Juan Pablo Torres: the Cuban trombone emancipator

Latin Beat Magazine, Oct, 2002 by Luis Tamargo

Regarded by this writer as the primary heir of the historical Cuban trombone triumvirate comprised of Generoso "El Tojo" Jiménez, Leopoldo "Pucho" Escalante, and the unfairly forgotten professor Antonio Linares, Juan Pablo Torres has become the most influential post-1959 Cuban trombonist, as documented in a commentary offered by Leonardo Acosta about the impact made in Havana by Emiliano Salvador's favorite homebody from Puerto Padre over three decades ago, when he shared the Orquesta de Música Moderna's jazz trombone solos with none other than the mischievous Pucho (also known as "El Cabezón," or Bighead): "Torres' presence was in harmony with the growing prosperity of the trombone in Cuban music, and it could be stated that more front-line trombonists have appeared in this country in the years to follow than in the previous three decades." The following interview with the Miami-based slide emancipator covers numerous subjects, from the trombone's earliest criollo roles to the super-son and J.J. Johnson tribute projects scheduled in the near future ...

LUIS TAMARGO: It appears that the presence of the trombone in Cuban popular music can be traced back to the colonial orquestas típicas.

JUAN PABLO TORRES: The old military bands, with their profusion of brass instruments provided the original flavor for such sonority and gave rise to the orchestras composed of two clarinets, cornet, valve or slide trombone, and ophicleide. This instrumental combination--known as orquesta típica (typical orchestra) or orquesta de viento (brass orchestra) assimilated two violins in order to achieve some harmonic binding and fill the rhythmic plane at the same time, by means of rhythmically repeated double strings. A double bass reinforced the Iow register, as the ophicleide was known to go off into virtuosi flourishes. The güiro lent a criollo sonorousness, and the Cuban timbal or paila offered additional percussion. The orquesta típica emerged and was developed during the 18th century, when it gave rise to the utilization of the trombone in Cuban popular music.

LT: Said instrumental format proliferated even more during the 19th century, when various orquestas típicas were led by native trombonists, including Raimundo Valenzuela, whose original repertoire included zarzuelas (Spanish operettas) and chamber music, as well as contradanzas, danzones, guarachas and rumbas.

JPT: That orchestral repertoire was written and performed by Gabriel Cisneros, Pedro "Perico" Rojas, José Claro Fumero, Jacobo Rubalcaba, and many others, but it is unquestionable that Raimundo Valenzuela was the most renowned trombonist of that era. It was not until the first half of the 20th century, starting with the early recordings of the New Orleans Dixieland bands, that the trombone came into the spotlight. Starting from then, one witnessed the formation of the history of the trombone as an interpreting instrument. The history of the valve trombone in Cuba was developed together with the history of U.S. jazz. The North American big bands, known in Cuba as "orquestas gigantes," employed a trombone section. The U.S. big bands led by Duke Ellington, Count Basle, Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, among others, paved the way for 0rquesta Riverside, Hermanos Castro, Hermanos Palau, etc. Not to mention the famous house bands of the Sans Souci and Tropicana casinos.

LT: In his "Diccionario de jazz latino," Nat Chediak has categorized Pucho Escalante as "el padre del trombón de jazz en Cuba" (the founding father of the jazz trombone in Cuba).

JPT: Pucho Escalante was the one who took the reins during the first half and the early part of the second half of the 20th century as composer, interpreter and orchestral director of Cuban jazz, along with his famous nonet, and he is regarded as a pioneer of said genre. There were other trombonists--Jorge Rojas, Alberto Giral, Onésimo Jiménez, Antonio Linares, Modesto Echarte, etc--who helped to create the trombone section within the realm of Cuba's jazz scene, but Pucho was always the most prominent Cuban jazz trombonist. On the other hand, Benny Moré's big band facilitated the birth of a Cuban form of improvisation personalized by "el trombón majadero" (the mischievous trombone) of Generoso "El Tojo" Jiménez. It was acknowledged when Benny declared: "¡Generoso, que bueno toca usted!" (Generoso, you play so well!)

LT: One should not ignore, of course, the historical mission of Antonio Linares, who trained so many Cuban trombonists of our times.

JPT: The other side of the coin corresponds precisely to Linares, who was featured for a long time as the trombone soloist of Cuba's National Symphonic Orchestra, while performing many trombone solos for Tejedor's conjunto and other popular groups. More than anything else, Linares was destined to educate many of the contemporary Cuban trombonists. Unfortunately, this type of endeavor is hardly ever acknowledged.

LT: Could you identify your early influences, back in your formative years in the eastern Cuban town of Puerto Padre?