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.
Camino Al Barrio
Nelson Riveros
NelSongo Music
The repertoire that an artist chooses to include on a recording says a lot about their own musical identity. Preferences for certain songs come from specific exposures within an artist’s life, and when they are all gathered in one place, we are presented with a compelling picture. In terms of revealing an artist’s inner personality, original material hits home with the most accuracy. Here the artist draws upon familiar musical conventions, they reference stylistic norms through their melodic composition, and they make cultural connection through rhythmic foundations. When writing a tune, the artist makes every choice personally, and every association leads back to their own life. The inclusion of standards tells a story about an artist’s background, both culturally and musically. Each genre has its standards, and musicians generally draw upon this collection of classic music when they have a deep connection to the overall style. The addition of compositions from their peers tells a story about their personal associations and their playing experiences. There’s so much inherent here – a great collection of music exists as more than simply a pleasurable listening experience, it stands as a revealing picture of the artist as a human being. Guitarist Nelson Riveros paints wonderful picture of his experiences on Camino Al Barrio with a stirring Latin Jazz album that draw upon many worlds.
A Modern Spin On Afro-Cuban Rhythms
Riveros puts a modern spin on Afro-Cuban rhythms with several pieces that show the guitarist’s connection to the style. Syncopated chords open the door for a greasy melody from Riveros and vibraphonist Christos Rafalides over a driving rhythm section groove on “Blue Cha-Cha.” Pianist Hector Martignon leaps into his improvisation with an enthusiastic zeal, running long lines straight into a wonderfully understated solo from Riveros. Vibraphonist Christos Rafalides carefully constructs thoughtful ideas that move through the harmony with a percussive edge, and after a return to the melody, the group sets up a vamp for a strong solo from percussionist Samuel Torres. Riveros builds a beautifully lush unaccompanied introduction on Luis Demetrio’s “La Puerta,” adding his ear capturing vocals over his solo guitar. The rhythm section joins Riveros with a steady bolero, pushing his vocal into a flowing improvisation full of harmonic colors from Martignon. Riveros creates an expressive improvisation on acoustic guitar that reflects the vibe of the soulful vocal that he uses the end the tune. The rhythm section provides an understated cha cha cha groove on “Song For Marta” while Riveros floats over the top with a lyrical theme. Bassist Armando Gola leaps into an attention grabbing solo, mixing bluesy appeal with virtuosic technique, until Riveros skillfully develops a strong theme into a larger statement. Martignon runs rapid lines over the mid-tempo groove, landing in a propulsive montuno, allowing Torres an opportunity to show off his prodigious technique and artful phrasing. These tunes show Riveros’ comfort with Afro-Cuban settings, as he smartly reinterprets them through a modern lens while holding onto their integrity.
Dipping Into Other Musical Influences From South America And The Caribbean
Riveros balances out his repertoire with tunes that dip into other musical influences from South America and the Caribbean. Drummer Ernesto Simpson charges into an up-tempo samba with percussive effects from the whole rhythm section on “Caipirinha,” leading into a memorable melody from Riveros. The guitarist enthusiastically leaps into his improvisation, spinning lyrical lines over the churning rhythm section that wind through the chord changes with ease. Martignon plows into his solo, putting an edge on the mellow sound of his Fender Rhodes with twisting lines and an aggressive attack. Rich harmonic colors flow over the rhythm section’s jazzified bomba groove on “Camino al Barrio,” leading into an angular melody from Riveros. Rafalides takes his time working into his improvisation, starting with sparse lines that extend into large flourishes of harmonic color. Riveros takes a more active approach, flying right into assertive lines that burn a searing line through the harmony. A sudden unison band hit leads into the familiar melody of Jimmy Van Huesen’s “Darn That Dream” over a lively bossa nova. Riveros tears through the classic changes on acoustic guitar with clever sequences and engaging melodies that draw avid response from Simpson. Gola displays a skill for melodic ingenuity on a smartly crafted improvisation, while Martignon mixes melodic and rhythmic tension on his solo. These pieces reveal some diversity to Riveros’ Latin Jazz approach, reflecting the scope of his background.
A Broad Array Of Settings
A number of other songs place Riveros in a broad array of settings, ranging from Latin Jazz to funky fusion. Martignon and Gola establish a lumbering groove that falls into a 6/8 feel on “Los Primos,” providing the foundation for a sparse melody from Riveros. The guitarist reveals a deep seated ability to create logically structured melodies through creative thematic development with a memorable improvisation. A return to the uplifting melody pushes the song into high gear, and once the rhythm section revisits the original groove, Simpson explodes into an exciting display of drum pyrotechnics. Delicately intertwining melodies from Riveros and Rafalides introduce a singable theme on “Mis Amores,” which shimmers off the smart harmonic basis. Riveros improvises with a subtle rhythmic momentum while Rafalides outlines the chords before jumping into his own statement. The two musicians continue trading ideas throughout the track, finding an engaging conversational style that leads to a powerful duo performance. An aggressively funky groove from Martignon, Gola, and Riveros opens “Second Chance,” leading into singable melody from the guitarist. Riveros adds an edgy element to his improvisation with a distorted tone, ripping through the song with bluesy lines and rapid streams of notes. Martignon’s Fender Rhodes bounces through the bubbly groove with a joyful momentum, leading into an energetic improvisation full of running line from Gola on acoustic bass. These pieces prove Riveros to be a musician with a wide range of interests and the ability to artfully move between different musical worlds.
An Interesting Artist With A Broad Background
Riveros gives us a good look at a piece of his life on Camino Al Barrio, revealing a defined artist with a broad musical background. His guitar playing leaps off the recording, revealing an insightful improviser with a firm grasp on melodic construction and artistic finesse. Riveros’ improvisations flow through the recording with the thematic fluidity of Metheny while maintaining a traditional jazz approach to playing through the changes. As a composer, Riveros displays a firm grasp on harmony and a bluesy melodic sense that links him to the great hard bop and soul jazz writers. He places these ideas in a Latin Jazz context, but balances the two worlds evenly; South American and Caribbean rhythms support the songs, but they never overwhelm them or get lost. Martignon consistently appears as a strong voice, contributing inspired improvisations, solid support, and an experienced attitude. Rafalides provides a sympathetic voice that blends beautifully with Riveros’ guitar, providing tonal variation and harmonic variation. Simpson, Torres, and Gola drive the album with a smart combination of Latin rhythms and jazz spontaneity, playing with solid groove and interactive commentary. The revealing choice of repertoire on Camino Al Barrio paints Riveros as an interesting artist with a broad background, leaving us excited to hear about the next chapter in his life.
Halloween is a really fun time of year on so many different levels. It’s an opportunity to change your identity, experience a different perspective, and get lots of tasty candy – a combination that can’t be beat. More than any of these things though, Halloween offers a time where we can safely dig into scary scenarios and push our adrenaline levels to the sky. There’s something invigorating about getting a good scare, and every year, we enthusiastically come back to this experience. What really draws us in during Halloween though is the fact that we can get this high with the full knowledge that the scary won’t effect our larger lives.
Halloween or not, things are a little different when life gets truly scary though. These are the moments that send chills down our spines and find permanent places in the deep recesses of our minds. The Latin Jazz world has experienced these types of scares throughout the years, so in the spirit of Halloween, I’ve gathered five of these blood curdling moments. Although these moments still give me shivers, I’m getting past my fear to have a little Halloween fun. Check them out and if you’re so inspired, share some of your own scary Latin Jazz moments below. Enjoy the season – boo!
———- The Grammys Pay Tribute To Tito Puente With A Performance From . . . Ricky Martin?!?
When the King of Latin Music passed on, it seemed only fitting that a high profile event like the Latin Grammy Awards should pay tribute to him – a grand idea gone horribly wrong. They put together a fantastic band that included Sheila E on timbales, Dave Valentin on flute, Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, and a number of top Miami professionals – so far so good. Then they created an arrangement that included several top Puente hits including “Oye Come Va,” “Para Los Rumberos,” and “Quimbara” . . . not a true reflection of the scale of Puente’s work, but an acceptable way to celebrate the master among a general audience. With all the right pieces, the band hit the stage at the award show and slammed into a strong version of “Oye Como Va.” Then things got truly scary.
Who struts onto stage at this point? Ricky Martin. Wait a minute, is that right? The Grammy Awards have the opportunity to pay their respects to one of the twentieth century’s most important artists in Latin music and they choose one of the most shallow image-based vocalists as their representative? Who decided this and what did they know of Puente’s work? We’ll probably never understand the answers to these questions, but we do know that while El Rey was turning in his grave, Ricky Martin was livin’ la vida loca on stage to the tune of “Oye Como Va.” As this section of the medley came to a close, Martin introduced Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan. Despite a shocking head of blue hair, Celia raised the bar a bit with her classic voice. Unfortunately, things just spun downward as Estefan cut off Celia’s pregones . . . that’s right, Gloria Estefan cut off one of the best soneras in the history of the music. There’s something that’s just inherently wrong about that. The whole performance was simply a disturbing nightmare.
I try to convince myself that this just didn’t happen, and every once in a while, I start to believe it. Unfortunately, the truth is out there, as you can see below.
Cuban Horror Movie Gold From Vampires In Havana
Cuban filmmaker Juan Padrón developed an unusual spin upon the vampire legacy with the 1985 animated film Vampires in Havana. The movie centers around Pepito, a Cuban trumpet player whose real name is Joseph Emmanuel von Dracula. Despite his particularly telling last name, Pepito plays a mean trumpet and protests the Cuban government without the knowledge that he is a vampire. It seems that his uncle created a formula to help vampires avoid the negative effects of sunlight, which he has been regularly feeding to Pepito. American gangsters and European entrepreneurs learn about the magic formula which they both decide to obtain at any cost. With the Americans and Europeans on his tail, Pepito learns about his heritage and leads the foreigners on a wild chase through Havana. I won’t give away the details, but suffice to say that Pepito’s journey turns into a wild and campy ride that makes for a fun movie.
Vampires in Havana is a must-see movie this time of year (You can pull it right into your Netflix Instant Stream Queue today!), and Latin Jazz fans will quickly be drawn to the soundtrack. It seems that a certain trumpet player was leading a fiery cutting edge jazz group in the mid-eighties that bounced between fierce bebop, Afro-Cuban rhythms, funky grooves and more – maybe you’ve heard of him, his name is Arturo Sandoval? Padrón called upon Sandoval to create the soundtrack and this was a good move on every account. The trumpet player was at the height of his creative powers at the time, and the music on Vampires in Havana really captures this magic. There’s some beautiful music that supports the movie and then there’s some simply scary good playing from Sandoval. It’s a great example of Sandoval’s strong personality at this time.
Latin Jazz In All The Wrong Places
We’ve talked a lot about reaching a younger audience with Latin Jazz over the past few years, with a variety of solutions being thrown into the suggestion box. One of the main points that I’ve made in this area is that we need to put Latin Jazz in places where young people hear music. A natural connection here would be video games – there’s a lot of gaming time among the younger crowd and music plays a major part in this experience. The songs that fit into the soundtrack of a popular game get burnt into the consciousness of every gamer through endless repetition. This might not be the venue for acceptance of higher level artistry in Latin Jazz, but it’s exposure for a generation that might never encounter the music. With this in mind, I’ve repeatedly made the point that Latin Jazz needs to be placed in video games to reach a younger generation. In an ironic turn of events worthy of The Twilight Zone, I’ve learned to be careful what you ask for, you might get it.
The 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City made extensive use of Latin Jazz in a way that didn’t quite align with my earlier hopes. The game features several radio stations that the player hears while committing various crimes throughout the city. Radio Espantoso primarily features Latin Jazz, which in some sort of politically incorrect way makes it a favorite of Cuban gangsters and taxi cab drivers. Things get worse once you realize that Espantoso roughly translates to “horrible,” making the station name “horrible radio.” Despite this degrading place in the world of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the station’s voice, DJ Pepe, plays some great tracks, including Cachao’s “A Gozar Con Mi Combo,” Irakere’s “Anunga Nunga,” Tito Puente’s “Mambo Gozón,” Machito’s “Mambo Mucho Mambo,” and Mongo Santamaria’s “Mama Papa Tu.” There’s some amazing music there, but unfortunately it’s placed inside a game which promotes over the top violence, flippant drug use, and prostitution. I’ve been properly scared by the damage that this can create for the perception of Latin Jazz; maybe video game placement isn’t such a great idea.
Not sure about this? Check out a sample of the game and music below:
A Frightening Trip Into Smooth Territory
I’m a big proponent of stretching Latin Jazz and exploring all the new possibilities for musical evolution; at the same time, I’m fiercely protective of the music’s roots and lineage. When artists try something new, I like to see the foundation of their experimentation lead back to the music’s origins. This doesn’t mean that I expect modern artists to sound like Machito or Puente, this would be an unnecessary rehash of the past. I simply like to hear young artists respect the work of their elders and acknowledge the things that they’ve learned. Their own artistic personalities should find a place in the overall tradition, not the other way around. So when I hear about an established musician toying with Latin Jazz, I’m hoping that they take the time to understand what their taking on.
Soprano saxophonist Kenny G trampled upon the traditional jazz world in the eighties with his soft bluesy approach to commercially viable funk jams, and he stood poised to move into the Latin Jazz world in 2008. Before this time, Latin Jazz remained fairly unaffected by the whole smooth jazz movement, with traditional jazz taking the brunt of the attack. The emergence of Rhythm & Romance struck terror into our hearts, opening the possibility of a move for Latin Jazz towards Kenny G’s smooth blasé approach to music. The saxophonist wisely hired a top-notch rhythm section for the album, including percussionists Alex Acuña and Paulinho Da Costa, bassist Nathan East, and many more. This lent the album a touch of authenticity, but the connection to Latin Jazz tradition ended there. All of the arrangements carefully restrained from hitting any type of emotional peak, and Kenny G’s presence on the album simply restated his tired licks. The smooth jazz super star had lost some of his appeal at this point though, and Rhythm & Romance didn’t become a major hit. After a frightening period of waiting, it appeared that Latin Jazz had dodged the smooth jazz bullet.
A Musician’s Trip Into The Unknown
For nine years, the X-Files kept us thinking “I Want To Believe” when it came to aliens, supernatural creatures, and unexplained phenomenon. There wasn’t a bit of Latin Jazz in all nine years of the show, but it certainly held my attention at every turn. The super sleuth team of Mulder and Scully always made it seem possible that the government could be hiding aliens without ever showing us the proof. After a while, we didn’t really need proof anymore, we simply needed to be led into new adventures. This cleverly written show turned science fiction on its ears and paved the way for a new generation of television programs. This may seem like a slightly off topic aside, and you’re probably asking, “What does this have to do with Latin Jazz?”
During season 4 of The X-Files, Mulder and Scully investigated a case involving illegal immigrants from Mexico that had encountered a brutal disease in Los Angeles. Being out their comfort zone and certainly out of their cultural circle, the agents called upon the local INS representative to help them translate and connect with the affected parties. This INS agent, Conrad Lozano, played a major part in the episode, and he was played by legendary vocalist Ruben Blades. The episode takes neurotic spins into the Chupacabra, immigration law, and Mexican culture (kind of), making it a bit hard to follow, but entertaining none the less. Blades puts his acting chops on full display here, holding his own alongside David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Unfortunately, Blades’ character meets an unfortunate ending, but at least we get a peek into a collision between Latin Jazz and the supernatural.
Duets require an intense and flexible creativity from any artist, putting the depth of their musicality in a very exposed setting. There’s not a whole lot to fall back upon during a duet; you simply have the strength of your own musicality and the sole support of your partner. This means that the performance can result in new found heights of musical awareness or easily slip into tired cliche. Approaching a duet with passion and conviction can open an intimate window into the core of a musician’s personality, exposing their inner thoughts. Moving into a duet hesitantly will only provide a shaky performance built upon rigid safety nets. The move into duets is a calculated risk, but the potential pay-off is huge.
Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has jumped headfirst into the challenge of the duet on his latest release, Veja O Som (See The Sound), actively exploring dual sides of his musicianship. Raised in Rio de Janeiro, Neto soaked in the influences of the culture around him, connecting with the piano in his early teens. After some involvement in local groups, Neto became a primary member of Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal’s group in 1977, serving as pianist, composer, and producer. Neto spent the next fifteen years performing and recording with the influential Brazilian musician, taking a major part in albums such as Zabumbê-Bum-Á, Lagoa Da Canoa Municipio De Arapiraca, and Hermeto Pascoal E Grupo. A recording session with Sergio Mendes for the 1992 album Brasileiro brought Neto to the United States, and the pianist soon found a home on the West Coast in Seattle. He joined Flora Purim and Airto Moreira’s group Fourth World, touring with them through the next four years. During that time, Neto studied conducting at Cornish College Of The Arts, where he became a regular staff member, teaching piano and jazz ensembles. He established a solid career as a bandleader through a number of fantastic albums, ranging from his 1997 debut Caboclo, to his exploration of Brazilian music from the Northeast, Alma do Nordeste (Soul of the Northeast). The pianist’s latest release focuses specifically on duets with a large variety of musicians, spanning the range of two full CDs. The first recording finds Neto playing duets with musicians from the United States, staying for the most part, within the realm of Brazilian repertoire. Neto’s collaborators come from everywhere on the Stateside jazz map, including saxophonist David Sanchez, guitarist Bill Frisell, vocalist Gretchen Parlato, clarinetists Paquito D’Rivera and Anat Cohen, vibraphonist Joe Locke, and many more. The second disc places Neto in duet settings with a number of Brazilian musicians, once again interpreting the music of his home country. Some of the prominent musicians on this recording include pianist João Donato, guitarist Ricardo Silveira, vocalist Joyce Moreno, trombonist Vittor Santos, and many more. Neto interacts with each musician insightfully and builds a unique perspective upon every tune that only comes from a richly free-flowing conversation.
Neto tells us a lot about his own musicality and exposes a wealth of information about Brazilian music on Veja O Som (See The Sound). His duets show us the extreme flexibility of each composition and remind us that hearing an intimate conversation between two masters is indeed a privilege. In honor of the outstanding work on Veja O Som (See The Sound), today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix is dedicated to Jovino Santos Neto. The first clip finds Santos and his Quinteto performing in New York City, tackling the song “Comichão.” The second video brings Neto back to Seattle for a performance of “Festa de Erê” with a quintet at The Sunset Tavern. In the third snippet, Neto and his Quarteto perform one of Hermeto Pascoal’s compositions, “Campinas,” during the Ballard Jazz walk. The last piece gives a hint of the album with a duet between Neto and guitarist Sergio Santos, “Samba Pra Mangueira.” Neto is an amazing musician with a great sense of Brazilian swing, a dynamic sensitivity, and an unending creativity, providing an unbelievable amount of quality music – enjoy!
———- Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto Performing “Comichão” Live In New York
Jovino Santos Neto Quarteto Performing “Festa de Erê” Live At Sunset Tavern
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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
If you look further down the page, you’ll see that legendary composer and arranger Chico O’Farrill’s would have celebrated his birthday this Thursday, the 28th of October. On the verge of his 89th year, his son pianist Arturo O’Farrill is about to complete one of Chico’s big dreams. By invitation of the Cuban government, the O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra are attempting to return to the island to participate in the Havana Jazz Festival and bring the elder O’Farrill’s music home. You can get the full scoop in an article online HERE.
Pianist Danilo Pérez has been getting a lot of well-deserved press about his latest album Providencia lately. Glowing reviews have been showing up all over the online world and here at LJC, we had our own 5-part interview with Pérez. Podcaster Jason Crane recently got a chance to interview Pérez for his outstanding show The Jazz Session. In the interview, he talks about his new album, the influence of his family, his various educational projects, and the various musicians involved in his latest band. It’s a great listen – check it out HERE.
Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes has been touring the world lately in support of his amazing new album, Chucho’s Steps. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see the master Latin Jazz musicians live, fear not – NPR’s JazzSet presented Valdes and his Afro-Cuban Messengers live in a great concert recently. Caught live at the North Sea Jazz Festival, this is a performance not to be missed, with Valdes playing in high form. Half of the show also features accordion player Richard Galliano, whose band features another prominent Cuban pianist, Gonzalo Rubalcaba. You can listen to the show HERE.
If you’re in SOUTH AMERICA this week . . . MANANTE
Monday 10/25/10 WHERE:La Noche
Bolognesi 307, Barranco
Barranco, Lima, Peru TIME: 11:00 p.m.
Friday 10/29/10 WHERE:La Vida Misma
Avenida La Paz, 646
Miraflores Lima, Peru TIME: 8:00 p.m.
If you’re in EUROPE this week . . . KAT PARRA WHEN: Thursday 10/28/10 – Sunday 10/31/10 WHERE:The Amsterdam Conservatory
Oosterdokskade 151
1011 DL Amsterdam TIME: Various Times Throughout The Festival TICKETS: Individual Days: 30 – 52 euros; Festival Pass: 125 euros
If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . . AFRO-BOP ALLIANCE WHEN: Thursday 10/28/10 WHERE:Talara
615 President Street
Baltimore, MD TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
ANDREA BRACHFELD WHEN: Wednesday 10/27/10 WHERE:Willie’s Steak House
1832 Westchester Avenue
Bronx, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
ANNETTE AGUILAR & STRINGBEANS WHEN: Tuesday 10/26/10 WHERE:Giovanni’s G-Bar
579 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY TIME: 6:00 p.m.
WHEN: Friday 10/29/10 WHERE:The Garden Cafe
4961 Broadway
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m.
ARTURO O’FARRILL
Solo Piano WHEN: Wednesday 10/27/10 WHERE:Puppet’s Jazz Bar
481 5th Avenue Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
BOBBY SANABRIA
Manhattan School Of Music Afro-Cuban Big Band WHEN: Monday 10/25/10 WHERE:Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
33 West 60th Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20
Sexteto Ibiano WHEN: Wednesday 10/27/10 WHERE:Fonda Boricua
172 East 106th Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10
The New School University Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra WHEN: Sunday 10/31/10 WHERE:Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
236 E 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
CHEMBO CORNIEL WHEN: Friday 10/29/10 WHERE:Flushing Town Hall
13735 Northern Boulevard
Flushing, NY TIME: 81:00 p.m. TICKETS: $25
CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA WHEN: Sunday 10/31/10 WHERE:Birdland
315 W. 44th Street
Manhattan, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. TICKETS: $30
CHILCANO 2.0 WHEN: Monday 10/25/10 WHERE:Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:15 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
EDDIE PALMIERI
Steppin’ Out 2010 – Benefit For The Dimock Center WHEN: Saturday 10/30/10 WHERE:The Westin Copley Place
10 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $150
EDMAR CASTANEDA
Solo Harp WHEN: Saturday 10/30/10 WHERE:Live At The Falcon
1348 Route 9W
Marlboro, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: Suggested Donation
EDWARD PEREZ WHEN: Wednesday 10/27/10 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: Monday 10/25/10 WHERE:Pio Pio Cafe
604 Tenth Avenue
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
WHEN: Thursday 10/28/10 WHERE:Terraza Cafe
40-19 Gleane St
Elmhurst, NY TIME: 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: FREE
GABRIEL ALEGRIA AFRO-PERUVIAN JAZZ SEXTET WHEN: Friday 10/29/10 – Sunday 10/31/10 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
GARY MORGAN & PANAMERICANA WHEN: Friday 10/15/10 WHERE:The Tea Lounge
837 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
GRUPO LOS SANTOS WHEN: Tuesday 10/26/10 WHERE:Miles’ Cafe
212 E. 52nd Street, 3rd flr
New York, NY TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10 with $10 minimum
IGNACIO BERROA WHEN: Friday 10/29/10 WHERE:Live At The Falcon
1348 Route 9W
Marlboro, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: Suggested Donation
LAURANDREA LEGUIA WHEN: Tuesday 10/26/10 WHERE:Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
MAMBO LEGENDS ORCHESTRA WHEN: Wednesday 10/27/10 WHERE:The Allen Room – Jazz At Lincoln Center
Broadway and 60th Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
WHEN: Friday 10/29/10 WHERE:S.O.B.’s
200 Varick Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
PAPO VAZQUEZ PIRATES TROUBADORS WHEN: Wednesday 10/13/10 WHERE:Wadsworth Atheneum
600 Main Street
Hartford, CT TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $15
SOFIA TOSELLO
With Julio Santillan WHEN: Monday 10/25/10 WHERE:Zinc Bar
82 West 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10 with 1 drink minimum
With Julio Santillan – CD Release For Un Instante – Tribute To Jorge Luis Borge WHEN: Thursday 10/28/10 WHERE:Jazz Gallery
290 Hudson Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. TICKETS: 9:00 p.m. – $15; 10:30 p.m. – $10
STEVE KROON WHEN: Saturday 10/30/10 WHERE:Dix Hills Performing Arts Center
305 North Service Road
Dix Hills, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $25
VANDERLEI PEREIRA & BLINDFOLD TEST WHEN: Tuesday 10/26/10 WHERE:Zinc Bar
82 West Third Street
New York NY TIME: 9:30 p.m., 11:00 p.m., & 12:30 a.m. TICKETS: $10 at tables, NO COVER at bar
WILLIE MARTINEZ WHEN: Thursday 10/28/10 WHERE:Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
236 E 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $7
If you’re in the MID-EAST this week . . . CHICAGO AFRO-LATIN JAZZ ENSEMBLE WHEN: Tuesday 10/26/10 WHERE:Andy’s Jazz Club
11 East Hubbard Street
Chicago, IL TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
LOS GATOS WHEN: Wednesday 10/27/10 WHERE:Live At PJ’s
102 S 1st St
Ann Arbor, MI TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 9:15 p.m. TICKETS: $7
TUMBAO BRAVO WHEN: Sunday 10/31/10 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 . . . ARTURO SANDOVAL
San Francisco Jazz Festival WHEN: Friday 10/29/10 WHERE:Herbst Theater
401 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $30 – $75
GILBERT CASTELLANOS WHEN: Wednesday 10/27/10 WHERE:El Camino
2400 India Street
San Diego, CA TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
Many Moods
Yolanda Duke With The Tito Puente Orchestra Amigos Music & Marketing
Latin Jazz is a music that simultaneously touches upon the past, present, and future, a triangle that is often hard to manage. The past set the foundation for the style, and as a result, young musicians need to do a comprehensive study of the music’s history. The influence and knowledge that comes from this study allows them to move forward, but totally accurate recreations of past musical statements often escape the younger generation. They simply didn’t experience the music at it’s prime and they rarely capture the true soul and essence of the era. As a result, the present becomes a bit of a contradiction with young musicians trying to push the music into a future based upon their knowledge of a past that they can’t quite capture. More experienced musicians hold the key to this classic performance sound, and when our greater society values their work, they have sufficient opportunity to pass on their knowledge. All too often, popular culture looks towards the latest fad though, leaving these musicians with rare performance opportunities. This unfortunate fact robs a younger generation of a chance to learn and keeps the world blind to the music of the masters. In the end, this convoluted situation stunts the music’s growth, leaving the genre with a questionable future. Vocalist Yolanda Duke supports the past, present, and future of the music with the able help of the former Tito Puente Orchestra on Many Moods, showing the inherent power of big band Latin Jazz in the hands of masters.
Placing Jazz Roots Over Latin Rhythms
Duke reaches into the Tito Puente Orchestra’s jazz roots with several interpretations of jazz standards, placed over Latin rhythms. The Puente Orchestra screams into a hard hitting uptempo arrangement of Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love,” framing Duke’s powerful vocal with lush harmonies and tight rhythmic hits. As thick string patches float over a ferocious rhythm section groove, trumpet player John Walsh deftly twists jazz inflected melodies around the clave. Duke returns with a strong second reading of the melody, sending the band into a wild mambo that sends the band flying towards a climax. Sharp rhythmic hits give way into interlocking melodies over a steady cha cha cha on “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” leading into a cleverly interpreted version of the Gershwin lyrics from Duke. A quick interlude leads into a lyrical flute solo from Bobby Porcelli, who spins memorable lines around the unstoppable rhythmic groove. The band shines in a smartly arranged shout section that inspires a clever performance from Duke, who revisits the melody with class and energy. Brash attacks from the full band launch the groove into a strutting cha cha cha on “Blue Moon,” leaving Duke to skillfully present a personalized version of the melody. The band falls into a laid back swing behind tenor saxophonist Mitch Frohman, whose smoky tone and relaxed phrasing recalls classic big band performance. Upon her return, Duke grabs the band and leads it through switches between cha cha cha and swing with a confident vocal performance. A bombastic bass foundation powers beneath an uptempo vamp from the horns over a son montuno on “That Old Black Magic,” until Duke puts a fun twist on the Harold Arlen classic, singing the lyrics in Spanish. Alto saxophonist Bobby Porcelli explodes into a furious stream of bop flavored lines and Afro-Cuban phrasing, delivering an unforgettable solo. Duke opens into an enthusiastic pregon over a quick coro, pushing the arrangement into an unstoppable momentum as she returns to the melody. These pieces provide Duke and the Orchestra with some serious jazz credential, as they show their intimate familiarity with standards alongside their ability to navigate the clave with ease.
Digging Deeply Into The Greater World Of Latin Music
Duke also leans into the traditional world of Latin music with several numbers that reflect the mambo era roots of salsa. Images of Palladium era performances comes to the forefront as the band tears into “La Peleona,” setting up enthusiastic performances from Duke and guest vocalist Jose “El Canario” Alberto. Repeated coros provide the opportunity for both Duke and Alberto to jump into inspired pregones, demonstrating their ability to spontaneously create clave shaped phrases. The band sends this track to amazing heights, supporting Duke and Alberto with an addictive rhythmic drive and leaping into exciting mambos that push the groove to awe-inspiring limits. The winds blanket a relaxed bolero with lush harmonies, established a broad setting for a collection of legendary songs on “Marta Silva’s Medley.” Duke obviously holds a close connection to these pieces, interpreting the Puerto Rican composer’s pieces with a personal touch that resonates brightly within the recording. Arranger Ray Santos works magic on this collection, alternating the band between a broad supporting role and shifting them into the spotlight with gently phrased melodies and sweeping dynamics. A dramatic string introduction sets a somber mood on “Oh God! I Love You,” transitioning into a intimately exposed duet between Duke and pianist Sonny Bravo. As Bravo brings the introduction to a close, the band explodes into a driving son montuno that establishes a dance vibe behind Duke’s English lyric. Flying string passages dart between heavy horn hits as Duke performs the melody with stylistic flair, ending the piece with a powerful series of pregones. Duke and the group confidently display their roots on these tracks, showing the full spectrum of Latin music, from lush boleros to driving dance tracks.
Bridging The Gap Between Jazz And Latin Dance Music
Duke bridges the gap between the two worlds with several pieces that combine elements of both jazz and Latin dance music. The band struts into a screaming blues introduction on “Misty” as Duke comfortably place the familiar Errol Garner melody over a relaxed swing melody. Trombonist Sam Burtis displays some serious swing chops on his improvisation, hitting every edge of his register as he flies through the changes. The band provides carefully placed hits as Duke revisits the melody with a keen sense of swing and creative phrasing. Duke and the orchestra place a jazz spin on the classic Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernandez’s piece “Muchos Besos,” filling out the song with colorful harmonies. The smart arrangement from José Madera stretches the limits of the song and in turn pushes Duke into an impassioned melodic reading. This piece serves as a deserved feature for Duke, but the band simply shines underneath her performance, skillfully outlining rich harmonies. The woodwinds slide between long brass chords as the rhythm section walks through a medium tempo swing on Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” leading into Duke’s coyly relaxed interpretation of the familiar tune. A hard swinging shout section sends the band charging into a double time rumba, where conguero George Delgado explodes into a virtuosic solo. As Duke revisits the melody, the band playfully rides between swing and double time rumba, encouraging subtle twists in Duke’s performance. Duke and the Orchestra emerge from these pieces as a group that easily walks between musical contexts with professionalism, soul, and skill.
Carrying A Classic Sound Into The Future
Duke and the former Tito Puente Orchestra storm through Many Moods with an overwhelmingly appealing flair, showing the power sitting in these musical masters. Duke performs with a commanding presence throughout the album, maintaining her distinct identity through many different settings. She stands apart as one of the few vocalists with the power and clave insight to truly fuel an authentic Afro-Cuban context while maintaining the subtleties and flavor of jazz. Duke’s strong talent shines consistently throughout the album, but a massive star burns behind her. The untouchable arrangements and incredible band not only supports Duke, but steals the show with their classic sense of drive, taste, and momentum. The great contributions of arrangers Madera, Hernandez, Santos, and more really feed the band a sense of classic mambo era Latin Jazz. In addition, the string arrangements beautifully complement the overall big band charts, acting as another section of the mambo big band orchestra. The band plays these charts with an authentic flavor that simply can’t be matched. These musicians had significant contact with Puente for years, and many of them played with Machito and Tito Rodriguez. The collaboration between Duke and the Puente Orchestra on Many Moods holds massive potential, working in the present to carry a classic sound into the future.
Every piece of the jazz world is completely splintered into so many individual niches today, it’s hard to keep track of genre, style, and cultural connections. Modern jazz artists generally specialize in one area of this vast stylistic plane and then they dabble in many other corners. A post modern acoustic jazz musician might spend most of their time tearing through quick hard bop tunes with the occasional foray into instrumental rock. A fusion musician might take time away from their big rock beats to dip into free improvisation or Latin tinged dance music. The world has shrunk over the past twenty years, and so have the boundaries between jazz styles, giving jazz musicians complete liberty to dip their toes into different musical directions.
Pros and cons exist around this newly liberated approach to musical explorations. On the one hand, creative musicians should experiment and they need to take trips into unfamiliar artistic territory. It helps them grow artistically, reflect upon past musical directions, and become an artist with a full perspective. In an ideal situation, a musician might create something brilliant, bringing out a completely new side to their musicianship. This only happens when musicians explore these musical directions intelligently though. The casual insertion of cultural elements into jazz result in shallow creations that don’t really do justice to either musical tradition. Musicians that take this path run the risk of undermining long legacies of established musical practice and century old cultural traditions.
The traditional jazz world holds a long running practice of integrating cultural traditions from South America and the Caribbean, from both an intelligent and casual perspective. Jazz musicians with roots in South America or the Caribbean such as Mario Bauza, Tito Puente, Jerry Gonzalez, and Hilton Ruiz have long produced smart cultural hybrids. Today, the tradition has spread to musicians that don’t carry a connection through heritage, but have taken the time to study the cultural traditions. At the same time, there are too many examples of a lack of respect towards Latin traditions, ranging from albums that simply throw a conguero behind a straight-ahead jazz album to vocalists forcing jazz and pop phrasing over breezy bossa nova songs. There’s a historical precedent for this thoughtless approach to Latin Jazz and in the era of bold mash-ups, things have only gotten worse.
With this convoluted history sitting in the background, jazz artists that want to explore Latin music really need to approach cultural elements thoughtfully. The use of distinct sounds such as percussion or instruments unique to South American or Caribbean countries reference a culture outside of jazz. The same could be said for instrumental techniques or even melodic ideas found only in popular or traditional music of Latin American countries. Simply inserting any of these elements into a song creates a Latin-tinged texture, which is the first step towards creating a Latin Jazz sound. Unfortunately, too many artists stop at this point, providing a thin veil of cultural texture that once again cheapens the fusion. Artists really need to consider the performance conventions that surround these sounds and the appropriate application of them within a song. This takes time consuming study, but will lead to a more evenly balanced Latin Jazz that respects all the music’s roots.
———- Bassist Dave Holland has led a long career of creative innovation as both a sideman and leader, and his position as an established leader in the jazz world makes his venture into Latin Jazz, Hands, something to consider. Holland collaborates with Spanish guitarist Pepe Habichuela on the recording, blending jazz harmony and improvisation with flamenco performance techniques. Holland’s affinity towards flamenco styles sit outside the traditional realm of Caribbean or South American based Latin Jazz, making his project all the more interesting. It also means that Holland doesn’t have an established tradition of flamenco jazz fusions to use as role models, making his fusion a risky experiment. He has spent years earning the respect of countless musicians and listeners who are likely to follow his example in Latin Jazz fusion – leading to either a long string of culturally relevant projects or shallow musical references.
Fortunately Holland takes his trip into flamenco seriously, working to find an even balance with the jazz world. The bassist surrounds himself with a cast of experts consisting of Habichuela and two additional guitarists, as well as two cajon players. All the musicians improvise with fluidity and style, but Holland stands as the only pure “jazz” musician on the album. He doesn’t try to force his years of jazz experience onto the musicians though; he actually listens to the music around him and tries to find a place to fit into the mix. If anything, jazz actually gets downplayed in preference of flamenco aesthetics, providing the album with much more cultural meat. Holland’s journey into flamenco music moves far from simple references as the bassist dives headfirst into a new musical world and strives for understanding.
In a smart play of wise musicianship, Holland lets Habichuela and his group run the show for the most part and sits far in the background on Hands. Habichuela’s guitar moves to the forefront of the mix, providing authentic melodies, executed with the proper techniques that simply resonate flamenco. Jose Antonio Carmona contributes the majority of the compositions, ensuring a solid connection to flamenco aesthetics and authentic performance contexts. The two cajon players, Juan Carmona and Israel “Piraña” Porrina, control the groove throughout the album, with a distinct rhythmic push from the guitarists. At many points on the album, Holland simply doesn’t play, letting the other musicians lead the way through the songs. In so many ways, Holland is a guest in Habichuela’s world; he’s also a strong enough musician to realize that in order to serve the music well, he needs to be in the role of a learner until he understands the tradition.
The bassist is far from a passive observer though – Holland shines at several points on the album. He didn’t reach legendary status by simply playing the changes in the jazz world; Holland is an extremely insightful musician that can highlight the best in any music. He supports the compositions with his characteristic strength and steadiness, finding smart ways to outline the harmony and push the groove. He also provides some beautifully lyrical solos that let his personality shine through the context. Holland has done his listening on this count – his improvisations not only draw upon his jazz experience but also the vocal inflections of flamenco singers. Holland is a quick and respectful learner that keeps his ears focused upon his collaborators, applying everything that he learns in a tasteful fashion.
———- Holland’s leap into Latin Jazz on Hands may not be a first for traditional musicians, but it’s wildly successful as he chooses a deep cultural immersion in flamenco over textural references. He sums up his approach to the project in a few insightful lines from his blog: “I wanted to really get inside the music. Pepe is true, deep Flamenco and I felt that I would only dilute that music if I treated it in a casual way. I wanted to bring my own voice to the music but do it with a deeper understanding of the unique musical language of Flamenco.” The bassist should be applauded for his studied approach to the music; with the use of sounds as a cultural grab bag today and the established use of cultural textures in the past, Holland could have chosen an easy road. Instead, he paved the way for many more modern jazz musicians to explore music from around the world with respect, style, and knowledge – a welcome addition to the Latin Jazz world on any day.
Every combination of instrumentalists, large and small presents distinct freedoms and limitations to it’s members. Large ensembles often rely upon tightly arranged pieces of music that allow several musicians to navigate complex pieces while remaining organized. Smaller groups open their members to more improvisational freedoms, but they lack the textural variety and overlaying rhythms of a large ensemble. While these challenges and opportunities pop immediately from the instrumentation itself, it really comes down to the ways that musicians creatively manipulate these contexts that dictates their success.
Traditional jazz artists have made an art form out of trio performance, but it remains a challenging context for Latin Jazz – a fact that has not stopped Negroni’s Trio from creating some exciting and innovative music. Pianist Jose Negroni holds the core of the trio, mixing his experience in the Latin dance, jazz, and pop worlds into an explosive musical combination. A long time musician on Puerto Rico’s music scene, he studied extensively with Papo Lucca, pianist for La Sonora Ponceña. He spent over a decade sharing his experience with another generation of musician at the island’s conservatory before moving to Miami to work as director of music publishing at Sony Records. One musician that felt the impact of Jose’s teaching was his son Nomar, who quickly gravitated towards the drum kit. Nomar carried his passion for the drums to the Berklee School Of Music, where he honed his skills in the jazz, Latin, and pop worlds. Moving into the professional world, Nomar joined his father to form Negroni’s Trio, and together with bassist Rafael Valencia, the trio released Naturaleza – Nature in 2003. The trio solidified their powerful sound over the following years, returning in 2005 with the Grammy nominated album Piano – Drums – Bass. As the musicians moved onto a national stage, they also held onto their local roots, recording a small performance in a Florida theater that turned into the album Negroni’s Trio LIVE. The band reappeared on the Cacao label in 2008 with the stunning release Father & Son which displayed the group’s now highly evolved compositional style and almost telepathic interactive performance approach. This album extended the trio’s reach, taking them to jazz festivals around the world, earning airplay on major jazz stations, and gaining several LJC Best Of The Year Nominations. Their 2010 album Just Three finds the band playing a repertoire that explores edgy Latin arrangements, integrates electronics, and presents challenging compositions that redefine the role of the trio in Latin Jazz.
Negroni’s Trio shows us the Latin Jazz possibilities inherent in the trio setting, once again proving that creative musicians hold the ability to make any instrumental combination a powerful force. In honor of the ground shattering trio work found on their latest release Just Three, today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix is dedicated to Negroni’s Trio. The first video finds the trio performing the piece “Fingers” live at The Broward Center For The Performing Arts. The next clip features the band performing the piece “Los Duendes” from the same performance. The third snippet features the group in a live performance that features a guest appearance from saxophonist Ed Calle. The last video returns to a pure trio format with the band performing the piece “Milani.” There’s a lot of great music coming from “just three” musicians in this trio, something to hear – enjoy!
———- Negroni’s Trio Performing “Fingers”
Negroni’s Trio Performing “Los Duendes”
Negroni’s Trio Performing With Guest Saxophonist Ed Calle
Negroni’s Trio Performing “Milani”
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Want to hear more from Negroni’s Trio? Check out these albums: Piano – Drums – Bass
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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.
Most great musicians simply know that they will have a career in music, and that inner belief drives them into a fierce momentum. Even as children, they are drawn to their instrument consistently, spending more time playing music than any other activity. By the time they reach their teens, most driven musicians have found a specific passion to guide their musical focus. They eventually find their way onto professional gigs; whether through college or simple determination, they undoubtedly start finding employment. At this point, musicians either let their career ride along the path before them, or they carve their own way into their ideal scenarios. The truly passionate musicians won’t wait for success to find them, they keep pushing forward until they find it.
Trumpet player Victor Garcia has made his way into fantastic opportunities through a combination of musical passion, optimistic perseverance, and old fashioned hard work. Initially exposed to a wide variety of music by his father, Garcia spent the larger part of his youth playing piano, guitar, and singing. A Dizzy Gillespie CD brought Garcia deeply into jazz trumpet, leading him to the Gallery 37 Latin jazz big band and The Merit School Of Music. His musical abilities grew substantially by this time, and shortly after graduation, Garcia began working on Chicago’s salsa scene with vocalist Ricky Luis. He pursued collegiate music studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but found himself spending most of his time performing in Chicago. As his reputation grew, Garcia began playing in multiple Latin bands, so he relocated back to Chicago and enrolled in Northern Illinois University. He soon met pianist Darwin Noguera, another recent Chicago transplant, and the two musicians started working together frequently. They found a wealth of artistic common ground, spending time writing and arranging together with plans for the future. When Noguera booked a major gig in Miami, the two musicians brought their original music to a large ensemble, planting the seeds for their future big band. An opportunity to play at the Jazz en Clave festival back in Chicago allowed for the solid formation of the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble. Garcia and Noguera continued to book sporadic gigs for the group, but in the meantime, Noguera recorded a spectacular quintet album, The Gardener. This recording solidified a relationship with the Chicago Sessions record label, and as the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble expanded their original repertoire, Garcia and Noguera booked a recording session. They called upon several guest artists from a high profile concert in Chicago’s Millennium Park that included trombonist Steve Turre, percussionist Paoli Mejias, and more. The resultant recording, Blueprints, showed amazing potential in the group and marked another step in Garcia’s unstoppable forward motion.
Once Garcia connected with music, there was never any doubt that it would become a career. He didn’t wait for it to happen though, he made it happen – that momentum carried him through to his current stunning work with the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble. In Part One of our interview with Garcia, we looked at the major presence of music in his early life, his love for jazz as a teenager, and his first steps onto Chicago’s Latin music scene. In Part Two of our interview, we dug into the evolution of Chicago Latin music, Garcia’s initial connection with Noguera, and the first Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble gigs. Today we finish our conversation with a focus upon the unique qualities of CALJE, the recording of the group’s debut album Blueprints, and the future of the band.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: In this day and age, it’s really hard to find places that will hire a big band. What challenges are you finding?
VICTOR GARCIA: It’s about keeping the musicians really into it, because at the end of the day, it’s a labor of love. They don’t need us to survive. They aren’t making a lot of money with us; they’re doing it because they love to play and they want to play some quality music. I found that too with my own playing. When people say to me, “I’ve got this gig but it doesn’t really pay that great, would you be willing to do it?” I always say, “Well, let me hear the music.” If I like it, I’m like, “Man, I would love to be a part of this!” Even if I’m not going to make that much money, I’ll do it.
We’ve created a really cool tag-team sort of thing. We get together and it’s just so productive. We write some challenging stuff and we keep the players in mind. So that when they read the music, they will be challenged and they will enjoy the music. Then they’ll stick around for the gig that pays twenty dollars, and they’ll be there too when we get the gigs that pay three hundred. It’s a beautiful thing to have that love from the musicians; it makes it into a family ordeal, not just a business.
LJC: Now you’ve got a great representation of the band with Blueprints. How did the recording come together?
VG: When we got an opportunity to play at Millennium Park, we decided to really push and do an all original set of music. We got together everyday and we just wrote all the music. We had a bunch of original music. At the time, Darwin had gotten a connection with a guy named Nick Eipers, who is the founder of Chicago Sessions. He went to go see Darwin play and he really dug him. He thought he was a great talent with a lot of potential and great music. Most importantly, Darwin had original music, and Nick only wants to record original music. He did not want any covers.
He gave Darwin the opportunity to record a quintet CD – The Gardener by Darwin Noguera’s Evolution Quintet. He wrote some great stuff and we put together some nice arrangements. After that, Darwin started talking to Nick about this project. He said, “We’ve got all this original music and it’s on fire . . . but we don’t know what to do with it.” He said, “I’ll definitely consider it, I’m really happy with the outcome of The Gardener. You guys know what you’re doing musically.” He decided to cover the cost of recording and studio time if we talked to the musicians and made it happen. Sure enough, we got the musicians to go in. We were able to get them all in the studio and they put out some amazing music. I feel so blessed to know these amazing musicians.
LJC: You’ve got some great guest artists on the CD. You mentioned your relationship with Ricky Luis earlier, but you’ve also got Steve Turre, Paoli Mejias, and Neal Alger. How did you get those guys involved?
VG: I met Steve Turre at Northern when he came to do a guest artist spot with the big band. I got his number and we kept in loose contact. I would check in with him and he would keep tabs on what was going on here. When we got the opportunity to play in Millennium Park, the promoter said, “You guys can make the call, but we could provide money for a guest artist. It would definitely help the draw.” I thought it would be amazing. Steve Turre was one of the names that came up and I already had his number, so I gave him a call. I remember that conversation like yesterday. He said, “I would love to come out!” It was pretty awesome. We got him to come out for the rehearsal and he really dug the music. After the gig, he said, “Hey, if you ever record, give me a call. I would love to be a part of it.” So sure enough, when we got the opportunity to record, I called him up.
Paoli Mejias was a connection that we made through the Millennium Park concert. Initially we wanted to have Giovanni Hidalgo, but that didn’t work out. When we started talking about it again, we still really wanted to have a percussionist. Somebody in the office of cultural affairs said, “We just made connections with this young guy making some noise around the world with his own group and he’s traveling with Eddie Palmieri.” So we got Paoli’s number, I got a chance to talk to him and extend an invitation to do this concert with us. He listened to the music and he was into it. So we got him.
We had Howard Levy at that concert as well. I had been subbing in Chevere, so by then I had already established a relationship with him. Howard really dug me. He has really helped me; he hooked me up with some recordings and he actually put in a good word for me to be teaching at Loyola University. What a beautiful human being as well as a monstrous musician. So we asked him if he would be a part of it, and he said, “I’ll be there!”
Neal Alger plays with everybody; he’s an amazing guitarist. We wrote this reggae tune, “Vuelvo a Vivir,” and I thought, “It would be so nice to have a real guitar player on there.” We asked him and he did the concert; he also did the recording. It was so great to have him, because he threw a really nice solo on that reggae tune. He made the vibe really cool and authentic.
LJC: It’s really cool to hear a reggae tune on a Latin Jazz album. So much Latin Jazz is really focused on Afro-Cuban or Brazilian music, which is great, but it’s nice to hear variety.
VG: Right, that’s what we’re all about. There’s so many underexposed rhythms that people have never even heard about and don’t even know. They’re so beautiful too. There’s some really great Peruvian rhythms, and some Colombian stuff. My friend from New York, Pablo Mayor (from the Colombian group Folklore Urbano) wrote a chart “Tierra” on the CD, and I was so happy. It was completely different than every thing else on the CD.
And that the whole point – to show the versatility. When the slaves came to Latin America, they brought their drums and combined it with what was already here. The marriages created in each distinct region made for a real exciting musical experience, seeing how everyone translated it into their own terms. It’s not just what is pop music – salsa, merengue, and bachata – the only bit of Latin music that is making any bit of money out there. Cumbia for example, its beautiful stuff, and people just don’t appreciate it for what it is. But we want to take it there. I’ve even been brainstorming about a mariachi sounding tune that would have jazz in it. I know that there has to be a way. The hemiolas that they use in Mariachi are great.
LJC: There’s a few big bands out there today – what do you think is distinct about CALJE that shows something different?
VG: I think first and foremost, the thing is the variety of repertoire. A lot of groups stick to Cuba and that region of Caribbean music that is already popular and has been made popular since Machito, Beny Moré, and others started doing this. They’re keeping that tradition alive, which is amazing, because not a lot of people are doing it. There’s a handful of big bands doing it, and they’re not eating from that plate either – it’s a labor of love as well. So it makes me happy to know that we’re not trying to reach millionaire, lucrative status or anything. It’s about the music and that will always keep it fresh and new for us. Because we’re doing it for the love, not for a paycheck.
We infuse the different angles that we come from. I’m not Puerto Rican or Cuban and Darwin isn’t either, he’s Nicaraguan. He grew up listening to a whole different bag of tricks. Same here, but at the same time, being infused in the salsa scene at such an early age, I got to appreciate all types of Latin music. I had already been listening to trio music when I was little and Mariachi. My dad loved to play some of those Sonora bands from Mexico; I didn’t know at the time, but a lot of that was cha cha, influenced by Cuban music. I really got to hear a wide range and variety of things, even before I knew what they were. My dad would just call it musica tropical. We come from different musical angles that we bring to the table in compositions. It makes everything sound so fresh and new.
LJC: You’ve got the CD now reaching a wider audience, so what’s the next step for the band?
VG: It’s all about who you know and making connections with the people that move money and produce shows. Darwin is a go-getter, so I know it’s just a matter of time before we do some other things. He’s already talking to the Nicaraguan council to bring us to the next Nicaragua Jazz Festival. I was just playing recently in Chile and I made some really nice connections; I passed out the CD to some people that put together Viña del Mar Jazz Festival. It’s just talking to people and trying to move this. We want to reach a wider audience, and especially an audience that will appreciate it. Unfortunately the classical music of America, jazz, is so underappreciated in this country, it’s crazy. When I went to Europe, I remember playing in concert halls and even bars – you could hear a pin drop, people were really listening! It was a little intimidated, but isn’t that what I want? Hopefully we’ll get a chance to go out there. I know there’s places even in the States where we would be appreciated. We’ve just got to make those connections and see them through. It’ll happen, it’s just a matter of time.
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You’ll want to read Part One of our interview with trumpet player Victor Garcia, where we take a look at his family connection to music, his discovery of jazz as a teenager, his focused progression as a musician, and his emergence as a professional. You can find it HERE.
Make sure that you take a look at Part Two of our interview with trumpet player Victor Garcia, where we talk about the Chicago Latin music scene, his initial connection with pianist Darwin Noguera, and the first steps of the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble. You can check it out HERE.
Many elements effect the make-up of a musical scene, and as each piece evolves, so does the overall scene. The community of musicians within a city stays in a constant state of flux as artists come in and out of an area. When an important musical mainstay leaves the scene, the total artistic community feels ripples in both positive and negative ways. Sometimes influential musicians make moves to a new region, resulting in a major upswing of quality and creativity. Venues appear and disappear, changing the work flow for musicians in very major ways. It’s a matter of cause and effect that directly impact the actions of young and inspired musicians.
Trumpet player Victor Garcia took all the influences of his Chicago surroundings, developing the skills that would make him a major player on the scene. Inspired by his father’s deep love for performance, he moved through the piano, guitar, and voice, digging into a wide range of music from Mexican trios to The Beatles. A chance CD offer led him to Dizzy Gillespie, whose recordings got Garcia hooked on the jazz world. Still learning the basics of the trumpet, Garcia addictively transcribed jazz solos and built a broad understanding of the music. Looking for more opportunities to become a better musician, Garcia joined the Gallery 37 Latin Jazz big band, learning the fundamentals of clave and jazz. His immersion into performance became complete as he finished his high school career at The Merit School Of Music, getting private lessons, jazz experience, and more. An emerging musician by the time that he left high school, Garcia found professional performing experience in singer Rick Luis’ salsa band, finding himself a home on Chicago’s Latin music scene. Encouraged by his progress, Garcia continued studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but soon found his performance schedule in Chicago pulling him away from school. He became an essential piece of the Chicago salsa scene, working with bands led by Papo Santiago and Angel Melendez. His increasingly heavy load of performance commitments made it impossible to split time between Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, so Garcia transferred to the music department at Northern Illinois University. During his time there, Garcia met pianist Darwin Noguera on a salsa gig, and the two musicians began a fruitful relationship. As Garcia and Noguera began working together more consistently, they developed a repertoire of original pieces and arrangements. High profile gigs in Miami and back home in Chicago allowed Garcia and Noguera to hire a number of musicians, marking the start of a band that would place Latin Jazz in a prominent spot on Chicago’s music scene.
Garcia’s contributions to the Latin music scene in Chicago have evolved with the city, carving a high profile position for the style. The creative drive displayed by Garcia and Noguera resulted in the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, and as their album Blueprints is solid evidence that Latin Jazz has become an important piece of the city’s scene. In Part One of our interview with Garcia, we looked at the large presence of music in his childhood, his love for jazz as a teenager, and his development into a working professional. Today, we dig into Garcia’s college years, the evolution of Chicago’s salsa scene, his connection with Noguera, and the first steps of the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz ensemble.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: After that, you left Chicago to go to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. What took you out of the city and what did you find there?
VICTOR GARCIA: I didn’t really know where I wanted to go to college; I didn’t event know that I wanted to go to college honestly. My teacher really encouraged me. He said, “Man, you could get a lot of money if you do this for a living.” So I was thinking, “Oh man, that would be awesome.” So he really pointed me in the right direction of practicing everyday and making it a regular part of my life.
Since I was playing out with Ricky, a lot of people were seeing me at gigs. They would come up to me and get my number, so I started playing in more and more Latin bands. One of them was Angel Melendez and the 911 Orchestra; I was a mainstay with him for many years. Still to this day, he calls me whenever he has a big band gig. Ben Willis put together a really nice project. There was this lady named Zania who was doing some great things; I became the musical director for her. There was Papo Santiago, a great salsa singer – I still play with him, we just finished his CD. Angel de Cuba is another great singer. They’re still kicking and doing some really great things, but the salsa scene has definitely changed today.
The money wasn’t that great back then. That’s why I had a lot of opportunities to play – the guys that were doing the gigs at the time were heavy trumpet players in town. But they were also doing other gigs that paid better, so they were always scrambling to find somebody. I was around, and I wasn’t doing anything. They would call me to play these really late salsa gigs – it would $100 to be there from ten at night until four in the morning. It would be pretty crazy, but I really got my feet wet. I really learned what it takes to be a true player. You’ve got to be efficient and last all night long. You can’t be great for one or two songs and that’s it; people just aren’t going to call you.
At that point, I started waking up every day at 5:30 in the morning to practice before school. I was so into it, I was so obsessed with it. Sometimes I would look up at the clock and it would be one in the afternoon – so I would say, “Alright, just keep on practicing!” It really made a difference that I took that time, especially since I started playing trumpet later on in life. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I started breaking my bad habits. I used to play with a piece of gum in my mouth. It was just a weird thing, but nobody had told me it was wrong. My posture was all jacked up, and I even had to change my embouchure. I’m just glad it happened then and not now.
LJC: You said the salsa scene in Chicago had changed – what is the salsa scene like there?
VG: It’s down to a few places. Back in the day I was playing at Sapphire’s, Nick’s, Rumba – that’s one of the few places still around that is still playing salsa music. It’s very, very limited. There’s only a few places that will hire salsa bands. Luckily I’ve been doing the Cubby Bear thing every Sunday with different bands . . . I play in so many different salsa bands that I find myself there for some reason or another on a Sunday. Other than that, I don’t really know of any other places that there are to play Salsa. Alhambra Palace is a new place, but they’re not doing that great. They have to pay musicians peanuts on a Tuesday to come out and play.
Once in a way we do get some nice concerts coming in though. I’m playing with Ray Sepulveda next week. When the big guys come through town, a lot of them know me already. I’ve been in bands with some of them and then they go back to where they live and tell people, “Hey man, there’s this guy in Chicago. When you come through there, give him a call. So I’ve gotten a chance to play with a lot of people, like Victor Manuel, Larry Harlow, and some real heavies. I even got the chance to play with Marvin Santiago the night before he died, which was pretty amazing. I’m lucky to have gotten all these opportunities, and I don’t take them for granted. I still go home after the gig with the adrenaline left in my body, and I still practice.
LJC: When you were in college, you transferred back to Northern Illinois University and that’s where you met Darwin Noguera. How did you guys start working together?
VG: I was playing in so many different bands, so I was coming back to town almost every day. It was really hard; I could almost never get my homework done. At the same time, I started doing what I really wanted to do anyways.
I got in this band called Orquesta Leal, a little salsa that really just sprouts up here and there to do festival gigs. It’s a pretty decent band. It just so happens that Darwin had just moved into town, and he was looking for a gig. They found him, so they called him, and that’s where we met – in a basement during a rehearsal. He was playing keyboards; I remember listening to him, thinking, “Man, this guy has some chops.” He’s a classical guy, so he has really great technique and he was just reading everything straight down like a hawk. I got to meet him and say, “Hey man, you sound great.”
I was in Ricky’s band, but that was the time that I made the transition into another band. I was musical director and so I was hand picking the band. He came in at a perfect time. I ended up getting him on piano, Josh Ramos on bass who I knew from Gallery 37, Brian Rivera, who is a great percussionist in town, and Tito Nieves, an amazing bongocero. These are all young guys that I met playing with Ricky. On the horns, I brought in Greg Ward, and sometimes Danny Campbell, a great trumpet player from St. Louis. It was awesome that I got to hand pick this dream team. We even made a few recordings of some concerts; we were playing at a ridiculously high level, even back then. It’s really cool to reflect back and see the beginnings of it, because that’s really what paved the way for what we are doing now.
LJC: How did the group evolve; did you guys have the thought that you wanted to have a big band?
VG: It actually started because Darwin is a go-getter. He decided that he wasn’t going to wait for the phone to ring; he was going to start his own band. So he started his trio and then he started thinking, “O.K., I’m going to make it a little bigger, maybe I can add a couple of horns to it.” He started writing and then he asked me one day to transcribe some stuff for him.
Darwin had an opportunity to play this gig in Miami, and he wanted it to be really, really good. We were going to play with the likes of Emilio Valdés, who is Chucho Valdés’ son. Funny enough, Rocky Yera was in that band, he was a good friend of Darwin’s from Miami. He was in the first version of CALJE, which happened in Miami. All the players were from over there. We took the charts and we made some great connections. For example, we played with Juan Turros, who had just gotten off the road with Maynard Ferguson; he ended up contributing those tunes “Send Eggs” and “Bossa Pegajosa,” which I think are some of the most beautiful tunes on the CD.
From there, we just kept transcribing stuff. Darwin started bringing in some originals that he wanted me to help arrange. I know Finale like the back of my hand, so I said, “Alright!” That actually started a really cool team – I was at the MIDI keyboard and he was at the piano composing. We would just work together. We would record everything, lay it out, and then arrange it for eight horns. Little by little, we started getting cool opportunities. At the time, he was doing an internship at The Hothouse, and they gave him an opportunity to bring a band to open up for the Jazz En Clave Festival. It was amazing; we just came out with a bang. We had already done it in Miami, but it was kind of on the backburner – who’s going to pay for a big band? It went great. Then we had all this music that was just sitting there. We were like, “Man, I hope we can play it again someday!” Luckily, we’re playing it now.
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You’ll want to read Part One of our interview with trumpet player Victor Garcia, where we take a look at his family connection to music, his discovery of jazz as a teenager, his focused progression as a musician, and his emergence as a professional. You can find it HERE.
Make sure that you come back tomorrow to check out Part Three of our interview with trumpet player Victor Garcia, where we’ll talk about the evolution of the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, the group’s new recording Blueprints, and Garcia’s future plans. Don’t miss it!
The history of jazz is broad and varied, staged in various locations across the United States; strangely enough, the history of Latin Jazz is written in one area. During the birth of jazz, Jelly Roll Morton claimed the Latin Tinge was an essential part of the music, a fact which was de-emphasized until the Big 3 Orchestras rocked New York’s Palladium with massive mambos. As history followed Latin Jazz, New York remained the focus, continuing to be written through the contributions of people like Machito, Tito Puente, Jerry Gonzalez, Hilton Ruiz, and more. New York artists certainly made incredible forward motion that changed the music forever, but it seems a bit shortsighted to consider that the end of the story. Jazz evolved across the country, and in many of these locations, people from the Caribbean and South America were a part of the community. Latin music played in harmony with jazz outside of New York, and it simply makes sense that other Latin Jazz traditions existed across the country.
Trumpet player Victor Garcia spent his childhood in Chicago between these two traditions and built skills that would change the city’s Latin Jazz scene for the better. Garcia’s father was an amateur musicians that loved performance deeply and shared that passion with his children. The elder Garcia gave Victor piano and guitar lessons, having his son sing lead and harmony in Mexican trios. The young Garcia spent time hearing his father’s broad record collection, which ranged from traditional Mexican music to The Beatles. These early experiences gave Garcia exposure to quality music, concepts about harmony, and a deeply rooted appreciation for performance. A youthful joke led to Garcia’s first Dizzy Gillespie record, and once he heard the music, he became hooked on jazz. Right before high school, he acquired a trumpet and began teaching himself. He transcribed jazz trumpet solos and figured out fingerings on his own. Some of Garcia’s friends shared his interest in jazz, and as they saw him growing, they suggested he join a big band ran by Chicago’s Gallery 37. The group was a Latin Jazz big band, which exposed Garcia to the masters of the music, taught him about phrasing in clave, and pushed his playing tremendously. His progress caught the eye of the Merit School Of Music, earning him a scholarship to attend the program during his final years of high school. Even before college, music was a chosen path for Garcia, leading him to professional work. By the time he graduated high school, he gigged regularly with salsa singer Ricky Luis, contributing arrangements, and eventually becoming the group’s musical director. With an unquenchable thirst for performance and an increasingly strong set of musical skills, Garcia was on his way to becoming an essential part of Chicago’s music scene.
Chicago had developed a strong community around jazz and Latin music over the years, and Garcia entrance into this mixture gave him inspiration to dive deeply into music. Today, he co-leads one of the city’s golden big bands, the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, whose current album Blueprints is exposing the city’s vast talent to the world. In part one of our interview with Garcia, we dig into his early exposure to music, his accidental discovery of jazz, and his steps towards a professional music career.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: You grew up in Chicago and started music at a young age – how did you get into performance?
VICTOR GARCIA: My dad was an amateur guitarist from Mexcio. He never had an opportunity to do it for a living; he had to work since he was eight years old. He did it as a hobby that he really loved. He vowed that when he had children, he would give them real music or an opportunity to at least have it if they really wanted it. He ended up being an acupuncturist. He gave us piano lessons – I remember sitting on his lap even as early as three years old. Then he gave me my first guitar when I was eight years old. So I’ve basically been around music all my life. We were singing since I was five years old – since I was old enough to enunciate a whole lyric. So it’s been a really beautiful development.
The first kind of music that we heard was trio music – romantic Mexican music. They play it with three guitars. I was always the lead singer. If they couldn’t find a harmony, I was always the one to find it. That really developed a keen sense of harmony for me and taught me how chords moved. It was really awesome to have that kind of a base early on.
LJC: Was the music that you were around when you were younger or was anything else floating around you?
VG: There was everything around us. My dad loved The Beatles. There was a time that I could safely say that I could recite most all the lyrics from all The Beatles songs. In my generation, the crap that was on the radio was really what people were listening to at school. I was always the odd ball out when it came to music, which I didn’t mind. Later on I found out that there really are only two kinds of music, good and bad. Not that I was being predjudice against the pop music of that time, it’s just that it wasn’t good! There’s a couple of Michael Jackson records that I really dug, but that’s a different story – later on I found out that it was Quincy Jones behind it, so it makes sense. I learned that there’s no limits to what kind of limits is allowed to be good or bad – it just is or isn’t!
LJC: By high school, you were checking out jazz recordings, and this inspired you to get into the trumpet. When did jazz pop in there?
VG: Me and my brother were making prank calls one time. He used 10-10-921 – one of those numbers that you can call to get free minutes and they would block your number. So we made some prank calls and all of a sudden we got a thing in the mail that said, “Thank you for using 10-10-921, you have won a free CD.” My brother started freaking out and said, “Oh no, Mom’s going to find out – here, you take it!” I was like, “Um, O.K.” They showed a list of CDs that we could get for free and it was a very, very limited list. Nothing stood out to me except for this one CD with a picture of this dude with big old cheeks, who I would later learn was Dizzy Gillespie.
I also got it because at that time, I had just started playing trumpet. The summer of 8th grade, going into high school, I got my first little trumpet made in China. The valves were really stiff, but I dug it. I didn’t even know how to play. As a matter of fact, years later when I got a teacher in my senior year of high school, he was like, “Man, you’re playing all the wrong fingerings, but you’re still playing the right thing – what the heck is going on?!?” I had just figured it out by listening to music. I transcribed solos before I actually knew what the word transcription even meant. I was like, “I want to play what he’s playing – that’s awesome!” So I transcribed some Thad Jones, I transcribed some Dizzy, of course – that was really hard because I was just starting the trumpet. I could barely get a high C; if I got one, I would be like, “Yes! I got one!” I ended up getting hip to a lot of different players at that time.
When I showed my friends, some of them were in Merit School of Music. In the second semester of my sophomore year, I joined this program called Gallery 37. My friends were saying, “Hey, come on, man, you should try this.” So then I started being in the Latin Jazz big band at Gallery 37.
LJC: Was that an educational group?
VG: Yea, that was funded by the city. It was like work almost. You would show up at a certain time, we would just sit there an practice all day. The first half was sitting with Michael McLaughlin, doing long tones, lips slurs, and technical things for brass. Then we would look over some of the music that we were going to be performing for concerts. That was a really nice program, I’m so lucky that I had an opportunity to be a part of that. Meeting him, and then by the time my senior year rolled around, they said, “We’ve seen some really great growth in you, and we’d like to offer you a scholarship for trumpet lessons.” So I told my parents, and they were thrilled about it.
I started going to Merit in then second half of my junior year, and then my whole senior year. I started playing in their jazz combo and their big band. I didn’t even know how to read chord changes, but since I had been transcribing, I could really navigate the charts. It was funny, my teacher would put a new tune in front of us, like “Hot House” or something, I would stare at the chart and there were changes on the first and the second page. My eyes were fixated on the first page when we were obviously on the second page. I wouldn’t know where we were, but I would listen to the changes. It was cool, because I got a really deep feel for form before I even knew what I was supposed to be doing. I came from that angle, which I think really helped me out a lot.
LJC: Was the Gallery 37 band your first exposure to Latin Jazz?
VG: Yep, that was definitely the first time that I got to learn about Machito and what Dizzy Gillespie was doing with Latin rhythms. I did hear something on the CD that I got originally, but I never had played any of it. I started learning about clave, its importance, and its role. I’ve figured it out now, but even then, I even remember hearing music and thinking, “There’s clave in everything.” I hold that to this day – I tell my students that clave is the phenomenon of phrasing. It has nothing to do with Latin music; it’s very prominent, but every kind of music has phrases. You say something, rest, say something, rest. If you don’t, then it’s just going to sound like a run-on sentence, and it’s not going to be music anymore. Everything has clave, it’s the way that the human mind can take in information. It should really be emphasized everywhere. Even when I do horn arrangements or full arrangements for pop music, I take all that into consideration, and usually that works out well.
LJC: Before you went off to college, you were playing in local Latin bands around town. What was Chicago’s Latin music scene like then and how did you get in when you were so young?
VG: I had a few friends in the Gallery 37 band, these trumpet players named Madeline and Tito. At the time, they were playing with this amazing musician and singer, Ricky Luis; he had a little salsa band here in town. They brought me in; one of them had another gig so they had me fill in at a rehearsal. I remember showing up and there were all these young guys, my age. I think the trombone player was the oldest, maybe a couple of years older than me. Ricky was doing some really nice stuff at the time. His mom really believed in his talent so she spent a ton of dough going to New York and getting some originals for him. Edwin Sanchez did the charts in New York; he did the arrangements and got all the best New York cats to record this music for him.
So he had this really amazing demo that got us gigs. We were doing originals and then we were doing a bunch of covers. Soon there after, I became the musical director. That really helped give me some leadership skill, it gave me the opportunity to direct the band and be the musical director. I had started out by getting addicted to transcribing, so now I was doing it really quick – I would do a whole arrangement for him in one hour. Now he’s in Puerto Rico, signed to Sony Records.
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Make sure that you check out Part Two of our interview with trumpet player Victor Garcia, where we talk more about Chicago’s Latin music scene, his early collaborations with pianist Darwin Noguera, and the formation of the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble. You can find it HERE.
Halloween is a really fun time of year on so many different levels. It’s an opportunity to change your identity, experience a different perspective, and get lots of tasty candy – a combination that can’t be beat. More than any of these things though, Halloween offers a time where we can safely dig into scary scenarios and push our adrenaline levels to the sky. There’s something invigorating about getting a good scare, and every year, we enthusiastically come back to this experience. What really draws us in during Halloween though is the fact that we can get this high with the full knowledge that the scary won’t effect our larger lives. 
The Grammys Pay Tribute To Tito Puente With A Performance From . . . Ricky Martin?!?
Who struts onto stage at this point? Ricky Martin. Wait a minute, is that right? The Grammy Awards have the opportunity to pay their respects to one of the twentieth century’s most important artists in Latin music and they choose one of the most shallow image-based vocalists as their representative? Who decided this and what did they know of Puente’s work? We’ll probably never understand the answers to these questions, but we do know that while El Rey was turning in his grave, Ricky Martin was livin’ la vida loca on stage to the tune of “Oye Como Va.” As this section of the medley came to a close, Martin introduced Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan. Despite a shocking head of blue hair, Celia raised the bar a bit with her classic voice. Unfortunately, things just spun downward as Estefan cut off Celia’s pregones . . . that’s right, Gloria Estefan cut off one of the best soneras in the history of the music. There’s something that’s just inherently wrong about that. The whole performance was simply a disturbing nightmare.
Cuban Horror Movie Gold From Vampires In Havana
Latin Jazz In All The Wrong Places
The 2002 video game 
A Frightening Trip Into Smooth Territory
Soprano saxophonist Kenny G trampled upon the traditional jazz world in the eighties with his soft bluesy approach to commercially viable funk jams, and he stood poised to move into the Latin Jazz world in 2008. Before this time, Latin Jazz remained fairly unaffected by the whole smooth jazz movement, with traditional jazz taking the brunt of the attack. The emergence of 
A Musician’s Trip Into The Unknown
During season 4 of The X-Files, Mulder and Scully investigated a case involving illegal immigrants from Mexico that had encountered a brutal disease in Los Angeles. Being out their comfort zone and certainly out of their cultural circle, the agents called upon the local INS representative to help them translate and connect with the affected parties. This INS agent, Conrad Lozano, played a major part in the episode, and he was played by legendary vocalist Ruben Blades. The episode takes neurotic spins into the Chupacabra, immigration law, and Mexican culture (kind of), making it a bit hard to follow, but entertaining none the less. Blades puts his acting chops on full display here, holding his own alongside David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Unfortunately, Blades’ character meets an unfortunate ending, but at least we get a peek into a collision between Latin Jazz and the supernatural. 
Duets require an intense and flexible creativity from any artist, putting the depth of their musicality in a very exposed setting. There’s not a whole lot to fall back upon during a duet; you simply have the strength of your own musicality and the sole support of your partner. This means that the performance can result in new found heights of musical awareness or easily slip into tired cliche. Approaching a duet with passion and conviction can open an intimate window into the core of a musician’s personality, exposing their inner thoughts. Moving into a duet hesitantly will only provide a shaky performance built upon rigid safety nets. The move into duets is a calculated risk, but the potential pay-off is huge.
, 
, and 
. A recording session with Sergio Mendes for the 1992 album 
brought Neto to the United States, and the pianist soon found a home on the West Coast in Seattle. He joined Flora Purim and Airto Moreira’s group Fourth World, touring with them through the next four years. During that time, Neto studied conducting at Cornish College Of The Arts, where he became a regular staff member, teaching piano and jazz ensembles. He established a solid career as a bandleader through a number of fantastic albums, ranging from his 1997 debut 
, to his exploration of Brazilian music from the Northeast, 
. The pianist’s latest release focuses specifically on duets with a large variety of musicians, spanning the range of two full CDs. The first recording finds Neto playing duets with musicians from the United States, staying for the most part, within the realm of Brazilian repertoire. Neto’s collaborators come from everywhere on the Stateside jazz map, including saxophonist David Sanchez, guitarist Bill Frisell, vocalist Gretchen Parlato, clarinetists Paquito D’Rivera and Anat Cohen, vibraphonist Joe Locke, and many more. The second disc places Neto in duet settings with a number of Brazilian musicians, once again interpreting the music of his home country. Some of the prominent musicians on this recording include pianist João Donato, guitarist Ricardo Silveira, vocalist Joyce Moreno, trombonist Vittor Santos, and many more. Neto interacts with each musician insightfully and builds a unique perspective upon every tune that only comes from a richly free-flowing conversation. 
lately. Glowing reviews have been showing up all over the online world and here at LJC, we had our own 
. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see the master Latin Jazz musicians live, fear not – NPR’s JazzSet presented Valdes and his Afro-Cuban Messengers live in a great concert recently. Caught live at the North Sea Jazz Festival, this is a performance not to be missed, with Valdes playing in high form. Half of the show also features accordion player Richard Galliano, whose band features another prominent Cuban pianist, Gonzalo Rubalcaba. You can listen to the show 
Every piece of the jazz world is completely splintered into so many individual niches today, it’s hard to keep track of genre, style, and cultural connections. Modern jazz artists generally specialize in one area of this vast stylistic plane and then they dabble in many other corners. A post modern acoustic jazz musician might spend most of their time tearing through quick hard bop tunes with the occasional foray into instrumental rock. A fusion musician might take time away from their big rock beats to dip into free improvisation or Latin tinged dance music. The world has shrunk over the past twenty years, and so have the boundaries between jazz styles, giving jazz musicians complete liberty to dip their toes into different musical directions. 
The traditional jazz world holds a long running practice of integrating cultural traditions from South America and the Caribbean, from both an intelligent and casual perspective. Jazz musicians with roots in South America or the Caribbean such as Mario Bauza, Tito Puente, Jerry Gonzalez, and Hilton Ruiz have long produced smart cultural hybrids. Today, the tradition has spread to musicians that don’t carry a connection through heritage, but have taken the time to study the cultural traditions. At the same time, there are too many examples of a lack of respect towards Latin traditions, ranging from albums that simply throw a conguero behind a straight-ahead jazz album to vocalists forcing jazz and pop phrasing over breezy bossa nova songs. There’s a historical precedent for this thoughtless approach to Latin Jazz and in the era of bold mash-ups, things have only gotten worse. 
Bassist Dave Holland has led a long career of creative innovation as both a sideman and leader, and his position as an established leader in the jazz world makes his venture into Latin Jazz, 
In a smart play of wise musicianship, Holland lets Habichuela and his group run the show for the most part and sits far in the background on 
Holland’s leap into Latin Jazz on 
Every combination of instrumentalists, large and small presents distinct freedoms and limitations to it’s members. Large ensembles often rely upon tightly arranged pieces of music that allow several musicians to navigate complex pieces while remaining organized. Smaller groups open their members to more improvisational freedoms, but they lack the textural variety and overlaying rhythms of a large ensemble. While these challenges and opportunities pop immediately from the instrumentation itself, it really comes down to the ways that musicians creatively manipulate these contexts that dictates their success.
in 2003. The trio solidified their powerful sound over the following years, returning in 2005 with the Grammy nominated album 
. As the musicians moved onto a national stage, they also held onto their local roots, recording a small performance in a Florida theater that turned into the album Negroni’s Trio LIVE. The band reappeared on the Cacao label in 2008 with the stunning release 
which displayed the group’s now highly evolved compositional style and almost telepathic interactive performance approach. This album extended the trio’s reach, taking them to jazz festivals around the world, earning airplay on major jazz stations, and gaining several LJC Best Of The Year Nominations. Their 2010 album 
Most great musicians simply know that they will have a career in music, and that inner belief drives them into a fierce momentum. Even as children, they are drawn to their instrument consistently, spending more time playing music than any other activity. By the time they reach their teens, most driven musicians have found a specific passion to guide their musical focus. They eventually find their way onto professional gigs; whether through college or simple determination, they undoubtedly start finding employment. At this point, musicians either let their career ride along the path before them, or they carve their own way into their ideal scenarios. The truly passionate musicians won’t wait for success to find them, they keep pushing forward until they find it.
. This recording solidified a relationship with the Chicago Sessions record label, and as the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble expanded their original repertoire, Garcia and Noguera booked a recording session. They called upon several guest artists from a high profile concert in Chicago’s Millennium Park that included trombonist Steve Turre, percussionist Paoli Mejias, and more. The resultant recording, 
, showed amazing potential in the group and marked another step in Garcia’s unstoppable forward motion.
VICTOR GARCIA: It’s about keeping the musicians really into it, because at the end of the day, it’s a labor of love. They don’t need us to survive. They aren’t making a lot of money with us; they’re doing it because they love to play and they want to play some quality music. I found that too with my own playing. When people say to me, “I’ve got this gig but it doesn’t really pay that great, would you be willing to do it?” I always say, “Well, let me hear the music.” If I like it, I’m like, “Man, I would love to be a part of this!” Even if I’m not going to make that much money, I’ll do it. 
VG: When we got an opportunity to play at Millennium Park, we decided to really push and do an all original set of music. We got together everyday and we just wrote all the music. We had a bunch of original music. At the time, Darwin had gotten a connection with a guy named Nick Eipers, who is the founder of Chicago Sessions. He went to go see Darwin play and he really dug him. He thought he was a great talent with a lot of potential and great music. Most importantly, Darwin had original music, and Nick only wants to record original music. He did not want any covers. 
VG: I met Steve Turre at Northern when he came to do a guest artist spot with the big band. I got his number and we kept in loose contact. I would check in with him and he would keep tabs on what was going on here. When we got the opportunity to play in Millennium Park, the promoter said, “You guys can make the call, but we could provide money for a guest artist. It would definitely help the draw.” I thought it would be amazing. Steve Turre was one of the names that came up and I already had his number, so I gave him a call. I remember that conversation like yesterday. He said, “I would love to come out!” It was pretty awesome. We got him to come out for the rehearsal and he really dug the music. After the gig, he said, “Hey, if you ever record, give me a call. I would love to be a part of it.” So sure enough, when we got the opportunity to record, I called him up.
We had Howard Levy at that concert as well. I had been subbing in Chevere, so by then I had already established a relationship with him. Howard really dug me. He has really helped me; he hooked me up with some recordings and he actually put in a good word for me to be teaching at Loyola University. What a beautiful human being as well as a monstrous musician. So we asked him if he would be a part of it, and he said, “I’ll be there!” 
VG: I think first and foremost, the thing is the variety of repertoire. A lot of groups stick to Cuba and that region of Caribbean music that is already popular and has been made popular since Machito, Beny Moré, and others started doing this. They’re keeping that tradition alive, which is amazing, because not a lot of people are doing it. There’s a handful of big bands doing it, and they’re not eating from that plate either – it’s a labor of love as well. So it makes me happy to know that we’re not trying to reach millionaire, lucrative status or anything. It’s about the music and that will always keep it fresh and new for us. Because we’re doing it for the love, not for a paycheck.
VG: It’s all about who you know and making connections with the people that move money and produce shows. Darwin is a go-getter, so I know it’s just a matter of time before we do some other things. He’s already talking to the Nicaraguan council to bring us to the next Nicaragua Jazz Festival. I was just playing recently in Chile and I made some really nice connections; I passed out the CD to some people that put together Viña del Mar Jazz Festival. It’s just talking to people and trying to move this. We want to reach a wider audience, and especially an audience that will appreciate it. Unfortunately the classical music of America, jazz, is so underappreciated in this country, it’s crazy. When I went to Europe, I remember playing in concert halls and even bars – you could hear a pin drop, people were really listening! It was a little intimidated, but isn’t that what I want? Hopefully we’ll get a chance to go out there. I know there’s places even in the States where we would be appreciated. We’ve just got to make those connections and see them through. It’ll happen, it’s just a matter of time.
Many elements effect the make-up of a musical scene, and as each piece evolves, so does the overall scene. The community of musicians within a city stays in a constant state of flux as artists come in and out of an area. When an important musical mainstay leaves the scene, the total artistic community feels ripples in both positive and negative ways. Sometimes influential musicians make moves to a new region, resulting in a major upswing of quality and creativity. Venues appear and disappear, changing the work flow for musicians in very major ways. It’s a matter of cause and effect that directly impact the actions of young and inspired musicians.
VICTOR GARCIA: I didn’t really know where I wanted to go to college; I didn’t event know that I wanted to go to college honestly. My teacher really encouraged me. He said, “Man, you could get a lot of money if you do this for a living.” So I was thinking, “Oh man, that would be awesome.” So he really pointed me in the right direction of practicing everyday and making it a regular part of my life. 
The money wasn’t that great back then. That’s why I had a lot of opportunities to play – the guys that were doing the gigs at the time were heavy trumpet players in town. But they were also doing other gigs that paid better, so they were always scrambling to find somebody. I was around, and I wasn’t doing anything. They would call me to play these really late salsa gigs – it would $100 to be there from ten at night until four in the morning. It would be pretty crazy, but I really got my feet wet. I really learned what it takes to be a true player. You’ve got to be efficient and last all night long. You can’t be great for one or two songs and that’s it; people just aren’t going to call you. 
VG: It’s down to a few places. Back in the day I was playing at Sapphire’s, Nick’s, Rumba – that’s one of the few places still around that is still playing salsa music. It’s very, very limited. There’s only a few places that will hire salsa bands. Luckily I’ve been doing the Cubby Bear thing every Sunday with different bands . . . I play in so many different salsa bands that I find myself there for some reason or another on a Sunday. Other than that, I don’t really know of any other places that there are to play Salsa. Alhambra Palace is a new place, but they’re not doing that great. They have to pay musicians peanuts on a Tuesday to come out and play. 
VG: I was playing in so many different bands, so I was coming back to town almost every day. It was really hard; I could almost never get my homework done. At the same time, I started doing what I really wanted to do anyways. 
VG: It actually started because Darwin is a go-getter. He decided that he wasn’t going to wait for the phone to ring; he was going to start his own band. So he started his trio and then he started thinking, “O.K., I’m going to make it a little bigger, maybe I can add a couple of horns to it.” He started writing and then he asked me one day to transcribe some stuff for him. 
The history of jazz is broad and varied, staged in various locations across the United States; strangely enough, the history of Latin Jazz is written in one area. During the birth of jazz, Jelly Roll Morton claimed the Latin Tinge was an essential part of the music, a fact which was de-emphasized until the Big 3 Orchestras rocked New York’s Palladium with massive mambos. As history followed Latin Jazz, New York remained the focus, continuing to be written through the contributions of people like Machito, Tito Puente, Jerry Gonzalez, Hilton Ruiz, and more. New York artists certainly made incredible forward motion that changed the music forever, but it seems a bit shortsighted to consider that the end of the story. Jazz evolved across the country, and in many of these locations, people from the Caribbean and South America were a part of the community. Latin music played in harmony with jazz outside of New York, and it simply makes sense that other Latin Jazz traditions existed across the country. 
VICTOR GARCIA: My dad was an amateur guitarist from Mexcio. He never had an opportunity to do it for a living; he had to work since he was eight years old. He did it as a hobby that he really loved. He vowed that when he had children, he would give them real music or an opportunity to at least have it if they really wanted it. He ended up being an acupuncturist. He gave us piano lessons – I remember sitting on his lap even as early as three years old. Then he gave me my first guitar when I was eight years old. So I’ve basically been around music all my life. We were singing since I was five years old – since I was old enough to enunciate a whole lyric. So it’s been a really beautiful development.
VG: There was everything around us. My dad loved The Beatles. There was a time that I could safely say that I could recite most all the lyrics from all The Beatles songs. In my generation, the crap that was on the radio was really what people were listening to at school. I was always the odd ball out when it came to music, which I didn’t mind. Later on I found out that there really are only two kinds of music, good and bad. Not that I was being predjudice against the pop music of that time, it’s just that it wasn’t good! There’s a couple of Michael Jackson records that I really dug, but that’s a different story – later on I found out that it was Quincy Jones behind it, so it makes sense. I learned that there’s no limits to what kind of limits is allowed to be good or bad – it just is or isn’t! 
I also got it because at that time, I had just started playing trumpet. The summer of 8th grade, going into high school, I got my first little trumpet made in China. The valves were really stiff, but I dug it. I didn’t even know how to play. As a matter of fact, years later when I got a teacher in my senior year of high school, he was like, “Man, you’re playing all the wrong fingerings, but you’re still playing the right thing – what the heck is going on?!?” I had just figured it out by listening to music. I transcribed solos before I actually knew what the word transcription even meant. I was like, “I want to play what he’s playing – that’s awesome!” So I transcribed some Thad Jones, I transcribed some Dizzy, of course – that was really hard because I was just starting the trumpet. I could barely get a high C; if I got one, I would be like, “Yes! I got one!” I ended up getting hip to a lot of different players at that time. 
VG: Yea, that was funded by the city. It was like work almost. You would show up at a certain time, we would just sit there an practice all day. The first half was sitting with Michael McLaughlin, doing long tones, lips slurs, and technical things for brass. Then we would look over some of the music that we were going to be performing for concerts. That was a really nice program, I’m so lucky that I had an opportunity to be a part of that. Meeting him, and then by the time my senior year rolled around, they said, “We’ve seen some really great growth in you, and we’d like to offer you a scholarship for trumpet lessons.” So I told my parents, and they were thrilled about it. 
VG: Yep, that was definitely the first time that I got to learn about Machito and what Dizzy Gillespie was doing with Latin rhythms. I did hear something on the CD that I got originally, but I never had played any of it. I started learning about clave, its importance, and its role. I’ve figured it out now, but even then, I even remember hearing music and thinking, “There’s clave in everything.” I hold that to this day – I tell my students that clave is the phenomenon of phrasing. It has nothing to do with Latin music; it’s very prominent, but every kind of music has phrases. You say something, rest, say something, rest. If you don’t, then it’s just going to sound like a run-on sentence, and it’s not going to be music anymore. Everything has clave, it’s the way that the human mind can take in information. It should really be emphasized everywhere. Even when I do horn arrangements or full arrangements for pop music, I take all that into consideration, and usually that works out well. 
VG: I had a few friends in the Gallery 37 band, these trumpet players named Madeline and Tito. At the time, they were playing with this amazing musician and singer, Ricky Luis; he had a little salsa band here in town. They brought me in; one of them had another gig so they had me fill in at a rehearsal. I remember showing up and there were all these young guys, my age. I think the trombone player was the oldest, maybe a couple of years older than me. Ricky was doing some really nice stuff at the time. His mom really believed in his talent so she spent a ton of dough going to New York and getting some originals for him. Edwin Sanchez did the charts in New York; he did the arrangements and got all the best New York cats to record this music for him. 
