Jesus Diaz y Su QBA Jardinero

Latin Beat Magazine, August, 2003 by Jesse Varela

(Bombo Music)

Considered one of the first Cuban timba bands in the U.S., Jesús Díaz y su QBA planted these musical seeds in the Bay Area in the late 1990s. On their first album (Caramelo), we saw the seedlings sprout. On Jardinero, they harvest a bouquet of original songs. On vocals, Díaz surprises the listener with the rich resonance of his low tenor voice. Stories about growing up in Havana and observations about today's urban dramas are insightful and have something to say. The horn-driven arrangements ate performed with a top-notch cast of Bill Theurer (trumpet), Derek James (trombone), Alex Budman (sax) and Melecio Magdaluyo (sax). Add to that a rhythm section of Diaz (on trap drums, timbal and bongó) and a superb cast of young lions, and the rhythmic pulse is set. With a potent coro that includes Lichi Fuentes, Díaz grabs you immediately with the opener Chirimoya, a delightful dance with poetic inspiraciones. From there, it's nonstop groove. The music speaks for itself with sweet scents like Rumba Pa' Yemayá, Pa'l Monte, Gallo and the title track. A beautiful effort that displays the diverse colors and beats of innovative new sounds, www.bombomusic.com (JV)