Decades of performing experience among legends leaves a musician with a sense of responsibility to their fellow artists and the greater music world. During their time with a legend, any musician would inevitably soak up artistic approaches, performance aesthetics, and a general musicality – all valuable tools. As a result of this experience, they carry intimate knowledge that most people will never comprehend, and they become the artistic standard bearers of this approach. Their continued performances both keep the past alive by drawing upon this knowledge and define the art form’s future by making an original statement. They become the role models for younger musicians and the mentors to their own band members – their responsibility includes passing on the subtleties of the tradition to a new generation. They are the only ones left with the knowledge, experience, and insight to authentically carry the music of the past into the future – if they don’t do it, nobody can. The music world depends upon them to keep the music alive and pass it on to a new generation.
Percussionist Jose Madera took that responsibility very seriously after the death of legendary timbalero and bandleader Tito Puente. Together with bongocero Johnny Rodriguez and saxophonist Mitch Frohman, Madera formed the Latin Giants of Jazz, a big band dedicated to keeping the Palladium mambo big band sound alive. The three musicians realized that Puente’s passing meant the end of a musical era, and they were some of the only people that could keep the Palladium sound in the public eye. They gathered some of New York’s finest musicians to fill a 21-piece big band, carefully picked through the classic repertoire, and began rehearsing for their first recording. The band stayed faithful to the sound that they know well, but also put their own spin on it with a thicker instrumentation and original arrangements. Their first release, The Latin Giants Play the Music of the Palladium, made a solid statement that big band mambo was alive and kicking. They followed that album with Trip to Mamboland, emphasizing the danceable side of the music and bringing vocalist Frankie Vazquez into the band. Their third release, Ven Baila Conmigo marks a highpoint in the band’s career thus far, delivering an exciting big band energy, full of great dance tracks and jazz instrumentals. Madera and The Latin Giants of Jazz are bringing the Palladium sound to a new generation, opening our ears to the incredible experience of a classic sound.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: Tito Puente was the last of the Big 3 to die from the Palladium. Did you feel that the Palladium-style big band mambo left with him?
JOSE MADERA: Well, it left with him until we brought it back with the Latin Giants orchestra. You know, the family allowed the (Puente) band to work for a year with Eddie Palmieri fronting it as a special guest, or Dave Valentin. But then they stopped it.
LJC: So how did the Latin Giants of Jazz come about? You put it together with Johnny Rodriguez & Mitch Frohman, right?
JM: Yea, we didn’t want this to die. So we went ahead and did this record, which was in the can for almost a year before it got released. We did that one, and then a few years passed by and we did another one, and now a year has passed since we did the Trip to Mamboland one. Now we have this one which is Ven Baila Conmigo.
LJC: When you put the band together, you really captured the big band mambo sound, but you thicken it up too – you’ve got the trombones that weren’t a part of that early Machito or Tito Puente sound and there’s a bit of a ‘70s salsa influence in there with the dance tunes. How did you bring all that together?
JM: Well, those things really happen naturally; it gets influenced a lot by the material that we choose to record. This last one has a lot of dance music on it. I gave out a lot of the music to a lot of the guys to write. I sort of stayed a little bit behind – I’m getting lazy now! I took a lot of the easier tunes to do the arrangements for, I gave the harder ones out. But the integrity of the band, and the sound of the band still shines through. The seventies salsa sound is something that Sonny (Bravo) and myself helped to form at Fania and of course, Louie Rameriz, who passed away in 1993, did too. We were certainly responsible for a lot of that; so the fact that it does show on some of it, I think is a good thing, you know?
The dancers from the seventies were in their twenties at the time, and they’re now in their fifties. Time marches on, it doesn’t stop. Most of the people who were Tito Puente fans in the fifties, they’re either 70 or 80 or dead! And the Machito fans, those people are gone for a long time.
LJC: The newest album has a lot of dance music while the first album, The Latin Giants Play the Music of the Palladium, really leans towards the jazz side with big instrumental pieces. Was that a conscious direction?
JM: Yea, that’s something that we started pushing the other way, because a lot of Spanish people, when you say Latin Jazz, they’re not really that much into it. Most people go out dancing in clubs, and you’re not going to hear a lot of jazz tunes in clubs. So in order to compete with that, we decided to go a little bit more towards dance music. We still have two instrumentals on the record. We’ll always have one or two; because when we do a jazz room like Birdland or Yoshi’s in Oakland, we need to play some of those charts as well.
LJC: On Trip to Mamboland, you’ve got Randy Brecker on one tune, and it really reminded me of the Salsa Meets Jazz shows and the tradition of Machito bringing in people like Charlie Parker or Howard McGhee – how did you get Randy involved and was that an attempt to tap into that spirit?
JM: Yea, we’ve known Randy for a long time. I used to write and arrange jingles for radio and TV at Aries Sound International, which used to work for McCain/Erickson, the big advertising firm in New York. From Coca-Cola to Kentucky Fried Chicken and all these jingles, we would use a big band, and in the trumpet section was always Randy Brecker, Lew Soloff, and shucks, I can’t remember half of the guys now. So I know Randy from those days. Mitch Frohman called Randy up and told him, and he said sure. The same with Tom Harrell, who also played on one of the tunes. That’s sort of like a little thing from that era, from the Salsa Meets Jazz thing that happened at the Village Gate for many years. Which is now happening, it’s now called the Red Fish and Art D’Lugoff is still involved in it. We may play there in the future.
LJC: On that same album, you had one of the last recorded performances of Mario Rivera. Can you share any thoughts about Mario Rivera and his contributions to Latin Jazz?
JM: Mario plays on one track, “Flamenco Mood,” which is recorded live in New York at the now defunct IAJE. Mario was in the Tito Rodriguez band for a couple of years. Before that he was playing in New York for the Angel Masera Latin Jazz All-Stars, which was the gentleman who owned the Bronx Casino. It was another dance place; it was up in the Bronx on 149th Street and 3rd Avenue. From the Tito Rodriguez band, Mario came over to Puente’s band, and Mario’s first recording with Tito Puente’s band is the twentieth anniversary album. He stayed until 1974 and then came back when they started the Latin Jazz Ensemble. So Mario’s influence was very great, very good saxophone player – good baritone sax player.
There’s three baritone sax players in all of Latin music. The best one was Leslie Jonakins, who played in Machito’s band, who was really an alto player, and he played on the Billie Holiday sessions. He became a baritone player, and he was the best one, period. Doc Cheatham starts off one of his interviews, when they talk about that, he says, “Leslie Jonakins was always the best baritone player around, on the scene.” This is including Cecil Payne, who went on to play with Machito for a while also, and all these guys. Just Jonakins had the sound – he was the old guard. Then you had Shepp Pullman, who played with Puente’s band and always sounded good in the section. And then you had Mario Rivera. Those were the three guys. With all due respect to everybody else who played, but these are the guys that really made that mark.
LJC: On the new album, “Cuando Suenan Los Cueros” is a big showcase for you, Johnny Rodriguez, and George Delgado. It’s almost like a big descarga within a mambo, which is not something you hear on dance records today. Do you feel like it’s an important element that is missing in today’s music?
JM: Yea, like “Cuero Na’Ma,” which is the same type of tune. Except that when I did the arrangement on this one, I take each section up and change the key on it, to give it that contrast. Johnny’s solo is in one musical key and then it changes and it goes to George’s solo. And then when George’s solo is over, it changes keys again and goes to mine, which adds contrast to the tune. It’s a good thing for the people, people always like that, you know, they like to hear drum solos and all that kind of stuff. We obviously can’t do it too long, because we can’t have a track on the record that’s fifteen minutes, you know? As it is, it’s pretty long, I think it’s six minutes and change, which is kinda long. That was the last tune on the session by the way. That was the very last tune of the session, everybody was kind of tired, and we did it one, two, three, let’s go.
LJC: Another track, “Ahora Mismo,” brings Cita Rodriguez out in front, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez’s daughter. It seems like such a link to Fania, how did that come about?
JM: Well, we’ve known her since she was like 12 years old. She and her brother, Pete Jr., sang coro on the second Tito Puente Birdland record, and I remember Pete being there with Francis his wife and just beaming, watching them sing. We always kept that in the back of our minds.
Here’s how it really got rolling – we were doing a gig two years ago in the summer; they have old timers day in New York and the Tito Puente band played. I saw Cita there, so I told her to come on up and sing coro. She sang and then Johnny decided to put her on coro on the second recording. She sounded so good that she’s become a part of the band now. Wherever the Latin Giants appear, she goes, and she sings coro. On the third record, we decided to give her a tune, and she sang a song.
LJC: With a big band like that, there’s a big financial investment, and the logistics of moving everyone around must make touring a challenge. Are you guys going to get out much to support the new album?
JM: Well, we just did The Mayan in Los Angeles three weeks ago and then we went out and did the NAMM thing. There’s a couple of things, I mean, if they want the band, they can pay the fee for it. If they don’t want to pay the fee, then we won’t do it. Part of the uniqueness of the band and the sound of the band involves the size of it. People were just blown away by it, because, you know, there’s just nothing out there. And most of the younger people have never heard anything like that in their lives. That’s part of it. We worked a big festival in France in July . . . there really aren’t that many places to work anyway. The U.S. economy is falling apart right now and the government just keeps spending money without any gold backing. They took the country off the gold standard in the seventies, you know? They just continue to print this paper, and one of these days, this whole shit is just going to collapse. But, as far as gigs, whatever there is – we did Lehman College in October with Eddie Palmieri. So, you know, there’s a couple of things here and there. If the band worked once or twice a month, it would be great. Because I know the economy is so bad, and there aren’t that many places to play. How many festivals are there? Most of the jazz festivals have now gone onto rock and roll, and pop and crap. They’re not even that anymore.
LJC: I’ve got one more question for you – one of the things that I see the Latin Giants doing is keeping that big band palladium sound alive and passing it onto a new generation. Do you have any thoughts about the future of this style of music?
JM: Well, you know something, I think that after we’re done with it, it’ll stop. We’re the kids of the dads that played in these bands. Johnny’s dad played before him in these orquestas; we’re kind of like the kids that grew up around this stuff and we’re greatly influenced by it. Although we have written and/or played this other music in the seventies, whatever was being recorded at the time, our roots are really the Palladium kind of stuff. Unfortunately, all the people that came after us are slightly aware or not aware at all of that scene or that music. They obviously couldn’t possibly have seen those orchestras, unless they were walking around as ghosts at that time. There’s no way that they could be influenced, and I’ve seen that. So they have no knowledge of it. It sounds good on a record, but . . . I’ll never forget as a kid growing up, you hear these bands on record, and you say “Yea, it’s O.K.” But when you go in person and heard that, like at the Apollo theater, or wherever it was, you were blown away by it man. They were so tremendous, and we get more or less the same reaction. Anyone can show up with two trumpets and two trombones, or whatever’s being used now, and it’s O.K., but it’s so tiring and limited as to what you can do, you know? When you come in with five saxes, four bones, and four trumpets, and then you have three singers and a whole rhythm section, it’s like a mind blower, you know? So, I’d like to say that it will continue, but, I don’t think it will. Unless somebody really made a concerted effort to study it and continue it on, but I mean, it’s kind of difficult, because you need to really be rooted in that style. Unfortunately, that’s just not around today, outside of us.
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Thanks to Jose Madera for spending time talking with me about his outstanding career – it was a learning experience! Make sure that you check out all three parts of the interview. In addition to this piece, jump to:
Part 1 where Madera discusses his early career and time with the Machito band.
Part 2 where Madera discusses his 31 year tenure as a member of Tito Puente’s band.
Everyone gets the opportunity to listen to influential musicians through their recordings, but performing with a legendary musical artist provides a young musician with a unique learning opportunity. The daily exposure to a visionary performer allows a young musician to soak in sounds and techniques, as well as examine the performer’s artistic choices. The young artist gets to examine the bandleader’s repertoire choices, they gain an understanding of the leader’s arrangement techniques, and they learn the artist’s compositions intimately. The younger musician watches the established artist lead a variety of band members, sees how they interact with the public, and learns the ropes of running an ensemble. They inevitably gain invaluable opportunities as soloists, arrangers, composers, and leaders, all with essential feedback from their mentor. The total experience becomes an intensive school, where an observant student can raise their artistry to a high level. After an extended period of time with any influential artist, the younger musician leaves the experience wiser and ready to make their own artistic statement. Very few musicians get the opportunity to perform with legendary artists for decades; it’s a privilege and honor that leaves the younger musician with a priceless gift.
Jose Madera received an incredible gift that stands as a dream to most Latin Jazz musicians as he spent 31 years performing alongside the king of Latin music, Tito Puente. From 1969 to 2000, Madera served as an important part of Puente’s band, learning from the master and building an impressive knowledge base. While Madera played congas, he heard Puente’s incredible timbale technique and legendary phrasing, giving him a deep insight into the Puente sound. He learned the classic Puente compositions from the inside, getting a powerful perspective upon Puente’s composing and arranging style. Madera became a part of Latin music history as he performed on a number of important Puente recordings, pushing the groove with a powerful tumbao. The experience built his reputation as an important voice in Latin music, opening the door to write and arrange extensively for a number of salsa labels during the 1970s. When Puente shrunk his ensemble to meet a jazz oriented audience, Madera stayed by his side, a valued sideman and now an essential part of the Puente sound. As the elder statesman reached old age, he handed the reigns of the legendary band to Madera, who served as Puente’s musical director. Madera’s time with Puente is an impressive piece of the Latin music world, providing a rich view into the Puente legacy.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: What was the date that you joined Tito’s band and how did you get the gig?
JOSE MADERA: I can’t remember the date exactly; I would say that it was the fall of 1969. I joined only to play during the week, and then eventually when I left Machito, I stayed obviously on. And Tito’s band, to keep a band working like that, they had to work seven nights a week. For example, on Monday night, they would play at the Pan America Motor Inn in Queens and we did that for seventeen years, I did it for seventeen years anyway, they had been doing it before that. Tuesday they were playing a club in Brooklyn called The Revelation on Fourth Avenue. On Wednesday we would play the Corso in New York – Manhattan. Thursday we would play a place called the Hardar on Staten Island. And then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were the Latin dances – we would play La Cahora Henyo, La Casa Boriquen, or whatever was going on in New York. And then Monday, it would recycle and start again. That was the only way to keep a band like that working, you know. The amount of jobs in New York weren’t . . . I mean, there were a lot of clubs in New York, but it was kind of hard to put Tito Puente in those clubs. Because Tito was not a $500 a night band.
LJC: The band worked pretty steadily into the ‘70s, but it seemed like it didn’t really record too much.
JM: Yea, we did one in ’70 and then we didn’t do one until 1972, which was Para Los Rumberos. A couple of months later we did the last Celia one, which was Algo Especial Para Recordar. And then Tito didn’t record until ’73, which was Tito Puente and His Concert Orchestra, which I didn’t play on. And then, I don’t think we recorded for a couple of years until we did the Legend one.
LJC: The album from the ‘70s that really pops out at me is Homenaje a Beny Moré from 1978. It seems to me that the band really comes alive on that album and it seemed like the recordings really picked up a bit after that. Did the recording signal a change in Tito’s career at that time?
JM: You know, I don’t know if it did or not. Tito kept working and we kept doing things. You know, one thing about Tito – Tito felt that his greatest competition was Tito Rodriguez. When Tito Rodriguez passed away in 1973, Tito Puente let up a little bit on the reigns on that whole thing and just took it easy. He felt he had nothing left to prove to anybody. So those recordings on Fania, we did quite a few, but then he got more heavily into the Latin Jazz stuff and signed Concord, and started doing those records.
LJC: So you were working steadily with Tito, how did you find time to work so much with Fania? You were arranging, playing – you must have been busy! What were some of your favorite sessions, either arranging or playing during that time?
JM: Any one of those Fania things – the Louie Rameriz ones, the Pacheco ones, the Tito Allen ones, the Ismael Miranda ones, the Azuquita ones – all those sessions. There were like thirty productions done in New York for a while – not counting the ones done in Puerto Rico – these were done in New York. I was involved in, I would say, about twenty of them, plus I was teaching at Boy’s Harbor at the time. So I would leave home at about 10 a.m. and I wouldn’t get home until 4 a.m. the next day, and continue, you know? The recordings were done in the afternoon, then you were off to work – I’ll give you a perfect example. On this particular day, there were three recordings that had to be done. The morning session was one of Louie Rameriz’s albums, and then in the late afternoon we would run over from the Fania studio to wherever this other one was, where Santos Colon and Jorge Calandrelli were conducting a bolero record. Then at night we would rush back and do a Pete “El Conde” record, whether I had to play on it or do arrangements on it. It was kind of crazy, and it went on for a while. So, you know, we didn’t get rich – other people got rich off it, but we didn’t. That’s always one of the problems of the arts; you never really make the money you should.
LJC: Tito moved to the Concord Record label in the early eighties and started using a small group Latin Jazz format. How did that change things for the band and what musical differences came through?
JM: Well, we started playing a lot of jazz standards with Latin rhythms. The band started working, going to numerous jazz festivals all over the world – because the band was smaller; it was three horns. I don’t know how many albums we did at Concord – I didn’t do the first one, but I did all the rest of them. I think that there were seven or eight, I don’t really remember. It did take the band to the strangest places. It took us to New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Indonesia, and the Philippines. We went to Japan ten times, we went to Hong Kong, we went everywhere, you know? It was pretty good with that – we traveled extensively.
Eventually Tito really couldn’t get used to three horns, so he added on everybody. The last six or seven years of it was the whole band again, playing all his music.
LJC: That was all those great live recordings, right, like Mambo Birdland?
JM: Yea, well even before that, when he had left Concord and went to Ralph Marcado records (Tropijazz), he had wanted to hear a larger sound, so he added everybody on. So that three horn thing really stopped. It went from three horns to five horns, and then it went back to seven. So he just, put everything back. He was earning quite a bit of money in his last seven or eight years, so it didn’t make a difference. He wanted to hear everybody – that’s what he wanted, so that’s what he did.
LJC: You were Puente’s musical director – when did that happen?
JM: When Jim Frisuara had a stroke, got sick, and couldn’t continue, I did that. We would talk about what we were going to record and all those things. I would decide what we were going to play onstage. That kind of stuff.
LJC: Did you get a sense that you were shaping the band or was it really you were following Puente’s standards?
JM: I don’t think you could really shape that band any more than it was already. You know, that was a pretty much set in the way of the sound of the band. So when you obviously wrote stuff for that band, you wanted to write to have that same style and sound . . . otherwise it’s not Tito Puente, you know?
LJC: When Puente passed in 2000, that was a loss for the Latin Jazz world – working so closely with him over the years, could you share something that you took away from your years with him?
JM: Well, the greatest lesson in working in that band was the discipline that we developed. As far as approaching music, approaching how to play, approaching performances, approaching rehearsal, approaching recording. The tremendous discipline that there was in that band, which a few years later got a little lax, as I said, when Tito Rodriguez died. But when I got in there, man, you know, if you came in with the wrong tie, you were sent home. If you came in with the wrong shirt – go home! No messing around, you know, that’s part of it. You can not achieve the type of performance; Tito’s wrote in a style which is percussive ensemble writing, and everyone has to play that right on the dime to be able to create that sound and that swing, you know? And so you need a certain amount of discipline from the guys. Just like anything, if you don’t have the discipline, you don’t get it. And in that sense, we really learned that craft from him and that of course, continues on today in the Latin Giants of Jazz orchestra where we try to keep that particular style alive. And you can’t travel around with 21 people and not have a certain amount of discipline and decorum on the stage or whatever you happen to be doing musical wise.
I would have to say that, and of course, his playing was spectacular up until a certain time. As he got older, he just started to go downhill with it. But when I got in, Tito had black hair and stuff. He was a different player. I often say to most people, that if you’re not sixty years old or older, you didn’t see Tito Puente. Because what you saw later on was a little bit of a shell of what he was as far as playing and everything. I have two photos in my home here – I have a photo of Tito in the Palladium playing and then I have a later photo, as he was older. On the one, I have Tito Puente the musician, and on the second one, I have Tito Puente the comedian.
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In Part 3 of our interview, we’ll be looking at The Latin Giants of Jazz, Madera’s post-Puente project that he leads in conjunction with Johnny Rodriguez and Mitch Frohman. While Puente may have left the music world, The Latin Giants are keeping the big band mambo Palladium sound alive – and they’re going strong. Come back tomorrow, you’ll want to check this out!
Don’t forget, you can find Part 1 of our interview with Madera HERE
A true lifetime in the music world breeds a different kind of artist, a complete artist that goes beyond the mastery of an instrument or a musical approach. An artist raised in a musical family hears their art form while still in the womb; they are born with a unique connection to music that simply cannot be matched. They generally have access to instruments, recorded music, and live musicians at a young age, giving them an exposure that drills music into their head. They build an understanding of stylistic elements and musical differences early in life, allowing them to dig deeper into their chosen field. When they finally take the leap into performance, they have a built-in set of mentors and a catalog of life lessons to guide them into a rich artistic development. As they progress to a professional level, their early friends and role models become instant connections that can lead them towards jobs and exposure. When these musicians continue through a long career, they eventually take on the role of artistic leader, exerting their own influence upon the greater musical role. The act of making music becomes less of a job or pleasure, but rather a lifestyle that guides their time on earth.
Percussionist, arranger, and Latin music icon Jose Madera has lived a lifetime in music, and carries a history that contains legends galore. His father, Jose “Pin” Madera, became a well-established musician in New York’s Latin music scene during the 1930s and eventually became a founding member of the Machtio Orchestra. Madera watched his father’s world, becoming closely acquainted with the music and musicians that surrounded him while studying percussion on his own. As he built his skills, Madera worked his way through the New York circuit, playing with Machito and eventually becoming a permanent member of Tito Puente’s band. He honed his skills as an arranger, which led to a staff position at Fania Records, where he shaped the sound of New York salsa. As Puente changed his format to focus upon small group Latin Jazz, Madera remained in his group, touring the world and eventually serving as the band’s musical director. After Puente’s death in 2000, Madera joined together with fellow Puente alumni Johnny Rodriguez and Mitch Frohman to form The Latin Giants of Jazz, an exciting big band performing in the style of the great Palladium mambo bands. Madera has become one of the cornerstones of contemporary Latin music, combining his life experiences with numerous legends into his own, now influential, musical personality.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: You were born into the music with your father being an original member of the Machito Orchestra. That must have been an incredible experience growing up. Can you share some of your early memories growing up around your father and the Machito Orchestra?
JOSE MADERA: Yea, sure, my dad came to New York in 1928 and he immediately became involved in the theater and a little dance circuit that was going on. He played at the Teatro Hispano which was on 116th Street and Fifth Avenue; they had a lot of Spanish shows there. There were a whole lot of theaters in New York at the time. I can’t remember a lot of the names now, but that was one of the most prominent ones. He was also a member of Noble Sissle’s band and he also worked with a gentleman by the name of Jose Budet who had a Latin band at that time. And he became a member of Alberto Iznaga’s band. Machito had been in New York for a little while and had done some of the Cuarteto recordings and stuff. So Machito decided to start a band, he went and he raided Alberto Iznaga’s band. He brought Alberto Iela who was the pianist and he brought my dad. So my dad started with Machito in 1939, this was before Mario Bauza actually. My dad wrote a lot of those first arrangements like “Sopa de Pichon,” “La Paella,” “El Muerto Se Fe De Rumba,” those things. My dad continued to write; he wrote for Rivera, he wrote for Cugat, and as time went on, he wrote for the Tito Rodriguez band, and a lot of different people at that time.
I first saw the Machito band in 1957 at the age of 7 at the very famous recording on Roulette which is called Kenya. Which for me is still the best Latin Jazz record ever done. You could still put that on today and it still kicks just about anyone else’s butt. They did that a few days before Christmas in 1957. It was done at the Odd Fellow Temple, which was located on 106th Street and Park Avenue. Roulette recorded there for a few years; Roulette/Tico – Tico being the Spanish subsidiary, which Mars had bought from George Goldner.
I saw them in ’57 as a little kid and that made an impression on me so I went ahead and became a musician. I started writing arrangements around 1968 or ’69. I joined Machito’s band around that time. At that time, Machito’s work had slowed down quite a bit, so they were working maybe one or two days a week, you know on the weekends. Tito Puente’s band was working seven nights a week. I came into Tito’s band on the bongo chair; in Machito’s band I played the timbale chair. On the weekends I would play Machito’s band and during the week I would play Puente’s band until I finally left Machito and stayed with Puente steady – I worked with Tito for 31 years. I became musical director of the band in 1986 and I stayed until the day he died, which was 2000.
My career was such that I wrote plenty of arrangements; I wrote just about for everybody in the Latin field. I started over at Rico Records, which was owned by Ralphie Cartagena, who eventually went on to own Combo records and owned the Gran Combo rights for a while. And from Rico I moved over to Fania and was there until Jerry Marsucci sold the label to Musica Latina Internacional . . . I don’t remember if that’s right, but I think that’s the company that he sold it to. That happened around 1982 or ’83. I kept writing; I kept writing for bands in Puerto Rico . . . that’s really it in a nutshell.
LJC: You’ve had an incredible career – you really touched on so many different eras. I’ve read before that you’ve mentioned Ubaldo Nieto, the timbale player in the Machito band, as an early influence . . .
JM: Right, my father’s buddy.
LJC: Do you have any particular memories about him?
JM: Well for me, he is still the best big band timbale player that walked the face of the earth. Actually Uba came in 1927 to New York and Uba was initially a pianist who played in his brother’s band. His brother’s name was Johnny Nieto, he was a saxophone player, and they had a little group in New York called Johnny Nieto and the Midnight Dukes. So he was the pianist there. He later went on to study drums with Henry Adler in New York and became the timbale player in Machito’s band around 1941 or something like that, I can’t remember an exact date.
His style of playing was such that, he would play his bell rides or paila things according to what was happening in the band. It’s not like today where everyone plays one way. He sort of approached the instrument like an American drummer who plays drum set and for me, he’s the best one that played. This is not a put-down of Tito Puente or anybody else who played, because Tito had his own style of playing and everything. But Uba was for me, the quintessential big band timbale player who a lot of people emulated. From Papi Pagani who played with Tito Rodriguez in the ‘60s, Mike Collazo who played for many years, Jimmy Sabaltero, all these guys. A lot of that stuff that they played came from Uba, not Tito Puente. Because Tito Puente had his own unique style of playing.
When I actually play the instrument, I try to play a little bit in Uba’s style, not Tito’s style. Because, Tito’s style was, like I said, unique and very much associated with him, part of his musical personality, if you will.
LJC: You were probably around these guys a lot; was someone like Uba a mentor, or was there someone you studied with?
JM: I didn’t study with Uba, I picked it up from watching him for many, many years. You know, it’s not like today, where you can go to a school like Boy’s Harbor Conservatory in New York or wherever else they may have schools where you can take conga lessons or bongo lessons or timbale lessons or whatever. As kids, we would put on a record and listen to these things and copy whatever things were being played on the record. If we were fortunate enough to sneak into a club to see these guys playing, they would do these licks and we would spend a few weeks trying to figure out how to do them. And then when we finally got them done; we snuck in, we found out we were doing them the wrong way! Where now you can go to a school and be taught how to do it; we didn’t have that way back then.
LJC: On the same token, you jumped into writing and arranging pretty early, you must have been 18 or 19 . . .
JM: Actually, let me see . . . I would say 17. Something like that.
LJC: You co-wrote that hit “Tender Love” for Orquesta Son, was that correct?
JM: Yes I did, I did the arrangement for it. Prior to that, I had been with a group called Orquesta Capri and they had a tune that was making a little noise back in 1968 – ’69, it was called “I Regret.” I had done the arrangement for that, and somebody else took credit for that. I got kind pissed, so I decided to take myself off the radio with this other one. And I successfully knocked that off the radio; “Tender Love” ran for a long time. I sort of kid about it – I attacked myself and took myself off the radio with another one.
And it started through there, you know, I kept writing. I had a fairly good amount of success writing things for people until we get to today.
LJC: Yea, it’s almost as a strong a part of your personality as your percussion playing, but it’s a totally different thing. Was that another thing were you just kind of listened and tried to emulate?
JM: Yea, sure, because, you know, having seen those bands from a little kid and then later going on to play in those bands, I certainly knew what the band really sounded like from having been on the stage and inside of it, if you will. And so you obviously learn all of that. My influences, as far as the arrangers, are great. I have the best arrangers for this music – Rene Hernandez, the great pianist for the Machito band. After him, you have Ray Santos, you have Chico O’Farrill, and you have my dad, who wrote a lot of those early things. So there’s quite a few people that I certainly listened to over the years. You have Harold Wainright who wrote for Tito Rodriguez’s band, and Artie Azenzer, the Argentinean pianist who wrote for Tito Rodriguez also. You have obviously Tito Puente, you know. So, those are really my influences. I don’t really put on a Latin record today and listen very much to it, because I don’t think that it has very much to offer as far as rich musical harmonies, and that kind of stuff. Everything sounds the same to me, you know? There’s no personality in it at all. Years ago, you put on a Tito Puente record, you knew it was Tito. You put on a Tito Rodriguez record, you knew it was Tito Rodriguez. You put on Machito, you knew it was Machito. They had all these styles. Now, you turn on the radio in the middle of the song, and it could be anybody, it sounds like anybody. There’s no personality, there’s no uniqueness, that’s sorely missing from the music today.
LJC: Machito, being such a distinct personality that created such an influence on the genre, was there one memory, something that you could isolate from you time playing with Machito that stays with you today?
JM: Well, you know, Machito was the world’s greatest Latin band, hands down, there was even nothing close to it. I would have to say, my only real good memory of it is actually sitting on the stage, playing, and listening to the band. Listening to the saxes and trumpets, and all the stuff that was going on, the voicings and all of that, which is really quite remarkable. For a band that actually got its beginnings in 1939, it set the standard for what big band Latin music should like.
LJC: That band lasted for a long time, and one of the interesting albums that you played on with Machito is the Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods album with Dizzy Gillespie and the Chico O’Farrill compositions. I’m just curious, that was 1975 . . .
JM: Yea, I was with Tito already, and they called me to do that, so I went over and did that. And that was done, I don’t believe that there was a rehearsal for that, because of the caliber of the musicians. Those things were maybe run down in the studio and if there were copy mistakes, or mistakes in the arrangement, they were fixed then and then they were recorded.
LJC: One of the things that I thought was interesting was that the band had been around for over thirty years at that point and they were trying new things still. Was that a band that just kept pushing forward, even in it’s later days?
JM: Well, you know, up until when I joined, and I wrote those arrangements that kind of brought Machito back to life on the Americana record, they started working three or four times a week then and had a lot of gigs. I don’t know if they really tried to push forward. In my musical opinion, I think Machito’s last good album was the Kenya one. And then they started on a steady and slow decline, which is when Tito Puente came up and obviously took it all over, and passed them by. The band, as you say, had been around, thirty-six years at the time they did that Dizzy Gillespie record. Mario Bauza had been real good friends with Dizzy Gillespie for many years. Mario was responsible for getting Chico involved in all this stuff, and getting Chico assignments to write for Count Basie, and all those kind of things. So, I guess, at some point, they had some type of meeting, and they got involved. That was out on Pablo, and that was recorded at 1695 Broadway in the basement, the studio, I can’t remember the name of it though. That was Norman Granz’s label still, and Norman of course, goes back to the Charlie Parker recordings with Machito in the ‘50s. Where they would start those sessions at 9 a.m., and Charlie wouldn’t show up until 11 a.m. – Charlie would show up in his pajamas and stuff. He didn’t know where his horn was, they’d have to go find the horn. And then Norman would have to buy heroin for him to shoot up, and then they would record like that . . .
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In Part 2 of our interview, we’ll be looking at Madera’s time with “El Rey,” Tito Puente, from the early days up until his death in 2000. In Part 3 of our interview, we discuss Madera’s current career and his work with The Latin Giants of Jazz. You’ve got to read these!
Latin Jazz This Week will bring you a weekly look into news from the Latin Jazz world. You’ll find new releases, recommended performances, web finds, and more. You can check out some current sounds in the Listening Center tab at the top of the page. Performance dates will be kept in the Live Latin Jazz tab at the top of the page.
NEWS
The PBS archives have a wealth of classic performances hidden on their site – it’s truly an online treasure. The public access television show Soul! aired on New York channel 13 from 1968 to 1973, showcasing African American artistry as well as conveying a strong social justice message. You can check out the show’s main page HERE. But here’s the episode that many of you will probably want to jump right into – “Shades of Soul, Part 1″ featuring several performances by the Tito Puente Orchestra and Willie Colon’s group – check it out HERE.
Jazz.com features an interview with Brazilian pianist and vocalist Eliane Elias this week that goes into depth about her latest release Bossa Nova Stories. Elias discusses some history on the Bossa Nova, some background information about her career, and her current musical plans. It’s an interesting look at an artist with a broad career and a very deep musical history. Check it out HERE.
If you’re in SOUTH AMERICA this week . . . RAFAEL RUIZ WHEN: Tuesday 2/24/09 WHERE:Jazz Zone
Av. La Paz 646
Pasaje El Suche, Miraflores
Lima, Peru TIME: 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: 10 soles
If you’re in CANADA this week . . . JANE BUNNETT WHEN: Friday 2/27/09 WHERE:Hugh’s Room
2261 Dundas St W.
Toronto, Canada TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $22 in advance; $25 at door
If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . . ARTURO O’FARRILL WHEN: Wednesday 2/25/09 WHERE:Puppet’s Jazz Bar
481 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
BLUE CLAVE MINI BIG BAND WHEN: Friday 2/27/09 WHERE:La Fonda Boricua
East 106th Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA WHEN: Sunday 3/1/09 WHERE:Birdland
315 W. 44th Street
Manhattan, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. TICKETS: $25
CHRIS WASHBURNE & S.Y.O.T.O.S. WHEN: Sunday 3/1/09 WHERE:Smoke
2751 Broadway
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20 minimum
ENCLAVE WHEN: Thursday 2/26/09 WHERE:The Fireplace
1634 Beacon St
Brookline, MA TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
JOHN BENITEZ WHEN: Tuesday 2/24/09 WHERE:Cachaca
35 West 8th Street
Greenwich Village, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10 cover; $5 minimum
SOFIA KOUTSOVITIS WHEN: Monday 2/23/09 WHERE:The Bar Next Door
129 MacDougal St
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
WILLIE MARTINEZ WHEN: Thursday 2/26/09 WHERE:Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
236 East 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $7
If you’re in the MID-EAST this week . . . CRAIG RUSSO LATIN JAZZ PROJECT WHEN: Friday 2/27/09 WHERE:Contemporary Art Center
305 SW Water Street
Peoria, IL TIME: 5:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10
GABRIEL ALEGRIA WHEN: Saturday 2/28/09 WHERE:Snug Harbor
626 Frenchmen Street
New Orleans, LA TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.
HECTOR DEL CURTO
with Cuartetango WHEN: Saturday 2/28/09 WHERE:Lake Charles Rosa Hart Theater
900 Lakeshore Drive
Lake Charles, LA TIME: 7:30 p.m.
LOS GATOS WHEN: Thursday 2/26/09 WHERE:The Firefly Club
637 S. Main
Ann Arbor, MI TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $8
TUMBAO BRAVO WHEN: Sunday 3/1/09 WHERE:Sangria – Royal Oak
401 S. Lafayette
Royal Oak, MI TIME: 9:00 p.m.
If you’re on the WEST COAST this week . . . ALEXA WEBER MORALES WHEN: Friday 2/27/09 WHERE:Hedley Club
233 West Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA TIME: 8:30 p.m.
ESTRADA BROTHERS WHEN: Saturday 2/28/09 WHERE:Steamer’s Cafe
138 W. Commonwealth
Fullerton, CA TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $8
JOVINO SANTOS NETO WHEN: Friday 2/27/09 WHERE:Crossroads Center
15600 NE 8th Street
Bellevue, WA TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
KAT PARRA WHEN: Wednesday 2/25/09 WHERE:Stanford Hospital Atrium
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA TIME: 12:30 p.m.
PONCHO SANCHEZ WHEN: Friday 2/27/09 WHERE:Vitello’s
4349 Tujunga Avenue
Studio City, CA TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20
WAYNE WALLCE WHEN: Wednesday 2/25/09 WHERE:Hedley Club
233 West Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA TIME: 7:00 p.m.
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Need to spice up the Latin Jazz playlist on your iPod? Listened to the same Latin Jazz album so many times that you can sing every solo in your sleep? Looking for some new Latin Jazz to awaken that hidden inspiration but don’t know where to start? Well, that’s why we’re here, so look no further. Just head over to the LJC Listening Center and download some new music – for free!
Recent Spotlight Artists Manante have provided a free MP3 download of the track “Frutas Para El Desayuno” from their album Para Los Engreidos. This track features all of the great elements that make Para Los Engreidos an essential listen. There’s fluid and bluesy piano playing from Pepe Cespedes, as well as melodically intriguing improvisations from bassist Noel Marambio. Leonardo “Gigio” Parodi really stands out with his mixture of drum kit and Peruvian percussion that comes together as one unified sound. This track presents the group’s overall concept that makes quick shifts between festejo, swing, and a chaotic mixture that implies a fusion edge; they see all these styles with a broad perspective, bringing them together into a cohesive blend. Para Los Engreidos has a lot to offer, and you can get a good taste of it on “Frutas Para El Desayuno.”
So head over to the LJC Listening Center and download a copy of “Frutas Para El Desayuno” today. If you like what you hear, make sure that you support Manante by picking up a copy of Para Los Engreidos today! Don’t forget, you’ll find a wealth of great music there from other artists, including Edward Perez, Blue Mambo, The Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project, and more! Stop by today and check it out!
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The Spotlight Series highlights upcoming Latin Jazz musicians that have yet to reach national recognition. Many of these musicians thrive in local scenes and some tour in support of releases. All these musicians contribute greatly to the overall Latin Jazz scene, and they deserve our “spotlighted” attention.
Viajando: Choro e Jazz Grupo Falso Baiano
Massaroca Records
In many ways, jazz artists have approached the Brazilian music world with a limited view, leaving the vast playing field of Brazilian rhythms, composers, and instrumentalists unexplored. The popularity of the bossa nova and samba among both jazz musicians and the general public created a stigma for most people – this was the music of Brazil, and that was all one needed to know. Images of Carmen Miranda with bananas on her head, coupled with video clips of massive samba schools fueling the festive atmosphere of Rio carnival brainwashed most people, convincing them that samba was Brazil. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s music captured the imagination of countless musicians, and a number of his compositions became standards among the jazz community. While Jobim’s gorgeous music turned the jazz world’s attention towards Brazil, it also served as a stopping point for many musicians who neglected to look at Brazilian composers beyond Jobim. Stateside Brazilian Jazz has played upon this viewpoint for many years now, with countless albums full of bossa novas and sambas reinforcing an uninformed musical stereotype. The artist that looks beyond this blinding belief and digs into Brazil’s rich musical heritage will find a rich history filled with exciting artistic possibilities. This is a bold and time consuming pursuit that involves a major load of research and practice, but it’s a necessary one that will guide the world of stateside Brazilian Jazz into the future. San Francisco Bay Area based Grupo Falso Baiano makes this firm commitment to the greater world of Brazilian music with Viajando: Choro e Jazz, a glowing set of music that drives jazz aesthetics through a variety of Brazilian traditions.
Putting A Jazz Twist On Choro
The group puts a jazz twist on pieces from several Brazilian musicians, known for their choro compositions. Guitarist Brian Moran and mandolin player Jesse Appelman assertively race through a unison line on Waldir Azevedo’s “Carioquinha” before saxophonist Zack Pitt-Smith leaps into the main melody. Appelman continues the song’s addictive energy with an improvisation that spins beautiful melodies around the strong groove. The band members take turns setting up breaks for percussionist Ami Molinelli to provide fills on pandeiro before Pitt-Smith weaves through a thin texture back towards the melody. Appelman and Pitt-Smith lead into Azevedo’s “Arrasta-Pé” with an accelerating rhythmic line that explodes into a complex melody pushed forward by guest artist Jovino Santos Neto’s driving accordion. The band maintains the forward motion while Neto improvises with an engaging musicality that combines the instrument’s rhythmic nature and mysterious tone. After a brief interlude, Appelman leaps into his own statement that draws upon the major tonality and his impressive instrumental technique. Molinelli sets up a serious groove with her deep pandeiro skills on Jacob Do Bandolim’s “Birula,” soon pushed forward by Moran and topped off with a subtle melody by PItt-Smith. The melody winds comfortably around a well-conceived arrangement as Appelman and Pitt-Smith, this time on clarinet, trade pieces of the complete statement. Pitt-Smith calls upon jazz influenced phrasing as he improvises boldly over the groove while Appelman and Moran emphasize certain lines. Appelman and Moran trade rubato statements before finding a slow and steady pulse on Do Bandolim’s “De Coração a Coração” while guest mandolin players Mike Marshall and Eva Scow join together on the melody. Marshall plays around the melody, building his statement into a larger series of long flowing lines that resonate with an emotional strength. Moran shines as an insightful accompanist on this track, as he intersperses logical bass runs together with arpeggiated chordal passages on his 7-string guitar. The group shows a strong command of the choro genre and a connection to some of its important composers on these tracks, always finding room for personalized improvisation.
Pulling Compositions From Brazilian Instrumentalists
The group also pulls compositions from several well-known Brazilian instrumentalists, displaying a knowledge of the Brazilian music world outside the standard jazz connections. Molinelli establishes a strong samba groove which the rest of band expands into a catchy vamp on mandolin player Hamilton de Holanda’s “Aquarela na Quixaba” before Pitt-Smith enthusiastically jumps into an upbeat melody. Appelman uses the song’s melody as a launching point and then leaps into a lyrically intriguing improvisation while Pitt-Smith interjects short melodic comments. Pitt-Smith takes the opportunity to make a short statement until Appelman returns with a short improvisation around breaks to highlight Molinelli. Appelman immediately attacks an ear-catching melody over a sparse texture on cavaquinho player Luciana Rabello’s “De Bem com a Vida” until Pitt-Smith joins on the melody and Molinelli includes a larger percussion sound. Appelman weaves around the melody with clever embellishments on his improvisation until Pitt-Smith enters with a fluid statement that sounds like an extension of Appelman’s improvisation. The two musicians enter into a playful dialogue that includes call and response between sax and mandolin as well as lively breaks from Moran and Molinelli. Brash breaks give way to Pitt-Smith’s angular clarinet melody over a steady samba groove on clarinet player Paulo Sérgio Santos’ “Samba da Lua,” a jazzy melody over an extended form. Pitt-Smith improvises around the song’s rhythmic momentum with a bluesy edge, intertwining long lines with sharp syncopations. The group breaks the rhythmic momentum for an unaccompanied statement from Appelman before the rhythm section shoots his solo into high gear with the return of the samba groove. Pitt-Smith overdubs himself, building a layered texture of flute, clarinet, and saxophone on trumpet player Bonfiglio de Oliveira’s “Alzira,” exchanging phrases between the three woodwind instruments, Scow, and Moran. The arranging, elegantly executed by Pitt-Smith and Moran, shines on this long complex form as textures change, instruments weave between melodies, and a classy flow guides the chart. Scow takes a brief solo that perfectly compliments the song’s inherent grace and style, filled with minor melodies and long lines. The group has done their homework and found influence in a variety of important Brazilian instrumentalists, filling their repertoire with a rich diversity and depth.
Looking At Modern Composers
The group also utilizes the music of several modern composers from Brazil and beyond, adding a different edge to the album. There’s an earthy mysticism behind the unorganized percussion, whistle, and nature sounds that lead into a steady groove on Baden Powell’s “Canto de Ossanha.” Appelman and Pitt-Smith travel respectfully through the famous melody before finding room for Appelman to spin a brief improvisation. After a quick return to the melody, the band sets up a vamp or a solo from guest conguero Michael Spiro and a short statement from Pitt-Smith. Moran walks over Molinelli’s swing brushes while Pitt-Smith and Neto create bluesy licks on Hermeto Pascoal’s “Viajando Pelo Brasil” until the band explodes into a samba for a rhythmic melody. Neto assertively grabs his improvisation and dives into fast runs and syncopated rhythms, providing an exciting solo. Scow follows Neto’s lead with an engaging and virtuosic statement that Pitt-Smith contrasts with a spacious start that grows into a full idea. There’s an understated calm to Pitt-Smith’s rubato clarinet introduction on Paulinho da Viola’s “Beliscando” that remains intact when the rhythm section appears. The entrance of Appelman’s improvisation signals a change into double time, fueling inspiring lines from him and Pitt-Smith. The two musicians trade short improvisations with a contagious enthusiasm, leading into a double time interpretation of the melody. A sense of novelty is balanced with a heavy dose of wit and creative musicality on Koji Kondo’s “Irmãos Super Mario” with the band making the video game theme swing with a jazzy edge. After a thorough statement of the familiar melody, the band bursts into a full-blown batucada samba section with Spiro joining Molinelli on a variety of percussion. While the band digs into a ferocious groove, Neto improvises with an equal verve on melodica, wildly racing through quick streams of notes. The group displays a good deal of personality and knowledge on these tracks, connecting with a broader spectrum of Brazilian music and exploring interesting musical directions.
Looking At The Greater World Of Brazilian Music
Grupo Falso Baiano’s members have taken the time to study the greater world of Brazilian music and the results shine brightly on Viajando: Choro e Jazz. They draw upon a broad spectrum of Brazilian composers to fill their repertoire, placing a heavy emphasis upon the choro genre. The group has a large perspective on the Brazilian music world though, and they include pieces from a wide range of Brazilian instrumentalists and modern composers. The group places jazz improvisation in this context, but the mixture never seems forced; in fact, it’s quite the contrary – every improvisation seems like a natural extension of the music. The group’s soloists are all versed in the melodies of Brazilian music, and they demonstrate a highly refined ability to spontaneously create in that language. Their use of guest artists are wise and compliment the overall sound of the album – from Neto’s deeply rooted accordion playing to Mike Marshall’s sensitive mandolin work, it all helps complete the group’s larger statement. Appelman stands out as an outstanding soloist who has studied his instrument’s roots in Brazilian music, while Pitt-Smith eloquently shapes the band’s sound with his broad array of woodwind instruments. Molinelli provides a massive groove throughout the album, displaying impressive pandeiro skills and a non-stop sense of swing. Moran’s 7-string guitar serves as the connecting voice between all the group’s players, nailing the bass foundation beneath the group and holding the form together with powerful runs. Grupo Falso Baiano sends a powerful message with their performance on Viajando: Choro e Jazz, showing us the massive possibilities inherent in Brazilian music when we dig a little deeper – something that this group has done with truly inspiring results.
Latin Jazz This Week will bring you a weekly look into news from the Latin Jazz world. You’ll find new releases, recommended performances, web finds, and more. You can check out some current sounds in the Listening Center tab at the top of the page. Performance dates will be kept in the Live Latin Jazz tab at the top of the page.
NEWS
Journalist Howard Mandel’s Jazz Beyond Jazz blog recently included a glowing review of Eddie Palmieri’s appearance in Jazz at Lincoln Center. Although this focal point of jazz culture has been around for five years now, this was Palmieri’s debut performance. As always, he made the most of it, playing with his usual intensity and bringing a string of top players like tresero Nelson Gonzalez, trombone player Jimmy Bosch, and trumpet player Brian Lynch. It’s a thoughtful read with a couple of videos included. Check it out HERE.
Still on the heels of the loss of bassist Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, I’m sad to report that bandleader Joe Cuba has passed away. Cuba’s sextet influenced a generation of Latin music artists and ushered in the Boogaloo craze with his hit “Bang Bang.” It may be a step outside the jazz world, but I’d be sorely mistaken if I overlooked the death of this important artist. You can check out the official press release HERE.
If you’re in ASIA this week . . . OMAR SOSA WHEN: Friday 2/20/09 WHERE:Hong Kong Cultural Center
Concert Hall
10 Salisburg Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $120 – $420
If you’re in CANADA this week . . . JANE BUNNETT WHEN: Thursday 2/19/09 WHERE:Performance Works
1218 Cartwright Street
Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8, Canada TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $17 – $20
WHEN: Friday 2/20/09 WHERE:Hermann’s Jazz Club
753 View Street
Victoria BC TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $20
If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . . ARTURO O’FARRILL WHEN: Wednesday 2/18/09 WHERE:Puppet’s Jazz Bar
481 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
BOBBY SANABRIA WHEN: Tuesday 2/19/09 WHERE:Baruch College
One Bernard Baruch Way
New York, NY TIME: 1:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA WHEN: Sunday 2/22/09 WHERE:Birdland
315 W. 44th Street
Manhattan, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. TICKETS: $25
CHRIS WASHBURNE & S.Y.O.T.O.S. WHEN: Sunday 2/22/09 WHERE:Smoke
2751 Broadway
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20 minimum
GABRIEL ALEGRIA WHEN: Tuesday 2/17/09 WHERE:Cabaret at Theater Square
803 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20
WHEN: Saturday 2/21/09 WHERE:Brooklyn Academy of Music
651 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
HECTOR MARTIGNON WHEN: Thursday 2/19/09 WHERE:Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
236 East 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $7
HOT HOUSE WHEN: Saturday 2/21/09 WHERE:Bronx Library Center
310 East Kingsbridge Road
Bronx, NY TIME: 2:30 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
PABLO ZIEGLER WHEN: Saturday 2/21/09 WHERE:Charleston Music Hall
37 John Street
Charleston, SC TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $30
PAQUITO D’RIVERA WHEN: Wednesday 2/18/09 WHERE:Modlin Center for the Arts
Crenshaw Way
Richmond, VA TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $36
If you’re in the MID-EAST this week . . . LOS GATOS WHEN: Thursday 2/19/09 WHERE:The Firefly Club
637 S. Main
Ann Arbor, MI TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $8
TUMBAO BRAVO WHEN: Sunday 2/22/09 WHERE:Sangria – Royal Oak
401 S. Lafayette
Royal Oak, MI TIME: 9:00 p.m.
If you’re in the MID-WEST this week . . . GABRIEL ALEGRIA WHEN: Thursday 2/19/09 WHERE:Pearl Stable
312 Pearl Parkway Bldg. 2
San Antonio, TX TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $25
If you’re on the WEST COAST this week . . . ALEXA WEBER MORALES WHEN: Thursday 2/19/09 WHERE:Senzala
250 E Java Drive
Sunnyvale, CA TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $12
FRANCISCO AGUABELLA WHEN: Saturday 2/21/09 WHERE:Steamer’s Cafe
138 W. Commonwealth
Fullerton, CA TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $8
GRUPO FALSO BAIANO WHEN: Friday 2/20/09 WHERE:Anna’s Jazz Island
2120 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $14
WHEN: Saturday 2/21/09 WHERE:Cayuga Vault
1100 Soquel Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $12 advance; $14 at door
JANE BUNNETT WHEN: Sunday 2/22/09
Portland Jazz Festival WHERE:Crystal Ballroom
1332 W. Burnside
Portland, OR TIME: 2:00 p.m. TICKETS: $30 – $45
PETE ESCOVEDO WHEN: Saturday 2/21/09 WHERE:Anthology
1337 India Street
San Diego, CA TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $15 – $38; $15 minimum
REBECA MAULEON WHEN: Wednesday 2/18/09 WHERE:Yoshi’s – San Francisco
1330 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: $16 – 8:00 p.m.; $10 – 10:00 p.m.
SCOTT MARTIN WHEN: Friday 2/20/09 WHERE:Bacchus’ Secret Cellar
6735 Quail Hill Pkwy.
Irvine, CA TIME: 7:30 p.m.
SONANDO WHEN: Thursday 2/19/09 WHERE:Tula’s
2214 Second Avenue
Seattle, WA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
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September’s Child
The Joel Larue Smith Trio
The wealth of opportunities available to modern musicians have allowed artists from every background to express themselves in the public eye, but it has also created a very crowded marketplace; for the contemporary artist, the ability to stand out among a crowd has become an essential skill. For some musicians, their wild lifestyles drive them into the public spotlight, reintroducing them to the general audience for better or worse. With each new display of public humiliation or success, these artists find themselves back in the spotlight and as a result, their music becomes noticed. This approach effectively draws an audience, but it refocuses people away from the true meaning of the music – a strategy that doesn’t work well for Latin Jazz musicians. Music forms the core of the Latin Jazz artist’s personality, and above all, it is the thing that must be noticed and appreciated. A Latin Jazz artist needs many things in their music to stand out among their peers – a studied and thorough knowledge of Caribbean and South American styles, a deep understanding of jazz harmony and improvisation, and a connection to history and tradition. Those are the basics, but there’s a much more intriguing element that pushes the artist into a league of their own: a distinct artistic approach and well-conceived musical personality. Without this, the artist sounds like any other Latin Jazz musician; with this personality in tact, the artist stands as an original voice that can be recognized immediately. Pianist Joel Larue Smith leads a trio through a set of both originals and classic compositions on September’s Child, presenting a strong voice and performance style that deserves avid attention.
Combining Afro-Cuban rhythms With A Distinct Improvisational Approach
Smith builds his trio sound upon several original compositions that use Afro-Cuban genres with an improvisational jazz approach. After a long introduction filled with unison piano and bass runs, Smith and bassist Fernando Huergo join forces to present a melody on “El Mensajero” that provides interesting twists on common themes. Smith continues this winding path on his improvisation with intriguing themes that step in and out of the chord structure and dance around rhythmic tension. A band break leads Smith into a driving montuno that serves as the basis for an intensive statement from drummer Renato Malavasi. Huergo doubles Smith on a standard montuno to introduce “Miramar,” before Smith moves into a tipico melody with a jazz edge. Smith continues playing upon the established tone, starting with fairly common lines that stretch into unique variations. The solo begins to reveals Smith’s distinct personality as he pushes the improvisation outside the limits of the chord changes and plays around rhythmic fragments. Smith moves dramatic chords over a pedal tone on “September’s Child” before he jumps into an up-tempo melody filled with a sense of urgency. A series of unison band runs send Smith racing into his improvisation, where he builds his ideas around short rhythmic lines, bluesy embellishments, and creative thematic development. After a return to the melody, Smith and Huergo set up a sparse vamp for Malavasi, who takes a busy solo full of color and texture. These songs create a distinct connection to the Afro-Cuban tradition, but Smith provides a spin at every turn with interesting arrangement ideas and a high personal performance voice.
Integrating Ideas From Traditional Jazz
Smith mixes traditional jazz ideas into his sound on several tracks, broadening his scope and raising his concept to another level. Huergo and Smith imply a gentle swing with a light vamp over an open texture on “Time Out For Love” before settling into an active ballad feel for the delicate melody. Smith’s thoughtful melodic playing leads smoothly into Huergo’s insightful statement that weaves through the chord changes with grace and style. Smith pushes the groove slightly with long beautiful lines, complimented by a freely interpreted accompaniment from Huergo and Malavasi. A timba flavored minor montuno abruptly drops into an active melody on “Narrow Escape,” until the rhythm section bursts into an up-tempo swing feel on the contrasting bridge. Smith starts his improvisation with sparse rhythmic ideas that he builds into a fuller statement through repeated phrases and displaced ideas. As Smith reaches the climax of his solo, Huergo joins him in a wildly winding unison line before the band jumps back to the main melody. Smith engages in a reflective unaccompanied solo on “Que Preciosa” before transitioning into moving melody over a combination of bolero and ballad. Huergo displays a gift for melodic invention with long breathing phrases that pull the beauty from the rich chordal structure. Malavasi and Huergo provide a free, open, and colorful background behind Smith’s improvisation as he careful develops his ideas into a lush and meaningful statement. Smith displays keen insight and a developed sense of artistry on these tracks, combining elements of both Afro-Cuban styles and traditional jazz into a personal sound.
Arrangements Of Classic Compositions
Smith connects himself to tradition with several arrangements of classic compositions, while setting himself apart with a distinct performance approach. Armando Peraza’s “Barandanga” opens with a dramatic unaccompanied piano solo from Smith before a driving montuno pushes the band into a fiery melody. Tight band breaks lead the group into Smith’s statement that draws upon the song’s rhythmic nature with tense syncopated ideas. Smith’s solo explodes into a furious montuno while Malavasi constructs a short but strong idea. The trio establishes a vamp over a 6/8 rhythm before transitioning into the melody on Wayne Shorter’s “Fall.” After the main theme, Smith races into a frantic montuno that drives the group into an up-tempo son montuno groove for solos. Smith’s improvisation matches the frenetic feel of this change, plowing through the changes with a bold musicality that simmers with tension. Smith and Huergo introduce Pedro Flores’ “Obsesion” with a traditional vamp over Malavasi’s cha cha cha groove, until the group moves into a quick bolero for a gentle reading of the melody. Huergo builds variations on the main theme, carefully twisting the phrases into an original idea that resonates with beauty. Smith follows with a respectful trip through the structure that intersperses lush melodies among modern harmonies while playing around the song’s flowing groove. The original rhythmic vamp sends the trio racing into an up-tempo version of the Mario Bauza classic “Mambo Inn,” visiting the melody with avid excitement. Smith jumps at the opportunity to improvise here, with classic phrases that stretch into long lines and tastefully injected rhythmic drive. After a return to the introductory vamp, Huergo displays an impressive set of technical skills and a vast musicality with an assertive improvisation filled with memorable statements. These tracks reveal Smith to be an artist connected with tradition, but always willing to find a place for his personal voice in the mix.
A Recording Head And Shoulders Above The Crowd
Smith’s voice resonates strongly on September’s Child, clearly presenting his concept as a composer, performer, and arranger with focused intensity. His compositions dance around Afro-Cuban rhythms and traditional jazz ideals with a knowledgeable movement that reflects a solid foundation in both worlds. His ideas often place one foot in each genre, placing his compositions firmly in clave while the band interprets them with the loose freedom of swing. Smith’s voice as a performer reflects this dual experience as well, filling his improvisations with character and ear catching intensity. He often plays melodies with a thoughtful reflection and explodes into solos with bold steps outside the harmony and rhythmic structures. Smith plays with this tension between strict rhythmic forms and open improvisational textures; at times the music shimmers with beauty while other times it roars with passion. Smith fortunately has found sympathetic band mates to support his ideas in Huergo and Malavasi. Huergo plays with a solid foundation, complimented by an active improvisational flair, and his soloing skills sparkle with beauty and excitement. Malavasi supports Smith with a varied accompaniment approach that sometimes precisely charges through Afro-Cuban rhythms and other times thins the texture with an open freedom. As a trio, the three musicians compliment each other, but they also push their band mates to new heights. Smith puts all these factors together into a strong Latin Jazz package on September’s Child, delivering a recording that stands on it’s own, head and shoulders above the crowded music world.
Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez was born on February 2, 1933 into Cuba’s legendary musical family. From his early childhood, Cachaito lived his life immersed in music, with exposure to a broad variety of styles. His father, Orestes Lopez, and his uncle, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, were of some of the top musicians of his day, playing with charanga bands, son conjuntos, symphony orchestras, and jazz combos. Young Cachaito joined his father at many rehearsals and performances from artists such as Arcaño Y Sus Maravillas and Arseñio Rodriguez, and he watched his father and uncle develop el nuevo ritmo, the mambo. He traveled with his father to performances by the Havana Symphony and watched as his father and uncle hosted jam sessions, rehearsals, and compositional collaborations at his aunt’s house. This whirlwind of musical exposure led Cachaito to pick up the violin initially, but his grandfather encouraged him to follow the family tradition by switching to bass. Cachaito’s bass studies progressed quickly – at the age of 17, he had joined Arseñio Rodriguez’s band; by the age of 24, he had joined the Havana based big band Riverside; and at 27, he was a member of the National Symphony. Cachaito became a mainstay on the Havana musical scene, laying down the foundation of several different ensembles from popular to jazz and classical.
Cachaito spent much of his adult life working as a sideman, recording and performing in Cuba, until 1996 when he became a member of the Buena Vista Social Club. He performed in popular settings with vocalists such as Omara Portuondo and César Portillo de la Luz, making a statement as part of the filin movement. He served as bass soloist with the National Symphony in their premier of Leo Brouwer’s “‘Arioso,” a tribute to Charles Mingus. He worked as a member of the Orquesta de Musica Moderna, and for a brief time, played electric bass with Irakere. Yet his reputation stayed centered around Havana until the Buena Vista Social Club pushed him into the global spotlight. The hit album and accompanying documentary made him a household name, and his subsequent appearances on albums by Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez, and all the Buena Vista members only solidified his legend. He traveled the world, performing to large crowds receiving star treatment. He continued to record on every Buena Vista side project, becoming a mainstay among artists like vocalists Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo. After spending a lifetime in music, the world recognized the value and strength of Cachaito’s major musicianship.
On Monday February 9, 2009, Cachaito died in Havana due to complications from prostate surgery, leaving the world with a lifetime of major musical achievements. Despite his fantastic success with the Buena Vista Social Club, Cachaito’s legacy in the jazz world remains largely unrecognized. Much of that work occurred in post-Revolutionary Cuba, resulting in restricted stateside access to performances and recordings. Much of that music exists by word of mouth; we can only hope that someday we hear this music and get a fuller picture of Cachaito’s impact. For now, I’ve collected a short list of Cachaito’s work that gives a broad view of him as an artist in both the pre- and post-Buena Vista era. I’ve stuck with easily accessible albums, in the hopes that you might track them down and dig more deeply into Cachaito’s legacy. Many more examples of Cachaito’s work can be found if you look – check out the Anga/Tata Güines collaboration Pasaporte, the Bebo Valdes album Sabor de Cuba, or the Anga solo album Echu Mingua. This list serves as a good starting point though, so check out these recordings and remember Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, one of the great Cuban bass players.
———- 1. La Cumbancha – Los Amigos
Cachaito spent years watching his father and uncle partake in numerous descarga sessions, both in live performance and in recording studios; that experience translates to a ferociously musical experience on La Cumbancha. Cachaito, along with pianist Frank Emilio Flyn, timbalero Guillermo Barreto, and conguero Tata Güines, formed the core of Los Amigos, a descarga group that walked the line between modern creativity and traditional performance. Flyn’s now classic descarga “Gandinga, Sandunga, Mondongo” recalls Monk’s “Evidence,” and its askew rhythmic vamp pushes the band’s improvisers in new directions. “Pa’gozar” has a more standard approach with a basic chord progression and repeated montuno, but the group approaches it with a no-holds-barred enthusiasm that explodes with excitement. Cachaito’s original descarga “Lazara y Georgina” plays off a distinctly different tumbao, providing an opportunity for Flyn to explore a variety of melodic possibilities. Cachaito plays with the strength and depth of his uncle on several unaccompanied bass solos that serve as introductions to descargas, but there’s more than a simple echo of Cachao. There are shades of Mingus and expressive articulations that reflect a thoroughly modern playing style. The band never forgets their roots though – there’s the elegant sound of danzones such as “Tres Lindas Cubanas” and “La Flauta Mágica” played with grace, style, and a heavy dose of authenticity. These musicians experienced the original innovations of this style, and they treat it with the respect and reverence that it deserves. It’s an interesting balance that speaks volumes about the mastery of these musicians and evokes many unmissable moments. Simply hearing Cachaito add his own unique twist to the classic Cachao feature “Cómo Canta El Contrabajo” is worth the price of the album alone. There’s a wealth of musicianship and plenty of Cachaito on La Cumbancha, making it a must-have piece of any Cachaito collection.
2. Featuring Cachaito – Chucho Valdes
Cachaito was a man of many musical worlds, but the jazz realm was one of his favorites – as a result, he often crossed paths with an artist that belonged to Cuba’s other famous musical family, pianist Chucho Valdes. This recording places Cachaito and Valdes in a trio setting with Irakere drummer Enrique Plá, recorded in 1970. Valdes dominates the session, spending most of the tracks stretching his legendary piano skills across complex melodies and jazz fueled solos. Cachaito shines as an outstanding accompanist here, pushing both Valdes and Plá with a rock steady pulse and a passionate swing. He also displays chameleon-like stylistic skills here, playing the bolero “Dos Perlas Y Un Dolor” with a simplistic beauty before jumping into a bubbling 1970s rock groove on the Valdes composition “Preludio No 1.” The trio shows another side to their musicianship with several sambas, ranging from “Canción de la Tarde” to the Cesar Portillo de la Luz composition “Canción de un Festival,” and even a Brazilian tinged arrangement of the Cuban classic “Tu, Mi Delirio.” Cachaito bows his bass with elegant style, providing a rich bottom end on several boleros such as “Realidad Y Fantasia” and “Novia Mia.” There’s an almost wild side to the collaborative chaos on “Invento No. 4,” a rock blues that relishes loud, over the top performance and syncopated tension. The trio plays with a sly funkiness on the 1970s classic “Sony” (Sunny) that lets Valdes spin greasy blues licks while Cachaito and Plá create an addictive drive. In reality, this album is a Valdes compilation with only half of the twenty tracks actually featuring Cachaito. The raw energy that these musicians put into the performance and the diversity of the tracks make it worth the listen. For a few more gems, check out another Chucho Valdes compilation – Doble Gigante: The Latin Jazz Sides – it features Cachaito playing on three fantastic jazz tracks.
3. The Buena Vista Social Club
I certainly wouldn’t consider this a jazz album by any means, but it is the recording that rocketed Cachaito onto the world stage. Aside from that fact, it’s also an outstanding album that displays a group of master musicians playing traditional music at a very high level. The classic son sound on “De Camino a La Vereda” and “El Cuarto de Tula” bubbles with life and reflects the love that each of these musicians feels for the style. Pianist Ruben Gonzalez gets an opportunity to stretch his gorgeous melodic lines on a couple of danzones, “Pablo Nuevo” and the Cachao composition “Buena Vista Social Club.” The band attacks several boleros with a smoldering understatement, lighting tunes such as “Dos Gardenias” and “Murmullo” on fire with a slow burn. The pure dance excitement of “Candela” pushes the band into a frenzy with a pulsating groove underneath Ibrahim Ferrer’s classic vocal. Cachaito sits at the bottom of the mix, pushing the band with a supportive, yet unobtrusive tumbao. His playing lacks some of the unique characteristics of his jazz explorations, but it’s strong enough to say that the band would have sounded distinctly different without his presence. There are moments when I wish that Ry Cooder and his son Joachim would step aside and let the masters own the spotlight; the guitar, dumbek, oud, and other assorted oddities serve more as a distraction than a positive embellishment. Still, the return to the roots of Cuban music, and the worldwide acclaim that followed it make this album an important milestone both in the history of Cuban music and the career of Cachaito.
4. A Toda Cuba Le Gusta – Afro-Cuban All Stars
In many ways, this project follows many of the popular elements of The Buena Vista Social Club album – roots in traditional son, dance fueled charts, and a vocal emphasis – yet there’s an underlying descarga aesthetic that pushes this recording into a slightly more jazzy direction. The group screams through several dance tracks with a big, assertive sound that relies upon a huge brass section and a driving rhythm section that includes Cachaito, pianist Ruben Gonzalez, and Miguel “Anga” Diaz on congas. The driving groove of “Clasiqueando con Rubén” benefits from Gonzalez’s classical technique and inventive nature, exploding into an all-out descarga featuring individual trombone, trumpet, and percussion statements. The medium tempo son “Amor Verdadero” cooks with a quiet intensity, pushed into high gear with improvisations from Gonzalez as well as tresero and bandleader Juan De Marcos. The band slows into a graceful danzon on “Habana del Este” with extremely lyrical playing from Marcos before the band jumps into a cha cha cha for an inspiring exchange between guest flautist Richard Egües and Cachaito on bowed lines. Cooder shows up with a brief solo on “Alto Songo,” barely distracting from the song’s upbeat dance vibe. Most importantly, Cachaito sits way up in the mix, playing in an intensive and unrestrained fashion. It’s a more honest and clear look at Cachaito’s playing during this period, and it’s a fun album – well worth the listen.
5. Cachaito
Cachaito spent most of his career as a sideman, supporting other artists with his powerful basslines; the success of The Buena Vista Social Club opened a new door for him and allowed him to record this album as a bandleader. With the emphasis of roots in the Buena Vista Social Club albums, one might expect Cachaito to produce an album full of classic descargas and danzones. Cachaito was always a forward-looking musician though, and he takes every opportunity to explore new territories here. Cachao’s classic “Rendencion” references a danzon with the traditional flute lines and common breaks, but the addition of Bigga Morrison’s B-3 Hammond Organ soon morphs this song into a reggae-tinged descarga. The exchange between flautist Policarpo “Polo” Tamayo and guitarist Manuel Galban form the basis of “Conversacion” as Galban’s reverb drenched tone and Morrison’s distorted clavinet mix with violins, resulting in an engagingly unusual sound. Galban saturates his guitar with vibrato and reverb, adding a surf music sound to the Orlando Lopez composition “Wahira” while tenor saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis blows jazz riffs around Ibrahim Ferrer’s vocals. The album takes a fun and interesting left turn as Dee Nasty adds turntables and scratching to Cachaito’s bold tumbao on “Cachaito In Laboratory.” The musicians reach an album highpoint with “Tumbao No. 5 (Para Charlie Mingus)” as Cachaito stretches out his tumbao into a soloistic statement over only percussion, moving into swing and back around the son groove with clever musical twists. There’s a sense that Cachaito knew that he would only have this kind of complete artistic liberty once, and he didn’t hold anything back. The tracks will surprise most Latin Jazz listeners, and may even challenge you at points – it’s a simultaneously weird and wonderful album that has to be heard to have a complete appreciation of Cachaito’s artistry.
Our current Spotlight Artist, Manante, bring a new perspective onto the world of Afro-Peruvian Jazz with their latest album Para Los Engreidos. They bring the usual mixture of Festejo, Lando, and Vals and combine it with straight-ahead jazz; but there’s an organic and well-conceived edge to their sound. They perform more than simple reharmonizations of traditional Peruvian songs, they use their inner knowledge of these styles to create original compositions around them. There’s an audible influence from 1970s fusion groups, but they take their inspiration from less common pieces of these groups. They avoid the easy integration of synthesizers and loud distorted guitars; instead there’s a study of the song writing techniques and improvisational styles of different personalities. They bring the best qualities of an acoustic jazz trio to the forefront, emphasizing improvisation, interaction, and regularly changing textures. They never sacrifice the intensity and excitement of their core approach though – this is definitely an acoustic jazz trio with an edge. Most importantly, these guys are obviously open to taking risks and trying new things, from free improvisation to wild mixtures of swing and Peruvian music. It’s an exciting and original interpretation of Afro-Peruvian Jazz that adds a new dimension to the style.
The musicians’ individual artistic personalities help bring this concept into reality and form the core of the sound. Pianist Pepe Cespedes guides much of the action with his wide harmonic palette, keen melodic sensibility, and rhythmic momentum. So many influences shine through Cespedes’ playing – there’s a definite sense of Peruvian tradition that can be heard in his phrasing, but it’s peppered with a bluesy edge. It’s obvious that he has checked out modern jazz pianists such as Herbie Hancock and Joe Zawinul, but he’s also maintained a foundation in the harmonic basis of his country’s music. Bassist Noel Marambio brings an assertive edged tone, a rock solid groove, and a wealth of soloing ideas into the group. There’s a strong influence from electric bass great Jaco Pastorious in his playing, but it never overwhelms his personality. His broad stylistic study allows Marambio to weave insightful improvised lines around a variety of genres and consistently maintain a firm foundation. Leonardo “Gigio” Parodi brings a unique approach to the drum kit that integrates traditional kit sounds with the cajon, congas, and various hand percussion. He’s got an amazing textural palette that combines all these instruments in a highly musical way. On top of all that, he applies an incredible virtuosity to these sounds, playing them all simultaneously in an organized, coherent, and very musical way. These three musicians have a lot to offer each other and the result of their collaboration is truly inspiring.
I’ve collected some videos of the trio performing in Peru, giving you a chance to see their applied musicality at work. Check out the bluesy flair that Cespedes applies to the first half of “En La Cuerda Floja;” he plays with the sound of a jazz pianist, but the soul of a Peruvian musician. You’ve got to hear Marambio on “Sin Aliento,” with his Pastorious fueled improvisations and aggressive sound. You can’t miss Parodi’s extended and unaccompanied solo on the second half of “En La Cuerda Floja,” where he plays the drum kit, cajon, and congas with equally impressive dexterity. There’s a lot of depth here, and a totally different side to Afro-Peruvian Jazz. Enjoy!
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Manante Performing “Sin Aliento” from their album Para Los Engreidos
Part 1 of Manante Performing “En La Cuerda Floja” from their album Acomodate
Part 2 of Manante Performing “En La Cuerda Floja” from their album Acomodate
Decades of performing experience among legends leaves a musician with a sense of responsibility to their fellow artists and the greater music world. During their time with a legend, any musician would inevitably soak up artistic approaches, performance aesthetics, and a general musicality – all valuable tools. As a result of this experience, they carry intimate knowledge that most people will never comprehend, and they become the artistic standard bearers of this approach. Their continued performances both keep the past alive by drawing upon this knowledge and define the art form’s future by making an original statement. They become the role models for younger musicians and the mentors to their own band members – their responsibility includes passing on the subtleties of the tradition to a new generation. They are the only ones left with the knowledge, experience, and insight to authentically carry the music of the past into the future – if they don’t do it, nobody can. The music world depends upon them to keep the music alive and pass it on to a new generation.
JM: Yea, we didn’t want this to die. So we went ahead and did this record, which was in the can for almost a year before it got released. We did that one, and then a few years passed by and we did another one, and now a year has passed since we did the Trip to Mamboland
JM: Mario plays on one track, “Flamenco Mood,” which is recorded live in New York at the now defunct IAJE. Mario was in the Tito Rodriguez band for a couple of years. Before that he was playing in New York for the Angel Masera Latin Jazz All-Stars, which was the gentleman who owned the Bronx Casino. It was another dance place; it was up in the Bronx on 149th Street and 3rd Avenue. From the Tito Rodriguez band, Mario came over to Puente’s band, and Mario’s first recording with Tito Puente’s band is the twentieth anniversary album. He stayed until 1974 and then came back when they started the Latin Jazz Ensemble. So Mario’s influence was very great, very good saxophone player – good baritone sax player. 
JM: Well, we just did The Mayan in Los Angeles three weeks ago and then we went out and did the NAMM thing. There’s a couple of things, I mean, if they want the band, they can pay the fee for it. If they don’t want to pay the fee, then we won’t do it. Part of the uniqueness of the band and the sound of the band involves the size of it. People were just blown away by it, because, you know, there’s just nothing out there. And most of the younger people have never heard anything like that in their lives. That’s part of it. We worked a big festival in France in July . . . there really aren’t that many places to work anyway. The U.S. economy is falling apart right now and the government just keeps spending money without any gold backing. They took the country off the gold standard in the seventies, you know? They just continue to print this paper, and one of these days, this whole shit is just going to collapse. But, as far as gigs, whatever there is – we did Lehman College in October with Eddie Palmieri. So, you know, there’s a couple of things here and there. If the band worked once or twice a month, it would be great. Because I know the economy is so bad, and there aren’t that many places to play. How many festivals are there? Most of the jazz festivals have now gone onto rock and roll, and pop and crap. They’re not even that anymore. 
Everyone gets the opportunity to listen to influential musicians through their recordings, but performing with a legendary musical artist provides a young musician with a unique learning opportunity. The daily exposure to a visionary performer allows a young musician to soak in sounds and techniques, as well as examine the performer’s artistic choices. The young artist gets to examine the bandleader’s repertoire choices, they gain an understanding of the leader’s arrangement techniques, and they learn the artist’s compositions intimately. The younger musician watches the established artist lead a variety of band members, sees how they interact with the public, and learns the ropes of running an ensemble. They inevitably gain invaluable opportunities as soloists, arrangers, composers, and leaders, all with essential feedback from their mentor. The total experience becomes an intensive school, where an observant student can raise their artistry to a high level. After an extended period of time with any influential artist, the younger musician leaves the experience wiser and ready to make their own artistic statement. Very few musicians get the opportunity to perform with legendary artists for decades; it’s a privilege and honor that leaves the younger musician with a priceless gift.
JOSE MADERA: I can’t remember the date exactly; I would say that it was the fall of 1969. I joined only to play during the week, and then eventually when I left Machito, I stayed obviously on. And Tito’s band, to keep a band working like that, they had to work seven nights a week. For example, on Monday night, they would play at the Pan America Motor Inn in Queens and we did that for seventeen years, I did it for seventeen years anyway, they had been doing it before that. Tuesday they were playing a club in Brooklyn called The Revelation on Fourth Avenue. On Wednesday we would play the Corso in New York – Manhattan. Thursday we would play a place called the Hardar on Staten Island. And then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were the Latin dances – we would play La Cahora Henyo, La Casa Boriquen, or whatever was going on in New York. And then Monday, it would recycle and start again. That was the only way to keep a band like that working, you know. The amount of jobs in New York weren’t . . . I mean, there were a lot of clubs in New York, but it was kind of hard to put Tito Puente in those clubs. Because Tito was not a $500 a night band.
. A couple of months later we did the last Celia one, which was 
. And then Tito didn’t record until ’73, which was 
, which I didn’t play on. And then, I don’t think we recorded for a couple of years until we did the 
one.
from 1978. It seems to me that the band really comes alive on that album and it seemed like the recordings really picked up a bit after that. Did the recording signal a change in Tito’s career at that time?
JM: Any one of those Fania things – the Louie Rameriz ones, the Pacheco ones, the Tito Allen ones, the Ismael Miranda ones, the Azuquita ones – all those sessions. There were like thirty productions done in New York for a while – not counting the ones done in Puerto Rico – these were done in New York. I was involved in, I would say, about twenty of them, plus I was teaching at Boy’s Harbor at the time. So I would leave home at about 10 a.m. and I wouldn’t get home until 4 a.m. the next day, and continue, you know? The recordings were done in the afternoon, then you were off to work – I’ll give you a perfect example. On this particular day, there were three recordings that had to be done. The morning session was one of Louie Rameriz’s albums, and then in the late afternoon we would run over from the Fania studio to wherever this other one was, where Santos Colon and Jorge Calandrelli were conducting a bolero record. Then at night we would rush back and do a Pete “El Conde” record, whether I had to play on it or do arrangements on it. It was kind of crazy, and it went on for a while. So, you know, we didn’t get rich – other people got rich off it, but we didn’t. That’s always one of the problems of the arts; you never really make the money you should.
?
JM: Well, the greatest lesson in working in that band was the discipline that we developed. As far as approaching music, approaching how to play, approaching performances, approaching rehearsal, approaching recording. The tremendous discipline that there was in that band, which a few years later got a little lax, as I said, when Tito Rodriguez died. But when I got in there, man, you know, if you came in with the wrong tie, you were sent home. If you came in with the wrong shirt – go home! No messing around, you know, that’s part of it. You can not achieve the type of performance; Tito’s wrote in a style which is percussive ensemble writing, and everyone has to play that right on the dime to be able to create that sound and that swing, you know? And so you need a certain amount of discipline from the guys. Just like anything, if you don’t have the discipline, you don’t get it. And in that sense, we really learned that craft from him and that of course, continues on today in the Latin Giants of Jazz orchestra where we try to keep that particular style alive. And you can’t travel around with 21 people and not have a certain amount of discipline and decorum on the stage or whatever you happen to be doing musical wise. 
A true lifetime in the music world breeds a different kind of artist, a complete artist that goes beyond the mastery of an instrument or a musical approach. An artist raised in a musical family hears their art form while still in the womb; they are born with a unique connection to music that simply cannot be matched. They generally have access to instruments, recorded music, and live musicians at a young age, giving them an exposure that drills music into their head. They build an understanding of stylistic elements and musical differences early in life, allowing them to dig deeper into their chosen field. When they finally take the leap into performance, they have a built-in set of mentors and a catalog of life lessons to guide them into a rich artistic development. As they progress to a professional level, their early friends and role models become instant connections that can lead them towards jobs and exposure. When these musicians continue through a long career, they eventually take on the role of artistic leader, exerting their own influence upon the greater musical role. The act of making music becomes less of a job or pleasure, but rather a lifestyle that guides their time on earth.
LATIN JAZZ CORNER: You were born into the music with your father being an original member of the Machito Orchestra. That must have been an incredible experience growing up. Can you share some of your early memories growing up around your father and the Machito Orchestra?
. Which for me is still the best Latin Jazz record ever done. You could still put that on today and it still kicks just about anyone else’s butt. They did that a few days before Christmas in 1957. It was done at the Odd Fellow Temple, which was located on 106th Street and Park Avenue. Roulette recorded there for a few years; Roulette/Tico – Tico being the Spanish subsidiary, which Mars had bought from George Goldner. 
JM: Well for me, he is still the best big band timbale player that walked the face of the earth. Actually Uba came in 1927 to New York and Uba was initially a pianist who played in his brother’s band. His brother’s name was Johnny Nieto, he was a saxophone player, and they had a little group in New York called Johnny Nieto and the Midnight Dukes. So he was the pianist there. He later went on to study drums with Henry Adler in New York and became the timbale player in Machito’s band around 1941 or something like that, I can’t remember an exact date.
JM: Yes I did, I did the arrangement for it. Prior to that, I had been with a group called Orquesta Capri and they had a tune that was making a little noise back in 1968 – ’69, it was called “I Regret.” I had done the arrangement for that, and somebody else took credit for that. I got kind pissed, so I decided to take myself off the radio with this other one. And I successfully knocked that off the radio; “Tender Love” ran for a long time. I sort of kid about it – I attacked myself and took myself off the radio with another one.
album with Dizzy Gillespie and the Chico O’Farrill compositions. I’m just curious, that was 1975 . . .
Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez was born on February 2, 1933 into Cuba’s legendary musical family. From his early childhood, Cachaito lived his life immersed in music, with exposure to a broad variety of styles. His father, Orestes Lopez, and his uncle, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, were of some of the top musicians of his day, playing with charanga bands, son conjuntos, symphony orchestras, and jazz combos. Young Cachaito joined his father at many rehearsals and performances from artists such as Arcaño Y Sus Maravillas and Arseñio Rodriguez, and he watched his father and uncle develop el nuevo ritmo, the mambo. He traveled with his father to performances by the Havana Symphony and watched as his father and uncle hosted jam sessions, rehearsals, and compositional collaborations at his aunt’s house. This whirlwind of musical exposure led Cachaito to pick up the violin initially, but his grandfather encouraged him to follow the family tradition by switching to bass. Cachaito’s bass studies progressed quickly – at the age of 17, he had joined Arseñio Rodriguez’s band; by the age of 24, he had joined the Havana based big band Riverside; and at 27, he was a member of the National Symphony. Cachaito became a mainstay on the Havana musical scene, laying down the foundation of several different ensembles from popular to jazz and classical. 
, the Bebo Valdes album 
, or the Anga solo album 
. This list serves as a good starting point though, so check out these recordings and remember Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, one of the great Cuban bass players.
– Los Amigos
– Chucho Valdes
– it features Cachaito playing on three fantastic jazz tracks.
– Afro-Cuban All Stars
The musicians’ individual artistic personalities help bring this concept into reality and form the core of the sound. Pianist Pepe Cespedes guides much of the action with his wide harmonic palette, keen melodic sensibility, and rhythmic momentum. So many influences shine through Cespedes’ playing – there’s a definite sense of Peruvian tradition that can be heard in his phrasing, but it’s peppered with a bluesy edge. It’s obvious that he has checked out modern jazz pianists such as Herbie Hancock and Joe Zawinul, but he’s also maintained a foundation in the harmonic basis of his country’s music. Bassist Noel Marambio brings an assertive edged tone, a rock solid groove, and a wealth of soloing ideas into the group. There’s a strong influence from electric bass great Jaco Pastorious in his playing, but it never overwhelms his personality. His broad stylistic study allows Marambio to weave insightful improvised lines around a variety of genres and consistently maintain a firm foundation. Leonardo “Gigio” Parodi brings a unique approach to the drum kit that integrates traditional kit sounds with the cajon, congas, and various hand percussion. He’s got an amazing textural palette that combines all these instruments in a highly musical way. On top of all that, he applies an incredible virtuosity to these sounds, playing them all simultaneously in an organized, coherent, and very musical way. These three musicians have a lot to offer each other and the result of their collaboration is truly inspiring.
