Rhapsody in Blue
Bill O’Connell Challenge Records
A creative mind can pull jazz repertoire from any source and create a musical experience that provokes new thoughts from the listener. These musicians realize that the potential for great musical vehicles exists everywhere; they simply need to be examined from the right angle. In some cases, a piece of music sparks an inspirational flash that drives an artist to spontaneously arrange a stunning new interpretation. On other occasions, an artist must re-examine a song over the course of years before they hear it from a different viewpoint. In either case, the end result re-contextualizes a familiar piece of music, forcing their audience to reconsider the song. A creative musician’s original vision of the world sometimes inspires composition, as they communicate their experiences through sound. They encounter something new or inspiring in their lives, and they share it with the world in an original piece of music. Once again, their aural takes on the world provide thought-provoking material for the listener that makes them reconsider their own ideas. It’s an implicit part of the creative musician’s job – filter the world through a distinctly different perspective and help the listeners rethink their own viewpoint. Pianist Bill O’Connell takes this task seriously on Rhapsody in Blue, providing a combination of original compositions and new interpretations.
Shaping Compositions With Afro-Cuban Rhythms
O’Connell utilizes Afro-Cuban rhythms effectively shape several compositions, expressing his viewpoints with clarity. The pianist conjures images of a bebop genius with carefully placed dissonance on the introduction to “Monk’s Cha-Cha,” until saxophonist Steve Slagle and vibraphonist Dave Samuels charge through a melody with sharp rhythmic corners. The pianist makes a serious argument for the placement of Monk’s music in clave with a syncopated improvisation, leading into an understated statement from Samuels, who cleverly works through the changes with his mellow tone. Slagle mixes cool bluesy lines together with a strong forward, building into a screeching climax that gives way to an impressive display of virtuosity from conguero Richie Flores. An explosive unison line soars into a harsh series of band hits on “Off-Center,” setting up a dynamic montuno that automatically snaps the groove into place. The rhythm section continues the unstoppable intensity behind Slagle, who grabs the feel and charges through a fiery solo that benefits from ample interaction. O’Connell pushes the envelope with a mixture of racing melodies and bold rhythmic tension, moving aside for an unaccompanied solo from Berrios, who reveals an uncanny ability to create a masterfully melodic drum statement. Sweeping chords from O’Connell provide a lush backdrop to an Afro-Cuban 6/8 groove on “Two Worlds,” allowing Slagle to float over the band with the melody. A bluesy interlude sends the group into swing for Slagle’s solo, letting him dig into his ideas with a greasy intensity. The rhythm section moves back into 6/8 behind O’Connell, who attacks each piece of the groove with a calculated precision that builds into a funky swing climax. These tracks show O’Connell’s ideas through an Afro-Cuban filter, providing a distinct and personalized perspective.
Infusing Compositions With An Effective Duality
O’Connell blends modern jazz ideas with Afro-Cuban structures on several pieces, infusing his thoughts with an effective duality. The group outlines a sturdy Afro-Cuban 6/8 structure while Slagle and trombonist Conrad Herwig interject short melodic phrases on “J-Man,” making a quick dip into swing while Herwig plays a lush melody for the bridge. Drummer Steve Berrios falls into a dark and driving swing feel behind Herwig, who attacks his improvisation with a ferocious series of running lines, followed by a barrage of post-bop lines from Slagle. O’Connell creates variety with a bluesy cool, building tension with syncopation, until the wind players provide a collection of hits behind a colorful display of ideas from Berrios. Slagle and the rhythm section fly headfirst into a frenetic melody on “Pocket Change,” creating an atmosphere bursting with energy. As Berrios leaps into a blazing swing tempo, O’Connell dives headfirst into a fiery stream of notes that powerfully pushes the already intensive feel. Slagle combines rapid runs with rhythmic ideas that inspire brilliant rhythm section work, leading into an explosive solo from bassist David Finck that races across the instrument’s range with a nimble ingenuity. O’Connell carefully places lush chords over a quick swing rhythm on “Log-A-Rhythm,” until Slagle drops into the mix with jarring melodic lines that send the song racing forward. After a brief dip into a Latin edge, the rhythm section channels a modern swing feel behind O’Connell, who blends bouncing bop melodies with a keen sense of syncopation. Slagle hits rhythmic accents in a quick trip through a Latin feel, before unleashing a furious stream of hard-edged bebop that lights the song on fire. The combination of rhythmic approaches brings a dual vision into O’Connell’s work, forcing the listener to look at his ideas from several angles.
Re-Contextualizing Well-Known Themes Into New Settings
O’Connell re-contextualizes several well-known themes into new settings that bring them to life in unexpected ways. The pianist elegantly wraps the melody from Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue” around a danzon rhythm before Slagle and Samuels continue the melody over an upbeat son montuno rhythm. The pianist joyfully bounces around the groove with a skillful solo that resonates with life while channeling the spirit of the original composition. A brash series of hits adds tension and an opportunity for Samuels and Berrios to improvise, leading into an open solo from Slagle that overflows with soul. Slagle’s soprano sax sets an introspective tone on “It Never Entered My Mind” as he thoughtfully toys with melody over quiet ballad support from the rhythm section. O’Connell paints a vividly emotional picture over the classic structure, using a broad range of dynamics and a keen sense of melodic ingenuity. Slagle shines brightly on his improvisation, twisting pieces of the melody into new ideas that wind through the chords until they find their way back to the original theme. O’Connell infuses the timeless melody to “Bye Bye Blackbird” with a jubilant enthusiasm as the rhythm section pops between an upbeat son montuno and swing. The pianist approaches his improvisation from several different angles, using space, drifting harmonies, and charging lines to his advantage. Bassist Luques Curtis attacks his solo with a percussive intensity, moving edgy melodies through the form, until O’Connell and Berrios engage in a playful exchange of eight bar phrases. O’Connell’s unique perspective places these pieces in a new light, infusing them with a refreshing energy and intelligence.
An Inspiring Look At O’Connell’s World
O’Connell freely integrates his creative viewpoint into Rhapsody in Blue, providing thoughtful ideas in a variety of contexts. As a composer, O’Connell demonstrates a keen stylistic diversity, a wide harmonic palette, and an ability to create flowing improvisational structures. He displays a complete comfort placing different jazz approaches next to each other, letting his ideas resonate through the blended worlds. O’Connell leads the band through his compositions with a trusting sense of freedom, letting them push the structures liberally to emphasize personal expression. His own playing serves as the glue that holds his ideas in place, filling each piece with distinct character. The band members contribute greatly to the album’s overall success, reinforcing O’Connell’s ideas while infusing their own personality. Slagle serves as a strong voice throughout the album, filling O’Connell’s melodies with meaningful inflections while setting his own solos ablaze with a boppish flair. Berrios grounds the album with a free sense of interaction behind the group, pushing each soloist to their limit with a healthy does of fire. The thoughtful integration of Samuels and Herwig seamlessly support O’Connell’s ideas, adding new colors where necessary. O’Connell brings all the right pieces together to present a original perspective on Rhapsody in Blue, inviting us into his own line of sight for an inspiring look at his world.
———- Track Listing:
1. Monk’s Cha-Cha (Bill O’Connell)
2. Pocket Change (Bill O’Connell)
3. Rhapsody In Blue (George Gershwin)
4. It Never Entered My Mind (Rodgers/Hart)
5. J-Man (Bill O’Connell)
6. Off-Center (Bill O’Connell)
7. Two Worlds (Bill O’Connell)
8. Log-A-Rhythm (Bill O’Connell)
9. Rose Hill (Bill O’Connell)
10. Bye Bye Blackbird (Henderson/Dixon)
The evolution of jazz charges into the future with the ferocity of a tidal wave, and the strongest musicians ride the momentum into the future. The conglomeration of musical styles and improvisational approaches that shape emerging trends in jazz push the musician through a test of flexibility and durability. Sometimes the musician successfully sails over the crest of these diverse sounds with immense skill, while at other times they fall into the depths of the sea. Like any good surfer, jazz musicians don’t let the wave dictate their direction completely though. It simply becomes a route to a larger destiny that both informs and influences their musical vision. As they reach the shore, they arrive with a solid concept that resonates with an intelligent voice and a defined personality.
Trombonist and composer Wayne Wallace rode the wave of jazz history, eventually putting himself on a path to change the course of that legacy on the West Coast. Growing up during the fifties in San Francisco, Wallace soaked up the sounds of his parent’s record collection, which contained a strong dose of jazz artists such as Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington. He played piano casually, spending most of his time with sports until the trombone captured his attention in elementary school. Wallace continued playing music in school, having the good fortune of several influential teachers that exposed him to modern jazz. All the while, San Francisco’s diverse and creative music scene swirled around Wallace, allowing him to follow his interests in several different directions. He dove headfirst into Sly And The Family Stone, James Brown, and Blood, Sweat, And Tears, while spending time at jazz jam sessions in the Fillmore District. While still a teenager, Wallace worked his way into the Musician’s Union and earned some professional gigs. With his sights firmly focused upon a career in music, he attended San Francisco State University, where he refined his technique through classical studies with Will Sudmeier. He balanced his studies with regular work in a Top 40 band, which found a regular gig on Broadway Street, surrounded by jazz clubs. He frequented the jazz venues on breaks and nights off, checking out Bobby Hutcherson, Art Pepper, and many more. Wallace gained another important mentor in trombonist Julian Priester when Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi sextet became based in San Francisco, connecting him with contemporary fusion. With a long artistic path ahead of him, Latin music slowly crept into Wallace’s musical world, foreshadowing the important work ahead of him.
Wallace’s developmental years as an artist were much more than a regimen of technical studies; it was a time of exploration and experimentation reflective of the era in jazz history. He rode through the wide-open waters established in jazz during the sixties and seventies, arming himself with a broad palette and a creative spirit. In part one of our interview with Wallace, we talked about his early exposure to jazz, his move towards music, and the influence of the San Francisco Scene upon his development. Today, we take a look at his formal training at San Francisco State University, his transparent movement between pop and jazz, as well as his connection with important musicians like Julian Priester.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: How did you make the transition from a teenager strongly immersed in music to a college student doubling as a professional?
WAYNE WALLACE: I went to James Denmen Middle School, and we had a good music teacher there named Jack Pereira. He was really flexible about letting us play during lunchtime, and just letting us come in there and hang out. So we’d do our little jazz thing, and we’d do our little rock thing. That led me to go to Balboa High School, which is where some of the members of Malo and Sly And The Family Stone had gone or were going to school.
Sid Walker was the music teacher there. At lunch, he’d let us come into his office and hang out; we’d listen to Coltrane records and Ellington records. I remember asking him at one point, “What’s it like to be a professional musician?” He said, “Well, it’s kind of hard, you do this, you do that.” I said, “Well, I want to be one.” He said, “Are you sure?” I said, “Yea.” He goes, “O.K., well, here’s what you’ve got to do.” So he started introducing me to jazz harmony. He was actually the hippest high school teacher that I’ve ever had. He was the type of cat that would sweat at the students, tell them they were screwing up, and then pat them on the back at the same time. He’d have cutting sessions with the students. We were doing “Move” off Birth of The Cool and I remember him having a cutting session with the saxophonists seeing who could play the head the fastest.
I was in a golden era. I’m 58 now and I keep telling my students that I was so blessed to come up in a golden era. In my first year at Balboa High School, Calvin Simmons was a senior. This was before he went off with Seiji Ozawa and became the conductor of the Oakland Symphony. During his senior year at Balboa High School, Calvin Simmons was playing vibes and piano in the jazz band, he was playing french horn in the concert band, singing in the choir, and he was conducting the orchestra. How’s that for a role model?!? Everyone knew how talented he was. I make this analogy to my students – if you were hanging around Michael Jordan for three years, your game would be elevated. So I had all of those blessings around me before I went to San Francisco State.
LJC: You must have had some strong skills as a high school student; what drew you towards San Francisco State?
WW: My first year at State was the Fall of 1970. One of the reasons that I went to San Francisco State was because they offered me a soccer scholarship. Two schools offered me a soccer scholarship and one was on the East Coast – Bowdoin. My mother didn’t want me to go to the East Coast, so she said, “You’re going to San Francisco State!” I said, “O.K., fine,” and I went there.
My house was in walking distance of San Francisco State, so I was walking down there to register in June. As I was walking down towards 19th Avenue, I see all these people running the other way towards me. You know why they were running towards me? The Students For A Democratic Society riots at San Francisco State – it was that year! S.I. Hayakawa was still the president of San Francisco State, and John Handy was still the only jazz instructor there in the music department. That was my first year getting down there.
I had a great background and pedigree to build off of. My problem was that I didn’t have a trombone instructor until I got to San Francisco State. The trombone instructor who was very paternalistic to me was Will Sudmeier. He saw that I was a raw talent and that I hadn’t had that background. He really sat me down and got me into the basic trombone etudes and studies. By my junior year, I could actually play a classical etude when I had to do my junior recital. He was very good about that. He was kind of a latent guy that wanted to play jazz. He was playing with the San Francisco Symphony, a wonderful musician. He took great care of me, I’m very thankful to him.
At the same time, a lot of people in Bobby Hutcherson’s band were also studying there, so I started hanging out with Bobby Hutcherson’s band. That was another great lesson – I wasn’t playing with them, but when they play at a club, I would be there all five nights, listening to every set.
Of course, I was actively playing in the practice rooms and studying with people. I was doing sixteen units of studies at San Francisco State at the same time; it was a beautiful thing because I was getting my classical studies at San Francisco State. During the day, our big thing was to get in the practice room and play jazz tunes for hours. All the horn players could play piano, so some horn player would be working on their instrument while the other horn player was comping on piano. Then we’d trade off. Unfortunately, then we’d have to go to class!
Somewhere around that time, I was working in a Top 40 band called Badwater Bridge. It was one of the first inter-racial bands to break the color barrier in the Peninsula. We played this club called The Putter in Burlingame. The gentleman that booked us there was named Chuck Koch. He eventually was one of those pioneers that helped break the color barrier in the Peninsula. We had a lead singer was African-American, and of course, I was African-American. No one had done that up to that point. We were just doing our thing – we were young, we didn’t know. We were doing Chicago tunes, Blood, Sweat, And Tears tunes, and things that people wanted to hear. We were a big hit.
We came to The Peppermint Tree on Broadway and we were kind of like Ellington’s band – I think we played there for two years. Being on Broadway in 1970, you should have seen all the people that came through that club at one point or another. Bobby Freeman was working down the street at the Condor. I remember vividly that he would always come up and just hang out. He came up one night and said, “Drinks for everybody, I’m buying!” I eventually found out that he had received his first royalty check for Bette Midler recording “Do You Want To Dance.”
The band that I was in, we were all jazz heads, even though we were playing R ‘n B and funk. On our breaks, we would walk up to Keystone Corner – we knew the bouncer up there and he would let us walk in the club and just sit and listen to whoever was playing. We had that advantage. The Jazz Workshop was down the block; the old Matador was down the block. On our breaks, we got to hear everybody.
Everybody came into that club – Broadway was just the place to be at that time. It was right place, right time. I remember Steve Turre sitting in with us, and Art Pepper sat in with us at one point. We were doing the Bitch’s Brew thing – the band could do that whole thing. We were like, “Great, Art Pepper – bebop, let’s go!”
LJC: Jazz was moving into fusion, was that really happening on the San Francisco scene?
WW: Oh yea, it was a beautiful thing. I was going to The Fillmore, Winterland, or any other place that I could go where there was good music. There was an old club called Pepperland – I saw Cold Blood and Tower Of Power on a double bill at Pepperland in 1973.
LJC: Sometime aorund there you hooked up with Julian Priester too.
WW: The Mwandishi record came out in 1970, and they did a concert at San Francisco State. That was the first time that I met Julian. Once again, he started mentoring me – like I said, I’ve had great mentors. They were based in San Francisco at the time because David Rubenson was producing all those records at The Automat. They were based here, so no matter where they went out and toured, they’d come back. I’d take lessons from Julian, and I’d go hear Herbie’s band every chance that I could. For me, it was osmosis – a lot of that stuff just sunk in outside of practice and studying.
LJC: Latin music was big in San Francisco during the seventies because of Santana – were you involved in that yet or was that on the outside of what you were doing?
WW: That was on the outside at that point. I was totally aware of it. In the Top 40 bands, we were doing Santana tunes. Until “Everybody’s Everything” came out, when they used the Tower Of Power horn section, I just kind of played some percussion or hung out; it wasn’t like we were an integral part of the music.
Community plays a powerful role in the creation of a musician; individuals evolve into artists through the impact of the world spinning around them. Musical movements often define a region, leaving their mark upon all its inhabitants. Some areas resonate with a single-minded focus upon one artistic direction while other places overflow with different ideas. For the casual listener, these stylistic trademarks of an area leave a fondness; they stamp the serious musician with an unbreakable imprint. The artist may embrace this connection or walk away from it, but it’s always there, informing every artistic choice that comes into their professional life.
Trombonist and composer Wayne Wallace soaked up the massive creativity of the Bay Area lifestyle during his childhood, laying the foundation for the strong artistic output of his adult years. Born in San Francisco on May 29th, 1952, Wallace grew up with music sitting in the background of his life. His parents enjoyed jazz, and as a result, Wallace heard Charlie Parker, Nat King Cole, Clark Terry, Oscar Pettiford, and more during his younger years. Although he studied piano casually, a career in music didn’t grab Wallace’s attention; in fact, sports took up much more of his time. The trombone grabbed his attention during elementary school though, and he continued playing the instrument in school. San Francisco in the late sixties was a blur of creative excitement, providing a creative springboard for the teenage Wallace. Funk and soul encouraged him to dig deeper into music, as he explored the music of James Brown, Sly And The Family Stone, Blood, Sweat, And Tears, as well as Chicago. During high school, Wallace became acquainted with jazz as a player, and the connection with the recordings of his youth sent him headfirst into the style. He frequented the Fillmore District, sitting in on jam sessions and filling out the trombone section for local big bands. By the age of 17, Wallace had joined the Musician’s Union, and worked professionally throughout the city. At that point, his life was firmly connected to the musical scene, as he explored new ideas and styles on a daily basis.
These early experiences secured Wallace’s love for performance, and they ensured an open ear to a variety of styles. Both these qualities would benefit Wallace, who would become one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most insightful and diverse artists. In part one of our interview with Wallace, we dig into his childhood experiences with music, his connection with sixties funk, and the jazz scene at the time.
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<LATIN JAZZ CORNER: You grew up in San Francisco during the fifties and sixties . . .
WAYNE WALLACE: I’m a native San Franciscan – I was born in San Francisco General Hospital, but I grew up in Fillmore District. My mother moved here from Texas and my father moved here from Okalahoma during the 1940s. The first house that I was in was on Steiner Street, then we moved to Bush, up by Masonic. In 1958, we moved out to the Ingleside District out by San Francisco State.
LJC: Was there music in your family?
WW: No, I am the anomaly!
LJC: How did you get interested in playing?
WW: I got interested in music because of my mother and my father. There was an old apartment store here in San Francisco – it was kind of like the K-Mart of its time. I vividly remember going to the store with my mother and my father; they always had these records on sale. I remember that they brought home a couple of records that I still have – one was Louis Jordan & His Tympani Five, and the other one was a record called Jazz Masquerade. Jazz Masquerade was kind of a bootleg record with Charlie Parker on it. All the musicians were wearing masks on the front cover. Charlie Parker had a pseudonym on it, because he couldn’t record on this label. But he got paid for it and they couldn’t advertise for it with him. They had bought two Nat King Cole records also. In a backwards kind of way, I started listening to Nelson Riddle at a very early age on those Nat King Cole records; I was influenced by that. I realized there was also another record with Clark Terry, Jimmy Cleveland, and a bunch of other folks, where it’s pretty obvious to me now that Billy Strayhorn had done the small band arrangements. I listened to these things over and over again, before I started studying piano in about 1961.
LJC: So jazz was really part of your early childhood . . .
WW: Yes, and it was kind of a serendipitous act. My mother and father just grew up in that era. They came from black communities in the South – the Ellington band and the Basie band played their proms and at their colleges. It was part of the cultural lifestyle. Without them being avid music fans, they passed that on, fortunately for me.
LJC: You started playing piano in the early sixties – was that the beginning of you as a performer?
WW: Not really, my mother just made things available to me. She asked me if I wanted to take piano lessons and I said, “Yes.” She bought an old beat-up upright and brought it to the house. I plunked on it. She got me these piano lessons with a German lady named Mrs. Kahn. She introduced me to the Hannon virtuoso book, the John Thompson books, and all the beginning piano books. I just started playing those things. I got up to about the fourth or fifth grade in the John Thompson books. Then it got too hard!
LJC: How did the trombone come into your life?
WW: I distinctly remember in the San Francisco public elementary school system, they would bring instruments around to the schools and ask us if we wanted to play them. So they had a trombone there . . . they actually had everything, like trumpet and saxophone. I looked at all the other ones and they all had too many moving parts. I picked trombone because it looked like it only had one moving part – big mistake!
There were lessons at school and a school band. So I started doing that in fifth grade, sometime in the early sixties.
LJC: Did you have aspirations when you were young to become a performer?
WW: It was just fun. My love at that age was baseball. I’m an avid San Francisco Giants fan – the World Series this year, I’ve waited all my life for that! I remember where I was in 1962 when Bobby Richardson caught that line drive off Willie McCovey’s bat. I remember exactly where I was standing! My mother and father are also responsible for me being a baseball fan – they took me to Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park when it first opened.
LJC: Were you a player?
WW: I played baseball up until high school, and that’s when I discovered my love for soccer. Eventually I became a semi-professional soccer player for a little while.
LJC: How did you balance music and sports?
WW: It was easy then. My biggest choice was which sport to drop – I was playing baseball, soccer, and dabbling with being a kicker on my high school football team. At one point, I just said, “O.K., I’m a soccer player. I can’t hit a fastball or a curve, I’ll leave it alone and just move on.
Music moved to the forefront in junior high school. I got into an all James Brown band. That’s all we did was James Brown covers – side one and side two! Lick & Stick side one, Lick & Stick side two, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag side one, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag side two – the whole thing.
It was a funny time for music here in San Francisco. At that time – ’67, ’68, ’69 – you had the convergence of the peace & love movement, the Fillmore scene, Santana was happening, and Sly Stone was happening. Johnny Mathis’ brother lived down the street from my mother and father’s house. David Brown, the bass player, didn’t live too far from here. A lot of people from Sly And The Family Stone were here at that time. Leon Patillo had a band called Leon’s creation – it was so similar to Sly Stone’s band . . . Or you could say Sly Stone’s band was so similar to his. But it was Sly’s band that broke first. All that was going on.
One of the bands that influenced me the most was a band in 1968 called Granny Goose And The Soul Chips. It was a fabulous band – kind of a James Brown take off. It was mainly people in high school that had put together a soul revue. I saw that and it was a major influence. I thought – “Man, I want to play trombone in a band like that!”
Then you had all the rock bands going on – The Monkees, The Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver – any of those bands around that time. A lot of those bands didn’t have trombone players in them. Blood, Sweat, And Tears had a trombone, and I thought, “Oh, a place for me.” Then of course, Chicago came out.
I got the jazz bug in high school. We had a wonderful teacher there by the name of Sid Walker. He turned us onto Coltrane and Ellington. I became conscious of the people that I had been listening to. He turned me onto that music.
Eventually I migrated to The Boy’s Club Band here in San Francisco – it was on Alabama Street at Fat Boy’s club. In that band, was Greg Adams, who eventually went onto Tower Of Power. There was another trombonist that impressed me because of his high range, his name was Dave Coddington – a beautiful trombonist. I just knew I wanted to play jazz at that point.
LJC: All these guys were around you, were there opportunities for you to hang out with them, play, and get advice?
WW: Actually no, they were older than me at that point. I met all of those guys later in my career. I was hanging out in the Fillmore at the clubs there. There were jam sessions going on up in the Lower Haight. Bishop Norman Williams was leading sessions at a little club on Haight Street. It was on the Lower Haight, around Steiner and Fillmore.
My introduction to big band was at The Booker T. Washington Center, which was up off of Masonic Street at the time. There was an older jazz trumpet player there that took me under his wing, a really nice cat. He made sure that I knew about the sessions for the big band and he had jam sessions at his house. Benny Harris was still alive at this point; I met Benny Harris and got that information that he was the actual author of “Ornithology.” I had a great mentoring is the way that I can describe that time.
I joined the musician’s union when I was 17. I joined the Union three or four years after they finally merged the black musician’s union with the white musician’s union. I missed that tail end of there being a black musician’s union. But a lot of those guys who had joined when the two merged ended up being my mentors – Alan Smith, Bennie Figueroa, Vernon Alley, Eddie Alley, all those guys.
The relationship between jazz composers and vocalists involves an intertwining path the relies upon active participation from both parties. The composer needs to spend their life dedicated to the discovery of incredible melodies and inspiring harmonies that will last through time. The creation of songs that both challenge and connect with a jazz audience contributes to the art form and pushes it into new directions. The vocalist needs to spend their time investigated every inch of the composer’s work and translating it into a personal performance. Each unique interpretation of the composer’s pieces provides a distinctly new perspective upon the individual’s music and life. It’s a partnership that results in some of the world’s most memorable music.
Two of Brazil’s greatest musicians – composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and singer Leny Andrade – share this bond, which has given us years of fantastic music. Both musicians were born on January 25th, with Jobim making his way into the world in 1927 and Andrade coming along on 1943. Jobim spent his young life immersed in music, earning a meager living performing in nightclubs while honing his craft as both an entertainer and a composer. As Jobim worked towards a career in music, a young Andrade started exploring the art form, taking classical piano lessons at six and and singing on radio shows by the time she was nine. Andrade found her voice as an artist in the Beco das Garrafas during the early sixties, and eventually released her first album as a leader, A Sensação. Only a few years later, Jobim collaborated with saxophonist Stan Getz, pianist João Gilberto, and vocalist Astrud Gilberto to create the instant bossa nova classic Getz/Gilberto. The album, packed with Jobim’s compositions, sparked a bossa nova craze around the world and earned multiple Grammys, including Album Of The Year. As Jobim’s artistic profile shot straight into the sky, Andrade found modest success, working with singer Dick Farney and then in the show Gemini V. Jobim enjoyed tremendous popularity throughout the sixties, but in the seventies, bossa nova faded from the public’s consciousness. Despite this, he maintained a consistently interesting artistic output, producing albums such as Stone Flower and Urubu. Throughout the late sixties and seventies, Andrade bounced between Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil, and while worldwide popularity escaped her, she gained experience that made her a formidable bossa nova singer. During the eighties, Andrade moved frequently between the United States and Brazil, establishing an international reputation as one of Brazilian music’s most original and engaging vocalists. The world recognized Jobim’s significance at this point, honoring him with awards, booking his performances in high profile venues, and showering his 1987 album Passarim with praise. Jobim filled his schedule with a variety of projects in the early nineties, most notably the 1994 release Antonio Brasileiro, which appeared right before his death on December 8, 1994. As Jobim’s legacy moved into the history books, Andrade moved to New York and found immediate success in jazz festivals across the country. Her star only got brighter in the new millennium, and Andrade now stands as the measure of a singer in Brazilian music, recognized as a model interpreter of samba jazz.
Jobim and Andrade didn’t cross path physically too often during their musical journeys, but their legacies certainly have. Jobim has provided some of the most important and enduring compositions in Brazilian music, while Andrade has interpreted those songs and more to audiences around the world. Both musicians celebrate their birthdays today, and in honor of their amazing contributions, today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix is dedicated to their bond. The first clip finds Andrade at Birdland in New York, performing Jobim’s “Dindi.” The next snippet moves Andrade onto the jazz festival circuit, where she performs the well-known Jobim standard “Wave.” The third video combines Andrade’s energetic vocals with some awe-inspiring virtuosity from guitarist Romero Lubambo over Jobim’s “One Note Samba.” The last piece places Andrade in her home base of Brazil, performing a collection of Jobim’s best known hits. It’s a match made in heaven as Andrade interprets Jobim’s work, providing must-hear insight into his work – enjoy!
———- Leny Andrade Performs Jobim’s “Dindi” At Birdland
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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
NPR continues to offer fantastic coverage on the wide world of jazz, including regular visits into the realm of Latin Jazz. This week was no exception as Piano Jazz guest host Jon Weber welcomes trumpet player Brian Lynch onto the show for some great performances. Lynch won the hearts of the Latin Jazz world through his work with pianist Eddie Palmieri, but he’s no stranger to the straight-ahead jazz world – long stints with drummer Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and pianist Horace Silver made him a well-known figure. Lynch and Weber cover all these details and play some great music along the way. Check out the stream HERE.
If there’s one book that you’re going to want to read this year, it’s Joe Conzo’s detailed account of his time with El Rey: Mambo Diablo: My Journey With Tito Puente. Over at World Music Central, writer Les Moncada got a chance to check out the book and shared his great appreciation for the intimate look inside Puente’s true self. You can check out his review HERE. If you want to check out the book – and believe me, you really should – you can find it HERE.
One of the most important things that a musician can do is pass the art form onto the next generation, bettering the lives of young people and ensuring the continued existence of quality music. One of the busiest Latin Jazz musicians around will be taking on this task once again this week, as pianist Arturo O’Farrill exposes young people in Westport to Afro-Cuban music in his hands-on clinic “Bang on a Drum: Latin Rhythms for Kids.” It’s not only an opportunity to get some knowledge from one of the genre’s best musicians, but it’s also a time to share Latin Jazz with your kids. Get the details HERE.
If you’re in SOUTH AMERICA this week . . . PAQUITO D’RIVERA
Guest Artist With Trio Corrente And Leny Andrade WHEN: Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:Auditório Bento Munhoz da Rocha Neto
Guairão Curitiba
Parana, Brasil TIME: 9:00 p.m.
If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . . ADRIANO SANTOS
Brazilian Jazz Trio WHEN: Friday 1/28/11 WHERE:Palio Bar
151 West 51st Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:30 p.m., 10:00 p.m., & 11:30 p.m.
ANNETTE A. AGUILAR & STRINGBEANS
Quartet WHEN: Thursday 1/27/11 WHERE:Apt 78
4447 Broadway
New York, NY TIME: 7:30 p.m.
Duo with Harpist Jose Luis WHEN: Friday 1/28/11 WHERE:The Brick Yard Bistro
16 Division Street
New Rochelle, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m.
ARTURO O’FARRILL
Solo Piano WHEN: Wednesday 1/26/11 WHERE:Puppet’s Jazz Bar
481 5th Avenue
New York, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
BOBBY SANABRIA
The New School Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra WHEN: Sunday 1/30/11 WHERE:Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
236 East 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA WHEN: Sunday 1/30/11 WHERE:Birdland
315 W. 44th Street
Manhattan, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. TICKETS: $30
CIDINHO TEIXIERA WHEN: Sunday 1/30/11 WHERE:Zinc Bar
82 West 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:30 p.m., 11:00 p.m., & 1:00 a.m. TICKETS: $10 with 2 Drink Minimum
CURTIS BROTHERS WHEN: Thursday 1/27/11 WHERE:B. Smith’s
320 West 46th Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
EDWARD PEREZ WHEN: Wednesday 1/26/11 WHERE:Terraza Café
40-19 Gleane Street
Elmhurst, NY TIME: 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
WHEN: Thursday 1/27/11 WHERE:Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:30 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
EMILIO SOLLA
La Inestable De Brooklyn WHEN: Monday 1/24/11 WHERE:Miles’ Cafe
212 E. 52nd Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $19.99
The Tango Jazz Conspiracy WHEN: Friday 1/28/11 – Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:Small’s Jazz Club
183 West 10th Street
New York, NY TIME: 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: $20
ERIC KURIMSKI WHEN: Thursday 1/27/11 WHERE:Terraza Café
40-19 Gleane Street
Elmhurst, NY TIME: 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
HENDRIK MEURKENS WHEN: Wednesday 1/26/11 WHERE:The Kitano
66 Park Avenue
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER; $15 minimum
WHEN: Sunday 1/30/11 WHERE:The Bar Next Door
129 MacDougal Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: $12 minimum
MAUCHA ADNET
Jobim Birthday Celebration WHEN: Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:Zinc Bar
82 West 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:30 p.m. & 10:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10 with 2 drink minimum
PEDRO GIRAUDO WHEN: Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:The Jazz Gallery
290 Hudson Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. TICKETS: $20
SAMUEL TORRES
Duet With Edmar Castaneda WHEN: Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:Terraza Café
40-19 Gleane Street
Elmhurst, NY TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
SOFIA REI KOUTSOVITIS
With Jorge Roeder WHEN: Sunday 1/30/11 WHERE:Temple Beth Emeth
83 Marlborough Road
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
WILLIE MARTINEZ WHEN: Thursday 1/27/11 WHERE:Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
236 East 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $7
If you’re in the MID-EAST this week . . . CHÉVERE WHEN: Friday 1/28/11 – Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:The Green Mill
4802 North Broadway Street
Chicago, IL TIME: Friday – 9:00 p.m.; Saturday – 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $12
LOS GATOS WHEN: Wednesday 1/26/11 WHERE:Vinology
110 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10
MAX POLLAK & RUMBATAP
With Grupo Los Santos WHEN: Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:Allaert Auditorium – St. Ambrose University
518 W Locust Street
Davenport, IA TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $12
PAULINHO GARCIA WHEN: Wednesday 1/26/11 WHERE:Piccolo Mondo
1642 E. 56th Street
Chicago, IL TIME: 6:00 p.m.
If you’re in the MID-WEST this week . . . JANINE SANTANA WHEN: Saturday 1/30/11 WHERE:The Oriental Theater
4335 W 44th Avenue
Denver, CO TIME: 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $25
If you’re on the WEST COAST this week . . . AMIKAEYLA & TRELAWNY ROSE
CD Release Celebration For To Eva With Love WHEN: Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:Kuumbwa Jazz Center
320 Cedar St # 2
Santa Cruz, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $15
FRANK CANO WHEN: Saturday 1/29/11 WHERE:Steamer’s
138 W. Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton, CA TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $8
GILBERT CASTELLANOS WHEN: Wednesday 1/26/11 WHERE:El Camino
2400 India Street
San Diego, CA TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
GRUPO FALSO BAIANO
With special guest Carlos Oliveira WHEN: Friday 1/28/11 WHERE:Jazzschool
2087 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $12 in advance; $15 at door
PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA WHEN: Monday 1/24/11 WHERE:Cafe Cocomo
650 Indiana Street
San Francisco, CA TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10
SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE WHEN: Friday 1/28/11 WHERE: Daniel Webster Elementary School
465 Missouri Street
San Francisco. CA TIME: 6:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10
SAVANI WORLD JAZZ QUINTET
With Tangabrazo WHEN: Friday 1/28/11 WHERE:Columbia Center Theater
4916 Rainier Ave S
Seattle, WA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $15
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As time marches forward, the performance contexts, compositional approaches, and improvisational ideas of Latin Jazz change, leaving us with some important thought. The music experiences a natural evolution; race, economics, and cultural aesthetics consistently push Latin Jazz in new directions. That’s one of the beautiful things about any music touched by jazz – it serves as a mirror to the current state of our society. On the positive side of things, this constant movement keeps Latin Jazz modern and relevant; from another perspective, this evolution runs the risk of leaving important musical moments behind us. While we proudly move into the future, we need to work hard to preserve the ideas that helped Latin Jazz grow and celebrate the musicians that diligently keep different parts of the history alive.
The art of the mambo big band sits as a centerpiece upon Latin Jazz’s early years, with a configuration hard to maintain in today’s economic climate; fortunately some of the experts of the style are keeping it alive in the Mambo Legends Orchestra. The core of the band carries some extremely powerful credentials – they served as the band for the king of mambo, Tito Puente. These musicians not only studied big band mambo, they experienced it with one of the most important masters to ever play the music. Percussionists Jose Madera and John Rodriguez, along with saxophonist Mitch Frohman, lead the Mambo Legends Orchestra, and they each spent decades performing alongside Puente. In addition, they spent time working with Machito and Tito Rodriguez, as well as some of the most important salsa artists from the Fania era. Realizing that this combined experience held a lot of weight, Madera, Rodriguez, and Frohman worked hard to keep the band alive after Puente’s death. They gathered Puente’s former musicians, reformed as The Latin Giants Of Jazz, and found gigs wherever they could book a 20 piece band. In 2003, the group released The Latin Giants Play the Music of the Palladium, a stirring recording that affirmed the group’s authentic approach to mambo. They took a more danceable route on their 2008 release, Trip to Mamboland, connecting themselves to a new generation of fans. By 2009, The Latin Giants Of Jazz had found a solid voice and a place in the heart of dancers around the world, as shown on Ven Baila Conmigo. By the end of 2009 Mitch Frohman organized a new band, The Mambo Legends Orchestra, taking along with him Jose Madera, John Rodriguez and the other Tito Puente alumni. With this new configuration in place, the group went into the studio and created a strong double album, Watch Out! Ten Cuidao!. With sixteen new tracks of smoking mambo sending the group charging into the future, The Mambo Legends Orchestra is ensuring a continued awareness and appreciation the art of the mambo big band.
The world should be grateful for the existence of The Mambo Legends Orchestra – without their outstanding musicianship and hard work, many of us might never experience a mambo big band live. Fortunately, The Mambo Legends Orchestra is guaranteeing the continued existence of this important style for many years. In celebration of their work and their new album, Watch Out! Ten Cuidao!, today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix is dedicated to The Mambo Legends Orchestra. In the first video, singer Frankie Vazquez leads the group through a medley on the classic “Blen Blen.” The second clip shows the band stretching out with a strong groove change on “Rareza Del Siglo.” The Mambo Legends Orchestra returns to their former boss’ repertoire with the Puente piece “Cuero Na Ma.” The last snippet gives a preview of Watch Out! Ten Cuidao! with pieces of the album’s songs as well as pictures from the studio. After hearing the Mambo Legends Orchestra, you might take a break from dancing long enough to proclaim, “Long Live The Mambo” and appreciate this amazing gift – enjoy!
———- The Mambo Legends Orchestra Performing “Blen, Blen Medley”
The Mambo Legends Orchestra Performing “Rareza Del Siglo”
The Mambo Legends Orchestra Performing “Cuero Na Ma”
A Taste Of Ten Cuidao from The Mambo Legends Orchestra
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Want more from The Mambo Legends Orchestra? Check out their recording below!
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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
Last week we shared a link to the 60 Minutes report on Wynton Marsalis’ trip to Cuba with the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, but Marsalis’ group wasn’t the only one to visit Havana recently. Pianist Arturo O’Farrill took part in the Havana Jazz Festival in December with the Chico O’Farrill Jazz Orchestra this past December, completing his father’s dying wish. We’d love to see some video and hear recordings of the concerts from the jazz festival, but we got a little insight this past week with an article from the New York Daily News. The article goes into O’Farrill’s view, the emotional impact of the trip, his performances, and more; it’s a good read – check it out HERE.
There’s a week left to show your support for vibraphonist Mike Freeman’s Kickstarter Project and help bring another fantastic Latin Jazz album into the world. Freeman is looking to raise $7,500 to record and distribute his next album, and he’s got until NEXT SUNDAY January 23rd at 11:30 p.m. EST to do it. Your donation won’t go unnoticed either – there’s a wealth of great rewards to motivate you into action. Freeman has got a great track record – his last two releases, In The Zone with his group Zonavibe and Three Gold Coins with Mark Holen’s Zambomba have both been fantastic. So head on over Freeman’s Kickstarter page now and make a pledge – you can find it HERE.
If you’re in ASIA this week . . . PETE ESCOVEDO WHEN: Tuesday 1/18/11 – Thursday 1/20/11 WHERE:Blue Note -Tokyo
6-3-16, RAIKA Building
Minamiaoyama
Minato-ku, Tokyo TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
WHEN: Saturday 1/22/11 WHERE:Cotton Club
TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Building
2-7-3 Marunouchi
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo TIME: 7:00 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: ¥8, 500 – ¥10,500
If you’re on the EAST COAST this week . . . ARTURO O’FARRILL
Solo Piano WHEN: Regular Wednesday Gig: 1/19/11 WHERE:Puppets Jazz Bar
481 5th Avenue
New York, NY TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
BOBBY SANABRIA WHEN: Wednesday 1/19/11 WHERE:La Fonda Boricua
172 East 106th Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
CHICO O’FARRILL’S AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA WHEN: Sunday 1/23/11 WHERE:Birdland
315 W. 44th Street
Manhattan, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. TICKETS: $30
CIDINHO TEIXIERA WHEN: Sunday 1/23/11 WHERE:Zinc Bar
82 West 3rd Street
New York, NY TIME: 9:30 p.m., 11:00 p.m., & 1:00 a.m. TICKETS: $10 with 2 Drink Minimum
EDWARD PEREZ WHEN: Monday 1/17/11 WHERE:Douglas Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Brooklyn, NY TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
WHEN: Thursday 1/20/11 WHERE:Tutuma Social Club
164 East 56th Street
New York, NY TIME: 8:30 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
EMILIO SOLLA & LA INESTABLE DE BROOKLYN WHEN: Monday 1/17/10 WHERE:Miles’ Cafe
212 E. 52nd Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $19.99
If you’re in the MID-EAST this week . . . EL MOVIMIENTO WHEN: Thursday 1/20/10 WHERE:The Listening Room
209 10th Avenue S # 200
Nashville, TN TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER; $5 minimum
PAULINHO GARCIA WHEN: Wednesday 1/19/11 WHERE:Piccolo Mondo
1642 E. 56th Street
Chicago, IL TIME: 6:00 p.m.
If you’re on the WEST COAST this week . . . ALEXA WEBER MORALES WHEN: Friday 1/21/11 WHERE:Cafe Claude
7 Claude Lane
San Francisco, CA TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
AMIKAEYLA & TRELAWNY ROSE
CD Release Celebration For To Eva With Love WHEN: Friday 1/21/11 WHERE:Jazzschool
2087 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $15
ARTURO SANDOVAL WHEN: Thursday 1/20/11 – Friday 1/21/11 WHERE:Anthology
1337 India Street
San Diego, CA TIME: 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: Friday – $20 – $39; Saturday – $20 – $43
FRANCISCO AGUABELLA LATIN JAZZ BAND WHEN: Saturday 1/22/11 WHERE:Steamer’s
138 W. Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton, CA TIME: 8:30 p.m. TICKETS: $8
GILBERT CASTELLANOS WHEN: Wednesday 1/19/11 WHERE:El Camino
2400 India Street
San Diego, CA TIME: 9:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
GRUPO FALSO BAIANO WHEN: Tuesday 1/18/11 WHERE:Le Colonial
20 Cosmo Place
San Francisco, CA TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: NO COVER
KAT PARRA WHEN: Sunday 1/23/11 WHERE:Red Poppy House
2698 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA TIME: 7:00 p.m. TICKETS: $12 – $20
PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA WHEN: Monday 1/17/11 WHERE:Cafe Cocomo
650 Indiana Street
San Francisco, CA TIME: 9:30 p.m. TICKETS: $10
SONANDO WHEN: Thursday 1/20/11 WHERE:Tula’s
2214 Second Avenue
Seattle, WA TIME: 8:00 p.m. TICKETS: $10
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Depth and diversity really define the magnitude of an artist’s career, and determines the impact that their musical will have over time. Most artists pick a direction that dictates their musical output, but only a select few dig far into the history and potential of their chosen path. If they do, they rarely change course and continue their fully encompassing exploration. The ability to go in-depth in several different directions only exists in a rare breed of artist, and that artist will give us a wealth of important music.
Alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera has covered all these bases during the course of his highly charged musical life. Instructed in the intricacies of the saxophone and clarinet by his father Tito, D’Rivera graced the stage with the Havana Philharmonic while still a pre-teen. Jazz became his passion, and despite the wavering support of Fidel Castro government, he eventually became one of the island’s leaders in the style through his work with the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna. D’Rivera joined with fellow band mate pianist Chucho Valdés to form Irakere, and their explosive combination of jazz, Afro-Cuban music, rock, and funk took the Cuban musicians onto a world stage. The confines of the Cuban government took their tool upon D’Rivera though, and during Irakere’s 1981 tour of Spain, he claimed political asylum and headed to the States. When he arrived in the States, D’Rivera found a welcoming community of jazz musicians that appreciated his presence, leading to work with a wide array of artists including David Amram, Dizzy Gillespie, and McCoy Tyner. D’Rivera formed his own group that brought together several of New York’s top Latin Jazz artists, and a series of successful albums, along with a high profile position in Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra, made him a widely respected jazz musician in the States. With some artistic credibility behind him, D’Rivera made some major efforts to pay tribute to the legends of Cuban music. He featured bassist Israel “Cachao” Lopéz prominently on his album 40 Years of Cuban Jam Session and produced pianist Bebo Valdés’ long overdue return to the studio on Bebo Rides Again; as a result, both musicians experienced worldwide success in the later part of their careers. He also found a group of young musicians – trumpet player Diego Urcola, bassist Oscar Stagnaro, drummer Mark Walker, percussionist Pernell Saturnino, and a rotating cast of pianists – to form a new quintet that has fueled his work to the present. Still looking ahead, D’Rivera continued to dig deeply into new directions, starting with Tango Jazz: Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center, a collaboration with bassist Pablo Aslan. The recording features D’Rivera along with an all-star cast of Argentinean musicians that blend jazz and tango traditions in new and exciting ways. At the same time, D’Rivera expanded his core quintet to include instrumentalists from across the Caribbean and South America, recording the Panamericana Suite. This live recording showed the vast unexplored potential remaining in Latin Jazz, and D’Rivera’s uncanny ability to ably traverse these realms. Moving into the future, D’Rivera continues to display an unbelievable thirst for new artistic experiences that drives him far into new musical horizons.
After a lifetime filled with cutting-edge musical experiences, D’Rivera could simply recreate his former successes, and most likely continue a comfortable career. His thirst for new artistic directions continues to fuel his creations though, making him a continually relevant and important artist on the modern Latin Jazz scene. In Part One of our interview with D’Rivera, we explored his early musical training, the influence of his father, and his first moves into jazz. We looked at D’Rivera’s time with the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna, the evolution of Irakere, and his first meeting with Dizzy Gillespie during the second piece of our interview. Part Three of our interview focused upon D’Rivera’s move to the States, his early gigs in New York, and his time with Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra. In the forth section of our interview, we dug into D’Rivera role in Cachao’s revitalized career, Bebo Valdés’ resurgence, and the formation of his current quintet. As we complete our interview today, we investigate D’Rivera’s classical compositions, the recording of Tango Jazz: Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the creation of Panamericana Suite.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: You’re doing a lot of writing in the classical vein lately. Can you tell us a little bit about your classical composition?
PAQUITO D’RIVERA: I have been receiving a lot of commissions to write pieces. Just last year, I premiered my sonata for clarinet and piano, called “The Cape Cod Files.” It was written for clarinetist Jon Manasse and pianist Jon Nakamatsu. Now I am orchestrating a piece that is going to be called “The Cape Cod Double Concerto.” I’m still working on my opera. It is an opera that includes different types of voices – from operatic voices, to Cuban rumberos, jazz voices, rap, and everything. I recently wrote a piece for a children’s choir based upon a poem from a Puerto Rican poet. I am working on a lot of projects. I just presented my new book called “Portraits and Landscapes” – right now it’s only available in Spanish, but I’m looking for an English publisher.
LJC: Tango Jazz: Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center is a great album that you did with Pablo Aslan. It’s a live recording with Pablo’s group – how did you get involved in that?
PDR: Pablo was commissioned to form a group to do a tango show; it was called Tango Salon. I was a guest artist. He brought in musicians from Argentina and one fantastic twenty-two year old bandoneonist from Switzerland, whose name is Michael Zisman. I think that he’s the only jazz bandoneonist on the planet. His father and mother are musicians from Argentina, but he went to a jazz school in Switzerland with the bandoneon. He learned the language of bebop and all that with a tango instrument. The combination is tremendous. So when we were rehearsing, my wife Brenda, who is also my producer and manager, had the idea to record the concert. We asked the people from Jazz At Lincoln Center and we got the permission to do it. We paid for the tapes, we recorded professionally, and the result was Tango Jazz.
The musicians in Pablo’s group really defined the spirit on that recording. They brought people from Argentina like my dear friend Gustavo Bergalli, the trumpet player. They had Raul Juarena, a Uruguayan bandoneon player who lives here in New York. They put together a band with two bandoneons – that was really fun. Pablo Agri was a great violin player – he was too much. Pablo Aslan is just so knowledgeable too. On that CD, all I did was play when they told me to play and stop when they told me to stop!
LJC: Tango is a music that is so strongly based around composition. How do you see that working for improvisation?
PDR: It’s a combination of both things. We put the jazz element in there and they brought the tango. Plus the players that they brought here from Argentina, they were jazz players. They brought a very fine pianist from Buenos Aires named Abel Rogantini – he was a jazz pianist. Also Daniel “Pipi” Piazzolla was there, who is a fantastic drummer and the grandson of Astor Piazzolla. So there was a group of people there that knew both languages very well.
LJC: I’ve talked to Pablo Aslan about creating a language for improvisation around tango. Do feel like it’s a totally different thing or do you play and it just happens?
PDR: You have to do some research about the language or the idiom – that’s important. That is a mistake on the part of some jazz players – when they play on the top of a Cuban rhythm or any type of Latin rhythm, they keep playing those bebop lines all through the entire piece. That is not enough. The bebop language is a great tool, but it’s just a tool. You should – based on respect to the music – learn something about the idiom of son montuno or the idiom of samba or the idiom of tango in this case. You have to do some research and try to immerse yourself in the style of music that you are going to be playing. Because playing bebop all the time on top of a samba . . . well, it will work, but it doesn’t sound like you are playing any respect to the music. You’re supposed to have some syncopation and something that represents the style – in any style of music. It’s like going to the Dominican Republic and you’re speaking French or German to everybody! People might understand you, but at least learn to say something in Spanish. You need to learn to say a few words at least!
LJC: Tango hasn’t really been explored as widely by the Latin Jazz world – do you think that lack knowledge about the language is why?
PDR: They are doing more and more. After Astor Piazzolla, people were paying more attention to tango music. Jazz people are paying a little more attention to it.
LJC: Panamericana Suite is a really ambitious recording that brings together several Caribbean and South American cultures. How did the music for that album come together?
PDR: Jazz At Lincoln Center commissioned me to write a jazz piece. In those days, they had a series called “As Of Now.” That premiered many years ago. The other composer that night was Nicolas Payton; he played one half of the program and I played the other half of the program. Then I was assigned to put together an orchestra that encompassed different instruments – not only different styles, but also different instruments – from south of the border. This included a South American marimba, an Argentinean bandoneon, a Venezuelan cuatro, and Afro-Cuban batá drums. The lyrics were from Anna Nicolena, the Cuban poet who lives in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The music is based upon her poem that is called “America.” It looks at America not only as North America, but also as the entire continent, including South America. Ever since we did that at Jazz At Lincoln Center, I’ve had the idea to do that not only for one concert, but also as a recording. We did that live recording, and we did a real Latin Jazz CD with everything. It also has the great Andy Narell playing the steel pan.
LJC: You’ve got a lot of musicians that you’ve recorded with before on Panamericana Suite, but you’ve also have some incredible young musicians such as Edmar Castaneda. How did they get involved and what did they bring into the project?
PDR: They have their own voices. Edmar Castaneda is brilliant. He’s really tremendous. He’s got a great sense of humor too. Edmar is something. They contributed a great deal of love and originality to the project. I am very happy to have the opportunity to have them in the Panamericana Orchestra.
We are trying to put the band together to go to Europe. That’s not an easy task, but I think we will do it.
LJC: On Panamericana Suite, you’ve got some pieces that touch on several different traditions – there’s the festejo version of “Con Alma,” the tribute to Generoso Jimenez, “Tojo,” and the suite itself – but it’s all so fluid. How do you find the connection point between these different traditions?
PDR: It’s very natural. When you have a rhythm section that knows what they are doing and knows how to play the music correctly, that comes very easily. It has to come naturally or else it sounds corny.
LJC: One of the things that amazes me about your work is that you produce so much, it’s all different, and it all has such high artistry. What directions do you still want to go in that you haven’t explored?
PDR: I will keep walking to see what I find in my path, and then I’ll take it if I like it! I am in very good company with my group. We call it a quintet, but you noticed that on my CD Funk Tango, it says Paquito D’Rivera Quintet? – then there are eight people on the cover! So my quintet is elastic. As much as the budget allows, I include more or less people. The quintet can be two people or it can be twenty-one – it’s my expandable quintet. So I am in very good company – they help me look for good music and new venues to explore. As I said before, I’m also looking for a publisher in English for my book “Portraits And Landscapes,” so that everyone can read the musician stories in there. I am happy doing what I do.
Make sure that you read Part Two of our interview with alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, which focuses upon his ground-breaking work in Cuba during the sixties and seventies. We talk about his tenure with the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna, the creation and evolution of Irakere, D’Rivera’s first encounter with Dizzy Gillespie, and much more. You can check it out HERE.
Take a look at Part Four of our interview with Paquito D’Rivera, where we talk about his participation of bassist Israel “Cacho” Lopéz’s revitalized career, his role in pianist Bebo Valdés’ resurgance, and the creation of his current quintet. You can check it out HERE.
When a musician moves into the mature stage of their artistic development, they carry a responsibility to themselves, their listeners, and the great musical community. After committing so many years of their lives to the art form, they need to make a significant statement that reflects their own personalities. At the same time, they need to show the world the musical possibilities inherent in unknown artists or young musicians. If they don’t take these simple steps, the world will be robbed of a valuable exposure to culture.
Alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera spent years developing himself into one of the most influential artists in Latin Jazz, a position that he has used to sustain the vitality and history of the music. Guided by his father Tito, a strong classical saxophonist, D’Rivera developed solid skills on both the saxophone and clarinet as a child, leading to spotlights with the Havana Philharmonic while still a pre-teen. D’Rivera focused on jazz during his teen years, but had to put his interests aside when Fidel Castro’s government outlawed the music. When the government changed its tune years later, they recruited D’Rivera as a member of the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna, a big band that also boasted members like pianist Chucho Valdés, guitarist Carlos Emilio Morales, and bassist Carlos Del Puerto. After some time with the Orquesta, D’Rivera and several members of the group joined with Valdés to form Irakere, a distinctive blend of jazz, Afro-Cuban music, rock, and more. The band exposed D’Rivera to a world audience, but he still longed for greater freedom. In 1981, he defected while on tour with Irakere, and eventually made his way to New York. The Stateside jazz community embraced D’Rivera warmly, leading to work with Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, David Amram, and more. D’Rivera formed his own group, recording a string of popular albums, and became a member of Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra. As he became an increasingly prominent figure on the jazz scene, D’Rivera took the opportunity to honor several important Cuban musicians. He recruited Israel “Cachao” Lopéz for his album 40 Years of Cuban Jam Session, and later took part in the bassist’s impressive revival. D’Rivera produced an album for pianist Bebo Valdés in 1994, Bebo Rides Again, capturing the public’s attention and sending the legendary pianist into another stage of his career. A new group came together for D’Rivera in the nineties, a solid unit that included trumpet player Diego Urcola, bassist Oscar Stagnaro, drummer Mark Walker, percussionist Pernell Saturnino, and a rotating cast of pianists. The group has taken D’Rivera to the modern day, exposing this cast of powerful musicians to a new generation of jazz listeners. With every step of his mature career, D’Rivera pushed jazz and Latin music into the future.
D’Rivera’s bold explorations as a young musician allowed him to share a well-developed musicianship as a mature artist that caught the world’s attention. Fortunately for everyone, he shared that attention with a number of important Cuban musicians and upcoming artists. In Part One of our interview with D’Rivera, we looked at his young musical life, the influence of his father, and his first exposures to jazz. The second part of our interview focused upon D’Rivera’s participation in the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna, the evolution of Irakere, and his first meeting with Dizzy Gillespie. In the third part of our interview, we discussed D’Rivera’s move to New York, his incorporation of a number of South American and Caribbean influences, and his early groups. Today, we dig into D’Rivera’s role in the revival of both Cachao and Bebo Valdes, the formation of his current group, and more.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: In the nineties, you had an impact upon Latin Jazz by bringing some of Cuba’s legendary musicians into the spotlight. You had Cachao on 40 Years of Cuban Jam Session and you played on his Master Sessions Volume 1 & Master Sessions Volume 2 . . .
PAQUITO D’RIVERA: Cachao is a very special guy. He was so funny and he had such a great musicality. For some reason, he was known only for one type of music, but Cachao was one of most versatile contrabassists that I ever met in my life. He could play very good tango, jazz music, circus music, or whatever. He used to play in the Opera and the Havana Philharmonic for many years. He was a very versatile musicians and a loyal friend, a very sweet friend with a great sense of humor. He was very special for us. We almost daily remember times with Cachao.
LJC: You also helped revitalize Bebo Valdés’ career with Bebo Rides Again – how did that album come together?
PDR: From the very beginning of my arrival in the free world, I always had the goal to produce an LP of Bebo Valdés. I used to visit him in Sweden every time that I went there with Dizzy or my own group. I would say, “One day when I grow my career, I am going to come to you Bebo.” Then in 1995 I talked to a producer in Germany, and I said, “I want to produce Bebo Valdés, he has been out of the studio for thirty-four years.” He said, “And this guy is still around?!?” I said, “Yea, he’s in Sweden and I want to produce him.” So we put together a group for the project and Bebo Rides Again was a success. Every body liked him; I think I gave him fifteen more years of professional life!
LJC: That had Juan Pablo Torres on it as well . . .
PDR: Yes, and Amadito Valdes, and Diego Urcola, my trumpeter from Argentina is on that CD also. I am very proud of that product. Bebo was a very dear friend of my father, besides being a grand musician.
LJC: Also in the late nineties, you reunited with your Irakere band mates on Cuba Jazz – what was it like to play with those guys after so many years?
PDR: That was fun, but that CD didn’t take off for some reason. We did that and it was fun, but it died right there. Nothing happened! But it was fun because Bebo was there. I had the goal to reunite Bebo and Chucho and that was the first time that it happened. I tried to do it in Bebo Rides Again, but it didn’t work. Chucho was supposed to play there, but when the time came, he didn’t take the plane.
LJC: By the late nineties, it seemed like you had your current group in place with Oscar Stagnaro, Diego Urcola, Mark Walker, and Pernell Saturnino. How did you get these musicians together and what do you think they bring to your music?
PDR: That is the best band that I’ve ever had. We’ve stayed together for the longest time, we have common goals, and the mentality is very similar.
Diego Urcola was a person that subbed for Claudio Roditi. When Claudio left the band to do his own thing, I was a little depressed. Then I got a call from Victor Mendoza – he’s a vibraphone player from Chihuahua, Mexico, who has lived in Boston for many years and he teaches at Berklee. He called me and said, “Don’t worry about it. I have a kid here who plays very well, more or less in the same style as Claudio, and he’s a good guy like Claudio.” That was Diego Urcola. Later on I asked Diego to play the valve trombone and he said, “O.K., I will try.” Now he’s amazing at that instrument!
I met Mark in Chicago; he’s originally from there. He came subbing for Portinho. Somebody told me, “That guy, he plays Brazilian music like he was born there.” So he has been with me ever since.
Alex Brown is my current pianist; I have had a collection of great pianists in my band. Alex is no exception.
Pernell is extraordinary. To give you an anecdote, I was playing in the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival with my sextet. After the show, Chick Corea came to me and said, “Where did you find that percussionist?!?” I said, “I saw him first!” Chick called him and Pernell recorded with Chick. Pernell is a very reliable player in all senses – he can play different styles of music and he’s always on time . . . he doesn’t behave like a percussionist! He’s a very fine player and very dear friend. We call him The Bear because he looks like a bear on two feet.
Oscar was subbing for Lincoln Goines. In those days, my bass player was Lincoln Goines. He couldn’t make a gig at the Regatta Bar, and he said, “I’m going to send you a guy and you will love him!” He was right! He has stayed with me for twenty years now.
LJC: In the past ten years, you’ve gone back and forth between classical music and jazz a lot more. How do you balance your interests between those two worlds?
PDR: For every musical style, you’ve got to do major or minor adjustments to play in them. When you play Stravinsky, you don’t play the same way that you play Mozart. When you play the music of Louie Armstrong, you don’t the same way that you play the music of Ornette Coleman. So for me, its just music. I just have to move the switch, and adapt to the different styles.
The other day I even sat in with Dave Matthews in Madison Square Garden. It was different – I am not used to that type of volume! He’s a very good lyricist and there are very fine musicians in that band. It was an experience, a totally different experience!
Make sure that you read Part Two of our interview with alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, which focuses upon his ground-breaking work in Cuba during the sixties and seventies. We talk about his tenure with the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna, the creation and evolution of Irakere, D’Rivera’s first encounter with Dizzy Gillespie, and much more. You can check it out HERE.
An artist’s drive to bring their musical vision to fruition can be a powerful force, often moving them to make drastic changes in their life. Early ventures into musical expression build an artistic foundation and focus their attention upon a single stylistic direction. Most environments allow an individual to make these strides towards a musical career, but at some point, an artist will reach a breaking point. Then they need to seriously look around them and find another route to push their musical life forward.
Alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera focused his sights squarely upon jazz performance during his younger years, inspiring a major move away from home to follow his dream. Taught by his father Tito at a young age, D’Rivera mastered the technical challenges of the clarinet, the soprano saxophone, and the alto saxophone through a rigorous regimen of classical repertoire. Still a pre-teen, D’Rivera became a featured soloist with the Havana Symphony and a regular fixture in performance venues around Havana. During his teen years, D’Rivera became focused upon jazz, but just as he began to dig deeper into the music, Fidel Castro’s newly formed government officially frowned upon the style. Years later, the government changed their tune and formed the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna, bringing D’Rivera together with top musicians such as pianist Chucho Valdés, guitarist Carlos Emilio Morales, bassist Carlos Del Puerto, and more. After a couple of years together, the musicians saw greater prospects in an original unit, and led by Valdés, they formed Irakere. This groundbreaking ensemble melded jazz, Afro-Cuban music, rock, and funk into a blazing mixture that turned heads around the world. D’Rivera’s star began to rise through international performances with the group, and he began to look towards other possibilities. In 1981, he claimed political asylum during a tour with Irakere in Spain, leaving Cuba to become an independent jazz musician. After a short tenure in Spain, D’Rivera found his way to New York City, where he burst onto the scene dramatically. He quickly found work with a number of high-profile musicians including David Amram, Dizzy Gillespie, and McCoy Tyner, while making connections on the city’s Latin Jazz scene. He soon led his own ensemble including a broad collection of Caribbean and South American influences, releasing a number of albums on Columbia. D’Rivera became a major figure in Gillespie’s United Nation big band, and soon he was an instantly recognizable figure on the American jazz scene.
D’Rivera’s passion for jazz guided much of his life, leading him to the States, where he has become an irreplaceable piece of jazz culture. His powerful musical statements along the way changed the history of Latin Jazz and exposed unconsidered possibilities in the music. In Part One of our interview with D’Rivera, we looked at his early training, the influence of his father, and his first forays into jazz. Part Two of our interview delved into D’Rivera’s years with the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna, the evolution of Irakere, and his first meeting with Gillespie. Today, we explore D’Rivera’s move to the States, his broad view of Latin Jazz, his time with Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra, and more.
———- LATIN JAZZ CORNER: What was your inspiration to leave Cuba in 1981? Were you looking to find some of that music that you heard earlier?
PAQUITO D’RIVERA: Yes, ever since my father played that Benny Goodman LP for me, I had the goal to come to New York to be a musician. That stopped in 1959 when this guy (Fidel Castro) came into power. But meeting Dizzy and listening to Voice Of America accelerated my desire to leave the country and be a musician in New York City. I am in love with this city. I’m finally I got to meet that dream in 1981.
LJC: You left Irakere and defected while in Spain, and then you played around there for a while – what were you doing while you were there?
PDR: I played there for five or six months. I met a group of South American musicians that used to play a lot of samba, Brazilian music, and all that. There was a drummer there that took me under his wing and gave me a space in his very tiny apartment. He saved my life in those days. I was desperate and I was there by myself. They gave me work and I stayed there for five or six months until I received my Visa to come to the United States.
LJC: When you got to the States, what was the reception like in New York? Who were some of the musicians that you played with early on?
PDR: The first jazz musician who gave me a job here was David Amram. My dear friend David Amram, he turned 80 a little while ago. Then Dizzy Gillespie also gave me work. I recorded my first CD with Columbia. I did a couple of gigs with McCoy Tyner also. Then I created my own quintet.
LJC: In the group that you’ve got on those early Columbia albums, you’ve got guys like Hilton Ruiz, Ignacio Berroa, and Claudio Roditi – the best of the New York Latin Jazz scene. How did the scene in New York meet your expectations – was it what you dreamed it would be?
PDR: It was so inspiring. New York is such a dynamic place. In those days, there was a lady named Verna Gillis who had a loft with a Steinway piano on 52nd and 10th Avenue in Manhattan. We used have people like Jerry and Andy Gonzalez playing around there; we had Hilton Ruiz, Carlos Franzetti, and Daniel Ponce playing around there; and also Claudio Roditi. I met all those people there.
Then I formed my group with them. We used to go to Soundscape every night to play music, to meet other people, and to listen to other people playing around there. It was very inspiring because Verna gave us the opportunity to use her space to rehearse and to create. That was very generous of her.
LJC: Right from the onset, you were stretching out beyond the Cuban influence in Latin Jazz, integrating Brazilian music and Venezuelan waltzes. How did you get that bigger picture of Latin Jazz?
PDR: I always loved Brazilian music, but I was never exposed to many different Brazilian players. Then when I came here, I discovered a great Brazilian community. I met Claudio (Roditi), the drummer Portinho, and the bassist Sergio Brandau. Then through them I met Leny Andrade and so many others. I started doing a lot of Brazilian music, and I still do today.
Venezuelan music came through Fareed Haque, the guitarist from Chicago. He was playing those Venezuelan waltzes by Antonio Lauro in my living room. I said, “I’ve heard that before years ago in Cuba played by Leo Brouwer.” He told me, “This is Antonio Lauro.” Then I went to Venezuela a couple of times. I transcribed all those waltzes -they were originally written for guitar, but I transcribed them for clarinet and guitar or clarinet and piano.
Then came Oscar Stagnaro, who is a very important part of my career. He’s like a scholar and he’s very knowledgeable about Latin American music in general. So, from the very beginning, I included elements from different Latin American styles inside jazz music. There was music from Astor Piazzolla and other composers like Fernando Otero and Emilio Solla. I played with Pablo Ziegler, Piazzolla’s pianist, and then I developed my Argentinean tango skills and translated it into the jazz language. It was part of a process that is still evolving.
PDR: In the late eighties, you joined Dizzy’s United Nation Orchestra, which was right in line with that broad idea of Latin Jazz. How did that group come together?
LJC: The person who created that idea was Charlie Fishman – he was an impresario, a promoter from Washington, D.C. In those days, he was working with Dizzy, programming him and booking him. He got the idea to put together an orchestra, knowing that Dizzy loved working with Latin American music. So Charlie put together a band with musicians from different parts of Latin America – Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Panama. So that’s what the United Nation Orchestra was all about.
The name comes from a religion that Dizzy had – he was of the Baha’i faith. They had a concept that the world is just one nation, so the real name of the orchestra is The United Nation. We were playing outdoors in Washington once, and there was a guy with a big anti-U.N. Flag. He was saying “Down with the United Nations!” Dizzy said, “O.K., but we’re not with the United Nations!” So the guy said, “What about the name?” Dizzy said, “No – we’re The United Nation, like the Baha’i – it’s different!”
LJC: What was Dizzy like to you as a mentor, a human being, and a musician?
PDR: Dizzy was very special for everyone who had the opportunity to meet him. He was not only a great musician, but also a great man. He not only created a great career for himself, but he also gave all of us the opportunity to develop our own voices and our own careers. He was very special; he’s unforgettable.
LJC: After Dizzy passed away, you kept The United Nation Orchestra going with a couple more albums. Is that something that still lives on?
PDR: Yea, every time that I want to have some fun and loose some money, I organize a big band! Sometime in the future, I have the idea to one day pay a tribute to Dizzy and put together his United Nation again, you never know. But right now, I am too busy writing – I’m trying to put together my opera, I’m orchestrating my double concerto for clarinet and piano. I am doing a bunch of things; I have a lot on my plate now.
LJC: You also provided some great opportunities for some young musicians such as Michel Camilo and Danilo Peréz to get exposure and grow their own careers – how did you get together with those guys?
PDR: I am lucky to have good pianists. All of my life, I’ve been very lucky to work with good pianists. I’ve worked with McCoy Tyner, Jorge Dalto, Hilton Ruiz, Chucho Valdés, & Bebo Valdés, Danilo Peréz, Michel Camilo, and Alon Yavnai. Now I’ve just produced the first CD from my young twenty-two year old pianist, Alex Brown. He’s not an exception – he’s one of those great pianists. The only thing that I regret is that I didn’t study piano from the very beginning, because that is the king of instruments. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to have so many great pianists.
Make sure that you read Part Two of our interview with alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, which focuses upon his ground-breaking work in Cuba during the sixties and seventies. We talk about his tenure with the Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna, the creation and evolution of Irakere, D’Rivera’s first encounter with Dizzy Gillespie, and much more. You can check it out HERE.
Come tomorrow for the next part of our interview with Paquito D’Rivera where we’ll talk about his various projects over the past two decades, his working band, and his latest releases, Panamericana Suite and Tango Jazz: Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Don’t miss it!
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The evolution of jazz charges into the future with the ferocity of a tidal wave, and the strongest musicians ride the momentum into the future. The conglomeration of musical styles and improvisational approaches that shape emerging trends in jazz push the musician through a test of flexibility and durability. Sometimes the musician successfully sails over the crest of these diverse sounds with immense skill, while at other times they fall into the depths of the sea. Like any good surfer, jazz musicians don’t let the wave dictate their direction completely though. It simply becomes a route to a larger destiny that both informs and influences their musical vision. As they reach the shore, they arrive with a solid concept that resonates with an intelligent voice and a defined personality.
WAYNE WALLACE: I went to James Denmen Middle School, and we had a good music teacher there named Jack Pereira. He was really flexible about letting us play during lunchtime, and just letting us come in there and hang out. So we’d do our little jazz thing, and we’d do our little rock thing. That led me to go to Balboa High School, which is where some of the members of Malo and Sly And The Family Stone had gone or were going to school. 
I was in a golden era. I’m 58 now and I keep telling my students that I was so blessed to come up in a golden era. In my first year at Balboa High School, Calvin Simmons was a senior. This was before he went off with Seiji Ozawa and became the conductor of the Oakland Symphony. During his senior year at Balboa High School, Calvin Simmons was playing vibes and piano in the jazz band, he was playing french horn in the concert band, singing in the choir, and he was conducting the orchestra. How’s that for a role model?!? Everyone knew how talented he was. I make this analogy to my students – if you were hanging around Michael Jordan for three years, your game would be elevated. So I had all of those blessings around me before I went to San Francisco State.
WW: My first year at State was the Fall of 1970. One of the reasons that I went to San Francisco State was because they offered me a soccer scholarship. Two schools offered me a soccer scholarship and one was on the East Coast – Bowdoin. My mother didn’t want me to go to the East Coast, so she said, “You’re going to San Francisco State!” I said, “O.K., fine,” and I went there. 
At the same time, a lot of people in Bobby Hutcherson’s band were also studying there, so I started hanging out with Bobby Hutcherson’s band. That was another great lesson – I wasn’t playing with them, but when they play at a club, I would be there all five nights, listening to every set. 
Somewhere around that time, I was working in a Top 40 band called Badwater Bridge. It was one of the first inter-racial bands to break the color barrier in the Peninsula. We played this club called The Putter in Burlingame. The gentleman that booked us there was named Chuck Koch. He eventually was one of those pioneers that helped break the color barrier in the Peninsula. We had a lead singer was African-American, and of course, I was African-American. No one had done that up to that point. We were just doing our thing – we were young, we didn’t know. We were doing Chicago tunes, Blood, Sweat, And Tears tunes, and things that people wanted to hear. We were a big hit. 
Everybody came into that club – Broadway was just the place to be at that time. It was right place, right time. I remember Steve Turre sitting in with us, and Art Pepper sat in with us at one point. We were doing the Bitch’s Brew thing – the band could do that whole thing. We were like, “Great, Art Pepper – bebop, let’s go!”
LJC: Sometime aorund there you hooked up with Julian Priester too.
record came out in 1970, and they did a concert at San Francisco State. That was the first time that I met Julian. Once again, he started mentoring me – like I said, I’ve had great mentors. They were based in San Francisco at the time because David Rubenson was producing all those records at The Automat. They were based here, so no matter where they went out and toured, they’d come back. I’d take lessons from Julian, and I’d go hear Herbie’s band every chance that I could. For me, it was osmosis – a lot of that stuff just sunk in outside of practice and studying.
Community plays a powerful role in the creation of a musician; individuals evolve into artists through the impact of the world spinning around them. Musical movements often define a region, leaving their mark upon all its inhabitants. Some areas resonate with a single-minded focus upon one artistic direction while other places overflow with different ideas. For the casual listener, these stylistic trademarks of an area leave a fondness; they stamp the serious musician with an unbreakable imprint. The artist may embrace this connection or walk away from it, but it’s always there, informing every artistic choice that comes into their professional life.
WAYNE WALLACE: I’m a native San Franciscan – I was born in San Francisco General Hospital, but I grew up in Fillmore District. My mother moved here from Texas and my father moved here from Okalahoma during the 1940s. The first house that I was in was on Steiner Street, then we moved to Bush, up by Masonic. In 1958, we moved out to the Ingleside District out by San Francisco State. 
WW: I got interested in music because of my mother and my father. There was an old apartment store here in San Francisco – it was kind of like the K-Mart of its time. I vividly remember going to the store with my mother and my father; they always had these records on sale. I remember that they brought home a couple of records that I still have – one was 
, and the other one was a record called 
WW: Yes, and it was kind of a serendipitous act. My mother and father just grew up in that era. They came from black communities in the South – the Ellington band and the Basie band played their proms and at their colleges. It was part of the cultural lifestyle. Without them being avid music fans, they passed that on, fortunately for me. 
WW: I distinctly remember in the San Francisco public elementary school system, they would bring instruments around to the schools and ask us if we wanted to play them. So they had a trombone there . . . they actually had everything, like trumpet and saxophone. I looked at all the other ones and they all had too many moving parts. I picked trombone because it looked like it only had one moving part – big mistake! 
WW: It was just fun. My love at that age was baseball. I’m an avid San Francisco Giants fan – the World Series this year, I’ve waited all my life for that! I remember where I was in 1962 when Bobby Richardson caught that line drive off Willie McCovey’s bat. I remember exactly where I was standing! My mother and father are also responsible for me being a baseball fan – they took me to Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park when it first opened. 
Music moved to the forefront in junior high school. I got into an all James Brown band. That’s all we did was James Brown covers – side one and side two! Lick & Stick side one, Lick & Stick side two, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag side one, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag side two – the whole thing. 
I got the jazz bug in high school. We had a wonderful teacher there by the name of Sid Walker. He turned us onto Coltrane and Ellington. I became conscious of the people that I had been listening to. He turned me onto that music. 
WW: Actually no, they were older than me at that point. I met all of those guys later in my career. I was hanging out in the Fillmore at the clubs there. There were jam sessions going on up in the Lower Haight. Bishop Norman Williams was leading sessions at a little club on Haight Street. It was on the Lower Haight, around Steiner and Fillmore.
The relationship between jazz composers and vocalists involves an intertwining path the relies upon active participation from both parties. The composer needs to spend their life dedicated to the discovery of incredible melodies and inspiring harmonies that will last through time. The creation of songs that both challenge and connect with a jazz audience contributes to the art form and pushes it into new directions. The vocalist needs to spend their time investigated every inch of the composer’s work and translating it into a personal performance. Each unique interpretation of the composer’s pieces provides a distinctly new perspective upon the individual’s music and life. It’s a partnership that results in some of the world’s most memorable music.
Two of Brazil’s greatest musicians – composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and singer Leny Andrade – share this bond, which has given us years of fantastic music. Both musicians were born on January 25th, with Jobim making his way into the world in 1927 and Andrade coming along on 1943. Jobim spent his young life immersed in music, earning a meager living performing in nightclubs while honing his craft as both an entertainer and a composer. As Jobim worked towards a career in music, a young Andrade started exploring the art form, taking classical piano lessons at six and and singing on radio shows by the time she was nine. Andrade found her voice as an artist in the Beco das Garrafas during the early sixties, and eventually released her first album as a leader, 
. Only a few years later, Jobim collaborated with saxophonist Stan Getz, pianist João Gilberto, and vocalist Astrud Gilberto to create the instant bossa nova classic 
. The album, packed with Jobim’s compositions, sparked a bossa nova craze around the world and earned multiple Grammys, including Album Of The Year. As Jobim’s artistic profile shot straight into the sky, Andrade found modest success, working with singer Dick Farney and then in the show Gemini V. Jobim enjoyed tremendous popularity throughout the sixties, but in the seventies, bossa nova faded from the public’s consciousness. Despite this, he maintained a consistently interesting artistic output, producing albums such as 
and 
. Throughout the late sixties and seventies, Andrade bounced between Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil, and while worldwide popularity escaped her, she gained experience that made her a formidable bossa nova singer. During the eighties, Andrade moved frequently between the United States and Brazil, establishing an international reputation as one of Brazilian music’s most original and engaging vocalists. The world recognized Jobim’s significance at this point, honoring him with awards, booking his performances in high profile venues, and showering his 1987 album 
with praise. Jobim filled his schedule with a variety of projects in the early nineties, most notably the 1994 release 
, which appeared right before his death on December 8, 1994. As Jobim’s legacy moved into the history books, Andrade moved to New York and found immediate success in jazz festivals across the country. Her star only got brighter in the new millennium, and Andrade now stands as the measure of a singer in Brazilian music, recognized as a model interpreter of samba jazz. /antonio carlos jobim stone flower.jpg)
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. Over at World Music Central, writer Les Moncada got a chance to check out the book and shared his great appreciation for the intimate look inside Puente’s true self. You can check out his review /phil hawkins sugarcane suite.jpg)
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As time marches forward, the performance contexts, compositional approaches, and improvisational ideas of Latin Jazz change, leaving us with some important thought. The music experiences a natural evolution; race, economics, and cultural aesthetics consistently push Latin Jazz in new directions. That’s one of the beautiful things about any music touched by jazz – it serves as a mirror to the current state of our society. On the positive side of things, this constant movement keeps Latin Jazz modern and relevant; from another perspective, this evolution runs the risk of leaving important musical moments behind us. While we proudly move into the future, we need to work hard to preserve the ideas that helped Latin Jazz grow and celebrate the musicians that diligently keep different parts of the history alive.
, a stirring recording that affirmed the group’s authentic approach to mambo. They took a more danceable route on their 2008 release, 
, connecting themselves to a new generation of fans. By 2009, The Latin Giants Of Jazz had found a solid voice and a place in the heart of dancers around the world, as shown on 
. By the end of 2009 Mitch Frohman organized a new band, The Mambo Legends Orchestra, taking along with him Jose Madera, John Rodriguez and the other Tito Puente alumni. With this new configuration in place, the group went into the studio and created a strong double album, /mark weinstein jazz brasil.jpg)
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Depth and diversity really define the magnitude of an artist’s career, and determines the impact that their musical will have over time. Most artists pick a direction that dictates their musical output, but only a select few dig far into the history and potential of their chosen path. If they do, they rarely change course and continue their fully encompassing exploration. The ability to go in-depth in several different directions only exists in a rare breed of artist, and that artist will give us a wealth of important music.
and produced pianist Bebo Valdés’ long overdue return to the studio on 
; as a result, both musicians experienced worldwide success in the later part of their careers. He also found a group of young musicians – trumpet player Diego Urcola, bassist Oscar Stagnaro, drummer Mark Walker, percussionist Pernell Saturnino, and a rotating cast of pianists – to form a new quintet that has fueled his work to the present. Still looking ahead, D’Rivera continued to dig deeply into new directions, starting with 
, a collaboration with bassist Pablo Aslan. The recording features D’Rivera along with an all-star cast of Argentinean musicians that blend jazz and tango traditions in new and exciting ways. At the same time, D’Rivera expanded his core quintet to include instrumentalists from across the Caribbean and South America, recording the 
. This live recording showed the vast unexplored potential remaining in Latin Jazz, and D’Rivera’s uncanny ability to ably traverse these realms. Moving into the future, D’Rivera continues to display an unbelievable thirst for new artistic experiences that drives him far into new musical horizons.
LATIN JAZZ CORNER: You’re doing a lot of writing in the classical vein lately. Can you tell us a little bit about your classical composition?
PDR: Pablo was commissioned to form a group to do a tango show; it was called Tango Salon. I was a guest artist. He brought in musicians from Argentina and one fantastic twenty-two year old bandoneonist from Switzerland, whose name is Michael Zisman. I think that he’s the only jazz bandoneonist on the planet. His father and mother are musicians from Argentina, but he went to a jazz school in Switzerland with the bandoneon. He learned the language of bebop and all that with a tango instrument. The combination is tremendous. So when we were rehearsing, my wife Brenda, who is also my producer and manager, had the idea to record the concert. We asked the people from Jazz At Lincoln Center and we got the permission to do it. We paid for the tapes, we recorded professionally, and the result was 
PDR: You have to do some research about the language or the idiom – that’s important. That is a mistake on the part of some jazz players – when they play on the top of a Cuban rhythm or any type of Latin rhythm, they keep playing those bebop lines all through the entire piece. That is not enough. The bebop language is a great tool, but it’s just a tool. You should – based on respect to the music – learn something about the idiom of son montuno or the idiom of samba or the idiom of tango in this case. You have to do some research and try to immerse yourself in the style of music that you are going to be playing. Because playing bebop all the time on top of a samba . . . well, it will work, but it doesn’t sound like you are playing any respect to the music. You’re supposed to have some syncopation and something that represents the style – in any style of music. It’s like going to the Dominican Republic and you’re speaking French or German to everybody! People might understand you, but at least learn to say something in Spanish. You need to learn to say a few words at least!
LJC: You’ve got a lot of musicians that you’ve recorded with before on 
LJC: One of the things that amazes me about your work is that you produce so much, it’s all different, and it all has such high artistry. What directions do you still want to go in that you haven’t explored?
When a musician moves into the mature stage of their artistic development, they carry a responsibility to themselves, their listeners, and the great musical community. After committing so many years of their lives to the art form, they need to make a significant statement that reflects their own personalities. At the same time, they need to show the world the musical possibilities inherent in unknown artists or young musicians. If they don’t take these simple steps, the world will be robbed of a valuable exposure to culture. 
LATIN JAZZ CORNER: In the nineties, you had an impact upon Latin Jazz by bringing some of Cuba’s legendary musicians into the spotlight. You had Cachao on 
LJC: Also in the late nineties, you reunited with your Irakere band mates on 
PDR: That is the best band that I’ve ever had. We’ve stayed together for the longest time, we have common goals, and the mentality is very similar. 
Alex Brown is my current pianist; I have had a collection of great pianists in my band. Alex is no exception.
LJC: In the past ten years, you’ve gone back and forth between classical music and jazz a lot more. How do you balance your interests between those two worlds?
An artist’s drive to bring their musical vision to fruition can be a powerful force, often moving them to make drastic changes in their life. Early ventures into musical expression build an artistic foundation and focus their attention upon a single stylistic direction. Most environments allow an individual to make these strides towards a musical career, but at some point, an artist will reach a breaking point. Then they need to seriously look around them and find another route to push their musical life forward. 
PAQUITO D’RIVERA: Yes, ever since my father played that Benny Goodman LP for me, I had the goal to come to New York to be a musician. That stopped in 1959 when this guy (Fidel Castro) came into power. But meeting Dizzy and listening to Voice Of America accelerated my desire to leave the country and be a musician in New York City. I am in love with this city. I’m finally I got to meet that dream in 1981.
LJC: When you got to the States, what was the reception like in New York? Who were some of the musicians that you played with early on?
PDR: It was so inspiring. New York is such a dynamic place. In those days, there was a lady named Verna Gillis who had a loft with a Steinway piano on 52nd and 10th Avenue in Manhattan. We used have people like Jerry and Andy Gonzalez playing around there; we had Hilton Ruiz, Carlos Franzetti, and Daniel Ponce playing around there; and also Claudio Roditi. I met all those people there. 
PDR: I always loved Brazilian music, but I was never exposed to many different Brazilian players. Then when I came here, I discovered a great Brazilian community. I met Claudio (Roditi), the drummer Portinho, and the bassist Sergio Brandau. Then through them I met Leny Andrade and so many others. I started doing a lot of Brazilian music, and I still do today.
LJC: The person who created that idea was Charlie Fishman – he was an impresario, a promoter from Washington, D.C. In those days, he was working with Dizzy, programming him and booking him. He got the idea to put together an orchestra, knowing that Dizzy loved working with Latin American music. So Charlie put together a band with musicians from different parts of Latin America – Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Panama. So that’s what the United Nation Orchestra was all about. 
PDR: Dizzy was very special for everyone who had the opportunity to meet him. He was not only a great musician, but also a great man. He not only created a great career for himself, but he also gave all of us the opportunity to develop our own voices and our own careers. He was very special; he’s unforgettable. 
