Journal

“… it is the strength of the arrangements of these fantastic compositions that really allows everyone to shine. Showing confident maturity and youthful excitement in their proper places, these songs simply shimmer with vitality… Music this dense and colorful is nearly impossible to describe. There are more great changes and ideas in a single track than one often finds in whole albums. Joyful, masterful, and brimming with beauty and power, "Taking the Soul for a Walk" simply astonishes, and is clearly one of the best releases I've heard so far this year.”
-– Brad Walseth, jazzchicago.net

“While Cuban-born and New York–based Prieto has already proven himself a virtuosic drummer, this masterful release (the first on his own label) insists that we recognize his remarkable gifts as a composer, too. On Taking the Soul for a Walk, Prieto gives full, emotionally articulate expression to the exile’s internal life, the angst of separation scissoring across the exhilaration of liberty. His skillful use of texture seems to double the sextet’s sound and heightens compositional nuances, and complex rhythms rub bellies together to produce an affecting dance for the spirit.”
– Mel Minter, alibi.com

“Prieto displays the best qualities of a composer on Taking the Soul for a Walk, blending tradition with personality and always finding a connection to his individual vision… (He) wisely utilizes his band members’ unique abilities to help shape his sound, creating structures that bring out their strongest performances… Taking the Soul for a Walk delivers everything that a traditional Latin Jazz promises - driving rhythms, fiery improvisations, and overall intensity; yet Prieto’s strength as a composer lifts this collection of songs into the realm of true artistry seldom seen in today’s world.”
– Chip Boaz, The Latin Jazz Corner / allaboutjazz.com

Dafnis Prieto's music explodes with energy… He is the essence of a modern drummer, propelling his original compositions with a singular passion and intensity…
–The Sacramento Bee

“Prieto is a virtuoso behind a trap set but it's his creative writing and unselfish leadership that sets him apart from his peers. An elaborate hybrid of Afro-Cuban rhythms and sophisticated jazz harmonies, Prieto's compositions are complex, multi-layered affairs that surpass conventional notions of Latin jazz without sacrificing accessibility… A balance between impeccably written charts and fluid interplay, the selections veer from the impassioned to the romantic… Taking The Soul For A Walk is a well crafted blend of multi-faceted writing and heady improvisation, coupled with a highly accessible melodic foundation.”
– Troy Collins, All About Jazz