(October 27, 2021) Bassist Christian “Big New York” de Mesones has a musical background that is as big and varied as the city that inspires his nickname. He’s played everything from hard rock and heavy metal as a part the rock music scene in the 1980s to laying down tracks for hip hop artists and performing R&B, Caribbean, Latin, gospel and smooth jazz music in the 1990s and 2000s.
(October 27, 2021) Bassist Christian “Big New York” de Mesones has a musical background that is as big and varied as the city that inspires his nickname. He’s played everything from hard rock and heavy metal as a part the rock music scene in the 1980s to laying down tracks for hip hop artists and performing R&B, Caribbean, Latin, gospel and smooth jazz music in the 1990s and 2000s.
De Mesones’ latest single is “Hispanica,” is a remake of a Spanish language Latin jazz tune that he released on the 2020 album They Call Me Big New York. This breezy track might remind some of the highly listenable fusion jazz that came out in the 1970s and early 80s. That would not be surprising since legendary pianist Bob James is among the artists that de Mesones tapped to perform on this song (including longtime ST fave Bill McGee). De Mesones 2020 original version featured the delightful vocals of Debora Galan. However, the creativity of instrumentalists such as James, flautist Arch Thompson, percussionist Curtis McCain and guitarist Mike Gamble keep the conversation going in the language of music.
De Mesones is a 40 year veteran of the music industry who grew up in Brooklyn and saw the political upheaval of the 1960s. When it seemed that the whole world was coming apart, music served as a unifying force, and he found inspiration from the diverse playlist in his family home. That openness to different musical genres has always been a part of his musical identity, and it can be heard in “HIspanica,” a song that encompasses many different styles. Check it out here.
By Howard Dukes
Christian de Mesones feat. Bob James
“Hispanica”