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.
Generaciones Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble Of San Francisco
We often catalog the history of music into a series of concurrent generations, creating little boxes in time for each passing group of musicians. In reality, it’s simply a convenient way to look at the greater timeline of music history, breaking it down into easily digestible chunks. We typify each generation with a musical label, classifying all the musicians of an era into one musical movement. Names, faces, and personalities get lost into generic labels that relate to music in a vague way. Generations are much more than spaces on a chart though, they are the pieces of time that connect us into a greater musical community. Musicians born in different eras each carry their own unique perspective on music and life; the exchange between these different artistic aesthetics create the culture around a musical style. It’s easy to get caught up in the division created by these historical boxes that we create for generations, but shared experience between generations are inevitable. Older musicians need to pass on history and tradition to younger musicians who interpret it through new lenses. Once they make significant artistic movements, they give their ideas back to the older generation. This circular relationship between members of each generation leads to collaboration and the inescapable evolution of musical thought, resulting in a strong artistic community. The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble Of San Francisco, led by John Calloway, Sylvia Ramirez, and Arturo Riera, embraces this spirit of community on Generaciones, a strong collection of pieces performed by Bay Area young people with an investment in Latin Jazz.
The Benefit Of Experience
The group gets the benefit of experience through the performance of several songs written by professionals affiliated with the group. Bassist Gilbert Fix digs into a strong bass vamp until the full rhythm section and the wind players jump into a mambo on “Viva Peraza,” making way for a coro celebrating the legendary percussionist Armando Peraza. Guest vocalist Orlando Torriente enthusiastically dives into a strong vocal, introducing a masterful display of percussion improvisation from Peraza. Tenor saxophonist Noah Rosen nimbly wraps jazz lines through the driving groove, followed by a cleverly rhythmic improvisation from trumpet player Will Rubenstein, and a climatic statement from leader and flautist John Calloway. Violinist Julianna Cressman lays down a pizzicato montuno over a funky cha cha cha from the rhythm section on Calloway’s “YBG Walk,” leading into a catchy melody from the winds. A steady montuno from pianist Cecilia Sweet-Coll sets the stage for a series of well crafted solos from several group members, including Rosen, trombonist Adeyemi Demetrius, alto saxophonist Kai Stritter, trombonist Ruben Sandoval, Rubenstein, and flautist Nico Scolieri. A memorable mambo builds the dynamic, leading into a powerful improvisation from timbalero David Vazquez, full of technique and traditional phrasing. The rhythm section establishes a funky conga groove while the winds players tear through a sparse melody on Calloway’s “Generaciones,” which explodes into a bass break and an energetic groove. The group moves through a variety of textures as trombonists Brama Sukarma and Baron Arnold trade phrases, followed by another inspired exchange, this time between trombonists Natalie Cressman and Jeff Cressman. The full wind section frames stellar improvisations from conguero Remi Spiro and Vazquez with sharp attacks, pushing their solos into high gear. A contemplative minor mood flows over an airy groove on Calloway’s “Oakland,” while the wind players glide through a cleverly harmonized melody. Tenor saxophonist Maxime Stinnett builds a solid idea around a strong theme and rhythmic emphasis while Sukarma runs his edgy tone through the texture with stabbing rhythms. Guitarist Adam Nash spins flowing lines over the lush backdrop, while Fix shows a talent for melodic construction and development with his statement. The group gets some valuable lessons through compositions written by Calloway and Peraza, playing with enthusiasm and respect for an older generation.
A Strong Connection To The Lessons Of Tradition
The group shows a strong connection to the lesson of tradition through smart pieces written by student members of the rhythm section. Pianist Anthony Del Barrio charges into a powerful montuno, electrified by the rhythm section’s timba backdrop on guitarist Adam Nash’s “Para Empezar,” leading into melodic reading from trumpet player Noah Frank and Natalie Cressman. As the rhythm section launches into a massive inertia, Cressman skillfully builds a smart improvisation around the clave with defined rhythmic emphasis. Nash sends his guitar into overdrive, tearing through the groove with ample technique and a blistering distorted sound. A clever interplay between the bass and piano leads into a clever melody on pianist Katie Reutter’s “La Plaza,” creating a tightly defined sound. Trumpet player Max Miller Loran boldly creates an engaging improvisation filled with jazz runs, and after a quick mambo, Scolieri cuts through the groove with a short jabbing phrases and a rich tone. A funky bass groove from Mireya Leon sends the band flying into a lively mambo, setting the stage for an energetic solo from guest conguero Arturo Riera. Nash and Reutter both contribute pieces that pay respects to a wide stretch of Latin music, creating contexts for strong performances from their peers.
Cutting Loose On Original Pieces
The young group cuts loose with a number of piece recorded live at the 2008 San Jose Jazz Festival. A funky piano and bass groove serves as a backdrop for quick improvisations from both Nash and Scolieri on Cressman’s “La Playa,” leading into a rhythmically charged melody. Cressman jumps into her solo with an apparent vigor, driving razor-edged lines into the groove with a forceful momentum. A timba breakdown send the group into a intense forward motion as Frank soars through a memorable improvisation with fierce articulations and a growling tone. An unaccompanied drum solo from Alex Nash transitions into a menacing vamp on Frank’s “Ecstasy,” allowing the wind players to flow over the top with a distinctly minor melody. The composer’s trumpet carefully explores the texture, experimenting with mysterious sequences that inspire rhythm section commentary. The group provides some movement behind Cressman, who bounces off the clave with strong clarity, leading into a gripping statement from Stinnett, who brings his solo to a boil with rapid groups of runs. A quick rhythmic exchange between Spiro, Vazquez, and Alex Nash opens into a pleasant melody on Stinnett’s “On The Shoulders Of Giants,” surrounded by a stylish arrangement. Frank courageously burns through his improvisation with classy potency, until Cressman prods the band into high gear with fiery rhythmic attack. A spirited timba breakdown introduces Stinnett, who deftly blends jazz ideas into a passionate sound, until guest conguero Michael Spiro leaps into an explosive improvisation. Cressman, Frank, and Stinnett all exert the personality of their generation strongly on these pieces, allowing the group to play with enthusiastic commitment.
An Outstanding Model For Community Dedication To Latin Jazz
The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble Of San Francisco shows the strength in collaboration between generations on Generaciones, creating an outstanding combination of tradition and forward thinking. Both the students and the professionals involved in the recording show a commitment to the style, a respect for the greater tradition, and an enthusiasm for high quality performance. Calloway leads the group with a passionate strength, sharing the wealth of his deeply rooted experience in Latin Jazz and his compassionate dedication as an educator. The students obviously feed off Calloway’s stellar example, providing rock solid groove, a knowledge of the clave, and strong jazz improvisation skills. The lessons go beyond the music though, as varied members of the musical community come together to support the students. As Ramirez, Riera, Peraza, Torriente, and more gather behind the musicians, they validate the contributions of the younger generation and strengthen the bonds of community. This endorsement obviously helps the students feel the importance of their work and inspires them to move beyond the standard educational experience. The compositions from Nash, Reutter, Cressman, Frank, and Stinnett all reflect extensive time dedicated to their understanding of the style. The results sound professional, fresh, and cleverly balanced between tradition and innovation – all admirable qualities that are needed in an upcoming generation of Latin Jazz musicians. The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble Of San Francisco presents a model for community dedication on Generaciones, proving the strength of a shared artistic exchange between generations.
One of the things that characterizes a great musician is an unquenchable thirst for performance and musical exploration. While all artists enjoy the thrill of performance, there are some musicians that simply can’t live without it. They take the opportunities that come towards them, they perform to their highest ability, and then they fill their free time with more playing. Practice never seems like a chore, it becomes an essential part of their day. When the demands of life fill major gaps of time with responsibilities outside the music world, they squeeze practice into every available inch of their free time. The hunt for new musical perspectives becomes a passionate search, that drives them to new collaborators and unfamiliar contexts. Being thrown into a different situation doesn’t deter them though, they simply find new way to cope with the music and they continue performing. They find room for their own personality inside each of these situations and freely experiment with the inherent possibilities before them. Their connection with musical performance is more than an occupation, it’s a essential need that defines their life. This drives these musicians into an unstoppable forward motion towards great musical accomplishments, and they generally contribute important artistic ideas into the world.
Flautist Mark Weinstein celebrates his 70th birthday this week on July 1st, 2010, marking another milestone in an influential career. Getting into music at an early age, Weinstein moved through piano, clarinet, and drums before settling into the trombone as his main instrument. He tackled the bass in order to get regular work, but a night subbing for trombonist Barry Rogers in Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta led to a steady gig with the iconic pianist. Weinstein and Rogers worked as a powerful frontline, shaping the soon to be legendary sound of La Perfecta. Weinstein left the group for a quick detour to the European jazz scene and upon his return, he became one of the most in-demand trombonists on New York’s scene. He split his time between jazz and salsa gigs, developing a concept that found fruition in his first release as a leader, Cuban Roots. Despite a rushed recording session, this groundbreaking album brought together the rhythms of Santeria and jazz improvisation in an innovative and organic way. Unfortunately Cuban Roots didn’t get the public acclaim that it deserved, driving Weinstein out of the music business. The album became a favorite among musicians, and when Weinstein returned to music as a flautist, he had a wealth of admirers. He recorded several albums in the vein of Cuban Roots, including The Orishia Suite, Algo Mas, and Cuban Roots Revisited. Forever the restless musical spirit, Weinstein also explored Brazilian Jazz, recording O Nosso Amor and Lua E Sol. He released some different takes on traditional Latin Jazz, walking along tradition on Con Alma and integrating a timba approach on Timbasa. He also explored straight-ahead jazz on Straight No Chaser, Jewish music on Shifra Tanzt, and much more. As Weinstein hits 70, there’s no signs of stopping with several more projects already on the horizon.
Weinstein’s first 70 years made him an important and influential figure in the Latin Jazz world, and now he continues his musical explorations guided by his thirst for inspiring experiences. If you’re looking for a more in-depth look at Weinstein’s career, check out our four part interview with him – here’s Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. In the meantime, we’ll be honoring Weinstein’s 70th Birthday with our Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix. The first video is a bit fuzzy, but well worth the watch, as Weinstein performs material from Cuban Roots with a small group that includes guitarist Ben Lapidus, bassist Harvey S, percussionist Felix Sanabria, and more. The next clip finds Weinstein in a more intimate setting, performing “Samba De Orfeo” in a duet with guitarist Paul Meyers. The last selection places Weinstein with his group Jazz Brazil, performing an original arrangement of the standard “Summertime.” As we look back on seventy years of fantastic music from Weinstein, here’s looking forward to many more – enjoy!
———- Mark Weinstein Performing Material From Cuban Roots With A Small Group
Mark Weinstein Performing “Samba De Orfeo” With Guitarist Paul Meyers
Mark Weinstein Performing “Summertime” With Jazz Brazil
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Want to hear more from Mark Weinstein? Check out these albums: Cuban Roots
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Do you have a video to contribute to satisfy our weekly Latin Jazz video fix? If so, send it in – it’s time to feed our addiction. I’m looking for live performances, from any context. I’ll most likely be posting one video per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz videographers, musicians, and fans – let’s share some of our memorable videos! Get my contact info HERE.
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
It’s always great to see the living legends of Latin Jazz get the respect that they deserve during their time with us, and this week, one of our best – Eddie Palmieri – received a major honor. His groundbreaking recording, Azucar Pa Ti, was inducted into the 2009 National Recording Registry of the United States Library of Congress. This means that the government is recognizing the major contributions that Palmieri has made to the music world and keeping one of his influential recordings on file as an example of excellence. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington discussed the Recording Registry, saying, “This latest list of selections showcases the diverse beauty, humanity and artistry found in the American soundscape. The Library’s Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation will partner with many individuals and organizations to preserve and sustain these significant examples of our creative spirit so that they can inform and enrich the lives of modern and future generations.” Congratulations Mr. Palmieri – you deserve this honor and much, much more! This is reason to celebrate – check out the full press release HERE.
Podcaster Jason Crane delivered another outstanding episode in his series of great jazz interviews this past week, as The Jazz Session focused upon Argentinean pianist Emilio Solla. Crane discusses a variety of topics with Solla, including his thoughts on Tango Jazz and his recent album Bien Sur. The Jazz Session recently passed 600,000 downloads, certainly a milestone and testament to the admirable work that Crane is doing. So don’t hesitate, download his interview with Solla HERE.
Summer marks the arrival of jazz festival around the world, big and small, giving us all an opportunity to enjoy the music that we love in some of the best venues possible. Journalist Peter Hum has been covering the Ottawa Jazz Festival in detail, providing insights into what looks like a major festival that I would love to check out one day. One of his recent festival highlights involved a performance from Brazilian Jazz vocalist Joyce Moreno, an important voice in the music’s history. Sounded like a great show – get Hum’s thoughts HERE.
Time is running short to show your support for Afro-Peruvian Jazz by contributing to trumpet player Gabriel Alegria’s Kickstarter campaign! You can donate as little as $10 to their cause – or as much as you’d like. Each level of contribution comes with an attached reward, ranging from unreleased recordings to a personal concert from the sextet. There’s really no time to waste – with less than 15 days left to contribute – NOW’S THE TIME! So head over to Alegria’s Kickstarter site and donate now!
If you’re in SOUTH AMERICA this week . . . LUCIA PULIDO
With Aquiles Báez WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Torneo Internacional del Joropo
Villavicencio, Venezuela
MANANTE WHEN: Tuesday 6/29/10 WHERE:Jazz Zone
Av. La Paz 656 Pasaje El Suche Miraflore
Miraflores, Lima, Peru TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: 15 soles
If you’re in EUROPE this week . . . ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Rynek Starego Miasta
Warsaw, Poland TIME: 7:00 p.m.
EDDIE PALMIERI WHEN: Friday 7/2/10 WHERE:Royal Northern College of Music
124 Oxford Street
Manchester, United Kingdom TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: £25
WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Corn Exchange
Brighton Dome
29 New Road
Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: £18.50
WHEN: Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE: Festival Swing Monségur
Scène des Tilleuls
Place des Tilleuls 33580
Monségur, France TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: 18 euros – 31 euros
EDMAR CASTANEDA
Special Guest With Jason Linder’s Now Vs. WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Jazz A Viene
Viene, France TICKETS: FREE
JazzBaltica – Duo With Joe Locke WHEN: Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE:Salzau, Konzertscheune
Salzau, Germany TIME: 2:15 p.m. TICKETS: 44 euros
MIGUEL ZENON WHEN: Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE:Plaça Agora
Plaça Àgora 1
Vilafranca del Penedes, No State 08720
Spain TIME: 8:00 p.m.
SAMUEL QUINTO WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Auditório Jazz Ao Norte
Rua General Norton de Matos No. 448
4050-424 Porto , Portugal TIME: 10:00 p.m.
If you’re in CANADA this week . . . JANE BUNNETT WHEN: Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE:Shops At Don Mills
1090 Don Mills Road
Toronto, ON TIME: 12:30 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . . AFRO-BOP ALLIANCE
Trio WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Talara
615 President Street
Baltimore, DC TIME: 8:00 p.m.
ANNETTE AGUILAR & STRINGBEANS
The NYC Revolutions Series: Nuyorican Poets Cafe WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:SummerStage
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park
New York, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
ARTURO O’FARRILL
Solo Piano WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Puppet’s Jazz Bar
481 5th Avenue Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
BOBBY SANABRIA
Big Band WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Lincoln Harbor Park
1500 Harbor Boulevard
Weehawken, NJ TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
CHEMBO CORNIEL
The NYC Revolutions Series: Nuyorican Poets Cafe WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:SummerStage
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park
New York, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
WHEN: Thursday 7/1/10 WHERE:Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
236 East 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $7
WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Bronx Library Center
310 Kingsbridge Road
Bronx, NY TIME: 2:30 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA WHEN: Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE:Birdland
315 W. 44th Street
Manhattan, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. TICKETS: $30
CHRIS WASHBURNE & S.Y.O.T.O.S. WHEN: Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE:Smoke
2751 Broadway
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20 minimum
ED FAST & CONGA BOP WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Firebox Restaurant
539 Broad Street
Hartford, CT TIME: 8:00 p.m.
ERIC KURIMSKI WHEN: Thursday 7/1/10 WHERE:Terraza Cafe
40-19 Gleane St
Elmhurst, NY TIME: 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
FERNANDO HUERGO WHEN: Thursday 7/1/10 WHERE:Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
FRANK VILLAFAÑE & 3 TO CLAVE WHEN: Friday 7/2/10 WHERE:Moonstruck Restaurant
517 Lake Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ TIME: 7:00 p.m.
GABRIEL ALEGRIA AFRO-PERUVIAN JAZZ SEXTET WHEN: Friday 7/2/10 – Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE:Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sunday – 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
RONNIE BARO WHEN: Friday 7/2/10 WHERE:Creole Restaurant
2167 Third Avenue
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $15
VANDERLEI PEREIRA TRIO WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Zorzi
1 East 35th Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
WILLIE MARTINEZ
Trio WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Willie’s Steak House
1832 Westchester Avenue
Bronx, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
If you’re in the MID-EAST this week . . . DARWIN NOGUERA EVOLUTION QUARTET WHEN: Tuesday 6/29/10 WHERE:Andy’s Jazz Club
11 E. Hubbard Street
Chicago, IL TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Park 52 Restaurant
5201 South Harper
Chicago, IL TIME: 7:30 p.m.
LOS GATOS WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Live At PJ’s
102 S 1st St
Ann Arbor, MI TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 9:15 p.m. TICKETS: $7
PAULIHNO GARCIA
Two For Brasil WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:Jazz Showcase
806 S. Plymouth Ct.
Chicago, IL TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
TUMBAO BRAVO> WHEN: Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE:Sangria’s
401 South Lafayette Avenue
Royal Oak, MI TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $5
If you’re on the WEST COAST this week . . . ALEXA WEBER MORALES WHEN: Friday 7/2/10 WHERE:Servino Ristorante
9 Main Street
Tiburon, CA TIME: 6:00 p.m.
CACHUBAMBE
Featuring Elio Villafrance, John Calloway, Josh Jones, & More! WHEN: Wednesday 6/30/10 WHERE:CODA
1710 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
ESTRADA BROTHERS WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Steamer’s
138 W. Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton, CA TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $8
GILBERT CASTELLANOS WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Little Italy Spaghetteria
1953 India Street
San Diego, CA TIME: 10:00 p.m.
JOYCE MORENO WHEN: Monday 6/28/10 – Tuesday 6/29/10 WHERE:Yoshi’s – Oakland
510 Embarcadero West
Jack London Square
Oakland, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: 8:00 p.m. – $18; 10:00 p.m. – $10
KAT PARRA WHEN: Sunday 7/4/10 WHERE:Global Stage – Marin County Fair
10 Avenue of the Flags
San Rafael, CA TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $12 – $14
LOUIE CRUZ BELTRAN WHEN: Thursday 7/1/10 WHERE:Maverick’s Flat
4225 So. Crenshaw Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
OSKAR CARTAYA’S ENCLAVE WHEN: Tuesday 6/29/10 WHERE:Mambo’s Cafe
1701 Victory blvd
Glendale, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
PETE ESCOVEDO WHEN: Saturday 7/3/10 WHERE:Spaghettini’s
3005 Old Ranch Parkway
Seal Beach, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $40
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The first six months of the year have flown by, leaving us half way through another year of great music. We’ve been blessed with a large number of inspiring releases so far, with much more sitting in the horizon. Diversity has been a common thread throughout the first half of 2010 – we’ve heard recordings from masters and young artists alike, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Jazz albums, Tango Jazz releases, and much more. That’s just accounting for the albums that have been reviewed here at LJC so far; recordings that deserve more attention from percussionist Annette Aguilar, mandolin player Hamilton de Holanda, pianist Aruán Ortiz, and much more are still sitting in the wings. In the near future, we’ll get access to even more new Latin Jazz from artists like trombonist Chris Washburne, drummer Craig Russo, trumpet player Gabriel Alegria, and more. 2010 has started off the second decade of the twenty-first century with a bang, giving hope that Latin Jazz will continue to thrive in the future.
With so much great music spinning around us lately, I’ve taken a moment to reflect upon 2010 Latin Jazz releases. These recordings represent the cream of the crop in the first half of 2010; they’re all worth a serious listen. If there’s something missing, leave it in the comments below, I’d love to hear what your favorites have been in 2010. Remember, this isn’t the end of the story either – we’ve still got six more months of inspiring Latin Jazz, so stay tuned and catch up with the latest and greatest here at LJC!
The idea of an artist with “international” connections becomes a mute point in the Latin Jazz world. These musicians cross both musical and cultural borders in their work, touching upon several different nations on a daily basis. In many ways, there’s no doubt that they are “international” artists. Still, many of these artists keep their work firmly planted in the Western Hemisphere, both musically and culturally. The genres that inform their artistry come from North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean, with a liberal musical exchange between the traditions from each area. All types of music from these areas are open for business, as Latin Jazz musicians draw upon dance music, sacred music, and high art music. Only rare Latin Jazz artists expand their international reach beyond this realm though, touching upon Europe and beyond. Western European Classical music sits on the outskirts of Latin Jazz for most musicians, and the integration of this art form remains somewhat unusual. The exchange of cultural and musical ideas outside the Western Hemisphere also remains a bit unexplored as most Latin Jazz musicians keep their home bases in the Americas. With these thoughts in mind, the idea of “international” becomes fairly different and shines a new light upon the tradition.
Pianist Hector Martignon has spent a career crossing international borders, bringing his experiences into a highly sophisticated musical mixture. Born in Colombia, Martignon soaked up the music of his homeland before eventually finding his way to Germany for music studies. He lived a dual musical life during his studies in Germany, attending the Freiburger Musikhochschule for classical piano and composition while performing alongside Latin music greats like Celia Cruz and Ismael Quintana to earn his income. As Martignon moved onto his professional career, he maintained this split musical emphasis, performing as a classical pianist in Germany, Italy, and Colombia, while recording with artists like Arturo Sandoval and Tata Güines. Brazilian music caught Martignon’s ear, inspiring a move to Brazil, where he pursued his interests and became an in-demand studio musician. His path eventually led him to New York, where he continued his education at the Manhattan School of Music, earning dual degrees in classical piano and jazz studies. Martignon quickly established himself as an important player on the New York scene as he found work with Mario Bauzá, Tito Puente, Chico O’Farrill, and more. Regular work and creative liberties came along when Martignon earned the piano spot in conguero Ray Barretto’s band, an association that led to an eight year job. Through a string of strong albums such as Handprints and My Summertime, Martignon helped define the sound of Barretto’s New World Spirit band. In 1996, Martignon released his first album as a leader, Portrait in White & Black, a session grounded by a trio and embellished with guests such as guitarist Romero Lubambo, Barretto, and more. Martignon returned in 2000 with another trio date, The Foreign Affair, once again augmented by several special guests such as Ruben Blades, Randy Brecker, and Don Byas. As his career as a bandleader started to take shape, Martignon continued his diverse life as a sideman, recording albums in the classical world, composing for film, and conducting on Broadway. His 2007 album Refugee showed a more electronic edge to his work and earned him a Grammy nomination. Second Chance, Martignon’s latest release as a leader, shows a deep musical maturity.
After years of moving between musical scenes around the world, Martignon delivers a broad and intriguing artistic vision that includes Latin Jazz and more. In recognition of Martignon’s worldly view and stellar musicality, we dedicate today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video to his music. Three clips feature Martignon and his group Foreign Affair performing in venues around the world, performing the pieces “Refugee,” “Andrea,” and “Teorema.” The last video includes a 2008 interview with Martignon from the television program Life In Music, providing a little more insight into the person and artist. It’s several view of an amazing musician with a diverse background – enjoy!
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Do you have a video to contribute to satisfy our weekly Latin Jazz video fix? If so, send it in – it’s time to feed our addiction. I’m looking for live performances, from any context. I’ll most likely be posting one video per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz videographers, musicians, and fans – let’s share some of our memorable videos! Get my contact info HERE.
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 Sun of Latin Music himself, Eddie Palmieri, has a new website design that’s worth checking out – there’s a clean format with all the great information that you would expect form any pro site. In addition, you get up-to-date news and a must-see video with an interview and preview of Palmieri’s upcoming concert DVD. Check it out HERE.
Add another one to the long list of concert that I wish I could see – this past Sunday at the DC Jazz Festival, Paquito D’Rivera hosted a Latin Jazz treatment of several Jelly Roll Morton tunes, taking another look at Morton’s self-proclaimed “Spanish Tinge.” With arrangements from ace trumpet player and composer Michael Philip Mossman, this night just sounded outstanding. Get the lowdown on the concert HERE.
Trumpet player Gabriel Alegria and his Afro-Peruvian Jazz Sextet will be releasing Pucusana independently and they are currently fronting a fund raising drive to support the promotion and distribution of the album. The group will be utilizing a unique fundraising site, Kickstarter, as the home base for their efforts. You can head over and donate as little as $10 to their cause – or as much as you’d like. Each level of contribution comes with an attached reward, ranging from unreleased recordings to a personal concert from the sextet. There’s less than a month left to contribute – NOW’S THE TIME! It’s a great way to support the growth of Afro-Peruvian Jazz, so head over to Alegria’s Kickstarter site and donate now!
If you’re in SOUTH AMERICA this week . . . LUCIA PULIDO
With Aquiles Báez WHEN: Wednesday 6/23/10 WHERE:Biblioteca Nacional De Colombia
Calle 24 N° 5- 60
Bogotá, Colombia TIME: 6:00 p.m.
With Aquiles Báez WHEN: Thursday 6/24/10 WHERE:El Anónimo
Av. Suba cl. 106 C.C. Puente Largo
Bogotá, Colombia TIME: 8:00 p.m.
If you’re in ASIA this week . . . ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ WHEN: Friday 6/25/10 WHERE:Hang Zhou Indoor Stadium
210 TiYuChang Road
Hang Zhou, China TIME: 7:30 p.m.
If you’re in EUROPE this week . . . EDMAR CASTANEDA WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Main Stage – Südtirol Jazz Festival
Brennerstraße – Via Brennero 34
39040 Sterzing – Vipiteno
Italy TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: 20,00 euros
Special Guest With Jason Linder WHEN: Sunday 6/27/10 WHERE:Teatro Comunal – Südtirol Jazz Festival
Piazza Verdi Platz 40
39100 Bozen – Bolzano
Italy TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: 20,00 euros
If you’re in CANADA this week . . . DAVID SANCHEZ
Montreal Jazz Festival WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Théâtre Jean-Duceppe – PdA
175 Ste. Catherine Street West
Montreal, Quebec TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $34.50
HILARIO DURAN
Trio WHEN: Friday 6/25/10 WHERE:Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10; Dinner & Concert – $44
Big Band
Toronto Jazz Festival WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Enwave Theatre – Harbourfront Centre
231 Queens Quay West
Toronto, ON TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $35
MIGUEL ZENON
Toronto Jazz Festival WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Enwave Theatre – Harbourfront Centre
231 Queens Quay West
Toronto, ON TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $35
OMAR SOSA
Montreal Jazz Festival
Paolo Fresu and Omar Sosa WHEN: Friday 6/25/10 WHERE:Gesù, Centre de créativité
1200 De Bleury Street
Montreal, Quebec TIME: 6:00 p.m. TICKETS: $36.50
Montreal Jazz Festival
Solo Piano WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Théâtre Jean-Duceppe – PdA
175 Ste. Catherine Street West
Montreal, Quebec TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $34.50
PONCHO SANCHEZ
Calgary Jazz Festival WHEN: Tuesday 6/22/10 WHERE:Epcor Centre’s Singer Concert Hall
205 8th Avenue S.E.
Calgary Alberta, Canada TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $25 – $45
YOSVANY TERRY
Montreal Jazz Festival WHEN: Friday 6/25/10 WHERE:L’Astral (Maison du Festival Rio Tinto Alcan)
305 Ste. Catherine Street West
Montreal, Quebec TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $22.50
If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . . AFRO-BOP ALLIANCE WHEN: Thursday 6/24/10 WHERE:The Attic – Gettysburg College
113 Carlisle Street
Gettysburg, PA TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $40
ANDREA BRACHFELD WHEN: Friday 6/25/10 WHERE:Celebrate Summer in Midtown
600 Third Avenue
New York, NY TIME: 12:30 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
ANNETTE AGUILAR & STRINGBEANS WHEN: Tuesday 6/22/10 WHERE:Giovanni’s G-Bar
579 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m.
WHEN: Thursday 6/24/10 – Friday 6/25/10 WHERE:The Garden Cafe
4691 Broadway
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m.
WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:The Brickyard Bistro
16 Division Street
New Rochelle, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m.
ARTURO O’FARRILL
Solo Piano WHEN: Wednesday 6/23/10 WHERE:Puppet’s Jazz Bar
481 5th Avenue Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
BOBBY SANABRIA
Quinteto Okobio WHEN: Wednesday 6/23/10 WHERE:Fonda Boricua Lounge
172 East 106th Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10
CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA WHEN: Sunday 6/27/10 WHERE:Birdland
315 W. 44th Street
Manhattan, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. TICKETS: $30
CHRIS WASHBURNE & S.Y.O.T.O.S.
20th Anniversary Celebration & CD Release Celebration For Fields Of Moons WHEN: Wednesday 6/23/10 – Thursday 6/24/10 WHERE:Zinc Bar
82 West 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:30 p.m., 11:00 p.m. & 1:00 a.m. TICKETS: $10 & 2 drink minimum
WHEN: Sunday 6/27/10 WHERE:Smoke
2751 Broadway
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20 minimum
ED FAST & CONGA BOP WHEN: Wednesday 6/23/10 WHERE:Firebox Restaurant
539 Broad Street
Hartford, CT TIME: 8:00 p.m.
EDDIE PALMIERI WHEN: Tuesday 6/22/10 WHERE:Soundview Park
Lafayette, Metcalf, Bronx River Avenues
Bronx, NY TIME: 6:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
EDWARD PEREZ WHEN: Monday 6/21/10 WHERE:Terraza Cafe
40-19 Gleane St
Elmhurst, NY TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
ERIC KURIMSKI WHEN: Thursday 6/24/10 WHERE:Terraza Cafe
40-19 Gleane St
Elmhurst, NY TIME: 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
FRANCISCO MELA’S CUBAN SAFARI WHEN: Tuesday 6/22/10 WHERE:Jazz Standard
116 East 27th Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $15
GABRIEL ALEGRIA AFRO-PERUVIAN JAZZ SEXTET WHEN: Friday 6/25/10 – Sunday 6/27/10 WHERE:Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sunday – 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
GREG DIAMOND WHEN: Thursday 6/24/10 WHERE:Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
GRUPO LOS SANTOS WHEN: Wednesday 6/23/10 WHERE:Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
PAQUITO D’RIVERA
Special Guest In A Tribute To James Moody WHEN: Wednesday 6/23/10 WHERE:Zankel Hall – Carnegie Hall
881 7th Avenue
New York, NY TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $36 – $46
strong>SAMMY FIGUEROA & HIS LATIN JAZZ EXPLOSION
Jazz At MOCA WHEN: Saturday 6/19/10 WHERE:Miami Museum of Contemporary Art
770 NE 125th Street
North Miami, FL TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
SOFIA TOSELLO
Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Salisbury Town Grove
42 Ethan Allen Street
Lakeville, CT TIME: 5:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
TITO GOMEZ WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Creole Restaurant
2167 Third Avenue
New York, NY TIME: 6:00 p.m. TICKETS: $15
TRIO URBANO WHEN: Friday 6/25/10 WHERE:Park Avenue Bistro
377 Park Avenue South
New York, NY TIME: 6:30 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
WILLIE MARTINEZ WHEN: Thursday 6/24/10 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 6/25/10 WHERE:Swinger’s Restaurant
1304 Cross Creek Drive
Normal, IL TIME: 8:00 p.m.
DARWIN NOGUERA EVOLUTION QUARTET WHEN: Tuesday 6/22/10 WHERE:Andy’s Jazz Club
11 E. Hubbard Street
Chicago, IL TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
EL MOVIMIENTO WHEN: Friday 6/25/10 WHERE:Nashville Jazz Workshop
1319 Adams Street
Nashville, TN TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $18
LOS GATOS WHEN: Wednesday 6/27/10 WHERE:Live At PJ’s
102 S 1st St
Ann Arbor, MI TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 9:15 p.m. TICKETS: $7
PAULIHNO GARCIA
With Grazyna Auguscik WHEN: Thursday 6/24/10 WHERE:Katerina’s
1920 W. Irving Park. Rd.
Chicago, IL TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $8
TUMBAO BRAVO WHEN: Sunday 6/27/10 WHERE:Sangria’s
401 South Lafayette Avenue
Royal Oak, MI TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $5
If you’re in the MID-WEST this week . . . PONCHO SANCHEZ WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Nick’s Taste Of Texas
545 N Citrus Avenue
Covina, CA TIME: 8:30 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20 – $40
If you’re on the WEST COAST this week . . . ANNA ESTRADA WHEN: Friday 6/18/10 WHERE:Cliff House
1090 Point Lobos Avenue
San Francisco, CA TIME: 7:00 p.m.
FRANCISCO AGUABELLA LATIN JAZZ BAND WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Steamer’s
138 W. Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton, CA TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $8
JANINE SANTANA
Open Rehearsal WHEN: Monday 6/21/10 WHERE:Sellars Project Space
4383 Tennyson Street, 1D
Denver, CO TIME: 5:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
SCOTT MARTIN WHEN: Saturday 6/26/10 WHERE:Newport Dunes
1131 Back Bay Drive
Newport Beach, CA TIME: 6:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
WAYNE WALLACE WHEN: Monday 6/21/10 WHERE:Downtown Redwood City
Main Street at Broadway
Redwood City, CA TIME: 6:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
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A Song of Love’s Color Gabriele Tranchina Jazzheads
The idea of “world music” has always seemed like a bit of a facade – all music comes from somewhere in the world; just because we encounter a different musical culture doesn’t place it in a vague and exotic category. This idea highlights the differences between musical worlds and creates a mental block around artistic exchange between cultures. It distracts musicians and listeners from finding the similarities between musical traditions and ultimately it hinders the active sharing of artistic ideas and aesthetic concepts. If we get past the boxed-in notion of “world music” as a genre unto itself and start look at the beauty in the cultural tradition of each region’s traditional music, we find a wealth of inspiration and possibilities. At that point, wonderful collaborations emerge, musical boundaries are stretched, and new ways of looking at music are discovered. This moves beyond the fluent exchange between music from the Americas and the Caribbean, reaching into Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond. Lyrical, rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic combinations rise into the forefront that we’ve never imagined, sparking only creativity and goodwill. When musicians re-imagine the “world music” category and explore music of the world, true artistry can emerge. Vocalist Gabriele Tranchina gathers a group of top-notch musicians around this perspective on A Song of Love’s Color, producing a colorful set that fluidly brings together a variety of cultural traditions.
Exploring Musical Worlds With Original Compositions
The group explores a variety of different musical worlds with several original compositions, smartly arranged by the group. A thick collection of intertwining overdubbed vocal scat from Tranchina floats over a steady cha cha cha groove on “A Song Of Love’s Color,” leading into a dramatic English vocal with a tightly wrapped rhythm section accompaniment. Pianist Joe Vincent Tranchina maintains the serious minor mood of the piece with airy lines that drift through the solo with a defined sense of melodic integrity. Santi Debriano’s bowed bass creates a a broad sonic foundation beneath Tranchina’s return to the main melody, which takes the vocalist into a series of defined scat lines. Vincent Tranchina takes his time creating a gripping unaccompanied introduction to “Solamente Pasión,” stretching the boundaries of strong themes with flowery embellishments. A strong clave and forceful abanico from drummer Bobby Sanabria sends the band storming into a memorable bass vamp, a catchy coro, and a full force Cuban descarga. Once the group settles into a driving son montuno, Tranchina opens into some nice pregones, sending the descarga into an exciting climax. Vincent Tranchina stretches broken chords across a vast expanse, setting the stage for Tranchina’s rubato vocal on “Today,” which gains a pleasant motion through a variety of rhythm section feels. Traces of the vocal melody peek through Vincent Trancina’s improvisation, evolving into an engaging statement as the pianist twists lines through swing, samba, and more. As Tranchina returns for the vocal, the group pushes the song into a higher dynamic with improvised commentary from Vincent Tranchina. The rhythm section provides a strutting combination of Brazilian swing and funky groove behind Tranchina’s scatted melody on “Voz,” cleverly finding a locking point through common accents. Debriano flies into an impassion solo, storming through quick melodic runs and rhythmic figures, trading ideas with Vincent Tranchina’s understated piano response. After an extended scat and piano interlude, the group falls into a slow groove behind layers of overdubbed vocals, setting the stage for Tranchina’s well constructed scat solo. These pieces allow the group to explore Vincent Tranchina’s compositional voice, utilizing a variety of musical settings.
Lyrics From Creative Sources
Tranchina brings several worlds together by taking lyrics from creative sources and adding inventive musical accompaniment and arrangements. Talking drums assertively converse over a 6/8 groove on “Asato Maa (Sat Chit Ananda),” leading into Tranchina’s melodic interpretation of a traditional Hindu prayer. Tranchina fills between pieces of the vocal with an inspired flair that combines the minor mood of the key center and the syncopated tension of the rhythmic foundation. Debriano establishes a steady bass line over a sparse percussion background as Tranchina offers a spoken English statement that explodes into a massive wave of thick vocals and explosive percussion fills. A gentle piano vamp and sparse bass notes open the door for a German vocal on “Siehst Du Mich,” until Sanabria provides sensitive brush work, allowing Tranchina to broadly interpret the melody. Debriano imbues the song with a sense of delicate beauty, creating a touching bowed statement filled with emotional power. Vincent Tranchina follows with a carefully crafted improvisation built upon a light touch and resonating colors that flow smoothly back to the gripping vocal. After a brief piano preview of the melody, Tranchina drifts into a heartfelt melody on “Duérmete Miño Bonito,” gracefully moving between Spanish and English lyrics. Maintaining the mood, Debriano leaps into an introspective statement that dramatically weaves melodies through the rich chordal structure. Vincent Tranchina briefly runs assertive themes over the bolero rhythm, before Tranchina stretches and twists the melody through smart and affecting variations. While each of the pieces draw their lyrics from unexpected sources, the group incorporates them into a Latin Jazz context with a seamless fluidity.
Staying Connected To Standard Repertoire
Tranchina and her group stay connected to standard repertoire from several styles with creative arrangements of several pieces. Sanabria establishes a rock solid samba groove underneath the rhythm section on “Chante Comme Si Tu Devais Mourir Demain” as Tranchina insightfully wraps a French lyric around the Brazilian structure. After Tranchina skillfully works through the lengthy melody, Vincent Tranchina jumps into a lively improvisation that bounces around the rhythmic feel with vitality. Tranchina again finds a place over the addictive groove, layering thick harmonies as Sanabria and percussionist Renato Thoms build into a rhythmic frenzy. Vincent Tranchina enthusiastically pounds rhythmic chords over Sanabria’s racing samba rhythm on Jobim’s “Samba De Uma Nota Só” while Tranchina moves through the familiar melody with character and style. The group breaks down to only Sanabria and Thoms, giving the song a batucada setting while Tranchina speaks the lyrics rhythmically. As the group reaches the bridge, Sanabria and Thoms drop into a half time combination of reggae and funk while Tranchina raps, only to burst into the original tempo for the last bit of the melody. Vincent Tranchina improvises with a slow lyricism over an airy bossa nova on Jobim’s “Inútil Paisagem” until Tranchina enters with a reflective vocal that drifts over the rhythm section. Debriano moves into an inventive solo that both reflects the song’s melodic openness and pushes the song forward gently with an underlying rhythmic momentum. Tranchina returns to the melody with liberal amounts of space, giving Vincent Tranchina the opportunity to improvise through the silence with a sensitive touch. These tracks provide the opportunity for Tranchina to show her respects to the standard repertoire, but to also flex her creative muscles with unique arrangements.
Breaking Out Of The “World Music” Box
Tranchina’s genre-crossing mixtures stretch our concept of individual musical traditions on A Song of Love’s Color, pushing things outside the “world music” box into an exploration of music of the world. Most of the album’s rhythmic content stays firmly planted in the Latin Jazz realm, with the arrangements more specifically focused upon Cuban and Brazilian genres. Tranchina’s clever use of multiple languages starts exploring the grey area between stylistic specificity though, integrating lyrics in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Hindi, and German. The vocalist integrates this multitude of languages with ease, showing a skillful handle on vocal technique. The use of poems, lullabies, and more connect cultural traditions, giving the material some weight and integrity. Smart arrangements from Vincent Tranchina and Sanabria fluidly marry these diverse cultures with Latin Jazz, creating comfortable and interesting musical contexts. Whether the arrangement combines a French text with a Brazilian samba or a Hindi poem with an Afro-Cuban 6/8, everything flows smoothly. Consistent outstanding rhythm section work serves as the glue that holds the album together, ensuring musical excellence. Sanabria controls each stylistic shift with an addictive swing and a commanding presence while Debriano colors the music with rich sonic textures and interactive spontaneity. The combination of these pieces results in a thought provoking musical mixture on A Song of Love’s Color, shifting our attention once again from music of the world into a whole new world of music.
A life in music can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences possible, but it presents its share of artistic challenges. As a young person, a musician faces the struggle of finding a unique spot within the art form that both allows them to respect history and project their personal identity. Once they’ve discovered their true artistic path, they face the long road towards the public acceptance of their music. This path forces them to make decisions about their artistic integrity, making them choose between a compromise to find acceptance or a hard-line dedication to their identity. They might seek alternate paths toward success or stay in the traditional circuit, but they need to find a way to survive. Assuming that they find a manageable career, sustainability becomes a musician’s primary concern. Youth is fleeting and life is long, the musician needs to find a way to continue their art into old age. They might rehash their early successes or they might boldly continue moving into new directions; each decision requires different demands upon the musician. They both lead to the same goal though, a life-long commitment to music.
Pianist Antonio Adolfo has aged with grace and style, maintaining his artistic integrity while passing on the benefits of his experience to a new generation. Developing his musical skills among the top Brazilian and jazz musicians in the beco das garaffas, Adolfo led the 3D Trio into the changing musical world of MPB. He became an in-demand pianist in Brazil’s changing musical world of the sixties, earning a high profile gig with iconic vocalist Elis Regina. His work with Regina led him to Europe, where he studied with respected composer Nadia Boulanger before returning to Brazil to from the popular band Brazuca. When the music business rejected his desires to explore other musical avenues, Adolfo formed his own record label and became a prominent educator. With the establishment of schools in both Brazil and Miami and several educational books, Adolfo has become a respected figure in Brazilian music. His current collaborations with his daughter Carol Saboya have shown impeccable musical taste, but also a need to keep exploring. Adolfo and Saboya have shown the ability to perform the vast Brazilian repertoire on their 2007 release Ao Vivo Live, and are now playing upon the relationship between American jazz standards and Brazilian song. Their intelligent work displays keen musical insight and an understanding of dual cultures that moves beyond the execution of notes and rhythms; it shows a collaborative path into the future.
Adolfo’s recent work continues the long trail of high-level artistry that has been the hallmark of his career. In the first piece of our interview with Adolfo, we investigated his early musical growth and experiences in the beco das garaffas. In part two of our interview, we looked at the evolution of MPB, Adolfo’s time with vocalist Elis Regina, and his studies with Nadia Boulanger. In the third section of our interview, we dug into Adolfo’s creation on the independent music label Artezana, the establishment of his school in Brazil, and his first album with Saboya, Ao Vivo Live. In the conclusion of our interview with Adolfo, we discuss his latest release, another collaboration with Saboya, Lá E Cá (Here & There), and his plans for the future.
LATIN JAZZ CORNER: Ao Vivo Live had a lot of Brazilian repertoire; tunes that you played with Elis Regina and more. Lá E Cá (Here & There) has a lot more traditional jazz standards – was there a specific change in direction or something different that you wanted to do?
ANTONIO ADOLFO: I think I wanted to show that you can easily break musical barriers if you go with the correct phrasing. For example, I think these songs, like “All The Things You Are” or let’s say, “Lullaby Of Birdland” and some others . . . even “‘Round Midnight” – they sound very Brazilian on this album, because I am playing. I did arrangements treating them as Brazilian songs. That comes naturally with my experience. I have been teaching Brazilian phrasing and teaching different things and researching these things.
I noticed that the harmony for “All The Things You Are” could easily fuse with Dori Caymmi’s song a little bit – there’s a quote of “Amazon River.” Maybe because I have that Brazilian phrasing deep in me. I think that I could do that with different types of music from different places also in the phrasing. We can be closer – different cultures can be close.
Like Nadia Boulanger told to us, her students, I don’t care too much about showing technique or playing very fast things. It’s something that you have to feel, each note is very important. Each note you are playing, you feel that note. That’s something that I always told Carol, “When you sing, each note is very important. Each word, each syllable, is very important.” So it’s that feeling. I feel that this album, Here & There, with the American standards, is very Brazilian.
LJC: One of the things that I hear a lot is a jazz standard with a samba rhythm thrown behind it and there’s no connection between the two, but you do that. You pull them all together beautifully. I really liked how you took “Lullaby Of Birdland” and put it together with the Jobim tune “Garoto” – it seems like there’s no separation, they just flow together so naturally . . .
AA: Exactly, I feel like it comes naturally – one brings to the other. You are playing and then suddenly you fuse one song with another song naturally. Like when musicians are improvising, they quote other songs – that’s very common when someone is improvising. They do a phrase or a quote from another song; that comes naturally in jazz. I played that song naturally with the way that I was feeling it.
And these musicians are incredible, I love this group. The drummer, Rafael Barata, he plays the way I like, not that typical bossa nova. He’s playing very lively and freely, like Dom Um Ramão did. Like Edison Machado in Brazil a long time ago. For me, that’s a jazz way of playing, but with the Brazilian thing also.
LJC: The band on the album is great – are those guys down there in Miami with you or did they just come in for the album?
AA: They are in Rio. I think the drummer Rafael Barata is working with Eliane Elias right now. He’s in New York. I like the way he plays drums very much. The trombone player, Sergio, I’ve known for a long time. He’s on one of my old albums. He has a typical carioca phrasing; he has that North side of Rio trombone sound. He and Raul de Souza come from the same area in Rio. All those trombone players come from the same area in Rio – the north side of Rio de Janeiro. Raul also used to play valve trombone earlier, he’s one of my guests on the second 3-D album. These guys have that typical phrasing. The trombone is a very Brazilian, samba jazz, carioca instrument.
LJC: We associate saxophone with jazz so much, would you say that in samba jazz, trombone was an influential instrument?
AA: Yes, it was very much trombone. Of course, everyone likes to play saxophone, but trombone is a typical thing. They do those types of phrasing, which is combined with the percussion – ghosting some notes and accenting the other ones. It’s like they are playing a Brazilian tamborim. And then they combine it with jazz – that’s incredible! I’m very passionate about phrasing, I like that thing.
LJC: On the new album, it’s interesting, because you have all these jazz standards on there, but you also have some of your own older compositions. What do you think has changed in the way that you approach your compositions – do you see yourself doing something differently with them?
AA: There are three compositions that I wrote on this album. One of them is one of my earliest compositions – the last tune on the album, “Toada Jazz.” That originally was called “O Retirante.” That was written in 1967, that’s one of my earliest compositions. I think that the harmony was influenced by Bill Evans. The other very new one is “Minor Chord” – I built it using only minor chords. A song with only one type of chord is not common, but I think the chords flow naturally. I changed “Cascavel” . . . the original version of “Cascavel” was a straight, cut time tune. In this version I did some odd-measures in between without moving the samba thing. Samba normally is in two beat time feel, like cut time or 2/4. There are some measures where I put three beats, but it flows naturally without forcing it. It was something that came naturally. Maybe it’s because I’ve been playing these songs in many shows, many times. The harmony cycle for improvisation I changed a little bit also from the original, where it played only two chords. This time I did a sequence that I think fit it well for the new version of “Cascavel.”
LJC: That song in particular has some great rhythm section work; it’s a great arrangement of that song . . .
AA: Let me tell you, I recorded this album last December when I was in Rio. I did everything in seven or eight sessions. We did a rehearsal before just in the studio, playing the songs. The first song that we recorded was “Cascavel” and that took a little bit more time, because I had never played with Rafael Barata before. I told him, “Rafael, I want you to play freely. I don’t want you to play bossa nova. Play completely freely.” Then we talked a little bit and started the rehearsal. Of course, that song had those odd measures, and it took more time. But there were songs that we played just once before we recorded. Of course, I brought all the chord changes and the sequence of the arrangement written. Then Carol came one day to do scratch vocals for the musicians to listen and play together. Then one day she came and put all the vocals straight like that. The trombone came later also because he couldn’t play together, he had a schedule problem. All the rest was live.
LJC: You’ve done so much different stuff in career, gone in a lot of different directions. Is there anything that you still hope to explore in the future?
AA: I have many ideas. I like to have different experiences with different types of music. That’s part of me. The background in Brazil is very wide, because we play all types of music there. We learn a little bit of each culture. Like, for example, there is a combination, very interesting, that you can find in choro and ragtime. In the music of Scott Joplin and Ernesto Nazareth for example. That’s something that I am very much into; maybe one day I will do something with that. If you take Scott Joplin or another ragtime composer or musician and change a little bit the way of accenting and the harmony, you can say that’s a choro, that’s not ragtime. Maybe one day I’ll dedicate an album to that, I don’t know. I like to do all different things. I like to write my books, teach my lessons, to play, to arrange, to study; I’m very active.
Don’t miss Part Two of our interview with Antonio Adolfo. We dive into the rise of MPB, Adolfo’s experiences with legendary vocalist Elis Regina, and his studies with renown music educator Nadia Boulanger. You can find it HERE.
You’ll also want to read Part Three of our interview with Antonio Adolfo. Our conversation covers a lot of ground here, as we talk about the ground breaking creation of Adolfo’s record label, Artezanal, during the seventies, the establishment of his school, and his his first recording with his daughter Carol Saboya, Ao Vivo Live. Check it out HERE.
Artistry is often comes down to survival of the fittest; when the existing paradigm doesn’t support your artistic concept, you need to find a way to make things work. Popular culture generally doesn’t encourage unusual and innovative artistry; the pop culture gatekeepers focus their energies on preserving the status quo. True artists that wait for the general public to support their unique visions often live a frustrating life that ends in obscurity. The forward thinking artist doesn’t wait for the acceptance of the general culture; a seat upon the throne of pop culture success simply doesn’t concern them. They remain single mindedly focused upon the development of their artistic vision and the execution of their greater plans. When popular culture doesn’t offer them a way to practice their art form, they look past the standard routes of an artist and find another path. Thinking outside the box becomes a common practice for these artists, as they apply their creativity to every aspect of their career. They explore new avenues of income, never leaving the performance world, just finding new ways to spread their artistry. Their constantly inventive nature opens new doors for their musical expression at every turn, often leading to more success than their pop culture counterparts. Not accepting a world without their personal vision, they make their own paths and consequently forge their own places in history.
Pianist Antonio Adolfo led a unique career that both found acceptance in the popular music world and pursued his artistry through unique paths. He spent his young musical life gaining a rich insight into the line between jazz and Brazilian music, first through studies with Amyrton Vallim and later through his time in the legendary beco das garaffas. As Brazil reached the mid-sixties, other influences started to find their way into the music scene, and with Adolfo’s keyboard supporting a number of important artists, MPB moved into the forefront of popular culture. Vocalist Elis Regina became an influential figure in this new musical direction, and she hired Adolfo for a number of tours through Europe and beyond. While in Europe, Adolfo deepened his knowledge of music and composition through years of study with world-renown music educator Nadia Boulanger. With the birth of his first child eminent, Adolfo returned to Brazil and found large-scale success with his next group, Brazuca. As his star began to rise, Adolfo continued on his search for musical growth, turning his music in a different direction with a new album. When record labels encouraged him to mimic his success with Brazuca, Adolfo turned away from them and created his own record label, Artezana. He continued to expand his musical ventures in the eighties, creating a school for the pursuit of Brazilian music in Rio and writing a number of books on Brazilian music performance. As his own daughter, vocalist Carol Saboya, came into her own as an experienced musicians, a chance recording captured the family talent on tape. With an outpouring of outstanding musical products from Adolfo at the turn of the century, things looked bright for Adolfo’s future.
Never an individual to give into constrains on his artistry, Adolfo has moved his musicians through many musical eras with style. In the first part of our interview with Adolfo, we talked about his early musical experiences and his time among jazz greats at the beco das garaffas. In the second piece of our interview, we discuss the rise of MPB, Adolfo’s time with vocalist Elis Regina, and his studies with world famous music educator Nadia Boulanger. Today, we take a look at Adolfo’s ground-breaking creation of an independent record label during the seventies, the establishment of his school in Brazil, and his first recording with his daughter Carol Saboya, Ao Vivo Live.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: When you came back to Brazil, you started your own record label, Artezanal, an idea that was way ahead of its time in the seventies. What motivated you to do that?
ANTONIO ADOLFO: My first independent album was named Feito Em Casa. I recorded the music that I liked at the moment, which was completely different from Brazuca. Brazuca was a big hit in Brazil, and I had some hits as a composer. This album was mostly instrumental and sometimes included horns. At that moment, I was into natural foods, macrobiotic things, and I was a little bit into Zen books. I was playing a very quiet music with instrumental orientation. I recorded that in the studio and showed it to record companies who respected my work as a hit man. They told me, “No Antonio, its very nice, but you should do something like you did before with Brazuca.” In my life, I have never liked to do the same thing all the time. I like to travel to different universes. So I told them, “No, I want this.” Then I went to the factory and I did all the production needs myself. Then I started to sell it to stores and also during my shows. It was still LPs at that time in 1977. The technology was nothing compared to nowadays. I’m doing this still now; I’m doing this new album the same way. I am the producer, the distributor, and everything. There are ways to do that now that are much easier.
LJC: That must have been pretty tough putting together independent releases in the late seventies, what were some of the challenges that you faced?
AA: Nobody knew that it was a possibility. I was very well known in Brazil, which made the whole thing happen. So when I entered a store, or when I knocked on the door of a TV station or a radio station, the guys were like, “Oh, Antonio Adolfo’s here! Welcome! What do you have for us Antonio?” I showed them the LP and then was very welcome. They started to play my album right away. There were twelve songs on that album and two of them had vocals, one by Joyce. There was also another one by Malú. And then I did something that I don’t like to do, I sang on one of the songs. After Carol came to us, I never tried to sing again!
LJC: In the eighties, you opened the school in Brazil. You were saying earlier that the beco das garaffas was the only school for you as a young musician, but you created a school for young musicians. What motivated you to create the school?
AA: Before I opened the school, I had some private students. But the thing with the private students was that sometimes I had to travel to perform. So I had to tell them “O.K., hold off here and wait a little bit because I’m going to be traveling for two months. Then you’ll be back.” Then with the family thing . . . I’ve invested too much in my family. I wanted to have the family together in a music school. I created this school in Brazil twenty-five years ago. Carol studied music a little bit and Luisa also. My wife was the manager and administrator. I was the teacher and then I started inviting other teachers. The artists that treasured my music started to bring their kids and some other people wanted to know about harmony – they all started to look for us. The school is a big school in Rio; it’s the biggest school in Rio now. But I’m not there now; my daughters are taking care of the school. We have two branches now – one in Rio and one here. I live in Miami and the school is in Hollywood (Florida) here. It’s an experimental school in Brazilian music; I also have some children studying.
We did children plays in Brazil as well during that time. Carol participated in some of them; she started singing through the plays. She was like 10 years old or eleven. She started singing in the studio at the age of 10. My wife wrote the text of the plays, and I wrote the music with some partners. Carol performed it. Luisa my younger daughter was the inspiration – the story was inspired by Luisa’s dreams. It was something about the stars and all this.
I also have several books also. I have seven books written between Brazil and here; they are guides about Brazilian music.
LJC: I’ve looked at your book, Phrasing in Brazilian Music, which looks very interesting. That’s something that you’ve focused on a lot – can you just tell us a little bit about your ideas on phrasing Brazilian music?
AA: Once I started teaching Brazilian music in Rio, some people from abroad started to come have lessons with me. I realized that teaching Brazilian music is not only teaching the different rhythms or teaching the different harmonies. It’s also teaching how to phrase. I learned a lot of that by learning percussion – I had to learn percussion to understand a lot of that. And also going deep into Jobim’s harmonies. Then if I think about what makes one sound different from each other, it’s phrasing.
Sometimes I watch people perform Brazilian tunes, but sometimes they perform more like a jazz player with a Brazilian rhythm section behind them. That’s not the way that Brazilian music is. Of course, people can play whatever they want. I can play straight-ahead jazz, but I remember talking with Claudio Roditi – he is also very much into phrasing and we talk about that sometimes. I remember he talked about jazz phrasing with me in the sixties. Brazilian phrasing is one of my passions, because I think that it makes the difference. It’s not only the rhythm thing; it’s the harmony, the way that you touch the piano, the way that you accent a song, the way that you combine chords – that’s typical of phrasing also. Not only the rhythm thing, but also the way you place ornaments.
LJC: Do you think that Brazilian phrasing is something that someone that didn’t grow up with the music could capture or learn?
AA: Yes! Of course, if they understanding phrasing. They basically have to learn percussion first and understand how to accent and how to combine the elements – that’s the thing. Because, you know, there are some Brazilian musicians that don’t phrase like Brazilians! They don’t really phrase like Brazilians, they phrase like whatever, but not really like Brazilians. There are some American musicians that I notice phrase more Brazilian than some of the others do. That’s something that you have to research and practice. The main thing has to come from inside you, like Nadia Boulanger mentioned. It has to be something that you really feel that is part of your passion – that was one word that she liked to mention, passion.
LJC: In 2007 you released your first album with Carol, Ao Vivo Live; and that point, she had some albums of her own out and was very well established. What finally motivated the two of you to do that album together?
AA: I’ve always been a big fan of Carol’s singing; I don’t know if the fact that she grew up in a musical atmosphere made her incorporate all these jazz elements. I remember rehearsing at home or traveling with her sometimes – with my wife and her and Luisa. Carol grew up in this environment and then she assimilated very well. She studied vocal technique also. She started singing when she was young.
That album in 2007 actually was a show that we were invited to play here in the Miami University. We were invited to play a festival in Miami that they have every year and they always have all types of music. We didn’t know that the show was being recorded. The next day, the drummer that played with us – Carlomagno Araya, he’s from Costa Rica, but he lives here – he told me, “Antonio, Antonio!” He was very excited. “The show was recorded! I have a copy here. It’s great, it’s fantastic!”
You know how somedays everything happens smoothly and everything happens well for you? That happened with that show. I started to play the first tune without knowing what I was going to play. I sat down at the piano and played an F Major Seven chord. And then I started to improvise on Rhapsody In Blue and then I mixed it with Girl From Ipanema. It was improvisation – you know jazz improvisation – but improvisation to me in the sense that you play something at that moment. Then the show went very smoothly, very cool, and very fine. Carol was inspired, and she sang very well. You know, the mixing, we couldn’t change any tunes or imperfections, but we didn’t need to do many corrections. It was only for the general sound, because when you record live like that, instruments go through the other microphones, and you can’t do much. It was nice, because we didn’t know that the show was being recorded and then the album came out nice. I like that album, it was very natural.
LJC: Carol really brings those songs to life on that album – what do you think are her strengths as a musician?
AA: You know, I’m suspicious to talk about my daughter! It would be another thing if she was not a great singer, but I think that she’s a great singer. She’s the singer that I like to play with the most. I probably shouldn’t say that, but I like performing with her very much. Not because she’s my daughter, but because she’s the kind of singer that musicians like to play with; Elis Regina had that thing also. That album that we released in 2007, it included some songs that Elis Regina sang when I was playing with her. I remember at the time, I mentioned that the album was also a tribute to Elis Regina. Carol had that same floating in the rhythm; she has an incredible sense of rhythm. She can sing floating like the way that jazz players do. I like her voice.
Don’t miss Part Two of our interview with Antonio Adolfo. We dive into the rise of MPB, Adolfo’s experiences with legendary vocalist Elis Regina, and his studies with renown music educator Nadia Boulanger. You can find it HERE.
You’ll love to catch up with the most recent information in Part Four of our interview with Antonio Adolfo. We get into all the details about his latest release with his daughter vocalist Carol Saboya, Lá E Cá (Here & There), including the song choice, the band, the connection between jazz and Brazilian music, and more! You can read it HERE.
Some musicians leave the world far too early, keeping us wondering about untold possibilities. Some of these musicians only show a flash of brilliance, demonstrating their ability to construct some great music at a young age. The general public usually elevates these musicians to legendary status quickly after their death, but in reality, they’ve only shown promise. They leave behind questions about what they would accomplish with their potential, and the mythology that rises around them seems unfounded. Other musicians lead long and competent careers, always creating pleasing music, but never really pushing the envelope. These artists leave us wondering about their lack of momentum and what might have happening if only they had tried a different approach. Other musicians live their life to the fullest, taking every opportunity to create the most interesting music possible, only stopping when death takes them away. These musicians leave a hole in the music world when they leave, and they often leave a hole in our hearts; their work is so important, it becomes an essential part of our life. With so much great music behind them, it’s hard to expect that they would top their finest accomplishments if only they had more time. These musicians never disappointed us though, and we believe that if anyone could push the Latin Jazz world into a better place, it’s certainly them. When we consider the vague world of untold possibilities, it’s these passionate and exciting musicians that always sit in the forefront of our attention.
49 years ago today, on June 15th 1961, Miguel “Anga” Diaz, one of the Latin Jazz world’s most innovative and important congueros was born in the in Pinar del Rio province of Cuba. Bathed in the area’s rumba traditions, Diaz showed musical talent early and after years of informal practice, began formal studies at the age of ten. Four years later, he was offered a scholarship to the National School Of The Arts in Havana, giving him the opportunity to work with legendary Cuban percussionists Tata Güines and Julio Barretto. During the eighties, he toured and recorded with Cuban jazz group Opus 13, whose experimental edge served as a prelude to Diaz’s later open minded explorations. Pianist Chucho Valdes noticed Diaz during this time and recruited Diaz for the ground-breaking Cuban Jazz group Irakere. He remained with the group for almost ten years, and during that time, he caught the attention of the world for his prodigious technique and outstanding musicality. He continued the development of rhythmic patterns around five congas began by original Irakere percussionist Lazaro Alfonso, and many percussionists around the world saw him as a model for percussion excellence. By the nineties, Diaz had garnered enough attention and experience to move onto a solo career, so he left Irakere. He collaborated with Güines and fellow Irakere alumni flautist Orlando “Maraca” Valle on the 1994 album Pasaporte, bringing him an EGREM prize for Album Of The Year. In 1996, he was a key part of jazz trumpet player Roy Hargrove’s Latin Jazz group Crisol, earning a Grammy for their album Habana. In 2000, Diaz thrilled percussionists around the world with the release of his first instructional video Anga Mania! and then caught the ears of the world stage on bassist Cachaito‘s 2001 album. He released his own album as a leader in 2005, the recording Echu Mingua, giving the world a glimpse of his future brilliance. Unfortunately this potential was cut short when he died of a heart attack on August 9th, 2006.
We can only imagine that Diaz would be making cutting edge Latin Jazz if he were alive today; his musical insight, artistic passion, and amazing technique guaranteed good things. In honor of Diaz and his memorable contributions to the Latin Jazz world, we’re dedicating today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix to his legacy. The first clip places Diaz where he made he mark – with Irakere, showing the world his unbelievable handle on the world of conga rhythms. The second video shows Hargrove’s all-star Latin Jazz band Crisol performing at the Montréal Jazz Festival with some inspiring solo spots for Diaz. The last piece displays the creative energy apparent in Diaz’s world as he casually develops a musical interplay with Cachaito in the studio. It’s some great music in memory of an important musician – enjoy!
———- Miguel “Anga” Diaz Soloing With Irakere In 1994
Miguel “Anga” Diaz Performing “Una Mas” With Roy Hargrove’s Crisol
Miguel “Anga” Diaz & Cachaito Experimenting In The Studio
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Want to hear more from Miguel “Anga” Diaz? Check out these albums: Miguel “Anga” Diaz: Echu Mingua
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Do you have a video to contribute to satisfy our weekly Latin Jazz video fix? If so, send it in – it’s time to feed our addiction. I’m looking for live performances, from any context. I’ll most likely be posting one video per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz videographers, musicians, and fans – let’s share some of our memorable videos! Get my contact info HERE.
One of the things that characterizes a great musician is an unquenchable thirst for performance and musical exploration. While all artists enjoy the thrill of performance, there are some musicians that simply can’t live without it. They take the opportunities that come towards them, they perform to their highest ability, and then they fill their free time with more playing. Practice never seems like a chore, it becomes an essential part of their day. When the demands of life fill major gaps of time with responsibilities outside the music world, they squeeze practice into every available inch of their free time. The hunt for new musical perspectives becomes a passionate search, that drives them to new collaborators and unfamiliar contexts. Being thrown into a different situation doesn’t deter them though, they simply find new way to cope with the music and they continue performing. They find room for their own personality inside each of these situations and freely experiment with the inherent possibilities before them. Their connection with musical performance is more than an occupation, it’s a essential need that defines their life. This drives these musicians into an unstoppable forward motion towards great musical accomplishments, and they generally contribute important artistic ideas into the world.
. Despite a rushed recording session, this groundbreaking album brought together the rhythms of Santeria and jazz improvisation in an innovative and organic way. Unfortunately 
, and 
. Forever the restless musical spirit, Weinstein also explored Brazilian Jazz, recording 
and 
. He released some different takes on traditional Latin Jazz, walking along tradition on 
and integrating a timba approach on 
, Jewish music on 
, and much more. As Weinstein hits 70, there’s no signs of stopping with several more projects already on the horizon.
and 
, Martignon helped define the sound of Barretto’s New World Spirit band. In 1996, Martignon released his first album as a leader, 
, a session grounded by a trio and embellished with guests such as guitarist Romero Lubambo, Barretto, and more. Martignon returned in 2000 with another trio date, 
, once again augmented by several special guests such as Ruben Blades, Randy Brecker, and Don Byas. As his career as a bandleader started to take shape, Martignon continued his diverse life as a sideman, recording albums in the classical world, composing for film, and conducting on Broadway. His 2007 album 
showed a more electronic edge to his work and earned him a Grammy nomination. 
, Martignon’s latest release as a leader, shows a deep musical maturity. 
A life in music can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences possible, but it presents its share of artistic challenges. As a young person, a musician faces the struggle of finding a unique spot within the art form that both allows them to respect history and project their personal identity. Once they’ve discovered their true artistic path, they face the long road towards the public acceptance of their music. This path forces them to make decisions about their artistic integrity, making them choose between a compromise to find acceptance or a hard-line dedication to their identity. They might seek alternate paths toward success or stay in the traditional circuit, but they need to find a way to survive. Assuming that they find a manageable career, sustainability becomes a musician’s primary concern. Youth is fleeting and life is long, the musician needs to find a way to continue their art into old age. They might rehash their early successes or they might boldly continue moving into new directions; each decision requires different demands upon the musician. They both lead to the same goal though, a life-long commitment to music.
, and are now playing upon the relationship between American jazz standards and Brazilian song. Their intelligent work displays keen musical insight and an understanding of dual cultures that moves beyond the execution of notes and rhythms; it shows a collaborative path into the future.
, and his plans for the future.
LJC: One of the things that I hear a lot is a jazz standard with a samba rhythm thrown behind it and there’s no connection between the two, but you do that. You pull them all together beautifully. I really liked how you took “Lullaby Of Birdland” and put it together with the Jobim tune “Garoto” – it seems like there’s no separation, they just flow together so naturally . . . 
AA: They are in Rio. I think the drummer Rafael Barata is working with Eliane Elias right now. He’s in New York. I like the way he plays drums very much. The trombone player, Sergio, I’ve known for a long time. He’s on one of my old albums. He has a typical carioca phrasing; he has that North side of Rio trombone sound. He and Raul de Souza come from the same area in Rio. All those trombone players come from the same area in Rio – the north side of Rio de Janeiro. Raul also used to play valve trombone earlier, he’s one of my guests on the second 3-D album. These guys have that typical phrasing. The trombone is a very Brazilian, samba jazz, carioca instrument.
AA: Yes, it was very much trombone. Of course, everyone likes to play saxophone, but trombone is a typical thing. They do those types of phrasing, which is combined with the percussion – ghosting some notes and accenting the other ones. It’s like they are playing a Brazilian tamborim. And then they combine it with jazz – that’s incredible! I’m very passionate about phrasing, I like that thing.
AA: There are three compositions that I wrote on this album. One of them is one of my earliest compositions – the last tune on the album, “Toada Jazz.” That originally was called “O Retirante.” That was written in 1967, that’s one of my earliest compositions. I think that the harmony was influenced by Bill Evans. The other very new one is “Minor Chord” – I built it using only minor chords. A song with only one type of chord is not common, but I think the chords flow naturally. I changed “Cascavel” . . . the original version of “Cascavel” was a straight, cut time tune. In this version I did some odd-measures in between without moving the samba thing. Samba normally is in two beat time feel, like cut time or 2/4. There are some measures where I put three beats, but it flows naturally without forcing it. It was something that came naturally. Maybe it’s because I’ve been playing these songs in many shows, many times. The harmony cycle for improvisation I changed a little bit also from the original, where it played only two chords. This time I did a sequence that I think fit it well for the new version of “Cascavel.”
AA: Let me tell you, I recorded this album last December when I was in Rio. I did everything in seven or eight sessions. We did a rehearsal before just in the studio, playing the songs. The first song that we recorded was “Cascavel” and that took a little bit more time, because I had never played with Rafael Barata before. I told him, “Rafael, I want you to play freely. I don’t want you to play bossa nova. Play completely freely.” Then we talked a little bit and started the rehearsal. Of course, that song had those odd measures, and it took more time. But there were songs that we played just once before we recorded. Of course, I brought all the chord changes and the sequence of the arrangement written. Then Carol came one day to do scratch vocals for the musicians to listen and play together. Then one day she came and put all the vocals straight like that. The trombone came later also because he couldn’t play together, he had a schedule problem. All the rest was live.
Artistry is often comes down to survival of the fittest; when the existing paradigm doesn’t support your artistic concept, you need to find a way to make things work. Popular culture generally doesn’t encourage unusual and innovative artistry; the pop culture gatekeepers focus their energies on preserving the status quo. True artists that wait for the general public to support their unique visions often live a frustrating life that ends in obscurity. The forward thinking artist doesn’t wait for the acceptance of the general culture; a seat upon the throne of pop culture success simply doesn’t concern them. They remain single mindedly focused upon the development of their artistic vision and the execution of their greater plans. When popular culture doesn’t offer them a way to practice their art form, they look past the standard routes of an artist and find another path. Thinking outside the box becomes a common practice for these artists, as they apply their creativity to every aspect of their career. They explore new avenues of income, never leaving the performance world, just finding new ways to spread their artistry. Their constantly inventive nature opens new doors for their musical expression at every turn, often leading to more success than their pop culture counterparts. Not accepting a world without their personal vision, they make their own paths and consequently forge their own places in history.
LATIN JAZZ CORNER: When you came back to Brazil, you started your own record label, Artezanal, an idea that was way ahead of its time in the seventies. What motivated you to do that?
. I recorded the music that I liked at the moment, which was completely different from Brazuca. Brazuca was a big hit in Brazil, and I had some hits as a composer. This album was mostly instrumental and sometimes included horns. At that moment, I was into natural foods, macrobiotic things, and I was a little bit into Zen books. I was playing a very quiet music with instrumental orientation. I recorded that in the studio and showed it to record companies who respected my work as a hit man. They told me, “No Antonio, its very nice, but you should do something like you did before with Brazuca.” In my life, I have never liked to do the same thing all the time. I like to travel to different universes. So I told them, “No, I want this.” Then I went to the factory and I did all the production needs myself. Then I started to sell it to stores and also during my shows. It was still LPs at that time in 1977. The technology was nothing compared to nowadays. I’m doing this still now; I’m doing this new album the same way. I am the producer, the distributor, and everything. There are ways to do that now that are much easier.
AA: Before I opened the school, I had some private students. But the thing with the private students was that sometimes I had to travel to perform. So I had to tell them “O.K., hold off here and wait a little bit because I’m going to be traveling for two months. Then you’ll be back.” Then with the family thing . . . I’ve invested too much in my family. I wanted to have the family together in a music school. I created this school in Brazil twenty-five years ago. Carol studied music a little bit and Luisa also. My wife was the manager and administrator. I was the teacher and then I started inviting other teachers. The artists that treasured my music started to bring their kids and some other people wanted to know about harmony – they all started to look for us. The school is a big school in Rio; it’s the biggest school in Rio now. But I’m not there now; my daughters are taking care of the school. We have two branches now – one in Rio and one here. I live in Miami and the school is in Hollywood (Florida) here. It’s an experimental school in Brazilian music; I also have some children studying.
, which looks very interesting. That’s something that you’ve focused on a lot – can you just tell us a little bit about your ideas on phrasing Brazilian music?
Some musicians leave the world far too early, keeping us wondering about untold possibilities. Some of these musicians only show a flash of brilliance, demonstrating their ability to construct some great music at a young age. The general public usually elevates these musicians to legendary status quickly after their death, but in reality, they’ve only shown promise. They leave behind questions about what they would accomplish with their potential, and the mythology that rises around them seems unfounded. Other musicians lead long and competent careers, always creating pleasing music, but never really pushing the envelope. These artists leave us wondering about their lack of momentum and what might have happening if only they had tried a different approach. Other musicians live their life to the fullest, taking every opportunity to create the most interesting music possible, only stopping when death takes them away. These musicians leave a hole in the music world when they leave, and they often leave a hole in our hearts; their work is so important, it becomes an essential part of our life. With so much great music behind them, it’s hard to expect that they would top their finest accomplishments if only they had more time. These musicians never disappointed us though, and we believe that if anyone could push the Latin Jazz world into a better place, it’s certainly them. When we consider the vague world of untold possibilities, it’s these passionate and exciting musicians that always sit in the forefront of our attention.
, bringing him an EGREM prize for Album Of The Year. In 1996, he was a key part of jazz trumpet player Roy Hargrove’s Latin Jazz group Crisol, earning a Grammy for their album 
. In 2000, Diaz thrilled percussionists around the world with the release of his first instructional video 
and then caught the ears of the world stage on bassist 
‘s 2001 album. He released his own album as a leader in 2005, the recording 
, giving the world a glimpse of his future brilliance. Unfortunately this potential was cut short when he died of a heart attack on August 9th, 2006.
