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An astonishingly beautiful collection of modern day originals informed by the love songs of Old Latin America. Jubilant, celebratory, melancholy, soulful, loaded with pop hooks, Iliana features the lush vocals of Carlos Ortega and the fiery flamenco guitar of Charlie Baran. Must be heard! Born in Bogota, Columbia, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Carlos Ortega came to Chicago at age four and grew up playing guitar in punk, surf, and rockabilly bands. Through stories he heard his father tell, he became intrigued with the days of the South American cafes of the 1930's and 40's - stories of a mood and place and time after the bottle was empty and the old lp's were carefully placed on the turntable. Honduran-born Charlie Baran contributes two originals of his own. An internationally acclaimed lead guitarist, Charlie has more licks than the flashiest rock pyrotechnician, but knows that sometimes a beautiful, subtle solo is called for. Bassist Dave Hiltebrand accompanies on six-string bass and fretless bass that is pure jazz. Guesting on the album are Chuck Sansone, American-born but Latin in his rhythm, on congas; percussionist Tim Krause of the Drapes; and Kim Docter of Bloodshot Records' Moonshine Willy. * "...probably the finest debut to come out of the Windy City this year." -New City One of "Four Chicago Acts to Follow" -Billboard Magazine "Local Upstarts" -Rolling Stone Magazine "Casolando is a four-piece Latin combo led by Carlos Ortega, who 20 years ago was fronting a punk band. Now in his mid-30s, the singer has forged a new sound rooted in the traditional music of his native Colombia. On stage, he offers a ravishing lesson in creating and sustaining a mood, as he builds his romantic songs into undulating, epic-length meditations. Before long, one hardly notices that the music is sung entirely in Spanish, so intoxicating were the arrangements, so high the level of musicianship, so passionate the interplay among band members. "The tunes inevitably build from an acoustic guitar riff by Ortega, whose opening themes are embellished by Honduran-born sidekick Charlie Baran, bassist Dave Hiltebrand and percussionist Chuck Sansone. Ortega sings in an almost conversational baritone, as though he was having an intense 2 a.m. conversation with a confidante. The instruments pick up the dialogue, creating an intricate web of voices of equal intensity and eloquence. "Hunched so low he seemed to rest his chin on the body of his guitar, the dapper Baran conjures a buzzing hive of closely bunched notes. Hiltebrand complements the acoustic guitars with an electric six-string bass, bridging the gap between rhythm and melody without resorting to jazz-fusion cliches. Sansone keeps the groove rippling. "After recovering from an illness that derailed his career for most of last year, Ortega an his combo appear more than ready to expand on the lush romanticism of their debut album, 'Iliana'." -Peformance review by Greg Kot in the Chicago Tribune Check out the artist's website: http://www.foraytwo.com Track List: 1. Navidena 2. Iliana 3. La Ventana 4. Te Esperare 5. No Te Olvido 6. Carino Mio 7. Vals del Idiota 8. Camino Sin Sentir 9. El Regalo 10. Ojos Pa Matar 11. Esperanza Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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