We Are Not The Headliner - CD

'We Are Not The Headliner' is the debut album from Omar Sosa's Bay Area-based Latin-World-Jazz ensemble, Quarteto Americanos, featuring multi-reed and flute master Sheldon Brown, deeply versatile drummer Josh Jones, and heavy-weight Cuban baby bass player Ernesto Mazar Kindelán. The album was recorded with a live audience at Studio 9 in North Adams, MA with post-production at Greg Landau's studio in Alameda, CA. The 11 tracks feature tunes the band has presented on tour over the past few years plus several new pieces, including the dynamic and quintessential Sosa creation 'Hella Changui'. The album includes special guest contributions by Natascha Atlas (vocal), Guillermo Gómez-Peña (spoken word), Reggie Stephens (spoken word), Tito Leliebre (percussion), and Camilo Landau and Kai Lyons (tres). The recording captures the very heart of Quarteto Americanos, a sonic universe in which Latin roots converge with the worlds of Jazz, Classical, and Hip-Hop. The result is a deeply personal sound that diverges from mainstream trends and instead expresses a truly unique voice. More than a collection of songs, the album is built on the art of dialogue... a steady, soulful conversation between friends who share a common interest and explore it with complete freedom and humility. It is within this creative exchange that the band finds it's singular spirit, offering a landscape that is both sophisticated and authentically grounded.