Almost 90 Cuban Music Legend Bebo Valdes Cuts A New Album

One of the greatest days of my career as a freelance music journalist was the time I interviewed Cuban music legend Bebo Valdés back when he was an octogenarian. It was an over the phone interview. I was in Tampa and Bebo was in Málaga, Spain, the connection was horrible, and Valdés' voice came across faint and hoarse. But there were moments in which we both shared a laugh or two and I remember an uninhibited, energetic, and generous laugh that to me defines the essence of the master's long and storied journey through music. The article from that interview was published in Global Rhythm magazine and you can read it by going to this link:

http://www.globalrhythm.net/WorldMusicLegends/BeboValds.cfm

Now on the verge of turning 90, the seven-time Grammy-winning statesman, father of Chucho Valdés, an illustrious pianist in his own right, is releasing yet another album. Accompanied by bassist Javier Colina, Bebo drops his much anticipated, Live at the Village Vanguard (Calle 54) on September 2, 2008.

Not just any stage, New York City's Village Vanguard is a mythical venue that has attracted jazz giants since it opened in 1935. Demigods of the caliber of John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz and Bill Evans, who Bebo Valdés remembers on this album, have all recorded live sets at the Vanguard.

Live at the Village Vanguard contains 14 songs, stripped down to piano and bass, recorded in November of 2005. From compositions written by Bebo Valdés (Con Poco Coco, Ritmando El Cha-Cha-Cha, Bebo's Blues) to classics by Ernesto Lecuona (Andalucía, Siboney), via ageless boleros or bolero-tinged songs (Sabor A Mí, Aquellos Ojos Verdes, Tres Palabras, Rosa Mustia, Si Te Contara). There's also a composition by Jerome Kern (Yesterdays) and a few popular classics (Bilongo, El Manisero), without forgetting such monuments as "Waltz For Debby," originally recorded in 1961 by its composer Bill Evans on the same stage.

A lifetime of wisdom and rich musical influences unfolded in one night on one magical stage, all captured on one exceptional album: Bebo Valdés & Javier Colina: Live at the Village Vanguard.

Almost 90 Cuban Music Legend Bebo Valdes Cuts A New Album

One of the greatest days of my career as a freelance music journalist was the time I interviewed Cuban music legend Bebo Valdés back when he was an octogenarian. It was an over the phone interview. I was in Tampa and Bebo was in Málaga, Spain, the connection was horrible, and Valdés' voice came across faint and hoarse. But there were moments in which we both shared a laugh or two and I remember an uninhibited, energetic, and generous laugh that to me defines the essence of the master's long and storied journey through music. The article from that interview was published in Global Rhythm magazine and you can read it by going to this link:

http://www.globalrhythm.net/WorldMusicLegends/BeboValds.cfm

Now on the verge of turning 90, the seven-time Grammy-winning statesman, father of Chucho Valdés, an illustrious pianist in his own right, is releasing yet another album. Accompanied by bassist Javier Colina, Bebo drops his much anticipated, Live at the Village Vanguard (Calle 54) on September 2, 2008.

Not just any stage, New York City's Village Vanguard is a mythical venue that has attracted jazz giants since it opened in 1935. Demigods of the caliber of John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz and Bill Evans, who Bebo Valdés remembers on this album, have all recorded live sets at the Vanguard.

Live at the Village Vanguard contains 14 songs, stripped down to piano and bass, recorded in November of 2005. From compositions written by Bebo Valdés (Con Poco Coco, Ritmando El Cha-Cha-Cha, Bebo's Blues) to classics by Ernesto Lecuona (Andalucía, Siboney), via ageless boleros or bolero-tinged songs (Sabor A Mí, Aquellos Ojos Verdes, Tres Palabras, Rosa Mustia, Si Te Contara). There's also a composition by Jerome Kern (Yesterdays) and a few popular classics (Bilongo, El Manisero), without forgetting such monuments as "Waltz For Debby," originally recorded in 1961 by its composer Bill Evans on the same stage.

A lifetime of wisdom and rich musical influences unfolded in one night on one magical stage, all captured on one exceptional album: Bebo Valdés & Javier Colina: Live at the Village Vanguard.

The Roots of Jazz

From Delta blues to Afro-Cuban music to cumbia, The Paul Carlon Octet plays roots music from a jazz perspective. On Roots Propaganda (Deep Tone) the end result flows naturally. There's a contagious, warm vintage feel resonating from this recording that I found to be very inviting. Maybe it's Carlon's arranging approach, reminiscent of the way Duke Ellington would write parts to fit the individual musical nuances of each member in his big band. On Roots Propaganda distinct elements meld into a harmonious whole. There's also a spiritual quality to some of the tracks, a few of which are even named after Yoruba deities from the Afro-Cuban pantheon, like "Ochun," in honor of the orisha of love, midway through the album. Vocalist Christelle Durandy nails every track she's featured in, from the swinging, trumpet and trombone infused intro "Backstory," to the closer "Yorubonics," beautifully sung in Yoruba and layered with soulful electric guitar and elegant piano. There's a call and response toward the end with the brass section acting as the responding chorus to Durandy's melodic chants. The effect is very cool.

The Roots of Jazz

From Delta blues to Afro-Cuban music to cumbia, The Paul Carlon Octet plays roots music from a jazz perspective. On Roots Propaganda (Deep Tone) the end result flows naturally. There's a contagious, warm vintage feel resonating from this recording that I found to be very inviting. Maybe it's Carlon's arranging approach, reminiscent of the way Duke Ellington would write parts to fit the individual musical nuances of each member in his big band. On Roots Propaganda distinct elements meld into a harmonious whole. There's also a spiritual quality to some of the tracks, a few of which are even named after Yoruba deities from the Afro-Cuban pantheon, like "Ochun," in honor of the orisha of love, midway through the album. Vocalist Christelle Durandy nails every track she's featured in, from the swinging, trumpet and trombone infused intro "Backstory," to the closer "Yorubonics," beautifully sung in Yoruba and layered with soulful electric guitar and elegant piano. There's a call and response toward the end with the brass section acting as the responding chorus to Durandy's melodic chants. The effect is very cool.

Roberto Carcassés Brings Fresh Sounds From Havana In A Rare Concert Performance

Straight from Havana, Roberto Carcassés -- pianist, composer, and director of the Cuban collective Interactivo -- will give a rare concert performance in Miami on July 17. The show comes hot on the heels of his new album, Matizar, which he recorded in his home studio in Havana but plans to pay to have manufactured in South Florida.

Carcassés, 35, is considered one of the most cutting-edge artists currently residing on the island and is at the forefront of a new generation of innovative musicians and singer/songwriters who are defining a new era in Cuban music, one which increasingly melds the country's homegrown styles with outside influences. The show will be a window into Havana's contemporary music scene. Since 2001 visa restrictions put in place after 9/11 have made it virtually impossible for Cuban musicians to perform stateside, cutting off a steady stream that in the 1990s saw many Cuban artists tour the U.S. regularly as part of the Clinton administration's people-to-people initiative that aimed to close the cultural divide between the two nations.

Carcassés, who's in Miami on a family visa to visit his ex-wife and son, is taking advantage of the trip to introduce audiences to Havana's new sound. However he will not receive any payment for the concert since U.S. law prohibits Cuban musicians from being paid anything except a small living stipend. The show, which will take place at the Manuel Artime Theater in Little Havana, is being put on by promoter Ever Chavez, of the nonprofit group Fundarte. For more information visit http://www.fundarte.us/.

Roberto Carcassés Brings Fresh Sounds From Havana In A Rare Concert Performance

Straight from Havana, Roberto Carcassés -- pianist, composer, and director of the Cuban collective Interactivo -- will give a rare concert performance in Miami on July 17. The show comes hot on the heels of his new album, Matizar, which he recorded in his home studio in Havana but plans to pay to have manufactured in South Florida.

Carcassés, 35, is considered one of the most cutting-edge artists currently residing on the island and is at the forefront of a new generation of innovative musicians and singer/songwriters who are defining a new era in Cuban music, one which increasingly melds the country's homegrown styles with outside influences. The show will be a window into Havana's contemporary music scene. Since 2001 visa restrictions put in place after 9/11 have made it virtually impossible for Cuban musicians to perform stateside, cutting off a steady stream that in the 1990s saw many Cuban artists tour the U.S. regularly as part of the Clinton administration's people-to-people initiative that aimed to close the cultural divide between the two nations.

Carcassés, who's in Miami on a family visa to visit his ex-wife and son, is taking advantage of the trip to introduce audiences to Havana's new sound. However he will not receive any payment for the concert since U.S. law prohibits Cuban musicians from being paid anything except a small living stipend. The show, which will take place at the Manuel Artime Theater in Little Havana, is being put on by promoter Ever Chavez, of the nonprofit group Fundarte. For more information visit http://www.fundarte.us/.

The New Blood of Cajun Music

On Feufollet's lastest disc, Cow Island Hop (Valcour Records), Kristi Guillory, a folklorist and media archivist at the University of Louisiana At Lafayette, paints a vivid narrative picture of this wonderfully innovative, contemporary Cajun outfit:

"On a Saturday night, twenty and thirtysomethings, scholars, writers, artists, bohemians and young professionals dance to Feufollet at the favorite local outdoor venue, The Blue Moon Saloon. Red and blue neon permeates the scene and, as the band pounds, the wooden deck of the dance floor threatens to crash to the ground or fly clear into th Louisiana sky. Here is a vortex of vibrant energy, a buzzing flow of youthful expression, a scene of endless possibility that can be found on any given weeken night in Lafayette, LA."

Guillory goes on to write that Feufollet has emerged as one of the most important voices for Louisiana's Cajun youth. Originally touted as a band of child prodigies -- singer/accordionist/guitarist Chris Stafford and fiddle player Chris Segura have been members since the band's inception in 1995 when they were 8 and 11 years old respectively -- Feufollet is no longer a troupe of debutantes solely steeped in tradition. The sextet has updated the Cajun sound for 21st century ears and dancin' feet with a rock-n-roll aesthetic and some strains of French chanson that are both mindful of the past and forward-looking. While Feufollet is first and foremost a live band, they've seamlessly translated that in-the-moment dirt and grit that comes from playing before an audience onto disc.

Listen for that fuzzed out Farfisa organ, the reworked archival gem "Femme l'a dit," the Mellotron and backward vocal track on "Chère Bèbè Crèole," or even the rambling "Sur la Bord de l'eau," and you'll soon realize that Cow Island Hop is not your typical Cajun album of standard two-steps and waltzes.