Desde La Bahia - San Francisco - TT: From the Bay Area - San Francisco - Artículo Breve

Latin Beat Magazine, Feb, 2002 by Jesse Varela

EL MEDICO

The shocking events of September 11 turned the world upside down and made 2001 surreal and somber. With the anti-terrorist laws increasing security measures, getting in and out of the country has become more difficult. While there were many opportunities for travel for Cuban musicians and other international performers in the late 1990s, such travel may become more and more limited. Ironically, the reason isn't that the U.S. is not allowing performers in from Cuba, but that the artists are afraid of flying to the U.S. This has led to a rash of cancellations and the San Francisco Jazz Festival took a hit late last year when Issac Delgado canceled his appearance for A Night in Havana Dance Party at Bimbo's in San Francisco on November 3 and 4. Luckily, Manolín, "El Médico de la Salsa," (now living in Southern Florida), filled in at the last minute.

"I've been in Miami since 1998 and moved here to advance my career," said Manuel Hernández (the one-time medical student), a few days prior to his visit. "Cuba has a lot of limitations so the band and I decided to stay in the U.S. Things are going slowly but well."

A superb singer-songwriter and an important generational voice who apprenticed with José Luis Cortes & NG La Banda, he made his debut album Aventura Loca in 1994, and captured the pulse of Cuban young people with his pivotal Para Mi Gente album on Ahí Namá Records a few years later. El Médico officially defected this past May 22 from Cuba. Many felt his lyrics, which called for reconciliation between Cubans and the exiled community, began to create tension for him on the island nation.

"I have found that you can live here in Miami with out having to interact with extremists. There's a tranquillity here that I've never felt. It's not easy, but there is opportunity. I'm composing a lot and leaning towards a Latin pop direction. I'm in the process of doing a demo and trying to get my foot in the door. But I'm not forcing myself in. It needs to be a gradual process. I need to come out with something new that intelligently adds what I bring to Cuban music. Record labels aren't interested in timba," he concludes. "They say it doesn't sell records but once I get in I want to assimilate this music into a new type of Latino pop idea. Right now I'm taking my time for the right opportunity and feel good about everything that's happening to me around Miami Beach."

NOCTURNE Y MAS

One of the highlights of this year's SFJAZZ FEST was Charlie Haden's outstanding Nocturne band with Gonzalo Rubalcaba. This Verve release was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Latin jazz efforts for 2001. Drawing from the classic bolero songbook, it was a sensitive interpretation that also showed the now continuous exploration jazz artists are making in Latin music. Even clarinetist Don Byron brought his Music for Six Musicians (Blue Note) to this 19th annual event with the prodigy Edsel Gómez on piano. As a festival known for its splashy Latin jazz and salsa offerings, this year's festival was a basic plate with highlights dedicated to the 75th anniversary of John Coltrane's birth, Rashaan Roland Kirk and local jazz greats Vernon Alley and Mary Stallings. If there was any criticism of this year's SFJAZZ FEST, it was due to the small involvement of Latin talent. One band that definitely left an impression at the Havana Party was Jesús Díaz y su QBA, who continue to entertain with a youthful timba sound and a band full of skill and promise.

MARK LEVINE & THE LATIN TINGE

Probably the most buzzed about album in 2001 was Serengeti (Left Coast Clave) featuring Mark Levine's stylish piano playing with Michael Spiro (percussion), Peter Barshay (bass), and Paul Van Wageningen (drums). A rainy gala CD release party took place on November 30 and December 1 at Jazz at Pearl's (Columbus at Broadway) in San Francisco. The album is available at record stores and you can get autographed copies through marklevine.com.

HERMETO PASCOAL

The best show for me in 2001 was performed by Hermeto Pascoal at Yoshi's Jazz House in Oakland on November 13 and 14. Put on by Thalia Productions in association with Yoshi's, the 65-year old multi-instrumentalist and composer from Brazil riveted the audience at the two-hour set for his only American performance this year. A short, stocky, albino man with long frizzy snow colored hair, Pascoal was like a child playing with musical toys. Conjuring magic with sonic rainbows, he began solo on piano, with amazing facility and imagination that kept you glued on the left hand and trance-inducing repetitive riffs, as he improvised with conversational clarity. Largely a one-man show, Pascoal left the audience agape with his extraordinary feats, such as playing a mouth-bubbling rendition of Thelonius Monk's Round Midnight with a glass of water, and adding a contrasting section blowing into the spout of a tea kettle with bass bubble sound. Devotees and former students Jovino Santos Neto (piano) and Mike Marshall (mandolin) played a piece dedicated to Pascoal as he watched on stage. They later joined him for a concluding jam session. He interpreted music from his latest album, Eu e Eles (Radio Mec) and was a marvel throughout! Music literally poured out of his every action and it became clear why Miles Davis recorded Pascoal's compositions and Gil Evans, Herbie Hancock and Astor Piazzolla acclaimed his work.