Zalba saves: the sax appeal of Javier Zalba - Entrevista

Latin Beat Magazine, May, 2002 by Luis Tamargo

The fusion of jazz and Cuban music in the largest Antillean nation dates back to the 1940s and 1950s, when these hybrid expressions were formulated by various saxual icons (Chombo Silva, Tata Palau, Jesús Caunedo, Gustavo Más), whose pioneering legacy was revitalized during the last four decades by Paquito D'Rivera, Carlos Averhoff, Germán Velazco, and Javier Zalba, the latter of whom was interrogated by LATIN BEAT during his most recent visit to L.A., where he propelled a phenomenal five-piece sax section that accompanied Ibrahím Ferrer at UCLA's prestigious Royce Hall.

LUIS TAMARGO: Tell me about your academic training in Havana.

JAVIER ZALBA: At first, I studied at Marianao's Alejandro García Cartula Conservatory. Then I studied at Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA), where I became a disciple of the late Roberto Sánchez. I also studied the flute with Alfredo Portell. In terms of saxophone playing, I'm rather autodidactic.

LT: Did you collaborate occasionally with Felipe Dulzaides' rhythm section in the 1980s?

JZ: Yes. I worked with him at Varadero's Hotel Internacional, as well as at the Riviera Hotel in Havana. I'm grateful to Dulzaides for facilitating my initiation in the improvisational realm. Along with the late Horacio Hernández Sr., he provided excellent guidance and considerable information in those early years of my career.

LT: Were you one of the founding members of the wonderful fusion band led by José María Vitier during the same decade?

JZ: Yes. It included a rhythm section and a string quartet, plus my saxophone and clarinet. I defined it as "popular concert music," or "una charanga sentada." (LAUGHTER)

LT: In 1987, your baritone sax became part of the Quinteto de Saxofones organized by altoist Manuel Valera to perform at Havana's Jazz Plaza Festival.

JZ: Yes. Rolando Sánchez, my current roommate during Ibrahim Ferrer's U.S. tour, was also there. Rolando is also known as "Pata'e callo" (callous foot) due to his prior podiatric ailment. (LAUGHTER)

LT: Did you join Irakere in 1988, upon the desertion of El Tosco and his prospective NG La Banda accomplices?

JZ: Yes. César López (alto sax), Maraca (flute), Manuel Machado (trumpet), Carlos Alvarez (trombone) and I replaced Irakere's previous wind players. During my tenure with Irakere, I played baritone and soprano saxes, flute and clarinet.

LT: In 1990, you were featured as baritone player in an all-star band formed by Armando Romeu to accompany Dizzy Gillespie at the annual Jazz Plaza Festival.

JZ: It was also meant to be a homage to Armando. It was a marvelous concert! Personally, I'm very grateful to Armando, whose influential role in music history has not been truly recognized at an international level.

LT: Did you organize the 1990s group called Temperamento (subsequently led by pianist Roberto Fonseca)?

JZ: Temperamento was born from a jazz festival that turned into a jam session. Roberto was playing at that time with Bobby Carcassés, and he invited me to join them. So I told Roberto, "Hey, I'd like to do something with you, in view of our musical affinity;" and we ended up forming our own jazz-fusion group, aptly named after one of his original tunes. Under that particular name, as co-leaders, we recorded an album called En El Comienzo. I was also featured in the subsequent three sessions led by Roberto.

LT: There is an additional album in which you functioned as leader right?

JZ: That's right. The CD Homenaje consists entirely of criollo standards (La Comparsa, Cómo Fué, Qué Rico Vacilón). The only exception is Kenny Dorham's Blue Bossa. In terms of instrumentation, it was mostly conducted by a string orchestra although there are trumpet and trombone parts in some of the numbers.

LT: In addition to your teaching position at Havana's Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, you have been involved in various other academic endeavors.

JZ: Yes. I have written a book about the role of the saxophone in Cuban music. Hopefully, it will be printed soon by a Miami publishing company. At this time, I'm working on a book about the flute's role within the same Cuban context. In October, I'll be traveling to Denmark to deliver some lectures.

LT: Could you mention the names of the sidemen in your current Havanese quintet?

JZ: Roberto Fonseca (musical director, piano), Sagua (bass), Ruy López Nussa (trap drums) and Emilio del Monte Jr. (percussion).

LT: Who is your favorite Cuban saxophonist?

JZ: Not only is Paquito D'Rivera a good friend of mine, but he is also my idol. Paquito is the greatest Cuban saxophonist of all times.