The making of Machito’s “Fireworks” – Harvey Averne

Afro-Cuban culture, Blog, Cuba, Latin Jazz, Puerto Rico, The Cuba-US connection, Video, Video and audio

Nominated for the 1977 Grammy Award

Music featured in this program

00:00 Macho (First Movement)
10:50 Soy Salsero
21:04 Mi Rito Llego
28:28 Despierta Boricua
36:22 Macho (Second Movement)

Liner Notes

Side A

Mi Ritmo Llego * (Guaguanco/4:55
(My Rhythm is Here)
(Ubaldo “Lalo” Rodriequez) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Ray Santos)

Desilusion * (Bolero/3:45
(I’m Disillusioned)
(Ubaldo “Lalo” Rodriequez) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Ray Santos)

Despierta Boricua ** (Son Montuno/4:15
(Wake up Puerto Rican)
(Frank “Machito” Grillo)) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Lito Pena)

Guaguanco a Mexico * (Guaguanco/4:17
(Guaguanco for Mexico)
(Ubaldo “Lalo” Rodriequez) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Elias Lopez)

No Seras Para Mi * (Bolero/3:29
(You’ll Never Be FOR Me)
(Grecia Domenech) (R.R.)
(Arr: Jorge Millet)

Side B

Macho ** (Instrumental) (Descarga)/13:00
(My Rhythm is Here)
(Jorge Millet) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Jorge Millet)

Soy Salsero ** (Son Montuno)/7:00
(I Sing Salsa)
(Frank “Machito” Grillo)) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Jorge Millet)

PRODUCED BY HARVEY LAVERNE

Organ and Acoustical Piano Solo “Macho” / Charlie Palmieri
Piccolo Trumpet Solo “Macho” / Lew Soloff
Timbales Solo “Macho” / Nicky Marrero
Electric Piano “Macho” / Jorge Millet
Alto Sax Solo “Macho” / Bobby Porcelli
Electric Guitar “Macho” / Harry Vigiani
Bata Drums “Macho” / Julito Collazo, Angel “Cachete” Maldonado, Hector “Flaco” Hernandez
Trumpet Solo “Soy Salsero” / Victor Paz
Trombone Solo “Mi Ritmo Llego” / Barry Roger

Recording Studio / Plaza Sound
Recording Engineer / Rob Freeman
Overdub Engineer / Don Hunerberg
Mixed at / Blank Tapes
Mixed by / Harvey Averne
Mix Engineer / Bob Blank
Mastering / Jose Rodriguez
Photography and Album Design / Hal Wilson

1st Session *

Leader / Frank “Machito” Grillo
Director – Percussion / Mario Grillo
Vocals / Lalo Rodriguez
Conductor / Jorge Millet
Piano / Ray Coen
Trumpets / Paul Cohen, John Faddis, Tony Cofresi, Wyman Reed
Trombones / Barry Rogers, Leo Pineda
Alto Saxophone / Lennie Hambro
Tenor Saxophones / Mario Rivera, Jose Madera
Baritone Saxophone / Leslie Jonakins
Bass / Jose Santiago
Maracas / Ismael Quintana
Bongos / Tommy “Chuckie” Lopez
Conga / Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez
Timbales / Nicky Marrero
Coro / Machito, Adalberto Santiago, Ismael Quintana, Chivirico Davila

2nd Session **

Leader / Vocals / Frank “Machito” Grillo
Director – Percussion / Mario Grillo
Conductor / Jorge Millet
Piano / Charlie Palmieri
Trumpets / Victor Paz, Lew Soloff, Tony Cofresi, Charlie Camilleri
Trombones / Barry Rogers, Sam Burtis
Alto Saxophone / Bobby Porcelli
Tenor Saxophones / Lou Orenstein, Mauricio Smith
Baritone Saxophone / Mario Rivera
Bass / Andy Gonzalez
Maracas / Ismael Quintana
Bongos / Tommy “Chuckie” Lopez
Conga / Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez
Timbales / Nicky Marrero
Coro / Lalo Rodriguez, Ismael Quintana, Victor Velazquez

Special thanks to Victor Paz, Jorge Millet, Mario Grillo, Doug Jones

Translation of “Macho” – First Movement

The singer is Machito.

Machito and the musicians, especially the bata drummers, are evoking the Orisha.

“ ‘Boru ‘buya,” a contraction of the Yorùbá-Cuban greeting “ìbo rú di (ì)’bo ye,” routinely bestowed upon high priests, or babalawo in Cuba. The phrase’s literal meaning is: “The sacrifice that is carried becomes the sacrifice that is suitable.” (Source: “Machito and His Afro-Cubans: Selected Transcriptions”)

“Ashe. Mucho ashe.” – Creative force. Much creative force.

“Suerte y salud para todos mis hermanos.” – Luck and health to all my brothers.

Elegua – Orisha of beginning, of crossroads, of doorways, of fate

Babalu Aye (San Lazaro) – Orisha of the healing spirit, protector of the weak and the ill

Yemaya – Orisha of the Ocean’s surface, of love, fertility and family

Shango – Orisha of thunder, drumming, dancing, fire and male virility

Oshun – Orisha of beauty and sexuality

Obatala – Sky Father and creator of Orishas and human beings, rules all

Great news!

You can now watch this video – and all Spanish language videos – with English subtitles. It’s free!

Click here for instructions on how to turn on English subtitles.

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
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Jazz history quiz

Artist-Educators, Blog

What do Chico Hamilton, Dexter Gordon, Horace Tapscott, Sonny Criss, Frank Morgan, Big Jay McNeely, Marshal Royal, Art Farmer, and Don Cherry of Los Angeles have in common with…

Ornette Coleman, King Curtis, Dewey Redman, Prince Lasha, John Carter, Julius Hemphill, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Ray Sharpe and Cornell Dupree of Fort Worth…

…And with Gene Ammons, Nat King Cole, Jerome Cooper, Richard Davis, Bo Diddley, Dorothy Donegan, Von Freeman, John Gilmore, Johnny Griffin, Milt Hinton, Eddie Harris, John Hartman, Fred Hopkins, Joseph Jarman, Leroy Jenkins, Clifford Jordan, Julian Priester, Wilbure Ware, and Dinah Washington of Chicago.

Think on it a bit before you look at the answer.

What did these great American artists have in common besides the fact that they are Afro-Americans and internationally recognized masters of jazz?

Answer

They all got their professional-level music performance education in a free public high school under just three different teachers.

Sam Browne of Jefferson High School (Los Angeles)
G.A. Baxter of I.M. Terrell (Fort Worth)
Walter Dyett of DuSable High School (Chicago)

If you like music, remember to thank a music teacher. Better yet, look for a local program you can support.

Video made by Jazz on the Tube for FoodMusicJustic.org. New Orleans (2010)

– Ken McCarthy

The Hero’s Fall I Fell For – Poems by Dave Oliphant

Artist-Educators, Blog, Chroniclers

Mr. Oliphant has a special musical gift for all buyers of the book. If you order the book, please save and send Mr. Oliphant a copy of your electronic receipt with a copy of your physical mailing address via email and he will mail it to you. You can reach him here: dave_oliphant AT yahoo DOT com

(Note: You can preview several of the poems below.)

Excerpts from Five Versions of the 12th Street Rag (1967)

Duke Ellington, “Twelfth Street Rag” (Decca, The Original Decca Recordings: Early Ellington), recorded January 14, 1931 (2:58)

Fats Waller and His Rhythm, “Twelfth Street Rag” (Pickwick International Records, Ain’t Misbehaving), recorded June 24, 1935 (2:45)

Count Baise, “Twelfth Street Rag” (Jazz Roots, Jumpin’ at the Woodside), recorded Aril 5, 1939 (3:o8)

From Jazz God and Freshman English (1973)

Dizzy Gillespie, “A Night in Tunisia” (The RCA Victor Encyclopedia of Recorded Jazz, Album 5: Gil to Hig) recorded February 22, 1945 with Don Byas on tenor saxophone (3:08)

Denton (1994)

Euel Box Quintet, “Toddlin'” (Columbia Transcriptions, North Texas State College Jazz Concert), recorded 1957 (3:12)

Shorty Rogers and His Giants, “Planetarium” (Atlantic, Martians Come Back!), recorded March 26, 1955, with Texan Jimmy Giuffre on tenor sax (3:39)

Three Musicians Perform their Freedom (2003)

Charles Mingus, “Ysabel’s Table Dance” (RCA, Tijuana Moods), recorded July 16, 1958 (11:35)

Jazz by the Boulevard (2013)

David “Fathead” Newman, “Hard Times” (Collectibles, Fathead), released in 1958 with Ray Charles on piano (4:43)

The Jazz on the Tube interview with Dave Oliphant

Click here to listen to the interview with Dave Oliphant

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.

Remembering Arsenio Rodríguez – Maestro de maestros

Afro-Cuban culture, Blog, Cuba, The Cuba-US connection, Video and audio

Rene Lopez pays tribute to Arsenio Rodríguez (Ignacio de Loyola Rodríguez Scull) born Güira de Macurijes, Matanzas, Cuba, August 30, 1911.

The Arsenio piece that Lopez refers to in his talk: “Yo Nací en África” (“I Was Born in Africa”)

A tasty instrumental version of “Bruca Manigua” recorded in 1963. Ffrom the album “La Magia de Rodríguez”

And while we’re at it, why not the original 1937 recording with Miguelito Valdés and Casino de la Playa?

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.

Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
Click here for details

Tito Puente and Charlie Palmieri en El Bronx

Afro-Cuban culture, Blog, Cuba, Latin Jazz, Puerto Rico, Video

The music and narration tell the whole story.

What else can I add?

The only thing I can add is the location.

The playground of PS 130, Hewitt Place, Bronx.

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.

Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
Click here for details

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