Latin Beat Music Update

Latin Beat Magazine, Nov, 1999 by Nelson Rodriguez

As the year begins to wind down, I take notice of some of the better releases and some of this year's contenders for my Top 10 list.

Willie Rosario, celebrating his 40th Anniversary with Back To The Future, is definitely on that list. Willie's concept was to unite Tony Vega and Gilberto Santa Rosa, not singing but vocalizing together, as if it was 1985 all over again. This CD swings and as it usually happened in the Willie Rosario albums of yesteryear, you get two Latin jazz tracks that include fine solos by Bobby Valentín, Papo Lucca and Roberto Roena.

Best known for his tight band arrangements, Rosario displays said skill once again on the hot club tracks: La Bamba, Juntos De Nuevo, El Apartamento, Arrepentidos Pecadores, Que Pasa Contigo and Yo Quiero Encontrarme Contigo, all of which can easily become hits. Program directors at the commercial level should take note.

Los Van Van have proven that they are one of today's brightest bands and catching them at the Universal Amphitheater was a rare treat. The band has had a successful tour with many classic favorites plus the new hits from Llegó Van Van. The new CD has many great tracks and surpasses last year's effort. Listen to the tracks Somos Cubanos, La Bomba Soy Yo, Permiso Que Llegó Van Van, Quien No Ha Dicho Una Mentira, Appapas Del Calabar and Havana City sung by the vocalists Pedro Calvo, Mayito Rivera, Roberto Hernández and Angel Bonne.

Trombonist Steve Turré is now with Verve Records and his CD, Lotus Flower, while primarily being a jazz album, contains Latin tinges. The Organ Grinder and the title track particularly sport Turré's influences from his Libre days.

If you like your jazz on the smooth side, check out Bobby Martínez's Jazz Romantica and the group Clockwork's Timeless Romance. Both CDs are the epitome of smooth jazz music. Martínez is also the saxophonist on 4 tracks from the Clockwork project. With these truly romantic CDs you can light a few candies, lay back, and enjoy the magic of Bobby Martínez.

One of the best Latin jazz CDs of 1999 has to be Puerto Rico Jazz Jato (AJ Records), the Humberto Ramírez project inspired by my friend Andres Coll. The standouts include the performance of pianist Luis Marin & New York Band on the track Laurel 227, which showcases the abovementioned keyboard wizard (also known for his work with Humberto's Jazz Project). Another favorite features one of the best congueros of Puerto Rico, Paoli Mejías (and his group Checkmate) on Asora, composed and arranged by Ramírez. The highlight is by far Paoli Mejía's conga solo. What makes this CD special is the variation of groups included as well as their respectively unique sound. Prodigo Claudio and Quique Domenech are two of Puerto Rico's best cuatro players and they unite on Bello Amanecer for a beautiful blend of guitars with a jazzy swing.

Joe Cuba's 1965 Mardi-Gras album Red Hot And Cha Cha, now available on CD, highlights the sound of the pachanga era, just before the boogaloo years, and more importantly, the Joe Cuba/Jimmy Sabater/Cheo Feliciano era.

The San Francisco Jazz Festival, in its 17th year, has been going on since October 20 and ends at the Paramount Theatre with Rubén González and Ibrahim Ferrer's orchestra.

Flamenco Son unites Adalberto Alvarez and Spanish flamenco singer María José Santiago, along with producer Ricardo Pachón, in a unique fusion of son.

Also from Cuba comes the new Afro Cuban Jazz Project under the musical direction of Orlando Valle (alias Maraca), backed by the likes of Tata Güines and Barbarito Torres.

One of today's most popular saxophonists is David Sánchez, who lately has adopted a very Coltranesque look. It suits him very well. I love this young man's sound, and in December he'll be back in the studios for an early 2000 release.

New York is blessed with a hip group called Sonido Isleño, and directed by the very talented guitarist/composer Benjamin Lapidus. The CD El Asunto could easily wind up on someone's Top 10 of the year.

KLON FM 88.1 presents their 4th Annual L.A. Latin Jazz Club Caravan on November 18, featuring Poncho Sánchez, Tolú, Johnny Blás, the Estrada Brothers, Bobby Matos and more. Hosted by our friend José Rizo these acts will be featured at various clubs that day. For more information call (562) 985-1686.

Some of you may remember Rumba Club from last year's Mamacita CD, produced by bassist Andy González, that made many Top 20 lists. The group is back with their third release, Espiritista (Palmetto Records).

Freestyler-turned-salsero Luis Damón has been moving on the charts with his new self-titled CD. Generally speaking, the softer sensual sound has been virtually relegated to the more popular names such as Marc Anthony, India, Victor Manuelle, George Lamond and Brenda K. Starr. The more upbeat sounds have little by little begun to creep in to more commercial stations.

As we end 1999, the older style is growing rapidly and many veterans are leading the way, including Oscar D'Leon, Cheo Feliciano, Willie Rosario and La Sonora Ponceña.