Afro-Cuban culture, Cuba, The Cuba-US connection, Video and audio
Ben Lapidus and Pablo Mendendez with special guests at the Havana Jazz Festival 2019.
Note: Ben’s new book “New York and the International Sound of Latin Music 1940-1990” is nothing short of SPECTACULAR. You can check it out here.
I can’t overstate how wonderful this book is. A full 360 degree view of one of the greatest music scenes that ever was: the musicians, the educators, the venues, even the instrument makers. Ben tells the WHOLE story. Beautiful.
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
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Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
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Cuba
One of these videos fell into lap my while searching on YouTube. I’m not able to easily find any info about the group Orquestra Failde, but their work speaks for itself.
The director is Jospeph Ros.
All I can say is God bless him. Cuba captured with all its dignity, beauty and fun and great shots of one of my most favorite places in the world, Matanzas.
A danzon composed by Habanero Abelardito Valses (1911-1958) “Almendra” and performed in the Danzon’s birthplace Matanzas.
Tribute to Benny More with Omara Portuondo and Orquestra celebrating the fruitful Cuba-Mexico relationship
Sobre mi pecho Matanzas
Yo tambien!
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
Thanks.
Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
Click here for details
Cuba, The Cuba-US connection
There are two quintessential Cuban instruments.
The drums, of course. Africa.
And the tres. From Andalusia. Moorish Spain…also Africa.
New Orleans piano “professor” and lover of Cuban music Jon Clear shows how the tres laid down the foundation for Cuban piano which laid down the foundation for the New Orleans sound.
This is part of Jon’s WONDERFUL live stream series.
You can (and should) pay the piper directly here.
You can also follow him and the series here (which you should) here:
– 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
Afro-Cuban culture, Cuba, Latin Jazz, Video and audio
A tribute to the influential Latin bassist
Bassist Andy Gonzalez passed away on April 9, 2020 at the age of 69 from pneumonia and complications of diabetes.
Gonzalez was born January 1, 1951 in Manhattan, New York; his father Geraldo was a singer in salsa bands and his older brother Jerry Gonzalez (born 18 months before Andy) became a notable trumpeter and percussionist.
After a brief stint on violin in school, Andy Gonzalez switched permanently to bass, having early associations with the bands of Ray Barretto and Eddie Palmieri.
In 1974 he co-founded Conjunto Libre with the timbales player Manny Oquendo, mixing together salsa and jazz; he was the band’s musical director for 35 years, recording a dozen albums.
In the early 1980s, Andy and Jerry Gonzalez formed the Fort Apache Band, an influential and innovative group that invigorated Afro-Cuban jazz by infusing it with modern jazz and r&b, switching spontaneously between the idioms, all of it propelled by Andy’s bass.
A prolific and versatile musician, Gonzalez was on more than 700 sessions through the years including with Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente,
Hilton Ruiz, Houston Person, Machito, Steve Turre, Don Byron and both Chico and Arturo O’Farrill.
Health problems forced him out of action for a time in 2004 but he made a comeback and one of his last sessions was his long overdue recording debut as a leader in 2016 (Entre Colegas).
Here is Andy Gonzalez from the Entre Eolegas sessions, performing “Misty” with a group also including trumpeter Carlos Abadie, singer Manuel Alejandro Carro, guitarist Ben Lapidus, and a full percussion section.
-Scott Yanow
Cuba, Video and audio
The mambo is a Cuban invention that got a huge boost in Mexico in the 1950s.
Here’s a contemporary Mexican artist, master vibraphonist Victor Mendoza doing a tribute to the Mambo Kings.
He has performed and taught around the world and earned recognitions and awards from multiple organizations, including Latin Beat, Modern Drummer, Jazziz, and the Smithsonian.
Jazziz magazine described Mendoza as “the genre’s leading vibraphone practitioner” and “one of today’s most resourceful composers.”
– 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
Afro-Cuban culture, Cuba, The Cuba-US connection
A lot of people talk about the connections between New Orleans and Cuba.
They are deep and real.
Havana actually ran New Orleans when the place was owned by the Spanish 1762 to 1803 and built big parts of the “French” Quarter.)
Anyway, the history is undeniable and so are the “look and feel” similarities of the two places (and they are even stronger in Santiago de Cuba on the islands eastern Haitian-facing side.)
But the devil is in the details.
What’s the modern MUSICAL link?
Jon Cleary shares a little known connection between Professor Longhair and Perez Prado.
“Fes” is Professor Longhair and Professor Longhair is one of a small handful of innovators who can be credited with laying down the roots of rock and roll and funk for that matter.
– 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.
