Neff Irizarry, Cambio Review

By Icrom Bigrad

From the opening bars of Cambio (Change), guitarist Neff Irizarry and his crew make it clear this is a Latin jazz project that has unique angles. It’s a party, a prayer, and a pocket rolled into one. Guitar, vibes, bass, and percussion step up without piano or horns, filling the space with groove and conversation. The result? A sound that swings hard, shines bright, and feels as alive as a street jam. Joining Irizarry is Martin Fabricius on vibraphone, Jimmy Haslip on bass, and Ricardo Padilla on percussion.

The opener, “Adelante” is an up-tempo bomba feel that makes you want to move right away. The melody bursts forward, with guitar and vibraphone locking into accents that make the sparks fly. Neff’s solo builds from a simmer to a flame, riding the tune’s forward motion and melodic structure with confidence. Padilla’s percussion drives the whole thing with that unmistakable boricua sabor, while Haslip on bass plants every note with groove.

On “Cuatro Minutos”, the groove shifts to a son montuno, and here Neff’s guitar solo steals the spotlight. He mixes single-note lines with chordal punches, weaving modern-sounding harmonic colors into the classic Cuban frame. His soloing makes you nod with approval as much as it makes you tap your foot. Neff’s playing style is hip, balanced, and built on structure and rhythm.

The band cools into something deeper on “Lluvia”, one of the record’s gentle emotional points. Medium-tempo, harmonically open, and full of breath, the tune captures the patience of in which the ensemble develops the mood. Neff’s solo speaks in phrases shaped by his pick attack and subtle slurs, giving each line a vocal quality. It’s expressive without overplaying, and it shows his ability to stretch mood as well as rhythm.

And then there’s the closer, “Todo lo que Fuiste.” A samba that radiates joy, it’s less a farewell and more a celebration—a final dance shared between four musicians at the top of their game. Guitar and vibraphone trade sections of the melody, sometimes doubling, sometimes spinning off in counterpoint. Haslip and Padilla are phenomenal here as the bass and percussion lock into a pocket, freeing the front line to play with abandon.

What makes Cambio  shine is the technical command and the way the group feels as a unit. Every track is a conversation, every rhythm a pulse you can step into. Neff Irizarry may have built his reputation as an educator and author, but this album proves he’s just as much about the performing too. He and his ensemble show that Latin jazz isn’t something you study, it’s something you live, breathe, and move to.

Cambio is exactly that: a fresh, groove-drenched take on the guitar-vibes tradition, alive with sabor, soul, and plenty of Latin fire. Put it on, turn it up, and let it carry you forward.