In the heyday of the Latin big-band era, the undisputed titans—known as “The Big Three”—provided some of the most inspiring sounds ever heard this side of Havana. Machito, Tito Rodríguez and Tito Puente made their mark by forging new musical territory. For...
Much has been written about the dynasty of the Valdés family – no matter where they happen to dwell – and Chucho and father Bebo’s collective work will soon encompass a century of extraordinary output. Chucho Valdés belongs to that singular and often untouchable...
Without a doubt the sound of Cuban music has made its mark far beyond the island’s shores, and at the helm of its defining forms is the son . For over a century this vital Creole music has moved listeners and dancers alike, and one of the illustrious pioneers...
From the outset of Blueprints you feel as if you are on stage with the band, and believe me that’s a good thing. So much of Latin jazz has gone the way of slick over-production, and this outing by the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble brings back the bygone...
Trombonist/arranger Phil Wilson has found himself gracing the bands of jazz great Woody Herman, arranging chart-topping and Grammy-nominated standards, and serving as an award-winning educator at the famed Berklee College of Music. This offering with friends...
From the opener and title track, “In These Shoes,” it is evident that these artists are truly testing the boundaries of musical categorization in this genre-defying pastiche of grooves and songs. Powerhouse pianist and arranger Arturo O’Farrill crafts an...
Cuban pianist and elder statesman Bebo Valdés recently marked his 90th birthday by defying the odds and continuing on an illustrious career path that includes a prolific output of studio and live recordings as well as performances, celebrating in 2008 the...
From the album opener “The Flight” to the title track, it is more than evident that pianist and composer (and co-producer) Gustavo Ramírez is fully committed to reviving the jazz-fusion era, but this time chock full of Afro-Cuban-isms in this pastiche of...
Following the previous acclaimed releases by his nonet Cimarrón, Havana-born (and Toronto-based) guitarist, vocalist and composer Luis Mario Ochoa delivers a subtler and more jazz-tinged offering in Momentos Cubanos. With brilliant cohorts including pianist...
Venezuelan label Cacao Música is truly doing what no one else in the music industry seems to be doing these days, as they continue to advocate for creative and genre-defying Latin artists still intent on producing new and remarkable work. Guitarist Aquiles...
Pianist/composer José Negroni continues his journey as a trio leader with his Cacao Música release Father & Son, uniting sounds of his native Puerto Rico with jazz and other world textures. With a compelling fusion of classical chops and Afro-Caribbean sensibility...
Latin Grammy nominee, multi-instrumentalist and Rio-born composer Jovino Santos Neto explores the richness of his northeastern Brazilian ancestry with his latest offering Alma do Nordeste, a joyous collection of regional sounds inspired by the 1936 book...
Bebo Valdés represents one of the few remaining icons of the bygone era of classic Cuban music. His legendary status as pianist, composer, bandleader and arranger during the 1940s and ’50s paired him with such greats as Nat “King” Cole, Rita Montaner, Rolando...
Seattle may be home to expensive coffee and software moguls, but it too has embraced the multicultural sound of Latin jazz fused with Cuban timba and more, as evidenced by the debut of Costa Rican vocalist Carlos Cascante. Produced, recorded and arranged...
Trombonist and composer Rick Davies may not have the name recognition associated with the major East Coast Latin trombone players, as his primary contributions in the field of Afro-Cuban music surround his scholarly research and publications on Cuban trumpet...
This posthumous release of Cuban veteran sonero Ibrahim Ferrer traces nearly three decades of his work with an array of Cuban artists between 1960 and 1988, including the orchestras of Pacho Alonso, Chepín-Chovén and others. Much in contrast to the more...
Rebeca Mauleon is an internationally acclaimed musician, bandleader, composer, producer and educator as well as author and reviewer. As a pianist Mauleon follows a long-standing tradition of Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz performers, and her expertise in Afro-Caribbean and Latin American music places her at the forefront of the musicological community, resulting in a multidimensional career spanning over three decades. From her recording and performing work with an array of Grammy-winning legends including Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, Steve Winwood, Joe Henderson and Mickey Hart, to her diverse compositional projects (ranging from symphonic works and Afro-Cuban jazz to music for film, television and computer software companies), and her critically-acclaimed recordings, books and articles, Mauleon has carved a distinct niche as one of the most multi-faceted artists on the world music scene. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Salsa Guidebook and 101 Montunos, and is also musicological consultant and author to National Geographic, Time Life and other important institutions. Mauleon is also a freelance writer for mainstream music magazines including Keyboard, Bass Player, Mix Magazine and others. Rebeca’s compositional awards include Meet The Composer’s prestigious New Residencies Award, the Sundance Composers’ Fellowship, and a commission by the Oakland East Bay Symphony. In 2008 she was honored by the San Francisco Jazz Festival with its Beacon Award for artistic excellence and dedication to the community. Mauleon is a tenured professor of Latin American music, composition and Latin Jazz piano, and is internationally sought-after as a lecturer and clinician on the subject of Latin American and Afro-Caribbean music history and performance.
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