John Benitez at the Jazz Standard

WED 11/30 @ 7:30PM + 9:30PM – John Benitez Quintet (New Dimensions in Latin Jazz )

Where: JAZZ STANDARD 116 East 27^th Street (Train 6 – 29^th St)

Who: John Benitez – acoustic & electric Bass; Yosvanny Terry –saxophone; Manuel Valera – piano; Tom Guarna – guitar; Francis Benitez – drums

How: $20.  Purchase tickets at www.jazzstandard.com or call 212.576.2232

Grammy Award-winning bassist John Benitez was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and by age nineteen was the first-call bassist in San Juan’s thriving Jazz and Latin music scenes. Since moving to NYC in 1993, John has gigged and recorded with a plethora of jazz and Latin greats ranging from Wynton Marsalis and Ravi Coltrane to Ray Barreto and Mongo Santamaria. In 2001, John released his first album as a leader, “Descarga in New York”; a showcase for his prodigious talents as a bassist (both acoustic and electric), composer, arranger, and producer. “For me it’s all the same, one great dance music,” says John Benitze.  ”All the styles of the Caribbean, South America, and New Orleans are but an extension of African music with that special bounce.”

Music Charge: $20

John Benitez at the congahead studio

Legendary bassist, John Benitez with a powerhouse band at the congahead.com studio, performing his original compositions: Rumba, Purpose, Bomba Lírica and Pureza. The group consisted of his son, Francis on drums; Will Vinson, sax; Manuel Valera, keyboard; Tom Guarna, guitar and Obanilú Allende, percussion.

Catching Up with Percussionist, Composer, Arranger Samuel Torres

Interview #2 conducted October 2, 2010 by Tomas Peña (by telephone)

“Music was always the main communion between the members of my family, my friends and me. It also helped me find out who I am.”

TP: Congratulations on the release of Yaounde, your third recording as a leader.

ST: Thank you.

TP: Do you come from a musical family?

ST: My grandfather, Manuel Martinez was a trombone player. He came from a small town in southern Colombia near Ecuador. At the age of fourteen he escaped from the Ecuadorian army and he traveled throughout the Caribbean during the 1930s and 1940s. Before returning to Colombia he picked up a lot of musical influences. My grandmother was a self-taught musician and my uncle, Francisco Martinez, who is the father of (pianist, composer, arranger) Edy Martinez, played the saxophone.

TP: Tell me about Edy Martinez.

ST: Edy came to the United States as a teenager in the 1960’s and rose to fame in the New York City salsa scene in the early 1970s as a pianist and arranger for Ray Barretto’s conjunto. My uncle Juan followed him. He was a drummer and sideman with the Tito Rodriguez orchestra and Machito and his Afro Cubans among others.

My grandfather (Manuel) had a great collection of jazz and Afro-Cuban LP’s (records) that he picked up during his travels and because of Edy I have a collection of Ray Barretto and Fania (Records) recordings. When I was a kid I was fascinated by album covers. My favorite album cover was (and still is) Ray Barretto’s Indestructible.

TP: The cover depicts Ray unbuttoning his shirt and removing his Clark Kent-styled glasses to reveal a Superman costume underneath. Indestructible and The Other Road (1973) are two of my favorite albums of all time.

ST: Eventually I got around to playing the record and I fell in love with Ray’s music and his energy, he was my idol. When I finally met Ray I mentioned that one of my favorite recordings was Barretto Live: Tomorrow (Koch Records, 1976). Suffice it to say he did not feel that it was one of his best recordings.     

TP: I also idolized Ray and grew up listening to his music. It was Ray’s work as a sideman with guitarist, Wes Montgomery that sparked my interest in jazz.

ST: Through Ray’s music, which contained a lot of jazz elements I started listening to jazz, Cuban music, the Fania recordings and Latin jazz. Then in 1989 my cousin went to Cuba and returned with recordings by Irakere and Los Van Van. At the same time there was a big musical community in Bogotá and a nightclub called Salomé, where music lovers and collectors gathered. On Friday night after the bar closed, the serious music lovers would stay behind and listen to music until seven AM. That’s how I was exposed to music that was not considered mainstream in Colombia. After that I started studying music formally. I studied classical music by day and listened to Cuban music by night.

TP: The last time we spoke you mentioned a number of other recordings that were influential in your musical development.

ST: Actually, there were two: Tito Puente’s Cuban Carnaval (1956, RCA) and Santitos Colon’s De Mi Para Ti (1964). I listened to those albums over and over. I even listened to them while I slept.

TP: Today we call that “downloading.” What prompted you take up the drums?

ST: There was a popular commercial on TV for Cerveza Aguila in Bogotá that began with a simple conga pattern (mimics the patterns by mouth). Basically, I started out by copying the basic patterns. Then I graduated to cookie cans, a pair of old bongos, a pair of new bongos, an old conga drum and finally a new conga drum.

TP: Did you take formal lessons?

ST: Yes, I took about four lessons with a great conga player from Colombia named Luis Pacheco. He was the original conguero with Grupo Niche and Orquesta Guayacan.

TP: He taught you the basics.

ST: Yes. Also, when Cuban musicians performed in Colombia I went to see them and invariably we would talk about music and share new ideas. In 1993 my uncle Edy returned to Colombia and formed a band. Also around that time a lot of Cuban musicians moved to Colombia and I learned a lot from them.

TP: How old were you when you started playing semi-professionally?

ST: I was about fifteen years old.  

TP: You also studied composition. The following is a direct quote: “Since I began playing Latin percussion, I felt there was a pervading bad attitude about percussionists. People would laugh and say, ‘there are musicians and then there are conga players.’ One of the things that I wanted to do was to help change that incorrect impression. I believe that composition is one way to do that. Composition is a big tool to help one understand music. It enables you to express many feelings that it might be difficult to communicate otherwise.”

ST: When I told my professor that I wanted to be a professional conga player (percussionist) he asked me if I was willing to forego a career as a classical percussionist and I said “Yes.” Later the Dean of Music became involved and he offered me some very solid advice. He told me that I needed a major and suggested that I should study composition as a way of learning to make a difference and develop my own sound. He also taught me another interesting lesson. That is, in order to break the rules you have to learn them.

TP: What is his name?

ST: His name is Guillermo Gavinia. He eventually went on to become Colombia’s Minister of Culture.

TP: By all accounts you were very successful at an early age. In fact, by the time you were twenty-one you were already an established musician as well as a director and arranger for some of Colombia’s most highly regarded telenovelas (soap operas) and films. In spite of that you packed your bags and moved to the United States.

ST: I knew that someday I would come to the United States. The music that I fell in love with as a child (Salsa, Latin Jazz) was created in New York.

TP: Did your uncle Edy (Martinez) play a role in your decision to move to states?

ST: At the time he was living in New York and performing with Ray Barretto’s conjunto. I knew that coming to the states was something I had to do. With respect to my career in Colombia, I was working a lot, making lots of money and playing with some of the best musicians on Colombia’s music scene but I was only twenty-one, still young enough to start a new career. When my mother moved to Miami (1998) I sensed that life was telling me what to do. I followed her one year later.   

TP: Shortly after arriving in the U.S. your career took a dramatic turn when you were tapped by trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval to join his group. You spent four years touring and recording with Arturo. Tell me about that period in your life and what you gained from the experience.

ST: Arturo taught me so much. Among other things he taught me about the Cuban element. The way Cubans speak, their expressions, the way they walk, the way they eat, the way they dance. You have to understand the culture in order to understand their music.

TP: In retrospect what was the most significant lesson that Arturo taught you?

ST: When I arrived in the U.S. I was very critical of myself, I was very self-conscious and I had a tendency to over intellectualize my playing. Arturo taught me how to loosen up, to be more spontaneous and to connect with the audience. I can still hear Arturo saying, “Stop worrying, you are a great musician, play from the heart and transmit that feeling to your audience.”

TP: Considering the source that is quite a compliment.  While you were with Arturo’s band you attracted the attention of Tito Puente, Paquito D’ Rivera, Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, Claudio Roditi, Richard Bona, Lila Downs and Shakira among others. As a result you participated in many recordings as a sideman. In 2006 you stepped out on your own and recorded Skin Tones, your first recording as a leader.

ST: While I was living in Miami I wrote a lot of music and worked at developing my sound but it wasn’t until I moved to New York (2002) that I found a voice for my compositions.

TP: How so?

ST: All of my idols live in New York! While I was in Miami I saw a lot of bands that gave me great ideas. Groups you don’t often see in New York and I started thinking about the kind of sound I wanted to create. When I arrived in New York I met vocalist Julia Dollison, whose voice is like an instrument. I collaborated with her and trumpeter Michael Rodriguez on a demo and started thinking about the possibility of creating a career and making a living with my music. Shortly thereafter, I recorded Skin Tones.

TP: You assembled an all-star cast for the recording: Bassist John Benitez, pianist Hector Martignon, harpist Edmar Castaneda, drummer Ernesto Simpson, trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, saxophonist Mike Campagna and vocalist Julia Dollison among others. How was the recording received?

ST: Very good!  From my perspective as a Colombian living in New York it was a very gratifying experience. Unlike other recordings where percussion is used to provide shades and colors, the drums are the centerpiece, everything revolves around the drums.

TP: And the reviews were excellent.

ST: I am grateful for the positive feedback and very happy with the way the recording turned out.

TP: Your association with African guitarist, Richard Bona and a recent trip to Africa (Cameroon) ushered in a new chapter in your life. Moreover it provided you with a new appreciation for the manner in which the music of your native Colombia evolved. Tell me about your trip to Africa and the connections between African and Colombian music.

ST: The first connection is geographical. Climate wise it is very similar to Colombia. Also, the music is very similar. The African influence is very strong in Latin America.

TP: In spite of that, the African influence is often denied in Latin America.

ST: It happens. In Colombia, after the slaves were freed they built their own cities (Palenque’s) on the Pacific coast and segregated themselves economically and socially. Similarly in Cameroon there are no roads. People get to where they want to go by boat or by plane. Interestingly over the last ten years it has become very fashionable to learn about Afro-Latino culture and Black music. The African influence is strong in Latin America and there is no denying that fact.  

TP: It’s gratifying to see a growing Afro-Latino movement throughout Latin America. While you were in Africa you discovered some intriguing similarities between the music of Colombia and Cameroon.

ST: Yes, the use of the marimba and the way the people dance. The music of the Pacific Coast region has indigenous influences, which makes it sound more Latin however rhythmically the music of Cameroon is quite complex.

TP: When you returned from West Africa you embarked on your second recording as a leader.

ST: Actually, I had no idea of what to call it!

TP: In the end you named the album after a song you composed, which is named after Cameroon’s capital city (Yaounde). Tell me about Yaounde.

ST: It’s Latin jazz with a Colombian groove, a New York vision and the spirit of West Africa. Ernesto (Simpson) and John (Benitez) lived in Colombia and they have a deep understanding of the music. And of course the rest of the band members are all superb musicians.

TP: Stylistically, it is more adventurous than anything you have done before. And once again you assembled an all-star cast of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Jewish, Colombian and South American musicians who are well versed in jazz and Latin music: Joel Frahm (tenor and soprano saxophones), Anat Cohen (clarinet), Michael Rodriguez (trumpet, flugelhorn), Manuel Valera (piano, Fender Rhodes, Nord keyboard), John Benitez provides (bass), Ernesto Simpson (drums) and Sofia Rei Koutsovitis (vocals).

How was the recording received?

ST: The reviews have been very good. More important the critics seem to understand the message I am trying to communicate.

TP: It must be very gratifying to know that the critics “get it.” What’s next on your agenda?

ST: I have a number of things coming up, the biggest is a cultural festival in Bogota (Colombia) in October (2010). It’s the world premiere of Concierto para 8 Congas Y Orquesta (Concert for 8 congas and orchestra) with the Bogota Philharmonic followed by a concert in Germany on December 15th.

TP: Good luck with the performance. Do you have any plans to record the event for posterity or perform the concierto in the states?

ST: At the moment there are no specific plans to do either. However, I am open to the idea.

TP: Before I close I should mention the fact that you placed second in Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition for Hand Percussion. Moreover, you produced the DVD, Drum Solos Revisited for Martin Cohen’s Latin Percussion, Inc., which features fifteen New York City percussionists showcasing beginner, intermediate and advanced solos on congas, bongos and timbales.

More important you have succeeded in dispelling the notion that “there are musicians and then there are conga players.” As one reviewer wrote you are a “fully developed musician in the true meaning of the word – an artist who passionately follows his intuitions, ever broadening his horizons while further honing his wide-ranging, world-class skills.”

ST: Thank you for your kind words.

TP: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me and much success with your upcoming concert in Bogota, Colombia.

ST: Thank you, Tomas.

For Additional Information on Samuel Torres visit www.samueltorres.com

Samuel Torres – Yaoundé (Self Produced – 2010)

For the spirits to materialise when they are summoned in worship the practice of the worship must reach a level of intensity—get to the blue part of the flame, so to speak—and arouse the angels and God as well to come down and bless the worshippers a million-fold. When David played his harp, so intense was his music that Samuel was inspired to anoint him King. Now it is the turn of another Samuel, not to anoint, but to call up the angels and saints and to placate God to bring peace and happiness and to look kindly upon his people… He calls with deep intensity and does not let up throughout Yaoundé, a masterful supplication in various parts. The Samuel in question is Samuel Torres, that Colombian percussion colorist, who directs the proceedings and, in doing so, also draws in everyone who hears the echo of the congas and chekere and Llaneras, kalimba and caxixis… And the spirits and Saints, at least, are moved to bless this project.

The magnificent ablutions begin with “Un Atardecer en Cartagena de Indias” and continue through “Oye,” but it is only when the music of “Yaoundé” heats up that the real entrancement begins. Bassist, John Benitez is superb here as is pianist, Manuel Valera who play in deep sympathy with Torres to make the initial supplication—like the beginning of a Santeria séance. From then on, things are almost trance-like. Torres excels again in his conga master class, “Tumaco” and a sensuous melt down of sorts occurs in the beautiful Bambuco Colombiano, the riveting “Bambuco (To Santa Fe de Bogota). Played in a magnetic meter of 6/8 and creating a hypnotic swagger, Torres revives an old Colombian Polska to cool things down.

Torres’ next agenda is more personal. His music now addresses private blessings and with superb attention to detail he brings the mastery of saxophonist Joel Frahm, brass player, Michael Rodriguez and pianist Manuel Valera together for the next part of the spirit awakening. Here, though Torres directs his music to the blessing of small things—everything that the Lord made. Much of the music is an exaltation of personal relationships. The love of an artist who is concerned about the state of human condition. Torres proves himself to be a very committed artist here.

As a percussionist, Samuel Torres is not classical. His cut and slash is daring and he uses his gnarled palms to make the skins talk. His taps with the tips of his hands and the resonating howl brought forth by cupped palms is astounding. He can make almost vocal insinuations with his various small percussion instruments and his use of the Llaneras and various chekere and caxixis is both votive and melodic. It would be remiss not to mention also the fine addition of Anat Cohen, whose woody, breathtaking round sounds on “Macondo” are short, yet memorable.

Torres has certainly attempted something really ambitious. To the extent that he has managed to maintain the level of energy that is required conducting a sort of ritual prayer and cleansing, this album hold up at most levels. It bears listening over and over again and like the skin of an onion, more meaning is revealed as the music leads the listener closer to the center of its being.

Tracks: Un Atardecer en Cartagena de Indias; Oye; Yaoundé Tumaco; Bambuco (To Santa Fe de Bogota); Cosita Rica – The Richness of Small Things; La Niña en el Agua – The Girl in the Water (To my love Larita); Macondo (Para Lucho Bermúdez); Ronca el Canalete; Lincoln Tunnel; Rio Magdalena; A Rose (To my grandmother); Chia – The Moon Goddess (La diosa Luna); Camino del Barrio (To my uncle Edy Martinez and all the Musicians from the Golden Era of Salsa in NY).

Personnel: Samuel Torres: congas, kalimba, cajon, Mexican Llaneras, udu, djembe, tambor alegre, guache, Colombian tambora, talking drum, shakers, shakere, cowbell, Brasilian caxixis, African Ago-go, LP lu-bar chimes, percussion effects; Joel Frahm: tenor, soprano saxophones; Michael Rodriguez: trumpet, flugelhorn; Manuel Valera: piano, Fender Rhodes, Nord Keyboards, John Benitez: acoustic, electric basses; Ernesto Simpson: drums; Anat Cohen: clarinet (8); Ralph Irizarry: timbal (10, 14); Sofia Rei Koutsovitis: vocal (9); Andrés Garcia: Colombian Tiple (5).

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Samuel Torres on the web: www.samueltorres.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Bobby Carcassés: Luna de Miel en Nueva York

Bobby Carcassés: Luna de Miel en Nueva York
Un eterno romance entre lo cubano y el jazz demuestra que la cosa va en serio

Por Chico Alvarez Peraza
Marzo 15, 2010

El pasado jueves 11 de marzo, se presentó por segunda vez en el Jazz Gallery de la calle Hudson en el bajo Manhattan el improvisador de jazz, cantante, trompetista, pianista, percusionista y dibujante cubano Bobby Carcassés. Su música ha sido categorizada como “jazz cubano” y el propio Bobby ocupa hoy un lugar importantísimo en la historia de este género.

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Como lo había hecho ya en otras ocasiones, Bobby le brindó a sus admiradores alma y corazón; les presentó un repertorio original envuelto en sus propios arreglos; mezclados con adaptaciones de varios temas que pertenecen tanto al repertorio clásico y variado del jazz como al cancionero americano. Junto a Bobby, un elenco de musicos cubanos desterrados: el destacado alto saxofonista y percusionista Yosvany Terry; su hermano, el inquieto Yunior Terry en el bajo acústico; el pianista por excelencia Manuel Valera; el ritmo contagioso de Marvin Diz, haciendo de lo suyo con tres tumbaboras mientras el formidable Dafnis Prieto le daba el toque final al asunto con una batería americana (drum set). Y para ñapa, la agresiva combinación cubana se unió para descargar en dos temas con la flautista americana Andrea Brachfeld, a quien Bobby había invitado a participar. Así, de forma contundente y con cierto aire “libre” (free form), Carcassés fundió ambos generos en forma muy peculiar, y por supuesto “a lo cubano”. A mi entender, esa es su frase favorita.

Pero lo de Bobby no es nada nuevo; aunque tampoco se trata de algún novato que de repente ha logrado dar un golpe de suerte. Su presentación en Jazz Gallery dejó demostrado a todos aquellos que habían tenido ciertos recelos, que Bobby Carcassés habia venido a esta mecca musical con bastante experiencia y con mucho respeto a sus antecedentes. Su talento innato ya lo había llevado por el sendero del éxito; desde sus inicios en Cuba a traves de los hoteles y festivales de la música popular cubana y caribeña. Allá, en el caimán verde se destacó el joven cantante y tumbador, primeramente como integrante del trío de Bobby Collazo y después en el teatro vernáculo como director musical de varias orquestas tipo jazzband (big band); no comenzó en la trompeta hasta los 35 años.

En su diálogo con el público, Bobby divulgó que habia venido a Nueva York por primera vez en el 1958, tocando musica cubana con el famoso show del Cabaret Tropicana, espectáculo que se habia presentado en el Hotel Waldorf Astoria en vivo y para el show de Steve Allen; posiblemente fue aqui que nació su amor por el jazz. Luego de haber presenciado el exito colosal de Fellove en Mexico con el estilo “scat”, Bobby regresó a Cuba para cultivar y pulir aquel estilo improvisador de los negros americanos; de ahi surgieron varias actividades en el extranjero y con mucho fervor Bobby llevó su musica contagiosa y su estilo sabrosón a los teatros y clubes mas famosos del mundo jazzístico; no solo como cantante solista sino como instrumentista. Pero los años iban pasando y la guerra fria lo habia colocado entre la espada y la pared. Pasarían varias décadas antes que Bobby Carcassés volviera a la babel de hierro.

En Cuba, Bobby tuvo el honor de haber sido fundador del primer festival de jazz en la isla, en el año 1980. Desde los inicios de aquel proyecto, su afán habia sido la combinación o fusión de varios géneros afrocubanos como la guarácha, el son, el bembé y el guaguancó con el espectro total del blues, la balada y el swing jazz. Debido a que esta combinación ya existía en Nueva York para la época de Mario Bauzá, Chano Pozo y Dizzy Gillespie y luego dentro de las agrupaciones de Cal Tjader, Herbie Mann y Mongo Santamaria, es que quizás este acontecimiento hoy en día no llega a nuestros oídos como una novedad. Sin embargo, si nos fijámos bien en la cadencia y la técnica de este señor, junto a la virtuosidad de sus acompañantes, veremos que este nuevo estilo de combinar ambos géneros dista mucho al estilo de los pioneros antes mencionados durante la primera decada de experimentación. A este tipo de fusión se le llama erróneamente y a menudo innovación; yo diré entonces que lo que hoy se hace pasar como jazz latino, en realidad no es nada nuevo, es nada más y nada menos que música bailable e instrumental, con ciertas improvisaciones armónicamente cercanas a las del jazz. En contraste, lo que ha traído este señor a Nueva York se puede calificar como una “evolución” de algo que establecieron aquí los cubanos y los negros americanos por muchos años; algo que se perdió debido al comercialísmo, algo que ha quedado prácticamente obsoleto dentro del mundo de la farándula neoyorquina.

Por más de 50 años las relaciones entre Cuba y los Estados Unidos han sido tan agridulces como las relaciones entre las dos ciudades; de ambas islas han brotado nuevos matíces y aún abundan en ellas buenos músicos; sirviendo desde los tiempos de la colonia como centros de inmigración y a través de los siglos como una especie de calderón cultural; con raíces en Africa y Europa; ambas ciudades han sido atacadas por terroristas sin escrúpulos.

Aunque Bobby todavía vive en La Habana, su amor por la ciudad de Nueva York es evidente al instante en que hablas con él. Los lazos culturales que unen a La Habana y Nueva York son muy fuertes y el matrimonio del ritmo cubano con el jazz han dado muchos frutos, como el caso de la tal llamada “salsa”, una manifestación comercial que no existiera sin estos dos elementos.

En cierta forma, Bobby está luchando por un principio. Su causa es la unión, no solamente de la música, sino de los dos países. En realidad, es una unión que ya existe, aunque no es tan evidente. Entre los ámbitos de la música popular, existe una gran hermandad y mucho respeto. Si lo analizamos bien, hay música americana que se extiende desde las raíces cubanas, pero en torno la música cubana dista de una gran influencia de jazz. Mediante la fusión, Bobby busca un acercamiento más profundo y más amplio, con cierto equilibrio entre lo afrocubano y lo jazzístico, al par que otros buscan un acercamiento entre ambos países. Pero como ya sabemos, la cosa no es fácil. Hay viejos rencores e injusticias que no se borran tan fácilmente. Los recientes acontecimientos en La Habana hablan por si solos.

Los músicos que acompañaron a Bobby en su mini-concierto, tanto como los músicos que lo conocieron en Cuba y que ahora viven en los Estados Unidos lo respetan como un líder del movimiento “cuban jazz” y siempre estan al tanto de sus actividades fuera de Cuba. Fuera de su tierra natal, Bobby Carcassés sigue siendo una verdadera leyenda musical, y su reciente presentación en Nueva York dió testimonio a la idea de que esta locura no puede seguir más. Si es como dicen, que la musica es terápia, entonces el pasado 11 de marzo Bobby Carcassés le comprobó a los nuevayorquinos que con voluntad se puede vivir sin rencores y sin injusticias. Esa noche hizo mas por la paz que un tal Juanes hizo entre las multitudes.

Este veterano cuenta hoy con 71 años de edad y mientras que el mundo siga con su agitado pulso él se mantiene firme en sus ideas musicales; es jazzista pero no deja de ser cubano; procede de un país a donde ser músico es como ser un mero empleado del gobierno; es decir, tiene sus limitaciones. Quizás por casualidad, o a lo mejor por cosas del destino cruel, o sabe Dios si existen otros motivos más ocultos, la cosa es que Bobby encontró en el Jazz Gallery lo que no había encontrado anteriormente; un país en que los músicos trabajan independiente del sistema político; y quizás sin querer, el intérprete ha chocado con la triste realidad que no solo en Cuba se mezcla el arte con la política. Sin lugar a dudas hubieron intereses envueltos y hay quienes utilizarán esta presentación para propagar ciertas ideas, de eso no cabe duda; lo que sí valió fue que nadie se opúso, y eso ha enriquecído mucho a esta comunidad.

A mi parecer, esto se debe a la personalidad y el carácter de Bobby Carcassés. Bobby es un gran animador; tremendo “showman” y maestro de varios instrumentos. Algo muy curioso aqui; el no busca ser el centro de la función y cuando toca su instrumento lo hace de manera sublime; sin alarde y sin fines de lucro. En cuanto a su presentación personal, Bobby da la impresión de que es un miembro más de un grupo musical. Como líder, obviamente se siente orgulloso cuando le aplauden a su orquesta. Abrió el show cantando una version acapéla del famosísimo “Son De la Loma” de Miguel Matamoros, y de ahi fue presentando a los demas integrantes. Desde el comienzo sentíamos que iba a ser una noche especial.

La más reciente producción de Bobby Carcassés se titula “De La Habana a Nueva York” (Vero Records), cuyos temas fueron incluidos en la presentación. El disco compacto incluye su propia versión en español de “Green Dolphin Street,” de Bronislau Kape; tema que fue incluido en el show. En el idioma de Shakespeare nos cantó el tema “Sometimes I’m Happy,” una pieza “standard” de Vincent Youmans, en la cual tocó su fluegelhorn a perfección. Luego, con la introducción de Marvin Diz en los tambores, Bobby nos ofreció “Babalú,” de Margarita Lecuona, en merecido homenaje a Miguelito Valdés; ademas, estuvo muy bueno el “Blues Para Chano,” de su propia inspiración, dedicado a Luciano “Chano” Pozo. En este tema se destacó de nuevo con un solo de fluegelhorn. Su estilo en este instrumento se remonta a la epoca de los años 70; siendo ésta una modalidad conocida como “modern mainstream jazz”, que contrasta al estilo más moderno, libre y armónico de Yosvany Terry en el saxofón.

Por mediación de las dos descargas; “Blues Para Chano” y “Blues Guaguancó” se notó mas el vínculo entre el jazz, el blues y lo netamente afrocubano. De repente, el montuneo frenético de Manuel Valera le dio rienda al ritmo salvaje de Dafnis Prieto y las manos rapidísimas del tumbador Marvin Diz. En este tema sobresalió el señor Prieto, cuya combinación de diferentes ritmos y estilos causaron sensación y fuertes aplausos. Conmovido, el lider se veía muy complacido al ver que aquella magia que lo había captado tanto en su juventud ahora se manifestaba de nuevo en su madurez. Al fin, Nueva Orleans, Cuba, Africa y Nueva York se habian combinado de nuevo, para el deleite de todos los presentes. Fue una noche inolvidable, y demostró que aquel matrimonio musical de los años cuarenta está mejor que nunca; en su segunda luna de miel.

Bobby Carcassés en la red: www.bobbycarcasses.com

Vea slideshow: Bobby Carcassés en Jazz Gallery (este enlace abrirá en una ventana nueva).

Fotografías por Verónica Carcassés.