Elio Villafranca & Arturo Stable – Dos y Más (Motéma 2012)

Review written by: Raul da Gama -

Elio Villafranca is one of the most exciting young trio of pianists to come out of Cuba in recent years; the other two being David Virelles and Aruán Ortiz. That number may well have been a quartet, had Arturo Stable chosen to remain a pianist—an instrument he started out with—before he chose percussion as his means of musical communication. But then again, Villafranca did begin his musical life as a percussionist before he chose the piano as his instrument. That both musicians appear to have chosen wisely is beyond doubt with the release of Dos y Más. Unusual maturity and erudition appear to flow through the music of this album and whether this is a result of the fact that each is sensitive to the demands and characteristics of the other’s instrument is a moot point here. However, the rarity and exquisite nature of their collaboration shines through and makes this more than merely an outstanding feature of this album. It also shows how four hands can multiply exponentially as Villafranca’s and Stable’s dazzle as they fly and move quietly and surreptitiously across keys and skins in a flurry of activity.

This is, quite simply, craftsmanship at its finest and it goes beyond mere technique, as the word “craftsmanship” may suggest. It is a matter of voices entwined like pirouetting DNA—gourds with hundreds of seeds; a chekere with a myriad seeds and shells; the glimmering swish of cymbals that accompany a dazzling arpeggio on the piano on “Yusa’s” and “Agua Marina”… These are just two examples of how magnetically attracted Villafranca and Stable are. The other outstanding aspect of the music is how inspired the compositions are. Although composed by two completely different minds the mindset appears to be almost inspirationally alike so that different and varied compositional pieces seem to have come from a person with two brains yet one personality. “1529” and “Alla”; “Saghezi” and “Vertiente” are compositions that are dramatically different on the face of it. The first and third are rhythmically complex and revel in that character; the second and fourth rely on melodic extravagance and dramatic harmonic polyphony than anything else. And yet they seem to be of one body; one soul.

Most beautiful and spectacular of all is the geometry of the compositions and the manner in which they unfold—a succession of lines, dance steps, airy curves, parabolas, sharp angles and wide elevations. Nowhere is this more superbly evident than on “1529”, a song of extreme subtle expression and dynamics and nuanced beauty for both pianist and percussionist. However, it is the gentle rousing emotion of “Cuba Linda” that stirs heart and soul. Both Villafranca, who composed the guaguancó and Stable, who anchors its stirring tide must have known this so that it must have been easy to end (sadly) this brilliant album on that note. The suspended animation might suggest something more is on the horizon in terms of a future collaboration and it is impossible to suggest how eagerly this is awaited.

Track Listing: 1. 1529; 2. Saghezi; 3. Alla; 4. Arara; 5. En la Colonia; 6. Vertiente; 7. A las Millas; 8. Yusa’s; 9. Agua Marina; 10. Cuba Linda.

Personnel: Elio Villafranca: piano, guataca, vocals; Arturo Stable: djembe, udu, dumbek, congas, bata, cajon, hand percussion, vocals; Igor Arias: lead vocals (10).

Related links: Elio Villafranca on the web: www.eliovillafranca.net
Arturo Stable on the web: www.arturostable.com

CHICO O’FARRILL: Arquitecto del Jazz Latino

CHICO O’FARRILL: Arquitecto del Jazz Latino

Por CHICO ALVAREZ PERAZA

PREAMBULO

En la actualidad existe una calle en la ciudad de La Habana llamada Calle O’Farrill, cuyo nombre rinde honor a un ex-alcalde de la capital cubana. Este personaje era hijo de un irlandés que arribó en aquel encantador puerto marítimo durante el siglo diecinueve. Como tantos otros emigrantes de la epoca colonial, el irlandés plantó raices y se quedó en la isla para siempre. Y, como muchos otros emigrantes, aportó su granito de arena al desarrollo de aquella diversa cultura, tan diversa que hoy dia se puede apreciar la presencia de catalánes, visigodos, romanos, gallegos, moros, célticos, judíos, yórubas, congos, vascos, ingléses, franceses, haitianos, jamaiquínos, chinos, cartageneros, canarios y hasta mayas.

Antes de la llegada de O’Farrill a La Habana esta ciudad ya disfrutaba de más de tres siglos de cultura. La confluencia de culturas que se dió no solamente en La Habana sino por toda la isla caribeña, desde el mismo momento del llamado descubrimiento, creó las condiciones para lo que a traves de largos siglos sería conocido como la “expresión criolla”. Uno de los acentos más fundamentales de aquella nueva expresión fué la música. Cuba fué, y aún es un punto focal en el contínuo desarrollo de esa música. Durante su larga trayectoria musical Cuba se ha distinguido por sus grandes creadores e intérpretes. Entre ellos, el tataranieto de aquel emigrante irlandés, cuyo nombre fué y aún es sinónimo con el JAZZ LATINO; me refiero al distinguido maestro ARTURO “CHICO” O’FARRILL.

ACLARACIÓN

Con la desaparición física de los pioneros Pérez Prado, Peruchín Justiz, Mario Bauzá y René Hernandez; Chico O’Farrill quedó por varios años como el protagonista más importante de la vieja guardia y de la nueva ola musical cubana en este pais. Su presencia en una ciudad tan cosmopólita como Nueva York – completamente comercializada – aseguró que el género sobreviviera. Su figura amistosa y jovial motivó a miles de músicos jovenes del patio a seguir cultivando el jazz afrocubano. Si existe alguna duda en las mentes de los que ahora leen este escrito, entonces los diríjo a ellos; a los seguidores y admiradores del viejo O’Farrill. Busquen sus testimonios y veran si es cierto o no. El tiempo va volando y ha pasado casi una década de su muerte, y aún, su memoria es venerada y su nombre es respetado por todo aquel o aquella que conozca de música moderna.

BUENO, Y PARA EL QUE NO SABE; HE AQUI UN POQUITO DE HISTORIA

ARTURO “CHICO” O’FARRILL nació en La Habana del 1921, cuando el són imperaba y la cónga arrebataba. Su padre fué un eminente abogado de la epoca republicana, y su anhelo era que su hijo Arturito tambien fuera abogado. El destino, que como todos sabemos no le hace caso a los mortales, llevó al joven Arturito por otro sendero y en 1941 éste se inició en el campo de la música popular. De no haber tomado esta decisión, el historial del jazz afrocubano hubiera sido algo muy diferente. Quizás no hubiera ni existido. Por más de medio siglo, este genial creador musical estuvo a la vanguardia de un estilo innovador que muchos conocen hoy como latin jazz, o jazz latino. En sus inicios este género tuvo varias etiquetas, tal como cubop, mambo jazz y afro-cuban jazz; sin embargo el título que actualmente lleva es el que lo ha colocado en un plano de popularidad a nivel mundial. Si alguna vez el latin jazz tuvo musa, su nombre tendría que ser Chico O’Farrill.

La obra musical de O’Farrill es conocida tanto en la farandula norteamericana como en el mundo bailable latinoamericano por su extensa creatividad, sensibilidad temática, complejo polirítmico y orquestación de magnitud sinfónica, que abarca no solo su amor por la musica de Lecuona sino tambien por la de Debussy y Stravinsky. Su carrera musical comienza en los Estados Unidos, cuando el joven Arturo es internado por su padre en el Riverside Military School de Gainesville, Georgia. Allí nace su amor por las orquestas de jazz (big bands) y dentro de ese ambiente es que se alimenta musicalmente, escuchando las grabaciones de Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller y Tommy Dorsey, tanto que en poco tiempo se integra como trompetista de la banda militar y en varias agrupaciones de baile. Al regresar a Cuba, cursa sus estudios con el compositor Félix Guerrero, quien le sirve como una fuente de inspiración, especialmente en el campo de la composición y en su estudio sobre armonía. Se integra como miembro de la Orquesta Bellamar de Armando Romeu y de la orquesta de Isidro Perez.

Ya desde el 1948 Chico viajaba a Nueva York. Trabajó brevemente como arreglista para varios directores de orquesta, entre ellos Gil Fuller, Noro Morales, Frank “Machito” Grillo y Benny Goodman. En el año ’50 compuso su famoso “Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite” para el empresario Norman Granz y dicha obra fué grabada para el sello de este, utilizando como la base rítmica y acompañante a la orquesta de Machito y como solistas a los jazzistas Charlie Parker, Flip Philips y Buddy Rich.

LOS FABULOSOS AÑOS CINCUENTAS

Entra la siguiente década, y Chico forma su propia orquesta. Mantiene un fuerte horario de trabajo. Para el ’54 se arríma al jazzista Dizzy Gillespie y juntos realizan el famoso “Manteca Suite”. Regresa de nuevo a Cuba en el ’56 e inmediatamente comienza a trabajar para las mejores empresas disqueras de la isla como Panart y RCA Victor, participando en aquellas famosas descargas que hicieron tanta historia. Realiza además una formidable grabación para el popular Cuarteto D’Aida. Esta producción es lanzada de nuevo en disco compacto por BMG durante la última década del siglo veinte. En el 1958 el inquieto O¹Farrill vuelve a mudarse, esta vez para Méjico, y ahi su vida cambia radicalmente. Entra en un periodo de semi-retiro, aunque nunca deja de crear música. Allí compone su famosa “Azteca Suite” para el trompetista Art Farmer, y de nuevo hace historia.

LOS AÑOS ’60: ERA DE EXPERIMENTACIÓN

Durante la siguiente década se manifestarían varios géneros que por su novedad e inmensa popularidad en los Estados Unidos lograrían imponerse alrededor del mundo. Los arquitectos de la nueva moda utilizaron nuevas técnicas, estilos y sonidos, especialmente en el campo de la armonización. De repente la música popular dejó de ser exclusivamente para el salon de baile. Y por supuesto, aparecieron varios icónos del “nuevo sonido”; en el campo del jazz solo hay que mencionar la colaboración de Gil Evans y Miles Davis. El cubísmo y la africanía de Picasso durante las dos epocas anteriores se asociaron misteriosamente con el modernísmo musical; mientras tanto, en el cinema Marlon Brando explotaba con elocuencia y rebeldia sensual.

En el conglomerado latinoamericano, citamos la influencia de los antes mencionados pioneros, en su mayoría cubanos. Desde los años treinta la tradición cubana y el modernísmo americano iban formando una síntesis; los dos géneros caminaban las mismas calles en líneas paralelas que nunca se cruzaban; sin embargo su destino era la fusión. El lugar perfecto para esta convergencia, Nueva York. Conste, los intérpretes serian muchos; pero los arquitectos del sonido “nuevayorquino” lo formarían un grupo selecto, entre ellos el maestro O’Farrill.

Pero, porque Nueva York? Era lógico, y tenía que ser así. Porque Nueva York siempre ha sido la meca, el imán. De la misma manera que se habla del cine antes y después de la llegada de Marlon Brando a Nueva York, a la música moderna cubana se le aplica la misma analogía. El jazz afrocubano antes y después de Chico O’Farrill.

NUEVA YORK: LOS AÑOS FRUCTÍFEROS

Desde Mexico Chico O’farrill continúa escribiendo música para artistas y compositores tan diversos como Beny Moré, Bola De Nieve, Stan Kenton y La Lupe. Vive alli hasta el ’65, cuando decide regresar de nuevo a Nueva York. Su rol, principalmente es el de arreglista y no vuelve a grabar como director de orquesta hasta el 1995, debido a su colaboración con artistas de alta talla como Cal Tjader, Clark Terry, Gato Barbieri, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Mario Bauzá y Count Basie (laborando en las ultimas once grabaciones del pianista). Durante un espacio de treinta años, aporta un tesoro musical en el campo del jazz afrocubano, siendo además responsable por varias obras sinfonícas que han recorrido todo el hemisferio. En el campo de la radio y la televisión, su nombre es asociado con un sinnúmero de anuncios comerciales, programas y películas.

Sin embargo su inquietud lo lleva de nuevo al estudio de grabación, y en el ’95 Milestone Records lanza su primer disco compacto “Pure Emotion” (Pura Emoción), ganando el prestigioso premio GRAMMY. Su último disco llevó por titulo “Heart Of A Legend” (Corazón De Una Leyenda) y contiene catorce fabulosos temas, una formidable orquesta de dieciocho profesores y un elenco de artistas internacionales, tales como Paquito D’Rivera, Freddy Cole, Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros, “Puntilla” Ríos, Arturo Sandoval, Gato Barbieri, Israel “Cachao” López y Carlos “Patato” Valdés. La participación de todos estos baluartes logró que este disco fuera uno de los mejores de su carrera. De los arreglos se encargó el propio maestro Chico y la dirección musical se la encargó a su hijo, Arturo O’farrill Jr., un formidable pianista y heredero del trono y la batuta.

Luego de su muerte el 27 de junio del 2001, la empresa lanzó otro disco más; “Carambóla”; con música netamente cubana, para el deleite de los bailadores y de un sinnúmero de fanaticos y amigos del arquitecto del jazz latino. El pasado mes de junio se comemoraron los diez años de su fallecimiento, en la casa de su esposa y compañera Lupe, aquí en Nueva York. Como siempre, le doy gracias por haberme invitado y por su gentileza. Espero que este humilde reportaje sea no solo de su agrado, sino de ustedes tambien, y que me perdonen si se me ha quedado algun detalle sin mencionar.

TRAYECTORIA MUSICAL: DESDE EL BEBOP A LA FUSIÓN JAZZISTICA

Dicen que recordar es vivir, y que hacer música es un privilegio. Creo que el que lo dijo no miente. Sin embargo, debido al comercialísmo y a las demandas del mercado disquero, las composiciones musicales a veces son sometidas a reglas estrictas de armonía, aunque la libertad del compositor, en ocasiones, se esconde por estas restricciones. La excepción seria el género de jazz, que desde sus inicios en los prostíbulos de New Orleans ya le habia brindado al musico (tanto como al compositor), cierta libertad de expresión. De hecho, liberó no solo a los integrantes sino a los participantes de una restricción que intentaba instituir normas por las que todos debian de regirse. Como un reto a la perpetuación de actitudes de matiz victoriano, el jazz impactó dentro de la sociedad anglosajona; su orígen africano dejó una huella profunda. Esto quedó más claro que el agua durante aquella locura de los locos años veinte (the roaring twenties) y lo veo muy lógico, pues el jazz de aquella epoca era música de festejo, de baile, tal como lo fué la música nuestra. El jazz americano, en sus inicios, era como una rumba sin tambores, fuera del escrutínio de las autoridades racistas.

Este fenomeno se volvio a manifestar durante la epoca de rebeldía de los años cincuenta. El pueblo norteamericano había soltado sus inhibiciones y la libertad de expresión venía a toda velocidad, sin frenos. Chico O’Farrill lo comprendió mejor que ningún otro compositor o arreglista cubano, inclusive Dámaso Pérez Prado, quien sólo buscaba popularizar el baile del mambo. Sin quitarle su mérito, Prado se vinculó a la formula mágica y se hizo millonario, mientras O’Farrill se involucró en el desarollo de un género que perduró más alla de los años y que finalmente se escapó, volando por fuera de los muros del salon de baile, abriendo horizontes para el futuro, extendiendo aquel concepto musical más allá de los límites geográficos de nuestro continente.

Precisamente hoy, dentro de esa libertad (aunque ya muy lejos de aquella época) se encuentra el fenómeno de la fusión. Lamentablemente, el elemento fusionístico, por lo menos dentro de la corriente popular (mainstream), estuvo constantemente en guerra con lo que muchos le llamaron la “tradición” (y aún lo esta). Es aqui donde el arreglista se destaca y se vuelve un mandrake cualquiera. Sin lugar a dudas, Chico fué (y aún lo perciben asi) un personaje muy solicitado y privilegiado que vivía en dos mundos diferentes a la vez. Su mente creativa recibía influencias de varias razas, culturas y etnias, y aunque no se plantó en ninguno de los dos campos, vagó por ambos mundos como un espíritu libre. De tal manera, la síncopa y las sonoridades de la tradición cubana y el concepto armónico del jazz moderno se iban fundiendo en las ideas del maestro O’Farrill.

La verdad hay que decirla; el jazz afro-cubano fué su especialidad. Los grandes maestros e interpretes de la nueva ola musical de la urbe nuevayorquina lo buscaban para que Chico les diera luz a sus creaciones. En esencia, lo que los nuevos pinos (en la jerga cubana, los nuevos pinos significa la nueva cosecha) querían era colaborar con pleno derecho en el desarrollo de aquella metamorfosis y así definir el camino que deberían de tomar para llevar esa fusión a la popularidad. No era nada fácil, cuando miramos el panorama musical del pais en aquellos años. El público en general no comprendió la nueva fusión, y el jazz latino estuvo en decadencia por varios años. Con el tiempo se logró la transformación que muchos escépticos creian imposible, y afortunadamente estamos viviendo en la actualidad un renacimiento musical del híbrido jazz-latino. A la vanguardia de esa transformación estuvo Chico O’Farrill, pero ya nadie se acuerda de eso. Dicen que nadie es profeta en su tierra, y la triste realidad es que la Cuba que Arturo O’Farrill conoció en todo su esplendor no fué la misma Cuba que logró borrar su nombre del pentagrama histórico. Vaya, que caimán cruel!

Recuerden, no es fácil lograr en tan corto tiempo crear obras musicales o fundir géneros o elementos musicales a la perfección. Esa meta requiere cierta dedicación y el conocimiento de varias formas musicales, además de un estudio profundo de disciplinas como la armonía, el contrapunto y la orquestación. En lo que concierne al jazz afrocubano y en general a cualquier música basada en la improvisación que se cataloga como una composición musical instantánea, ahí esta el anteproyecto y el sello del maestro O’Farrill.

La acción de componer, o sea, de hacer una página de la música y reunir todos estos elementos dentro de una obra musical es un don muy especial que le pertenece al arreglista. En este mundo de computadoras y de pro-tools, cualquiera hace una grabación y la vende, pero no cualquiera puede crear música para concierto e integrarla con rumba de callejón. A los futuros privilegiados que se dediquen a la tarea de ligar varios elementos y hacerlos funcionar en un complejo musical de optima belleza se les requiere mucho más que el mero talento, se les requiere una mente genial. Todo intérprete, musico o compositor que se dedique a esta faceta de la música, o sea a la fusión, no solo cultiva y aporta a su desarollo, sino que inventa nuevas modalidades. Eso es el jazz latino. Hay quienes opinan (erroneamente) que no es nada más que una serie de solistas soplando para el deleite de ellos mismos. La cosa va más alla de eso, pues el jazz latino es el arte de armonizar e improvisar sobre los rítmos más complejos que existen. Es la fusión de Africa y de Europa.

EPÍLOGO

Mirandolo bien, el jazz latino ha sido el legado más bonito que nos dejó el maestro ARTURO “CHICO” O’FARRILL. Hoy, gracias a la diplomacia de su hijo Arturito, Cuba ha colocado de nuevo al arquitecto del jazz latino en sus archivos. Si tomamos en cuenta que el maestro O’Farrill ha sido uno de los más destacados compositores del siglo pasado, y echando las ideologías políticas a un lado, me parece muy lógico este reconocimiento.

Omar Sosa – Calma: Solo Piano &… (Otá Records – 2011)

If anything, Omar Sosa has always been a spiritual artist. Connected for generations with the practice of Santería, Sosa was surrounded by the worship together with a communion of saints, but in a truly Afro-centric manner. The particularly molten staccato of the batá drums has held sway in the melodic rhythms of his music. In fact, some of his finest earlier work has burst forth as out of a spiritual vortex shuffling with forthright swagger, churning in the thick, nervous rigors of Afro-Cuban song and worship. Though the majestic African rhythms have always characterized his music, Sosa also has a remarkable gift for lyricism and his music dances with diaphanous melodious grace melded into the grunting rhythms and warbling spiritual cries. But while this earthmoving spiritualism has driven Sosa’s compositions for years a side of him has remained almost bashfully hidden for a length of time. And this aspect of his music is now in flood in Calma, a sensational suite of loosely connected songs that seem to flow not from his fingers, but from somewhere deep within his soul.

Sosa’s mysticism seems to burn like a fire on a high mountain in what appears to be a continuous meditation towards attaining a Holy Grail. The dictates of his soul drive the languid flow of the music. The shuffle and jerk and tremulous shivers of the body are replaced by the rhythm of the heart, and this is a direct consequence of the consummation of rhythm with the nirvana of ecstatic melody. Even when, deep into the suite, the soft and sultry voices of what appear to be children make an intrusive entry into the meandering melodies and this is accompanied by the gentle rocking of gourds and shells, and the tapping of a batá, it is quiet, almost like a heated scalpel making swift cuts into burning flesh revealing some kind of ancient blood sacrifice. Mostly, however, it is the spontaneity of Sosa’s quiet mystical approach that provides the overriding joy of this album.

Throughout, Sosa is also singularly true to his rare gift of musicality and his flawless technique that the notes sing, pianissimo. This result is an unbroken line of music that dances both vertically as well as horizontally into a miraculous holistic piece that echoes with devotion to Sosa’s communion of saints, but in a new manner that fuses the intensity of Santería into a perfect melody of prayerful musical meditation. The power of “Esperanza” wrapping its arms in “Reposo” from “Sunrise” to “Sunset” as Sosa’s immaculate suite proceeds via all the things that he loves on earth as he proceeds on a solemn quest to attain the everlasting peace on the other side of life through music.

Track Listing:

1. Sunrise
2. Absence
3. Walking Together
4. Esperanza
5. Innocence
6. Oasis
7. Aguas
8. Looking Within
9. Dance of Reflection
10. Autumn Flowers
12. Reposo
13. Madre
14. Sunset

Personnel:

Omar Sosa: piano.

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Omar Sosa on the web: www.omarsosa.com/

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Emiliano Salvador and his Music on Video

On August 19, 1951, Emiliano Salvador was born in Puerto Padre, a municipality and city in the Las Tunas Province of Cuba. On a day like today, he would be celebrating his 60th birthday. One of the most influencial musicians of his generation in Cuba, Emiliano Salvador is revered as a giant around the world. His pianistic vision permeates and embodies Cuban music and Afro-Cuban jazz.

Celebrating Emiliano Salvador and his Musical Legacy

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Jane Bunnett & Hilario Durán – Cuban Rhapsody

Both reeds and woodwinds maestro Jane Bunnett and piano virtuoso Hilario Durán have released enormously successful albums lately. Bunnett made Embracing Voices (EMI, 2009) with the celebrated Cuban a capela choir, Grupo Vocal Desandann. Durán recorded a masterful trio record, Motion (Alma Records, 2010) with bassist, Roberto Occhipinti and drummer Mark Kelso. The two musicians had not worked together in several years, but have enjoyed a highly rated relationship for years, ever since Bunnett brought Durán over from Cuba. So the recording of Cuban Rhapsody (Alma Records, 2011) is first and foremost a celebratory reunion of sorts. It is also a first for Bunnett, who has rarely worked with any producer other than her trumpet-playing husband, Larry Cramer. Putting her art in the hands of Alma and producer Peter Cardinali was also a leap of faith.

For Hilario Durán playing classic repertoire from Cuba sounds like an emotional journey to a place in his youth where he first fell in love with music. For Bunnett, apart from being “Havana-Jane” there was another touchstone: the brilliant album, Jane Bunnett and the Cuban Piano Masters, (EMI/World Pacific, 1996), an album that featured the late Frank Emilio Flynn and José María Vitier. The fact that Durán was not on that album has now been fully redressed. Cuban Rhapsody is an exquisite body of music. Not only does it represent the work of great Latin American composers such as Miguel Matamoros, Ernesto Lecuona, José María Vitier and Emilio Flynn, but this time Durán and Bunnett play some of the most enchanting contradanzas ever put down on record. This is where the rhapsodic element of the record comes in.

Nowhere does Bunnett’s lithe and fluttery tone on soprano saxophone and flute sound better. She plays with sublime authority on both instruments, soaring into the azure of each song with stellar grace. Her command of color and timbre is second to none – in fact on soprano saxophone, she proves that she has few equals and often raises the bar (“María la O”) to such vaunted heights that it seems impossible to envision anyone ever clearing this. Hilario Durán, for his part, shows a distinct side to his playing. His technique and expression is absolutely beyond reproach, but it is his masterly control of harmonically fanciful flights that is stunning on this album. Durán has always been known to have killer tumbao, that rhythmic ingenuity that fires his left hand. On this album there is plenty of that, but also a graceful right hand that creates wondrous whorls of harmony that wrap themselves around Bunnett’s flute or saxophone flights like the other half of a double helix. The two musicians seem to be part of the same DNA when it comes to Cuban music at least and this is one of the most compelling aspects of their playing on Cuban Rhapsody.

This album is brimming with special moments. But the duo truly excel on Miguel Matamoros’ “Son de la Loma” as they address a familiar classic with fire and emotion that makes the hair stand on edge. The “Contradanzas” (all five of them) contain some of the most beautiful playing by both Bunnett and Durán on record. On each of the fabled music, the conversational exchanges on piano and reeds and winds reach a high-water mark and this will be hard to match by anyone who comes after this. “New Danzón,” Durán’s sole composition on the record is a masterpiece of melodic magic as well as harmonic mystery. It is work of this nature that continues to keep Cuban music front and centre today. However, at the end of the day it is the consummate skill of both Durán and Bunnett, especially showcased on Frank Emilio Flynn’s maddeningly lovely “Sherezada”, that makes this recording what it is: a duet album of rare and beautiful playing by two masters of modern music.

Track Listing: Lágrimas Negras; Son de la Loma; Longina; Quirino Con Su Tres; Contradanzas: La Tedezco; El Pañuelo de Pepa; Los Ojos de Pepa; Los Tres Golpes; Tarde en la Habana; María la O; Almendra; New Danzón; Sherezada; Danza Lucumí.

Personnel: Jane Bunnett: soprano saxophone, flute; Hilario Durán: piano.

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Jane Bunnett & Hilario Durán on the web: www.janebunnett.com | www.hilarioduran.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Chico & Rita – The Full Movie

Chico & Rita’s love story (written by Trueba along with Ignacio Martínez de Pisón) begins in La Habana of the late 40′s, and then jumps to New York, taking place during a magnificent era of artistic creation. It’s the time of be-bop, cubop, mambo, after-midnight jam sessions and arousing boleros. The fusion and exchange of musical ideas -which are at the core of the Jazz spirit- converge in the magical city that never sleeps… Read our full review of Chico & Rita

En la Cuba de finales de los años cuarenta, Chico y Rita inician una apasionada historia de amor. Chico es un joven pianista enamorado del jazz y Rita sueña con ser una gran cantante. Desde la noche que el destino los junta en un baile en un club de La Habana, la vida va uniéndoles y separándoles, como a los personajes de un bolero.

Concord Picante Releases “Ninety Miles”

Stefon Harris, David Sanchez and Christian Scott go the distance on collaborative recording “Ninety Miles.”

Special 2-Disc CD/DVD Package, Ninety Miles, unites North American, Puerto Rican and Cuban jazz artists. Release date: June 21, 2011.

All distance is relative, especially where geopolitical borders and ideologies are involved. We speak one language, they speak another. We follow our system, they follow theirs. When we focus on the differences, a relatively short stretch of land or water starts to look like a yawning chasm. But when we look at each other as individuals and focus on the similarities, that “chasm” is actually a very short distance. Less than a hundred miles.

Musicians – especially jazz musicians, whose craft is in many ways an improvised form of communication – understand this principle inherently, perhaps better than any politician or diplomat could ever hope to. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott cross that divide in their new recording, Ninety Miles, set for release on Concord Picante on June 21, 2011.

Recorded entirely in Havana, Cuba, with the help of some highly talented Cuban players – pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa, each leading their own quartets – the nine-song set is an experiment that examines the fascinating chemical reaction that takes place when musicians from different cultures come together and converse in a common language that transcends mere words. The set also includes a DVD that is a sneak peek of the forthcoming documentary of the same name that chronicles the recording process of the album in Cuba. It will also include two bonus live performances of “City Sunrise” and “La Fiesta Va.”

“This record is about the power of music to communicate, and break down some of the barriers that result from language and politics and culture,” says John Burk, Chief Creative Officer of Concord Music Group and producer of the album. He developed the idea for the project after hearing a number of Cuba’s extraordinary young jazz pianists. “Cuba seems to have an amazing amount of incredible musicians, and I was particularly impressed with Harold and Rember,” recalls Burk. “I found it really interesting that these musicians had studied and embraced the jazz genre (an American art form) and taken it to such a high level. Their circumstances, a very solid music educational system with Afro-Cuban roots, coupled with the isolation of the embargo throughout their lifetimes, had created something unique and special in their music.” It took about year to get permission from the U.S. Government, and then Burk, along with co-producer Chris Dunn, booked Harris, Sánchez and Scott to perform in Havana in May 2010 with quartets lead by Harold and Rember. Ninety Miles is a snapshot of the rehearsals just prior to the 2010 performance.

Despite the logistical hurdles, “once we got down there and got into the music, everything worked,” says Burk. “And what we witnessed was a very high level of musicianship, a very high level of communication, and a very sophisticated conversation.”

Harris, a four- time GRAMMY® nominated vibist-percussionist, is no stranger to adventurous collaborative projects. A native of Albany, New York, his earliest work included session gigs with Steve Turre and Charlie Hunter in the 1990s before he recorded his solo debut in 1998 on Blue Note (A Cloud of Red Dust). He’s cut seven albums since then, including his GRAMMY® nominated Concord Jazz debut Urbanus.

Harris contributes three tracks to Ninety Miles. New arrangements of “Black Action Figure” and “This Too Shall Pass” and “Brown Belle Blues” written especially for this project. “Before I wrote it, I listened to a bunch of recordings by Rember and his rhythm section as a way to capture some of their energy in the song,” he says. “On top of that, I put a real soulful, bluesy, almost gospel-like melody on top of it as a way to bring all of our influences together.”

Sánchez brings plenty of his own cross-cultural sensibilities to the project. A native of Puerto Rico, he moved to New York City at 18 and studied at Rutgers University under Kenny Barron while gigging with numerous Latin jazz specialists, including Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi and Dizzy Gillespie. In a body of recorded work that stretches back to the mid-1990s, Sánchez has crafted a signature sound that seamlessly merges elements of Afro-Cuban rhythm with bebop.

Sánchez’s “City Sunrise” was inspired by music from Cameroon. “I had planned to record it on one of my own projects, but it made perfect sense to use it here,” he says. “It not only has a Cuban sound, but there are other elements there as well that give it a world groove.” His second contribution, “The Forgotten Ones” – written for the people of post-Katrina New Orleans – is a quieter, more subtle piece that provides a contrast to some of the more energized tracks in the set.

Both of Sanchez’s offerings are propelled by López-Nussa and his rhythm section, which provides a counterbalance to Duharte and his crew elsewhere in the set. Each of the two pianists contributes two tracks of his own, which further thickens the album’s cultural mix. “Harold and Rember are from the same generation, and yet they have two completely different approaches,” says Sánchez. “Rember is more rooted in the African sound, and he’s a little more raw in some ways. But Harold is completely different. You hear the Cuban influences in his music, and perhaps more of the western European classical piano.”

Born and raised in New Orleans, GRAMMY® nominated trumpeter Christian Scott has been blending elements of Alt Rock, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Classical since his 2006 debut recording, Rewind That. On Ninety Miles, he taps into the Cuban roots that are not only a part of his home but his family history as well. “New Orleans is in many ways an extension of the Caribbean,” Scott explains. “There are a lot of Cuban people in New Orleans as well as Dominican’s and Haitian’s. They come to the city and become very much a part of the culture there. My great-grandmother was born in Cuba, and when I was growing up, she would sing Cuban songs to me. I grew up around that music. So while I don’t particularly think of myself as Cuban, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I was not able to pick up on and appreciate certain aspects of the culture.”

The brilliance and innovation of Ninety Miles is only part of the story. The recording is also a clear statement about the power of music to unite in ways that politics and diplomacy can’t. “The arts can lead the way, because they are the universal language,” says Burk. “And music is certainly one of the most powerful forces within the arts. You can change someone’s life in five minutes with the right piece of music. I don’t know of any other art form that can do that. This record does illustrate a way – or at least the ability – for people to work together despite differences.”

Ninety Miles Official Website: http://ninetymilesproject.com

Stefon Harris

“He swings; and when he plays, he makes you feel good,” says The New York Times. A four-time GRAMMY® nominee, Harris has been honored as Best Vibist by Jazziz, Jazz Times, and Downbeat, and is a six-time Best Mallet winner by the Jazz Journalists Association. Heralded as “one of the most important young artists in jazz” (The Los Angeles Times) and a recipient of Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award, Harris earned a B.M. in Classical Music and a M.M. in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music. He has released six CDs for Blue Note Records including the Duke Ellington inspired 2006 African Tarantella …Dances With Duke and the GRAMMY® nominated The Grand Unification Theory (2003).

Stefon Harris’ 7th album and Concord Records debut, Urbanus, received rave reviews. People said, “This inventive disc, with his quintet Blackout, delivers in-your-face grooves.” The album went on to receive the GRAMMY® nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Urbanus picks up where Evolution (Blue Note – 2004) left off. Both feature Blackout, his scintillating ensemble that’s as versed in modern jazz as it is with rhythms, melodies and soundscapes associated with R&B, pop, hip-hop and funk. Blackout displays a deeper group rapport as well as a more expansive sonic palette. Marc Cary complements the acoustic piano with Fender Rhodes, and alto saxophonist Casey Benjamin, lends his captivating vocoder work to the proceeding. Harris’ brilliance at broadening textures and colors comes to play with his sensational woodwind and string arrangements on a few of the compositions as well.

Harris tours worldwide with his band Blackout and the San Francisco Jazz Collective. He also teaches at New York University and has been Artist in Residence at Fontana Chamber Arts (Kalamazoo), The Lied Center (Lincoln, NE), and San Francisco Performances. Harris has served on the Executive Board of Directors for Chamber Music America and was the first musician elected to the WBGO-FM Board of Directors.

David Sánchez

Ask a roomful of jazz fans about GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist David Sánchez and the ensuing buzz will be filled with exultant praise for one of the finest saxophonist of his generation. Such comments are entirely valid, to a point. The Puerto Rico-born Sánchez is unquestionably one of the finest, most progressive players on the contemporary scene, as more than a decade’s worth of bold, brilliant work has already proven. But, is Sánchez a master of Latin Jazz or an exemplary player who also happens to be of Latin heritage? The distinction may seem subtle, but is actually profound. As noted critic Bob Blumenthal observed, “[Sánchez] has been nurturing his own distinct variety in recent years, one that draws heavily on…Miles Davis and John Coltrane and weaves rhythms in fluid strands. What results is far closer to the more daring post-bop tradition than to standard Latin music.”

Sanchez started playing drums and percussion at age 8, before switching to tenor saxophone at age 12. The bomba and plena rhythms of his native country, accompanied with Cuban and Brazilian musical influences, shaped his early musical taste. In 1986, he enrolled in the Universidad de Puerto Rico, but went to New York City instead. In 1988 he was awarded a music scholarship to Rutgers University in New Jersey. Due to the University’s close location to New York City, Sanchez became an active member in the jazz community. His first musical experiences include pianists Eddie Palmieri and Hilton Ruiz. In 1991, thanks to trumpeter Claudio Roditi, Dizzy Gillespie invited Sanchez to join his “Live the Future” tour.

Concurrent to maintaining his busy tour schedule, Sánchez continues his longstanding tradition of assisting with jazz education programs. Such work, he says, “gives me great satisfaction. At the same time, it’s a real challenge, and you end up learning so much yourself. You give, but you receive too. It gives me such tremendous joy.”

Sanchez’s last Concord release Cultural Survival topped the critic’s best jazz albums of the year’s lists and garnered accolades from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and more.

Christian Scott

Christian Scott has been recognized as one of the brightest and most daring young stars in music today. The Wall Street Journal says of his work: “Scott captures exciting moments of creative realization and a career in ascent.” At the mere age of 21, the New Orleans native was named one of the “faces to watch” by Billboard, received a GRAMMY® nomination for his Concord debut album Rewind That, and was honored as one of Ebony’s “30 Young Leaders Under 30.”

Scott, a New Orleans native, began playing the trumpet at age 12. At age 13 he was skilled enough to play in his uncle’s band; saxophonist Donald Harrison, the former Art Blakey Jazz Messenger. He later attended the prestigious New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, a high school whose other alumni include Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and Harry Connick Jr. Scott was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston where he completed two degrees in two years.

Scott’s most recent solo album, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow, was included in NPR’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2010, and received glowing coverage in countless outlets including People Magazine, Village Voice, Entertainment Weekly, VIBE and MOJO. In April 2011, Scott was invited by President Obama to perform at the Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Harlem New York. He has made high-profile appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and was invited to perform during a handful of tour dates with Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s supergroup Atoms for Peace. He will be making an on-screen guest appearance in the HBO series about New Orleans musicians, Tremé, later this season.

The Ninety Miles Project

Stefon Harris, David Sanchez and Christian Scott go the distance on collaborative recording “Ninety Miles.”

Special 2-Disc CD/DVD Package, Ninety Miles, unites North American, Puerto Rican and Cuban jazz artists.

Critically acclaimed jazz musicians vibist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott have collaborated to create a distinctly unique collection of songs, Ninety Miles. Recorded over the span of a week in Havana, Cuba, the US based trio recruited local Cuban musicians including pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa to create the 9 song collection. The result is a true Cuban American musical collaboration that defies political borders. Ninety Miles will be released on Concord Picante on June 21st, 2011.

All distance is relative, especially where geopolitical borders and ideologies are involved. We speak one language, they speak another. We follow our system, they follow theirs. When we focus on the differences, a relatively short stretch of land or water starts to look like a yawning chasm. But when we look at each other as individuals and focus on the similarities, that “chasm” is actually a very short distance. Less than a hundred miles.

Musicians – especially jazz musicians, whose craft is in many ways an improvised form of communication – understand this principle inherently, perhaps better than any politician or diplomat could ever hope to. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sanchez and trumpeter Christian Scott cross that divide in their new recording, Ninety Miles, set for release on Concord Picante on June 21, 2011.

Jane Bunnett & Hilario Durán: Cuban Rhapsody

Hilario Durán and Jane Bunnett team up for duet album

Hilario Duran and Jane Bunnett will be releasing their new album, “Cuban Rhapsody” on June 7 in Canada and the US.

When two of the most acclaimed modern explorers of Cuban music combine their prodigious talents on the music they love, musical magic happens. That is demonstrated in truly enchanting fashion on Rhapsody Cubana, the debut duet recording by Jane Bunnett and Hilario Durán. They are both virtuoso players, arrangers, composers, and bandleaders in their own right, and they have the Juno Awards (and Grammy nominations) to prove it. Their shared musical history and close personal friendship now spans 21 years, and this empathy is at the heart of Rhapsody Cubana.

The musical excellence of this album will come as no surprise, though its sound will turn some heads. Both Durán and Bunnett are famed for their innovative take on contemporary Latin jazz and Cuban styles. In fact, in 2002 Bunnett received the prestigious Smithsonian Institute Award, “for contributions and dedication to the development of Latin jazz.” On Rhapsody Cubana, she and Durán they go back to the roots. The album is best described as an exploration of Cuban classical music, and the results are both educational and accessible. This is a style little known in North America and Europe, though it is deeply appreciated in Cuba and Latin America. It is brought to vivid life here, thanks to Hilario’s ever-fluent and dazzlingly accomplished piano playing and Jane’s melodic contributions on soprano saxophone and flute.

The tunes here range in age from the mid 19th century through to the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. These richly romantic compositions are treated with love and respect by these two virtuosos, but they are not afraid to occasionally add a fresh coat of paint to the original arrangements. They are jazz players, after all, so improvization is part of their musical DNA. “Some of our versions are very close to the original rendition, but we are taking some liberties on others,” explains Jane. “We’ll perhaps inject a solo section where there wasn’t any before.” The one original tune here is Hilario’s “New Danzón,” described by Bunnett as “a dance song done in the style of traditional danzón but with a very modern harmony. It is very adventurous and rhythmically demanding.”

The material here moves seamlessly from the subtle elegance of “Danza Lucumi’ to the jaunty “Quirino Con Su Tres” and “Sherezada,” melodies as warm and breezy as a stroll on Havana’s waterfront. A centrepiece of the album is the “Contradanzas,” a medley of five tunes written in the contradanza form. Three were penned by Manuel Saumell, the 19th century composer described as the father of the contradanza, habanera, danzón, guajira, and clave forms and a true pioneer in integrating European classical music with Cuban folkloric styles.

Tunes by such noted 20th century Cuban composers as Frank Emilio Flynn, Ernesto Lecuona, Miguel Matamoros, Alberto Valdés, Manuel Corona, and Emilio Grenet are also reprised here. Hilario notes that “when they composed this music, there was a lot of movement between Havana and New Orleans, Haiti, Mexico, and Spain. European classical music was blended with African, Cuban and early jazz styles.” Their compositions helped form a rich body of work that could be termed the Cuban equivalent of The Great American Songbook, given their timeless appeal.

Hilario Duran is literally well-schooled in these compositions and Cuban classical music in general. Cuba has long been known for having one of the best music education systems in the world, and it is one Hilario grew up in. Returning to the music of his youth gave him great pleasure. “I began studying classical music at a young age, before becoming more involved in investigating jazz and other musical styles. Now I am coming back to my roots. This is music I really love to play. It reminds me of my younger days.” The joy Hilario takes in playing this music is clearly audible on Rhapsody Cubana.

Jane Bunnett’s passionate love affair with all forms of Cuban music is also a long-standing one, and it has been a crucial element in her creative career. A frequent visitor to Cuba, she explains that “I was familiar with a lot of this music. You hear it in the schools, on the radio, and often in the cafes. Our Cuban Piano Masters album back in 1996 was the start of my exploration of Cuban classical music.”

The classical music rooted pieces on Cuban Rhapsody can perhaps be viewed as the Cuban equivalent of the Great American Songbook. They have proved to be both timeless and still relevant, as this album clearly confirms. “It is full of passion and melody, and that’s the essence of Cuban music,” observes the album’s producer, Peter Cardinalli.

In recent years, Hilario and Jane have frequently performed as a duo, exploring this style in the process. The idea of making a record was quickly endorsed by ace Toronto producer/record label head Cardinali, and it is being released on his highly-respected label, ALMA Records. The recording took place at Toronto studio The Drive Shed, with award-winning engineer John ‘Beetle” Bailey at the console alongside Cardinali. This marks the first time Bunnett has worked on a full album with any producer other than her husband and bandmate Larry Cramer, and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “Instead of having Larry there going ‘do another take,’ it was Peter saying ‘do another one,’” she jokes. “Actually, it was great working with Peter. He has exceptional ears, and he’s excellent in the studio.” Cardinali has now produced four albums for Hilario, and he notes that “everyone was in sync for the recording.”

Bunnett and Durán each has extensive experience of performing and recording with large ensembles (Hilario’s 20-piece Latin Jazz Big Band has earned a Juno Award, Grammy nomination and international acclaim), but both musicians love the duo setting. “I like every format we do, but I like the duo because of the space and the simplicity. You can really focus on the sound, and the themes are so beautiful,” explains Jane. Hilario adds “I love the freedom of just two people. It is also very challenging and difficult at some points, as we have to fill up this spectrum of sound and play the music right.” Consider this a challenge well met.

The close musical and personal bonds between Duran and Bunnett now stretch back over two decades. In 1990, Jane and Larry Cramer were in Havana to record her ground-breaking and Juno Award-winning album, Spirits Of Havana. Bunnett picks up the story, recalling that “our great friend Guillermo Barreto acted as our producer on the Cuban side. We told him we needed a piano player who had a real sense of jazz but also a respect and love for the folkloric music of Cuba. He said ‘I know exactly who you want,’ and he introduced us to Hilario. He could barely speak any English and was really shy, but he was great. We were immediately on the same page musically.”

Durán terms this meeting “destiny. It changed my life.” He’s not exaggerating, for Bunnett and Cramer later sponsored Hilario and his family as immigrants to Canada, the country they’ve called home since 1998. Hilario frequently performed in Jane’s Spirits Of Havana ensemble, and he became a crucial accompanist for Bunnett on such albums as Rendezvous Brazil-Cuba, Chamalongo, and Ritmo + Soul. In turn, Bunnett has appeared on such Hilario Duran albums as Killer Tumbao. Their musical marriage now takes radiant shape on CD title, and Jane and Hilario are happily committed to live performance of this material in Canada and beyond in the months ahead.

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