There are many potential elements that can constitute a successful and inspired Latin Jazz career, but one thing is guaranteed – constant change. A creative individual rarely stays on one artistic track for too long during their career, it’s simply not in their nature. They might shift between different artistic directions at several points during their career, taking the opportunity to explore various aspects of their musical interests. Their prime collaborators often change throughout the course of their career, taking them between a number of different inspirational figures. They might experience physical change, moving from location to location and soaking in all the unique qualities of every new locale. Their instrument might evolve throughout their lives, integrating new sounds, registers, and techniques into their repertoire that previously escaped them. Change inspires good things in an artistic individual, sparking their creative spirits at every turn, and ensuring a steady stream of interesting work.

Pianist Hilario Durán spent his youth building his musical skills and then establishing himself on Havana’s music scene before going through a series of rapid career changes. Inspired by his father’s deep connection to music and performance, Durán immersed himself first in his family’s large record collection and then in the piano. He constantly occupied himself with the piano, leading to steady lessons, and later, entrance into the Amadeo Roldan National Conservatory. The school challenged Durán with a thorough classical training, while he learned the inner workings of jazz through “lifting” solos from recordings. After graduation, Durán served his three mandatory years in the Cuban army, playing both piano and clarinet in the military band. At the time, the Cuban government saw jazz as the “music of the enemy,” but my the mid-sixties, they loosened their view enough to create the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna. This group acted as the impetus for Irakere, and when pianist Chucho Valdes left the orquesta to lead Irakere, he recommended Durán as his replacement. As the pianist stepped into the upper echelons of Havana’s music scene, he also found work at EGREM studios, first as a pianist and later as a composer and producer. In 1981, trumpet player Arturo Sandoval left Irakere and recruited Durán to help him form his own Latin Jazz band. The subsequent group became extremely popular, taking Durán, Sandoval, and the whole group around the world. Sandoval left Cuba in 1991, but Durán kept the group together, renaming it Perspectiva and pushing the group in a more fusion oriented direction. After a few years with Perspectiva, Durán desired a return to acoustic music, so he left the group and started his career as a solo artist. Through Guillermo Barretto, Durán met saxophonist Jane Bunnett, who had traveled to Cuba to record with the island’s musicians. Durán recorded the Juno winning album Spirits of Havana with Bunnett and remained a regular collaborator with the saxophonist. Bunnett encouraged Durán to record as a leader, and after two successful albums, Francisco’s Song and Killer Tumbao, Durán moved his family to Bunnett’s home base, Toronto. After years of a rapid zig-zag course, Durán settled into a new musical life, ready to establish himself as a prominent artist.

Durán’s numerous collaborations during the nineties resulting in a wealth of inspiring music, priming him for his musically mature output after the turn of the century. In Part One of our interview with Durán, we discussed the influence of his father’s musical career, his time at the Amadeo Roldan National Conservatory, and his turn in the military band. In Part Two of our interview, we looked at Durán’s tenure with the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, his connection to Chucho Valdes and Guillermo Barretto, and his work in EGREM studios. Today, we dig into Durán’s time in Sandoval’s band, Perspectiva, his first recording with Bunnett, and much more.

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LATIN JAZZ CORNER: When you joined Arturo’s band in 1981, was that group starting from scratch?

HILARIO DURÁN: We started from zero, from scratch. We didn’t know what we going to do or what we were going to write. We started thinking about it and then just experimenting. The first two years of this band was just blindly attempting to figure out what to play and what to do. But sooner than later we found the way. I was satisfied working with that band.

LJC: There was a lot of jazz in there, some Latin rhythms, funk, and rock – what types of things were you guys listening to that you wanted to pull into the band and what were you going for musically?

HD: I used to write original music there, using the experience that I had gotten from elsewhere. Arturo used to write too; Arturo was the director, so actually he was the one who used to write most of the music. I helped him with the arrangements. Arturo has a really great sense of commerce; he knows how to catch the audience. He really figured out how to please the audience. It was a good combination.

LJC: You guys traveled a lot, right?

HD: We traveled all over the world. The only places that we didn’t go were Asia and Africa. We went to South America, and we went to the States too – not very often, but three or four times. It was very restricted at this time; it was really hard to get into the United States. We traveled a lot in Europe, every year from 1984 to 1990. We played almost all the festivals in Europe every year. I played most of the clubs in Holland, Switzerland, and Germany, as well as all the jazz festivals at this time. We really worked a lot.

LJC: When Arturo left to go to the States, you kept the group together . . .

HD: Yea, I decided to keep the band together. We had so many years of working together that we decided to keep working. I don’t consider it a mistake for me, but we started from scratch again. We started working a new musical concept. Before it was Arturo’s band, so we were accompanying him, but in this new time, we started to work as a collective group. We started playing like Sypro Gyra. That’s what we were trying to do.

LJC: Was it all the same people or were there any new members?

HD: It was the same people that were with Arturo. Then two years after Arturo left, we added a saxophone player. Later we replaced him with Yoel Terry, the brother of Yosvany Terry. Unfortunately he died recently in a car accident, but he used to work in my band.

LJC: I’ve never been able to track down the two albums that you did with Perspectiva, but I’ve seen videos on YouTube. It seems like it was more of a fusion group . . .

HD: It was totally fusion. It was so influenced by the Chick Corea Elektric Band. That was my goal – I tried to imitate that sound. There were a lot of synthesizers at this time; I spent like three years without practicing piano, only programming synthesizers. I was obsessed with synthesizers! After that, I realized that it all was not worth it, so I stopped working with synthesizers. I went back to the piano!

It was a good experience though; it was the sound of that era. Everybody was using synthesizers. Even when we used to work with Arturo, he decided to play synthesizer, so that he could get the sound of the strings behind the harmonies of the piano. That was what all the bands in Cuba were doing, even bands abroad. They had this sound – the piano with strings behind it . . . plastic, tiny strings! They sounded terrible, but they loved it. The sound of the brass synthesizers . . . I hear this now and I think it’s unbelievable how I could play that. I tried to imitate and program those sounds; I tried to make them as real as possible. It never was possible to imitate the sound of a real trumpet or saxophone. It sounded plastic all the time, but we loved it!

LJC: When did you meet Jane Bunnett and start working with her?

HD: It was 1991. She went to Cuba on a vacation in 1990. She got so amazed by the bands and the musicians. She decided to come back and do an album of Cuban music. At the time, there was a lady that introduced Guillermo Barretto to Jane and Larry (Cramer). They started a relationship and they decided to do a Cuban album – the first album was called Spirits of Havana. It was the first album that they made of Cuban music – this was even before Buena Vista Social Club. Guillermo Barretto started to call the musicians and put the band together for that recording. So he called me; he hired me to play on this album.

It was casual though; it was like fate. I remember I was in the neighborhood of the Vedado, just walking there. I saw him in his car – he drove a flamboyant car, a 1958 Chevrolet. He turned the corner and he saw me, so he shouted at me. He said, “Hilario, I have some friends from Canada and we’re doing a recording. I want to hire you to play on this album.” He remembered that I played well, that’s what he told me! I said, “O.K.” The next day I went to the studio and that was the first time that I met Jane and Larry. It was the beginning of a great relationship that has lasted until now.

We recorded that album together with Frank Emilio, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Merceditas Valdes, the folkloric group Yoruba Andabo, the guitar player Ahmed Barroso, who’s in Miami now, and lots of great musicians in that band. We recorded that album and Jane got her first Juno award for it.

LJC: You recorded another album with her, and then she helped you put together your first album as a leader, Francisco’s Song.

HD: That was a year later. After a few years of working with Perspectiva, I quit the band. I was trying to look for other musical adventures, so I quit Perspectiva and I started working on my own as a soloist in Havana. It was the greatest time. I started practicing hard piano again and I started doing solo concerts all over the city. I started working with Jane Bunnett – she hired me and I started coming to Canada to work here with her. I flew into Toronto and from here we started touring the United States and Europe, everywhere. There were three or four years like that, from 1995 until 1998. During this time, she helped me to work on my first three solo albums.

LJC: Francisco’s Song was the first one, right?

HD: Francisco’s Song was first and then Killer Tumbao. After Killer Tumbao, I brought my family here in 1998. During that time, I recorded Havana Nocturna with strings.

LJC: What inspired you to move to Toronto?

HD: I started working here a lot . . . and I love this city, I really love this city. This is one of the cleanest and the safest cities in the world. People respect you a lot, and there is no racism. There are a lot of programs for the government to help people; it was the perfect place for me to live with my family. There was a good music scene too – it wasn’t quite like now, but it was a great music scene. There were a lot of great jazz musicians here, and I was starting to work with them.

LJC: Where you able to jump on the scene and work regularly?

HD: Yea, I started working a lot with everybody. I started to connect with the music scene right away. Since the very beginning I started teaching too. I started working in the music program at Humboldt College as a piano teacher and later I started conducting orchestras there with the students.

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Make sure that you check out Part One of our interview with Durán, where we talk about his childhood immersed in music, his studies in classical music and jazz, as well as his miliary service in Cuba. You can find it HERE.

You don’t want to miss Part Two of our interview with Durán, where we discuss his tenure with the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, his connection to Chucho Valdes and Guillermo Barretto, and his time in EGREM studios. You can read it HERE.

Come back soon to find Part Four, where we’ll where we’ll get into Durán’s work as a band leader, his most recent release Motion, his current collaborators, and much more.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Celebrating Women In Latin Jazz: 5 Top Female Artists
Latin Jazz Conservations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 4)
Reflecting Upon An Influential Education: 10 Albums From Irakere Alumni
Latin Jazz Perspective: Five More Original Takes On Ellington

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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.

Fan funded albums seem to be catching momentum these days, and personally, it’s a trend that I like. It helps get some interesting and artistic albums come to life; without this type of support, artists would only be able to rely upon the music industry . . . enough said. LJC 2009 Vocalist Of The Year Sofia Rei Koutsovitis is currently running a campaign on Microfundo to finance her third studio release as a bandleader. This is one album that I would love to see come to life sooner than later; Koutsovitis holds a great deal of potential and always delivers engaging musical products. She’s looking to raise $10,000, but you can donate anything that fits your budget. There’s a variety of gifts for different levels of donations, ranging from a copy of the new album to a night of music and home cooked food from Koutsovitis herself. It’s a great cause, so head on over and support a new album from Koutsovitis today – you can find her Microfundo campaign HERE.

You’ll notice some nice Latin Jazz shows happening at next weekend’s Detroit Jazz Festival, including Danilo Pérez and more. If you’re not lucky enough to be in the area for the shows, the festival will be maintaining a live feed where you can get the latest from the event. You can get all the info HERE.

Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Beny Moré

Latin Jazz Conversations: Hilario Durán (Part 1)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Hilario Durán (Part 2)

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Danilo Pérez: Providencia

Conrad Herwig: The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock

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9/3: Saxophonist David Sanchez, 1954

9/4: Percussionist Samuel Torres, 1976

9/5: Flautist Orlando “Maraca” Valle, 1944

9/2: Pianist Samuel Quinto, 1973

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If you’re in EUROPE this week . . .
OMAR SOSA
WHEN: Thursday 9/2/10
WHERE: Pineta Nenzi Bozzi
Ischia, Italy
TIME: 10:30 p.m.
TICKETS: 15 euros

If you’re in CENTRAL AMERICA this week . . .
ARAYA-ORTA LATIN JAZZ QUARTET
Riviera Maya Jazz Festival
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Plaza Municipal
Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

EDDIE PALMIERI
Riviera Maya Jazz Festival
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Plaza Municipal
Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . .
ANDREA BRACHFELD
Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Great Lawn On The Long Beach Promenade
100 Ocean Ave N
Long Branch, NJ
TIME: 4:15 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

ARTURO O’FARRILL
Solo Piano
WHEN: Wednesday 9/1/10
WHERE: Puppet’s Jazz Bar
481 5th Avenue Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

BOBBY SANABRIA
Sexteto Ibiano
WHEN: Wednesday 9/1/10
WHERE: Fonda Boricua
172 East 106th Street
New York, NY
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA
WHEN: Sunday 9/5/10
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 9/5/10
WHERE: Smoke
2751 Broadway
New York, NY
TIME: 8:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m. & 11:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $20 minimum

EDWARD PEREZ
WHEN: Wednesday 9/1/10
WHERE: Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY
TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
TICKETS: NO COVER

ERIC KURIMSKI
WHEN: Thursday 9/2/10
WHERE: Terraza Cafe
40-19 Gleane St
Elmhurst, NY
TIME: 10:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

GABRIEL ALEGRIA AFRO-PERUVIAN JAZZ SEXTET
WHEN: Friday 9/3/10 – Sunday 9/5/10
WHERE: Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY
TIME: Friday – Saturday: 8:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sunday: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
TICKETS: NO COVER

GREG DIAMOND
WHEN: Thursday 9/2/10
WHERE: Miles’ Cafe
212 E. 52nd Street
New York, NY
TIME: 9:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

LAURANDREA LEGUIA
WHEN: Tuesday 8/31/10
WHERE: Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY
TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
TICKETS: NO COVER

MARKUS SCHWARTZ & LAKOU BROOKLYN
WHEN: Friday 9/3/10
WHERE: Iridium
1650 Broadway
New York, NY
TIME: 12:00 a.m.
TICKETS: $20

MIGUEL ZENÓN
WHEN: Wednesday 9/1/10
WHERE: The Jazz Gallery
290 Hudson Street
New York, NY
TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $20

SOFIA TOSELLO
With Pianist Octavio Brunetti
WHEN: Friday 9/3/10
WHERE: Zora Art Space
315 4th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
TIME: 8:00 p.m.

If you’re in the MID-EAST this week . . .
CHUCHITO VALDES
Chicago Jazz Festival
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Petrillo Music Shell – Grant Park
Jackson Blvd. & Columbus Dr.
Chicago, IL
TIME: 5:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

DANILO PEREZ
Detroit Jazz Festival
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Carhartt Amphitheatre Stage
Downtown Detriot
Detriot, MI
TIME: 5:15 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

EL MOVIMIENTO
WHEN: Sunday 9/5/10
WHERE: Jazz Cafe
Franklin Square
Franklin, TN
TIME: 5:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $8.00 in advance; $10.00 at door

LOS GATOS
WHEN: Wednesday 9/1/10
WHERE: Live At PJ’s
102 S 1st St
Ann Arbor, MI
TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 9:15 p.m.
TICKETS: $7

MAMBO LEGENDS ORCHESTRA
WHEN: Sunday 9/5/10
WHERE: Detroit Jazz Festival
Detroit Waterfront
Detroit, MI
TIME: 9:45 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

PAULINHO GARCIA
WHEN: Wednesday 9/1/10
WHERE: Piccolo Mundo
Jackson Blvd. & Columbus Dr.
Chicago, IL
TIME: 6:00 p.m.

With Grazyna Auguscik And Special Guest From Japan, Singer Iku Mori
WHEN: Thursday 9/2/10
WHERE: Katerina’s
1920 W. Irving Park Road
Chicago, IL
TIME: 8:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $8

WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Old Town School Of Folk Music
4544 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago IL
TIME: 9:15 p.m.
TICKETS: $15

Paulinho Garcia Quartet At Chicago Jazz Festival
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Jackson Stage – Grant Park
500 S. Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL
TIME: 12:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

TUMBAO BRAVO
WHEN: Sunday 9/5/10
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 . . .
PAQUITO D’RIVERA
Moab Music Festival
WHEN: Thursday 9/2/10
WHERE: Colorado Wilderness Grotto
Along The Colorado River
Moab, UT
TIME: 12:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $300

Moab Music Festival
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Red Cliffs Lodge
Mile Post 14 Highway 128
Moab, UT
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $25

If you’re on the WEST COAST this week . . .
ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ
WHEN: Tuesday 8/31/10 – Wednesday 9/1/10
WHERE: Jazz Alley
2033 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $21.50

ARTURO O’FARRILL
Mazeltov Mis Amigos
WHEN: Monday 8/30/10
WHERE: Yoshi’s – San Francisco
1330 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA
TIME: 8:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $18

GRUPO FALSO BAIANO
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Avonova Concerts
417 Avon Street
Oakland CA
TIME: 8:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $15

KAT PARRA
Western Arts Alliance Conference Showcase
WHEN: Wednesday 9/1/10
WHERE: First Congregational Church of Long Beach
241 Cedar Avenue
Long Beach, CA
TIME: 8:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

LOUIE CRUZ BELTRAN
With Special Guest Poncho Sanchez
WHEN: Sunday 9/5/10
WHERE: Ford Amphitheater
2580 Cahuenga Boulevard, East
Hollywood, CA
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $30

MELENA FRANCIS VALDES LATIN JAZZ BAND
WHEN: Saturday 9/4/10
WHERE: Steamer’s
138 W. Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton, CA
TIME: 8:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $8

PONCHO SANCHEZ
WHEN: Friday 9/3/10
WHERE: Brea Jazz Festival
Birsch Street & Brea Boulevard
Brea, CA
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

ROGER GLENN
WHEN: Friday 9/3/10
WHERE: The Art House
2905 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA
TIME: 7:00 p.m.

WHEN: Sunday 9/5/10
WHERE: Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society
307-11 Mirada Road
Half Moon Bay, CA
TIME: 4:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $35

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Lots of experiences can help push a musicians to greater heights during their artistic careers, but nothing beats the opportunity to play with accomplished veterans. Private studies, individual practice, and time with classic recordings all give the musician important tools, but the limited interaction associated with these activities only yields certain results. Time on the bandstand with top musicians creates a school unto itself, full of unbelievable benefits. Musicians get immediate feedback on their performances – from direct conversation to telling eye contact, a constant stream of critique exists. Young musicians get to watch their more experience colleagues perform regularly, allowing them to get ideas and learn new techniques. There are many ways for a musician to mature artistically, but extensive time with a role model guarantees a path to a successful future.

Pianist Hilario Durán followed his musical inspirations diligently, eventually earning himself a spot among some of Havana’s most important artists. Durán’s father was an active musician during the filin movement of the forties, and even though he stopped performing, his love for music never left the Durán household. The family’s large record collection exposed Durán to a diverse repertoire of music, ranging from classical to jazz, movie soundtracks, and more. Once the family acquired a piano, Durán fell deeply in love with the instrument, spending all his time playing it. He took lessons with a number of teachers before attending the Amadeo Roldan National Conservatory Of Music for further studies. He received a strictly classical training at the conservatory and spend all of his free moments pursuing his love for jazz by “lifting” solos from recordings. Mandatory military service pulled Durán away from his studies, but kept him in music as he played both piano and clarinet in the military band. When he completed his service, he returned to Havana’s music scene, only to find a limited place for jazz performance in the city. The government still saw jazz as the “music of the enemy,” but had allowed for the creation of the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna. The initial group included Chucho Valdes, Carlos Emilio, Enrique Pla, Carlos Del Puerto, and other musicians that would eventually leave the orquesta to form Irakere. Once they left, Valdes recommended Durán for the piano spot in the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, opening a major door into a larger career. Durán work with the orquesta led to greater notoriety, and eventually regular work in the sessions of EGREM studios. He worked as a pianist, composer, and producer in the studios, contributing his vast skills to a wide array of sessions. On the side, he co-led the group Los De Siempre with vocalist Demetrio Muñiz, finding his place among the Latin Jazz world. All these experiences prepared Durán for the next phase in his career that would make him a worldwide musical figure.

Duran found his place among Havana’s top musicians, working with some of the most influential artists in modern Cuban Jazz. His future still held great things; he would still travel the world playing as a sideman with Arturo Sandoval and Jane Bunnett and leader in his own right. In Part One of our interview with Durán, we spent time talking about the influence of his father upon his love of music, his love for the piano and early studies, his time in the military band, and much more. In Part Two of our interview, we discuss the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, his work in the EGREM studios, some influential mentors, and more.

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LATIN JAZZ CORNER: You mentioned the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, a group that I’ve always associated with the band members from Irakere. You replaced Chucho when he left the group, right?

HILARIO DURÁN: I replaced Chucho when he put together Irakere. This Orquesta was great; it was the greatest. All those experienced musicians reunited there and they played music from Stan Kenton to Glenn Miller. They influenced all the musicians of my generation. The style of this orquesta was the style that caught me from the beginning; it was my first influence of listening to a big band. This is the style that I try to imitate when I write big band charts – the big sound of those guys.

Armando Romeu and Rafael Somavilla, they were influenced by Duke Ellington and Count Basie – this big, full sounding orchestra. That’s the sound that I have in mind, so that’s the sound that I want to represent in my charts.

LJC: I’ve only heard the older recordings of the Orquesta with Chucho, Paquito, and all the Irakere musicians. After you replaced Chucho, who was in the band?

HD: I replaced Chucho, and they all left to do Irakere. Paquito wasn’t in the orchestra really; he got fired two years before for political reasons. Arturo was there, Carlos Emilio was there, Enrique Pla was there, Chucho Valdes, Carlos Del Puerto. When I replaced Chucho, they all left the band and they were replaced by other musicians.

This seat was so hot when I sat in there and I was so inexperienced. I couldn’t sight read two bars. But Chucho saw something in me; I don’t know what he saw in me. He pushed those guys to put me into this band; he trusted me. So they put me in there. I started playing and I tried to do my best. It was a big change for me.

LJC: Did you know Chucho well?

HD: Yea, I knew Chucho very well. He’s my mentor. He was mentor through all those early years. He taught me a lot – how to play, how to comp with the orchestra. I had no idea how to comp jazz, bolero, or anything. I just wanted to improvise. I was very young; I wasn’t experienced. I went there and in this orchestra I learned how to play and comp pop music, bolero, tango, samba, and all these styles of music. I learned to improvise too, of course.

A person that I will be in debt to for my life was the great drummer Guillermo Barretto. He was the one that taught me so much. He was very patient, and he taught me how to play. He even taught me how to voice harmonies on the piano. He played drums, but he was one of those guys that had a gift. He had perfect pitch, so he was one of the guys that fixed notes in the orchestra. He fixed harmonies, so he knew a lot about harmonies. He taught me how to voice a C Major in the orchestra. He taught me how I had to fill in when I was accompanying voice; he taught me how to fill in there. It was really a great experience.

It was also the first time that I started watching charts and scores. Every time that I listened to something interesting in the orchestra, I waited. When no one was around, I went to the podium and I watched the scores. That’s how I learned how to write charts. Bit by bit. I also started writing some charts with this orchestra. I wrote some of the ideas that I had, because there were a lot of ideas in my head. When I first started writing for this orchestra, all of my charts sounded very bad. They sounded harsh. I tried to transcribe all the stuff that I play on the piano onto the orchestra. It’s not like that, it’s different. That was the way that I learned to write big band charts, and for other instrumental combinations too.

LJC: Sometime around there, you started working a lot in EGREM studios – what were you doing there?

\HD: Yes, I was working in the EGREM studios, first as a musician. I first started working as a pianist, and then later I started writing charts too. I also started producing for all the greatest singers in Havana. I started writing charts for Omara Portuondo, Silvio Rodriguez, Miriam Ramos, Elena Burke, and all those singers.

LJC: Were there any sessions that you remember that really stood out as exceptional?

HD: All of the sessions . . . they were great. I was working with all those great directors like Rafael Somavilla. I learned how to conduct orchestras from them. Watching those guys like Rafael Somavilla and Armando Romeu conducting – I learned so much from all those guys. I watched how they gave cues and I learned a lot. Paquito D’Rivera was also there producing records. Once in a while, I got hired to play on those sessions too. Every session you learned something.

LJC: Was there any time for you to lead your own groups outside your studio work?

HD: Yea, when I was in the orquestra, I started my first band. My first band that I put together was Los De Siempre. It was a 13-piece band with three trumpets, two trombones, one tenor, and a rhythm section.

LJC: What type of music were you playing?

HD: We were playing mostly Latin Jazz. It was me and then there was another guy writing for this small band – Demetrio Muñiz, the former musical director of Buena Vista Social Club. He used to be the lead singer in this band and he also wrote charts for this band. We were playing with this band until 1981, when I got a call from Arturo Sandoval. He left Irakere, so he called me to play piano and help him with the direction of the band.

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Make sure that you check out Part One of our interview with Durán, where we talk about his childhood immersed in music, his studies in classical music and jazz, as well as his miliary service in Cuba.

Come back soon to see Part Three, where we’ll discuss Durán’s time with Arturo Sandoval, the creation of Perspetiva, his connection to Jane Bunnett, and much more.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
4 Contemporary Cuban Pianists That Moved Latin Jazz Into The 21st Century
Latin Jazz Conservations: Oscar Hernandez (Part 1)
5 Albums To Help Remeber Cachaito
Latin Jazz Conservations: John Calloway (Part 1)

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Sometimes an activity grabs our passions so completely that it becomes an obsession, capturing every last ounce of our attention. Regardless of our previous priorities and commitments, once we discover that all encompassing passion, we head out onto an unstoppable path. All of our time and energy goes into that one activity, as we constantly seek a stronger connection and a greater understanding. In some cases, our intense interest turns out to be a passing fad, and it soon becomes a thing of the past. When we really find that special something though, it resonates deeply within our souls and it forms an unbreakable bond with our greater life goals.

Pianist Hilario Durán found his passion in the piano and musical performance, a love that grew into a lifelong obsession. Durán’s father played a large part in his early connection with music – a vocalist during the filin movement of the forties, the elder Durán himself was intimately immersed in music. His large record collection exposed Hilario to a wide spectrum of music at a young age. Once his parents bought a piano for his sister, Durán found his calling and spent endless hours with the instrument. Lessons pushed Durán even further, leading him to the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory of Music. The school supplied Durán with a thorough training in classical music, building his technique and greater musical knowledge. Outside of school, Durán spent countless hours “lifting” solos from classic jazz albums, as the pianist learned the inner workings of jazz improvisation from major role models. In 1970, Cuba called upon Durán to do his mandatory military service, and the rising young musician found a spot in the army band. He moved between different military bands in Cuba, spending time performing, but also trying his hand at writing music for the different groups. Once the army released Durán, he headed straight for Havana’s bustling music scene, hoping to build upon his love of jazz. Unfortunately, the political climate in Cuba sent cold feeling towards jazz, leaving little opportunities to play the music. Durán’s burning passion for the music would eventually connect him with jazz, as the tides slowly turned in Cuba.

Durán diligently moved his love for music forward through any obstacles, keeping his focus on his connection to the piano. Years later, Durán would grow into one of the most important Cuban piano players on the island and beyond, supporting the work of Arturo Sandoval and others, as well as making a serious mark as a bandleader. In Part One of our extensive interview with Durán, we discuss his early love for music, his studies both in and out of school, his military service, and much more.

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LATIN JAZZ CORNER: You were born in Havana in 1953. Your father was involved in the filin movement of the forties; what was it like growing up around so much music?

HILARIO DURÁN: There was so much music there; I had so much music in my home. My grandfather was a huge record collector, so my father used to be fond of a lot of music. My parents had a big collection of old records. I was listening to jazz and classical music, soundtracks of famous movies, and also the great Cuban classics like Ernesto Lecuona and Bola De Nieve. I was listening to American Jazz like Stan Kenton, Errol Garner, and Harry James – those were the first jazz records that I heard in my life. They were playing a lot of music everyday in my home. A

My father was really involved in music; he was part of the musical movement of the late forties called filin. My mom used to play piano when she was young but she had to quit for economical problems. My grandparents couldn’t buy a piano for her when she was a kid so she quit. My parents bought a piano for my sister; at that time it was in fashion to put the girls to a piano teacher. They bought a wide upright piano to my home and it was love at first sight. I remember sitting all day making sounds on the piano. My mom had to hide the key to the piano from me! I didn’t want to play baseball or anything; I just wanted to play piano all day. That was it.

After that, my sister and I started attending piano lessons in the neighborhood. I remember that I had two or three piano teachers. One of them I really remember with a lot of fondness – Caridad Mezquda; she was the aunt of the great guitar player Leo Brower. She started teaching me piano. Then in 1958, I went to the Amadeo Roldan National Conservatory Of Music and got into that school. From 1968 until the 1970s, I had piano lessons there as well as other assignments like sight-reading, ear training, music history, and all this other stuff.

After that I started working with local bands in Havana. The first one that I worked with as a professional musician Los Papa Cun Cun. It was a folkloric group with piano, bass, three singers, and three percussionists. It was a very original band. The leader of the band was Evaristo Aparicio.

LJC: Who were some of the musicians that your father was involved with during the filin movement of the forties?

HD: He was involved with a great musical movement at that time. There was a few young musicians and composers involved, doing a kind of troubadour thing. Those people, they used to work painting houses and work in construction; they had music as a hobby . . . but they really loved music. They used to reunite in a place called Callejón de Hamel. They were great composers. I can name a few – José Antonio Méndez, Angel Diaz, Cesar Portillo de la Luz, and Ñico Rojas. There were also great singers like Omara Portuondo and Elena Burke. Actually my father brought Elena Burke to this group.

They would play every weekend at the Callejón de Hamel. They had a quartet. They used to sing in four voices, like gospel music. They sang by ear and they had their voices in harmony. The quartet was Cesar Portillo de la Luz, Angel Diaz, José Antonio Méndez, and my father was the lower voice.

LJC: Did you hear any of that growing up?

HD: I wasn’t alive at that time – I was born in 1953. My father was playing music just a few years before I was born. After I was born, my father had to quit music. The economic situation in the country was really bad. So he quit – he had to start working doing other stuff, trying to make a living in another way.

But those other guys, they kept it moving forward. They kept composing and doing stuff. José Antonio Méndez went to Mexico and he got very famous there. He started composing there, and he got a few hits there. Other guys like Benny Moré moved to Mexico; he ended up singing with Perez Prado. So it was a whole musical movement around in Havana.

LJC: When you were studying in the conservatory in the late sixties, what type of music were you studying?

HD: Do you know what happened? When I got into the Conservatory of Amadeo Roldan, I had to take a test to get into the school. It was a very hard test, so I failed the piano test the first time. So I went one year just doing the other stuff like ear training, sight-reading, and music theory. But I was one year without instrumental training. So in that year, I prepared very hard to do another test. The next year, I got the approval.

LJC: Were you playing classical music there?

HD: Yes, just classical music – classical Cuban music and European classical music. But no jazz.

LJC: How did you get into jazz?

HD: I was very interested. I loved jazz since the beginning because my father used to play the records. I’d been listening since I was a kid. That’s what all the jazz players in Havana and other parts of the country do. They borrow albums from each other and they copy them. They keep lifting the solos and the style of music. But there is no jazz school in Cuba.

After the revolution, there were no more music stores. So we learned jazz in this way. It was the same for Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdes, and Arturo Sandoval. We all learned jazz lifting, doing really hard lifting of records.

LJC: What were some of the records that really inspired you during that time?

HD: There was not much to choose from. We got the records when someone went out of the country and bought some records. We borrowed from each other and we copied. I got some good records in that way from Eastern Europe at this time, from places like Poland and Czechoslovakia. That doesn’t exist anymore, but I got very good albums from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Russia, the former Soviet Union. Also some records from the Jazz Messengers, Stan Kenton, Yusef Latef, Ahmad Jamal . . . I used to listen to all this.

For me, lifting was an obsession. I didn’t just do lifting of piano solos. I also lifted saxophone solos, trumpet solos, and that was all the repertoire that I had in my head. It was really an obsession, doing this.

LJC: In 1970, you did your military service; you said you were playing clarinet in the band. Was that a good musical experience?

HD: All the young people in Cuba have to go the military, so I went to the musical band of the army in Havana. It was an experience for me, that’s where I started playing my other instrument, clarinet. I was playing clarinet in the band and also I was playing piano. I was just playing clarinet about six months. I didn’t play much. I don’t play anymore – you give me a clarinet now and I’ll sound terrible! But I used to play. The thing that I used to do all the time was try to improvise on the clarinet while I was playing the piano. It was so hard!

I was in the military band in Havana for one year, and after that, they transferred me to another military unit. It was in the military hospital in the neighborhood of Marianao. They had a big band orchestra there, and they had to support it. That’s where I started working with a big band orchestra and I started attempting to write my first big band charts.

It was a band with three trumpets, three saxophones, piano, guitar, drums, and percussion. They were all amateurs. They used to be hospital workers, and they had music as a hobby. They transferred me to that place to work in the hospital in the morning and rehearse in the evening with that band. That’s how I did my military service. It was fine, because I started attempting to write my first charts. I started writing for this orchestra and I also started playing all these military clubs in Havana. I was in there until 1973 when I was released from the army.

LJC: In 1973, you left the military, and you played with groups in Havana. What was the music scene like in Havana – was it possible to do jazz or was that not accepted?

HD: It was not accepted. We used to play jazz, but the government at this time; they said that jazz was the music of the enemy. From the sixties to the seventies, they used to say that. They wouldn’t allow us to play jazz in the military band. If they caught you playing jazz, they wouldn’t give you free time. They put you in jails. That was because all those guys that were in command that that time, they were so stupid, they didn’t know about music. They only knew about politics and stuff. So they were obsessed with the imperialismo. They didn’t want to smell nothing about the United States, so they said that jazz was the music of the enemy. That was the first eighteen years of the revolution; the whole time, jazz was treated like that. It wasn’t until 1968 that they changed their mind and they reunited all the great musicians that were working in the musical theater, like Paquito D’Rivera, Carlos Emilio Morales, Enrique Pla, and Guillermo Barretto. They reunited all those musicians and they put together the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna. After that, jazz was a little more accepted; you could listen to more jazz after that. They opened a little bit. It wasn’t until the beginning of the eighties that they did the first jazz festival in Havana, organized by the singer Bobby Carcasses.

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Make sure that you come back tomorrow to check out Part 2 of our interview with Hilario Durán, where we talk about his time in the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, his connection to Chucho Valdes, his time at EGREM studios, and more!

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Hilario Durán
Latin Jazz Conservations: Michel Camilo (Part 1)
Latin Jazz Perspectives: Five More Original Takes On Ellington
Latin Jazz Conservations: Zaccai Curtis (Part 1)

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Big bands certainly played an important part in the development of burgeoning popularity of jazz during its early years, but their impact goes far beyond Basie and Ellington. The instrumentation packed so much power and opened so many harmonic possibilities that it certainly found its way into other musical circles outside of traditional swing. In the United States, influential Latin Jazz orchestras such as Machito and his Afro-Cubans and Tito Puente’s Ensemble showed the instrumentation’s viability with a foundation of Cuban rhythms. The strength of the big band melded with Afro-Cuban rhythms, finding its way back into the work of musicians with traditional backgrounds, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton. Big bands are rare in the twenty-first century, but the synchronicity between the large ensemble sound and Latin rhythms are still apparent in the work of outstanding bands such as Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Big bands have had a major impact across Latin Jazz in the United States, but their impact certainly wasn’t isolated there – some of the most important examples of big band Latin Jazz came directly from Cuba.

Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez was born 91 years ago on August 24, 1919 in Santa Isabel de las Lajas, Cuba. His family lived in extreme poverty, so when Moré leaned started noticing his love of music at the age of six, he made his own guitar from a board and string. As Moré grew older, he bounced between Havana and Camaguey, working both as a singer and cutting cane, which gave him money for his family and a new guitar. In his early twenties, Moré moved to Havana, hoping to build a career as a musician. He lived simply at first, working where ever possible, until he won a contest on a radio show, catching the attention of many local musicians. Ciro Rodríguez from Trio Matamoros became fond of Moré’s voice, leading to his new position as lead singer of Conjunto Matamoros. Moré made several recordings with the group, and eventually joined them on a trip to Mexico. The band performed extensively in Mexico, but when they packed their bags, Moré decided to remain. He changed his name to Beny Moré, and soon found work with some of the countries best bands, including a stint with Perez Prado’s orchestra. Moré gained notoriety across South America and the Caribbean, but remained fairly unknown in Cuba; this fact would change once he returned to Cuba in 1950. He worked as a vocalist with Bebo Valdes’ big band, popularizing the batanga, while also recording at RCA studios in Havana. Moré gained a good deal of work with Ernesto Duarte’s orchestra and soon made a recording with Orquesta Aragón. A dispute with Duarte led Moré to leave the orchestra and form his own group, La Banda Gigante. The 16 piece group became very popular in Cuba during the mid-fifties, leading to tours across South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Moré created much of his most popular music with La Banda Gigante, setting the stage for his large legacy. A lifetime of drinking caught up with Moré during the sixties though, and in 1963, he died of cirrhosis of the liver; over 100,000 people attended his funeral, remembering the singer fondly.

Moré’s Banda Gigante stands tall in the modern music world, resonating with a timeless appeal and a rich artistic depth. In celebration of Moré’s 91st birthday, we’ll be featuring the iconic band leader and his group in today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix. The first clip features Moré’s undeniable command of phrasing, leading his band through the classic bolero “Como Fue.” The next video kicks things into high gear with La Banda Gigante playing full force on “Batanga No. 2.” The third snippet finds Moré in a movie clip, singing “Ya Son Las Doce” in front of a small version of his band. The last video is not actually a live performance, but a montage of pictures; no Moré tribute would be complete without this song though – “Que Bueno Baila Usted.” The clips are a bit grainy, but the music is well worth the lower quality video – take some time today to celebrate El Gran Beny on his birthday – enjoy!

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Beny Moré’s La Banda Gigante Performing “Como Fue”

Beny Moré and La Banda Gigante Performing “Batanga No. 2″

Beny Moré Performing “Ya Son Las Doce” In A Movie Clip

Beny Moré Montage Featuring “Que Bueno Baila Usted”

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Want to hear more from Beny Moré? Check out some of these great albums:

Legendario Idolo Del Pueblo Cuba

Very Best of Beny More

Essential

Hoy Como Ayer

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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.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Bobby Carcasses
Latin Jazz Conversation Starters: 10 Fun Facts About Tito Puente
Latin Jazz Conversations: Jose Madera (Part 2)
Generoso Jimenez “Que Bueno Baila Usted” Trombone Solo

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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.

Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Pedro Bermudez

Latin Jazz Perspectives: 5 Great Versions Of Classic Ellington

Latin Jazz Perspectives: Five More Original Takes On Ellington

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8/23: Trombonist Raul De Souza, 1934

8/23: Vocalist Graciela Perez Gutierrez, 1915

8/24: Guitarist Yasser Tejeda, 1985

8/25: Pianist Turiya Mareya, 1951

8/26: Bass Clarinetist and Saxophonist Paul Austerlitz, 1957

8/27: Bassist Edward Perez, 1978

8/29: Trumpet Player and Vocalist Bobby Carcasses, 1938

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LIVE LATIN JAZZ
If you’re in ASIA this week . . .
PAQUITO D’RIVERA
WHEN: Friday 8/27/10
WHERE: National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center
Taipei, Taiwan

If you’re in SOUTH AFRICA this week . . .
PONCHO SANCHEZ
WHEN: Friday 8/27/10
WHERE: Joy Of Jazz Festival – Mbira Stage
Johannesburg, South Africa
TIME: 10:00 p.m.
TICKETS: R 330.00

WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Joy Of Jazz Festival – Mbira Stage
Johannesburg, South Africa
TIME: 11:15 p.m.
TICKETS: R 330.00

SCOTT MARTIN
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Bella Terra
7777 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . .
ADRIANO SANTOS
Brazilian Jazz Trio
WHEN: Wednesday 8/25/10
WHERE: Nublu
82 Avenue C
New York, NY
TIME: 9:00 p.m.

Brazilian Jazz Trio
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: The Bar Next Door
129 McDougal Street
New York, NY
TIME: 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., & 11:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $12

AFRO-BOP ALLIANCE
Trio
WHEN: Thursday 8/26/10
WHERE: Talara
615 President Street
Baltimore, DC
TIME: 8:00 p.m.

ARTURO O’FARRILL
Solo Piano
WHEN: Wednesday 8/25/10
WHERE: Puppet’s Jazz Bar
481 5th Avenue Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Coquito
31 Forester Avenue
Warwick, NY
TIME: 9:30 p.m. & 11:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $15

ARTURO SANDOVAL
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Summer Wind Performing Arts Center
40 Griffin Road North
Windsor, CT
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $35 – $60

BOBBY SANABRIA
Ascensión
WHEN: Wednesday 8/25/10
WHERE: Fonda Boricua
172 East 106th Street
New York, NY
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

Quinteto Okobio
WHEN: Thursday 8/26/10
WHERE: Lynhurst Estate – West Lawn
635 South Broadway
Tarrytown, NY
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA
WHEN: Sunday 8/29/10
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 8/29/10
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
Opening For Arturo Sandoval
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Summer Wind Performing Arts Center
40 Griffin Road North
Windsor, CT
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $35 – $60

EDWARD PEREZ
WHEN: Wednesday 8/25/10
WHERE: Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY
TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
TICKETS: NO COVER

ERIC KURIMSKI
WHEN: Thursday 8/26/10
WHERE: Terraza Cafe
40-19 Gleane St
Elmhurst, NY
TIME: 10:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

GABRIEL ALEGRIA AFRO-PERUVIAN JAZZ SEXTET
WHEN: Friday 8/27/10 – Sunday 8/29/10
WHERE: Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY
TIME: Friday – Saturday: 8:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Sunday: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
TICKETS: NO COVER

GABRIELE TRANCHINA
WHEN: Friday 8/27/10
WHERE: The Dautaj
36 Oakland Avenue
Warwick, NY
TIME: 7:00 p.m.

LAURANDREA LEGUIA
WHEN: Tuesday 8/24/10
WHERE: Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY
TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
TICKETS: NO COVER

SEIS DEL SOLAR
WHEN: Thursday 8/26/10 – Friday 8/27/10
WHERE: Fonda Boricua
172 East 106th Street
New York, NY
TIME: Thursday – 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.; Friday – 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m.
TICKETS: 1st show w/buffet – $30; 2nd show – $15

WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Town Point Park
Waterside Drive
Norfolk, VA
TIME: 5:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

SOFIA REI KOUTSOVITIS
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Jazz Gallery
290 Hudson Street
New York, NY
TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $20

S.O.L. – SONS OF LEGENDS
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Fonda Boricua
172 East 106th Street
New York, NY
TIME: 9:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

TRIO DA PAZ
WHEN: Tuesday 8/24/10 – Sunday 8/29/10
WHERE: Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola
33 West 60th Street
New York, NY
TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.; additional 11:30 p.m. set on Friday & Saturday
TICKETS: $30 – $35

VANDERLEI PEREIRA & BLINDFOLD TEST
WHEN: Friday 8/27/10
WHERE: Kingsland Point Park
299 Palmer Avenue
Sleepy Hollow, NY
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

If you’re in the MID-EAST this week . . .
CRAIG RUSSO LATIN JAZZ PROJECT
WHEN: Friday 8/27/10
WHERE: Swinger’s Grille
1304 Cross Creek Drive
Normal, IL
TIME: 8:00 p.m.

JAMES SAUNDERS & CONJUNTO
WHEN: Thursday 8/26/10
WHERE: Pritzker Pavillion
MIchigan and Washington
Chicago, IL
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

LOS GATOS
WHEN: Wednesday 8/24/10
WHERE: Live At PJ’s
102 S 1st St
Ann Arbor, MI
TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 9:15 p.m.
TICKETS: $7

TUMBAO BRAVO
WHEN: Sunday 8/29/10
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 . . .
EDDIE PALMIERI
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Arvada Center
6901 Wadsworth Boulevard
Arvada, CO
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $15 – $35

If you’re on the WEST COAST this week . . .
ESTRADA BROTHERS
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Steamer’s
138 W. Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton, CA
TIME: 8:30 p.m..
TICKETS: $8

HECTOR DEL CUERTO’S ETERNAL TANGO
WHEN: Friday 8/27/10
WHERE: Balloon Park
Marine Way and Sand Canyon
Irvine, CA
TIME: 8:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

JOHN SANTOS SEXTET
With Jovino Santos Neto & Ricardo Peixoto
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: World Dance Center
1901 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA
TIME: 8:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $15

Fundraiser
WHEN: Sunday 8/29/10
WHERE: Eastside Cultural Center
2277 International Boulevard
Oakland, CA
TIME: 1:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

JOVINO SANTOS NETO
WHEN: Monday 8/23/10
WHERE: Charles Hotel
509 Charles Street
North Perth, WA
TIME: 8:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

With The John Santos Sextet
WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: World Dance Center
1901 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA
TIME: 8:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $15

KAT PARRA
WHEN: Tuesday 8/24/10
WHERE: Consuelo Mexican Bistro
377 Santana Row #1125
San Jose, CA
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

LOUIE CRUZ BELTRAN
WHEN: Thursday 8/26/10
WHERE: Maverick’s Flat
4225 So. Crenshaw Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
TIME: 8:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $10

NAGUAL
WHEN: Thursday 8/26/10
WHERE: Paul Martin’s American Bistro
1455 Eureka Road
Roseville, CA
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: NO COVER

WHEN: Saturday 8/28/10
WHERE: Paul Martin’s American Bistro
1455 Eureka Road
Roseville, CA
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: NO COVER

PETE ESCOVEDO
WHEN: Thursday 8/26/10
WHERE: Plaza Stage
Palm Avenue and San Fernando Boulevard)
Burbank, CA
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

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