Blog, Cuba, The Cuba-US connection
Every year, Jazz at Lincoln Center hosts the equivalent of “Woodstock” for high school jazz bands.
It’s called Essentially Ellington and in a word it’s GREAT.
The bad news is you can’t get tickets. It’s for the bands only.
The good news is Jazz at Lincoln Center video streams the entire three day program live and later post videos to YouTube.
For the first year ever, a band from Cuba participated. Directed by Camilo Moreira.
The band wasn’t one of the three finalists, but some of its members were recognized for individual excellence.
They were:
– Baritone Saxophone: JORGE SERGIO RAMIREZ
– Trumpet: DAVID ARMANDO NAVARRO
– Tenor Saxophone: LUIS MIGUEL SANCHEZ
The band’s trumpet section was also recognized
We don’t have any video of them playing (yet), but to get an idea of the quality of the playing at this event, check out Newark Academy playing “Jack the Bear.”
Newark Academy Jazz Band at Essentially Ellington 2017
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
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Blog, Cuba, Cuban Jazz, The Cuba-US connection, Video and audio
Two great gentleman percussionists talking about the fine points of the art.
Cándido Camero is the most recorded conga player in jazz history.
In this interview, Bobby Sananbria interviews him about Cándido’s life in Cuba and New York City and the innovations he brought to percussion.
We covered Cándido and the film about him “Hands of Fire” in a previous post.
We also have two in depth interviews with Bobby (1) (2) we recommend.
– 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
Blog, Cuba, The Cuba-US connection, Video and audio
Everyone who knows anything about jazz knows that New Orleans is essential to the story of jazz.
A whole lot fewer know that Cuba is essential to the story of New Orleans (but most of our over 40,000 subscribers do!)
Before 1959 travel back and forth between New Orleans and Havana was common – for over 200 years.
For much of that time, Havana was the “older brother” – richer, more sophisticated, and with more music.
Now, at long last, after a lapse in travel and communication that denied all common sense, American musicians are able to do what musicians from every other part of the world have been able to do – travel freely to and from Cuba.
Inspired by their visit to the island, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band has released a new CD called “As It Is.”
Some comments from Ben Jaffe, the groups leader and bassist:
“It was unbelievable,” Jaffe said this week. “It’s one of those experiences you hope you’re going to have. It’s a journey and it’s an adventure. You’re sharing and receiving at the same time. That’s the best kind of collaboration that could ever take place. When you’re in such an open environment with people who are so hungry to learn and teach at the same time.”
– Quoted by the LA Times
“Our life changing trip to Cuba in 2015…”
“In Cuba, all of a sudden we were face to face with our musical counterparts,” says bandleader/composer/bassist Ben Jaffe. “There’s been a connection between Cuba and New Orleans since day one – we’re family. A gigantic light bulb went off and we realized that New Orleans music is not just a thing by itself; it’s part of something much bigger. It was almost like having a religious epiphany.”
– Preservation Hall press release quoted by numerous sources
“Our experience traveling to Cuba changed everything. Once we were in Cuba, everything took on a whole new life.”
How?
“Everything became more rhythmic. The piano player became more rhythmic. The drummer became more rhythmic. The horns became more rhythmic.”
– Quoted by Ned Sublette
– 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.
Blog, Cuba, Cuban Jazz, The Cuba-US connection
This year’s headquarters for International Jazz Day is Havana.
With extensive detective work, we managed to find the program.
You can download the English language version here
Lots of interesting stuff, but the thing that jumped out at me more than anything else is this:
On 11 AM on Thursday and Friday (April 27 & 28 respectively) there will be a screening of two different films about jazz “Vivir en Jazz” and something called “The History of Jazz” on Cuba’s educational channel.
The films will be viewed in “11,000 centers of learning throughout the country” and will be followed by discussion.
This is easily the biggest injection of “jazz consciousness” into Cuban public awareness in over 55 years!
On the other side of the Gulf of Mexico, the biggest gathering of Cuban musicians in the US in over 55 years is taking place at this year’s New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Sadly, other than Jazz on the Tube’s noting of these things, none of the jazz press has paid any attention at all to these momentous occasions.
– 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
Early recording of Ella with Chick Webb (1936)
Today (April 25, 2017) is Ella Fitzgerald’s 100th birthday.
Who “discovered” her?
The broad strokes story says she was discovered singing at the Apollo Theater and was offered a spot with the Chick Webb Orchestra.
The details are a little more interesting…
Mario Bauzá, the great Cuban musical wizard who was Webb’s musical director, heard about her from a stage electrician who worked at the Apollo.
He took the time to seek her out and give her an audition and was wowed by her.
He arranged an audition with Webb, but Webb was not impressed.
Bauzá’s enthusiasm for her prevailed and she was given a shot at a college gig at Yale University.
What happened?
The audience loved her and in Bauzá’s own words: “We couldn’t get her off the stage the people loved her so much.”
Mario Bauzá’ is not a familiar name to many jazz fans. He should be.
In 1933, he became the musical director for Chick Webb’s orchestra, to many the hottest jazz band of the 1930s.
In 1938, he joined Cab Calloway’s band and arranged for Dizzy Gillespie to get a place with that unit. When Dizzy was starting his own orchestra and expressed interested in Cuban music Bauzá introduced him to the legendary Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo.
For the rest of his too-short life, Pozo worked closely with Gillespie co-writing Manteca and Tin Tin Deo.
In 1941, Bauzá became musical director of Machito and his Afro-Cubans, the ultimate Afro-Cuban jazz orchestra. In 1942, he discovered and brought the young Tito Puente into the band.
From being musical director to one of jazz’s hottest bands to discovering Ella Fitzgerald to bringing Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie together to helping launch the Latin Jazz revolution, Mario Bauzá is one of the key figures of jazz.
– 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, Blog, Cuba, Latin Jazz, Puerto Rico, The Cuba-US connection
The story of Cuban music is also the story of the Havana-New York connection.
And look, you can’t talk about New York without talking about the beautiful Bronx.
And you can’t talk about the Bronx without talking about the beautiful Puerto Rican community and its incalculable contribution to American music.
Today we leave the bandstand and visit the workshop of a great artisan of Latin musical instruments Jorge Calixto Rivera.
We borrowed this from a 2006 article about Don Cali.
A native of Puerto Rico, Mr. Rivera was a musician “when I was born,” he said. His father was a carpenter and a guitar maker.
“Everybody in my house was playing guitars,” he added. “I made my own drums with pieces of wood I stole from my father.”
Arriving in Highbridge (Bronx) in 1958, he began working as an auto mechanic and performing as a percussionist. “My first bells, I made them in my apartment,” he said.
Mr. Rivera opened the shop soon after, when he was kicked out of his apartment because of the noise late at night. “A jigsaw and brrrm-brrrm, metal tools,” Mr. Rivera said, laughing. “The neighbors, they called the police at least three times on me.”
Before retiring from performing last year (2005), Mr. Rivera had toured the United States and Europe and played in places all over New York, including Carnegie Hall, and had played off and on for more than 40 years with the guitar virtuoso Yomo Toro. He speaks in musical onomatopoeia, replacing nouns, verbs and adjectives with “Bang!” “Boom!” and “A bangiddy-boom!”
Why these bells are so important to the music
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
Click here for details
Stan Getz