Coffee & the Mojo Hat

Scottish music with a heavy dose of Samba, Salsa, Funk and Jazz. Pianist Neil Pearlman is rapidly distinguishing himself as a uniquely innovative artist in the contemporary music scene and his newest project continues that trend. Called "a sweet hybrid" in the Huffington Post and "a lively best of both worlds" by World Music Central, Neil's debut CD as a bandleader draws on influences from jazz, funk and the music of Cuba and Brazil to infuse traditional Scottish melodies with new ideas without losing their essentially Scottish spirit. This unique approach has garnered praise from Jazz critics and World Music critics alike, including major media sources such as the Portland Press Herald ("dazzling piano chops") and WGBH Boston ("A force to be reckoned with"). The album explores contemporary and traditional tunes from the Celtic milieu, including a few penned by Pearlman himself, and features a range of special guests from the local to the internationally renowned. Alasdair Fraser, Maeve Gilchrist, Nicole Rabata, Elizabeth Burke and Neil's father Ed Pearlman each sit in on a track, augmenting stellar playing and arrangements by Neil and his band of top New York musicians, bassist Doug Berns, percussionist Javier Ramos and drummer Alex Cohen. The following is a review of the CD from the Portland Press Herald: I give you Scottish-Latin funk. Nope, I'm not kidding, and neither is multi-instrumentalist and Portland native Neil Pearlman with his new CD, "Coffee & the Mojo Hat." His roots are in Scottish music, and then he discovered jazz and Latin. It all comes together over the course of 14 tracks. After "Alison House," an original, the songs are for the most part traditional Scottish ones that Pearlman and his bandmates had their way with. They're all anchored by Pearlman's dazzling piano chops. "Farewell" features flutist Nicole Rabata, and her playing conjures images of ancient shorelines in far-off lands. Pearlman's 22-year-old fingers absolutely soar across the keys on "Laundry Set," which pours on the funk with plenty of bass and drums. Alasdair Fraser's fiddle blazes in "Sailor's Wife." Only two tracks have vocals; the first one is "Monymusk Lads," and Elizabeth Burke's voice is bright and lovely. Maeve Gilchrist lends her rich pipes to the CD's closing tune, "Afton Water."