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ximo tébar guitar & scat vocals
joey defrancesco organ hammond B3 & trumpet
idris muhammad drums

produced by ximo tébar
executive producer amparo tébar

Guitartistry “THE CHAMPS” by Russell Carlson
A classier vibe steams off this disc
If the names Joey DeFrancesco and Idris Muhammad are enough reason for folks to check out Spanish guitarist Ximo Tebar's 11th album, The Champs (Omix), I'd like to hope those same people will be racking up Visa debt for import copies of his last 10. Just hearing 41-year-old Tebar's simmering rendition of Jimmy Heath's "Ginger Bread Boy" has me wishing that we Stateside types hadn't been in the dark about for so much of his career.
This date shows that Tebar has a Rat Packer's heart: He's almost too aware of his own coolness. But the CD also busts at the seams with killer displays of musicality from all concerned. Tebar's bebop-borne chops keep pace with DeFrancesco's thrust on the Hammond B3, but it's far from a screaming, gritty organ set. A classier vibe steams off this disc, with DeFrancesco (and Tebar, too) articulating notes in solos cleanly and smear-free without coming across as stiff. And the pair has a rare patience with its timekeeper, heard at its best in "Nica's Dream" where Muhammad executes extended, suspense-building fills that resolve in tight interplay.
All the more satisfying are occasional trumpet contributions by DeFrancesco, as well as Tebar's own scat vocals. Ella Fitzgerald notwithstanding, scat drives me up the wall, but how can the wordless jive Tebar drops in absolute unison with both his guitar and Joey D's extra-pearly toned B3 during a full-throttle version of "Donna Lee" turn anybody off?
Russell Carlson, JAZZTIMES, December 2004 issue

ALL ABOUT JAZZ NYC
Ximo Tébar:The Champs
Subtitled “The Jazz Guitar Trio, Vol. 4,” this CD was recorded live in Barcelona in 1999. It's clear from the first track, a greasy version of Jimmy Heath's “Ginger Bread Boy,” that this will be a straightahead romp. This is the 11th CD for award-winning Spanish guitarist Ximo Tebar, an excellent player with a warm tone that (thankfully) bears no resemblance to the Hawaiian shirt school of electric guitar; in his notes, Benny Golson calls Tebar ”astounding.” He's creative and classy, using his powerful chops to further the music rather than his own ego; he's also a talented scatter (see especially “Donna Lee”). DeFrancesco is in fine form — less flamboyant here than he'd become — and does credible Miles imitations on “But Not For Me” and “You Don't Know What Love Is.” There's a swinging “Sugar” and a blazing closer, Dizzy's “The Champ.” This is a good CD for dealing with the end of summer: though the leaves may fall, your spirits will rise.
Judith Schlesinger, All About Jazz NYC, Sep 2004

CUADERNOS DE JAZZ
Ximo Tébar:The Champs
Magnífico * * * *.
El buen hacer de Ximo Tébar ya no es una sorpresa y de Joey DeFrancesco e Idris Muhammad cabe esperar cierta brillantez: cumplido. Esta formación es un acierto incuestionable: eficientes en la creación de atmósferas bluesy, expertos creadores de contextos rítmicos por los que se deslizan improvisaciones maestras, poseedores de un swing que se hace llamativo a pesar de que hoy en día abunda el swing aceptable… Y es que el resultado de la conjunción de Tébar, DeFrancesco y Muhammad es mucho más que aceptable. Es magnífico. Incluso se hace corto. Uno podría pasar horas dejándose mecer por el
toque cálido e inteligente de Tébar. Por si fuera poco, DeFrancesco mantiene durante todo el disco un nivel excelente en sus interpretaciones; la sincronía es admirable. Definitivamente, no estamos ante una de esas ocasiones en que la música surge de la fricción entre individualidades restallantes, entre genios delirantes
que se enfrentan en duelos de virtuosismo, generando una belleza ambigua y casi sádica, desprendida de la inevitable agresividad que hay en el lucimiento personal. No. Aquí Tébar y DeFrancesco hablan el mismo idioma, y se ceden la palabra el uno al otro con una amabilidad que impregna el disco de positividad, de distensión y de cierta coherencia, a veces ausente en las reuniones de grandes egos. El simpático scat de Ximo puede tomarse como un símbolo de ese bienestar que invita a la desinhibición, tan saludable para el desarrollo musical. No es frecuente alcanzar semejante grado de cohesión sin recurrir a expresiones superficiales que la hagan más accesible. Por ello es de agradecer que, manteniendo-incluso arriesgando- ese profundo entendimiento armónico, los integrantes del trío se aventuren con soltura y sin complejos a la búsqueda de melodías inteligentes que eviten los caminos más trillados, incluso en standards tan visitados como You Don´t Know what Love Is o But not for Me. Tampoco se achican a la hora de confeccionar el repertorio: temas de Jimmy Heath, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins Stanley Turrentine, Dizzy Gillespie o Charlie Parker componen este interesante reto del que salen no sólo airosos, sino sensiblemente engrandecidos. Lo diré una vez más: magnífico.
David Romero / Cuadernos de Jazz, Núm.82 (mayo/junio 2004)

The Pleasure of Pure "Swing"

He's one of the big-name drummers today. An historic figure who debuted at 16 years of age on a Fats Domino record, and has played and recorded with practically all the big names in jazz since then. In fact, Idris Muhammad (formerly known as Leo Morris, for instance, on some of saxophonist Lou Donaldson's more wildly exciting albums) has just been working alongside Sonny Rollins for his latest record, and came to Barcelona after touring with Ahmal Jamal and John Scoffield, to cite just a few. Occasionally accompanying organist Lou Bennett or Tete Montoliú, Muhammad returns to the city on Monday leading a trio with the Valencian guitarist Ximo Tébar and the American organist Joey DeFrancesco. The trio turned the Jamboree upside down last December with two impressive concert weeks. The synergies forged by the threesome have now consolidated the group they call The Champs, a name taken from one of Dizzy Gillespie's standards. The Valencian guitarist Ximo Tébar, project leader and host, continues his non-stop ascent. Last year he surprised us all with a magnificent new Mediterranean fusion album, and he has now unexpectedly given us a new record with a classic jazz twist. It's a new edition of an exquisite three-volume collection of records generically titled "The Jazz Guitar Trio", based on the guitar-organ-drum arrangement, but featuring jazz greats such as the late Lou Bennett, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Billy Brooks and Lou Donaldson. Tébar is a guitarist with lots of class who causes a sensation wherever he plays, so don't miss seeing one of his live performances. Just turned 27, Joey DeFrancesco has an impressive CV since Miles Davis signed him up at the age of 17. He's the third cornerstone of a triangle that promises to give us three weeks of pure swing, during which the trio also plans to record a new album in the collection, called The Champs.
Joan Antón Cararach, "El Periódico de Cataluña", Dec. 1999.

"Swing" for one and all

The Valencian has teamed up with two heavyweights: Joey DeFrancesco, undoubtedly the best Hammond organ specialist around today, and the ever-effective Idris Muhammad. The result is totally overwhelming from start to finish. Tébar even grows stronger with such experts at his side and goes far beyond the work he did with his former trios such as Lou Bennett or Dr. Lonnie Smith.
DeFrancesco gave everyone a lesson on the Hammond organ, playing some groove that contained references to the great organists of former generations, yet without indulging in imitation. On the contrary, his recital had a tremendously personal touch.
The trio certainly looked good in print, but their Barcelona concert surpassed our wildest expectations. The stage at the Jamboree reflected true synergy among the three instrumentalists, total compenetration that produced a wealth of standards full of energy, good humour and incredibly contagious swing. The trio hit Barcelona well warmed up after plenty of gigs, and the complicity they shared was evident, particularly in a club as small as the Jamboree. Close-up, everything is magnified (both good and bad) but the Tébar trio flew high, very high, in the sky.
Ximo Tébar has developed a sure-fire and transparent technique. Backed by two great musicians, he was even better than usual, offering masterful solos. The Champs left the audience gasping in awe, and the Jamboree shone brightly in the light of three superb musicians - undoubtedly one of the most important trios on today's jazz scene. Impressive.
Miguel Jurado, "El País", Aug 1, 1998

Ximo Tébar and Joey DeFrancesco, a concert with a taste of genius.

The Champs is a combination of two splendid soloists - Ximo Tébar (guitar) and Joey DeFrancesco (organ) - who bravely took on a repertoire of standards to offer versions that smacked of genius. DeFrancesco and Tébar belong to that rare species, the chosen few, who are more often than not capable of stirring the emotions, entertaining and impressing audiences of all kinds, from experts all the way down to the most inexperienced in music (but loving it nonetheless). Together they make statements that conjure up an authentic battle of the giants, and their showmanship is all the more impressive in view of their different though completely compatible sensibilities (hailing, respectively, from Mediterranean and North American climes). Despite the distance that may separate their homelands, they have an almost telepathic ability to recognise and share each other's language. And this is one more reason to weigh them in as geniuses. To top it all, their repertoire makes for easy listening: beautiful standards reinvented and redesigned by two magnificent improvisers who are highly imaginative and capable of delighting listeners with marvellous sounds of swing and authentic lessons in spectacular virtuosity. The concert had a true party atmosphere, culminated by two encores during which the crowd sang along with the refrains provided by Tébar, converting the musicians into spectators of an "experiment", enjoying that tingling joyous feeling that comes when you know you're witnessing a job well done.
Pamela Navarrete, Terrassa Jazz Festival 1998, Diari de Terrassa

Unique, gotta-be-there, first-class jazz

The night was going to be memorable. A trio of outstanding musicians came on stage to offer listeners good old jazz, classic creations, authentic music. The repertoire and the phrasing of the solos were about to dumbfound the crowd in the theatre. DeFrancesco and Ximo, Ximo and DeFrancesco, presented their own versions of anthological themes. I had heard that DeFrancesco was (and is) the best jazz organist in the world. But that wasn't all - he's an excellent all-round musician with an extraordinary sensibility. Ximo, who we've already raved about, noting on many occasions his capabilities and brilliance as a guitarist, improviser and composer, skilfully brought out warm, humid sounds from his guitar, playing the ideal complement to DeFrancesco's highly imaginative organ. It was a true exhibition, a show that wound up invoking Miles, like leaving the best bits for last. A unique jazz concert, a must-see event. Totally first class.
Gonzalo Pérez, Jaén Jazz Festival, Diario de Jaen, 1998

Magistral interpretation
Jose Nebot, Aeropuerto Jazz Café, Feb 2004

A unique scheme
The Champs: Interpretations that give the measurement of a unique formation that would have to make recall to mind to many the true international dimension of Ximo Tebar.
Gernot Dudda, World Music Magazine, April 2004

The virtuosity has a signature, the one of Ximo Tebar
DOO Magazine, April 2004

Sublime Ximo Tebar
The Champs is, without doubt, the vehicle used by two spectacular solistas to playing standards
High Fidelity Magazine, April 04

Ximo Tebar is one of the best jazz guitarists
The quality of his was worth can be verified in The Champs.
Jose Mª Perez Rey, World Music Magazine, Abril 2004