I’ve always been particularly inspired by Irakere’s work, and as a result, I frequently drown myself with their recordings. Their forward thinking approach to jazz set a whole new standard of excellence which still sounds fresh today. Their vast knowledge of Afro-Cuban musical traditions and cultural aesthetics centered their recordings with an organic authenticity that transcended straight-ahead dance music. Their bold integration of electronic sounds, rock backbeats, and distorted guitar saturated the music with an edgy modern aura that formed a bridge between several generations. I’m always amazed with their musicianship; even after years of compulsive listening, I still hear new things on their recordings.

As I most recently revisited Irakere with a compulsive round of listening, I realized that I unfairly think of the group in the past tense. Irakere produced a number of influential albums between the early 1970s and the mid-1990s, and I often look back at that repertoire. Those recordings contain some important material, but the band continued to perform and record into the new millennium. When I’m analyzing the band’s performances, I generally consider the musicianship of the “classic” members - artists such as Chucho Valdes, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Carlos Del Puerto, Enrique Pla, and Carlos Emilio Morales. Looking at the greater history of Irakere, it’s important to remember that the band has housed an immense number of musicians over the years, showcasing a massive range of talent. Irakere represents a bigger piece of Cuban Jazz than the simple idea of an influential band; it stands as a fresh artistic collective that refuses to sit in a museum.

In an attempt to view Irakere through a new lens, I decided to find recent material from a small number of Irakere alumni. For Latin Jazz fans in the United States, they represent the closest link to a modern Irakere that we can experience. They also symbolize the continued influence of this massive group; the lessons that they carry from the band touch their current projects. Their work remains inexplicably tied to Irakere, and must be considered in a thorough study of the group.

I’ve included current videos from four Irakere alumni - pianist Chucho Valdes, saxophonists German Velazco and Jorge Verona, as well as bassist Carlos del Puerto. You’ll find them in very different settings from jazz to salsa, but you’ll experience high-level musicianship in every case. Watching these videos has set a new fire to my Irakere passion, so it’s probably the first of many looks at this group’s members. Enjoy!

———-
Pianist Chucho Valdes performing “Mambo Influenciado” with his Quintet

Bassist Carlos Del Puerto playing with the Norwegian band Hovedøya Social Club

Saxophonist German Velazco performing the Chucho Valdes composition “Margarita” with Issac Delgado’s group

Saxophonist Carlos Averhoff with Richie Zellon performing Contigo en la Distancia

———-
Check Out These Related Posts:
Revisiting Latin Jazz Classics: The Best of Irakere
The Band That Got Away: Irakere on Video
Carlos Del Puerto Bass Solo on “Chucho”

———-
Click here to have these posts delivered via email. Or, click here to subscribe to the full text RSS feed and never miss another post!

Stumble it!