Desde la bahía: San Francisco

Latin Beat Magazine, May, 1997 by Jesse Varela

¡Viva Cuba!: This past March I made my first visit to the island of Cuba to cover the historic "Cubadisco '97." It was an enlightening journey to a country where the spirit of the people and the role music plays in their lives is a wonder to see. It was without a doubt one of the most musical societies I've ever seen. I stayed in old Habana in the newly-renovated Hotel Ambos Mundos where American writer Ernest Hemingway lived for many years. A piano and violin duo performed classics and popular standards every afternoon. One morning I bumped into a municipal band at the Plaza De Las Armas playing from very old, tattered music sheets. With instruments that were equally old and worn, they played with finesse and concentration. At 'el Malecón' I ran into a group of folks playing guitar and singing Hasta Siempre. A group of cab drivers were forming a rumba on a plastic pail, a funky pair of bongos, maracas, and singing the Mexican ranchera El Rey. The most moving street experience was a blind musician who was situated one afternoon near "La Floridita" (the home of the daiquiri). An elderly man in his sixties, he had a metal bucket turned upside down and was playing it with a thick stick with his left hand. On his right he held maracas and was holding a can between his legs for donations. Playing the most amazing counterpoints, what really grabbed me were the chants he was singing in a Spanish and African dialect. It was an excellent lesson in how close this music is still connected to its roots. Thanks to Francis Cabezas of Magic Music and his dedicated staff of Caridad Diez, Rosa Marquetti, Roman, and many others. I learned so much in a short time from scholars like Helio Orovio, Jaime Stinus, Sonia Pérez Cassola, Nestor Mili, Andrew Schloss, Luis Rios Vega, Ahmed Melo Abad, Alexander Nicolas, Juan Formell, David Calzado, José Luis Cortes, Pablo Menendez, Tony de Radio Metropolitano, y 'los homies Peter Watrous y Marcos Villaseñor.' Gracias por una experiencia inolvidable!

Gonzalo Rubalcaba: The day after I arrived back I caught Gonzalo at Yoshi's Nightspot (which transferred to bigger and better digs in downtown Oakland). Joining him were bassist Brian Bromberg and drummer Ignacio Berroa. They were in excellent shape with that keen sixth sense of introspective communication working over a selective framework of pieces like On Green Dolphin St. and Woody 'n You. Creatively loose but challenging, Rubalcaba plays with a delicate finesse that allows notes to linger and fall while conscious of its overtone value. In certain places his bebop urgency was riveting as lines swung against each other without a blur. Bromberg proved to be a fine stylist whose sense of harmonics on the arco-bass provided excellent support and worthwhile solos. Berroa's cyclones of polyrhythmic accents surged like waves in a variety of moods adding color and drive. There were places where they reminded me of Herbie Hancock's Inventions & Dimensions experiments with Willie Bobo. A new album is due out in July on Bluenote for the pianist - who is now residing in the U.S. that will include the great Akpoun singer Lazaro Ros.

Los Bammies: Kudos to the groups Avance and Los Angelitos for their wins this past March in the Bay Area Music Awards. Avance won for Outstanding World Beat album for their debut EP Adelante, with Los Angelitos winning hands down for Outstanding World Beat Club band. The winners are chosen by the readers of the Southbay-based weekly through a write-in nomination and voting process. Guitarist and Latin rock innovator Carlos Santana was also awarded the Arthur M. Sohcot Award for public service.

Eddie Duran Tribute: Master guitarist Eddie Duran was feted recently at Kimball's East by a host of jazz greats and Latin all-stars Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, John Santos, Pete Escovedo, Raul Ramírez, and many others. Part of the legendary Duran Bros., he is an icon from the San Francisco of the forties and an integral part of the city's burgeoning bebop scene. He and his brothers - Manny & Carlos - formed atrio in the style of Nat King Cole. When his brothers joined up with Cal Tjader in the fifties he launched a solo career. He came into contact with greats Charlie Parker and Stan Getz. Versed in the Charlie Christian school of the plectrum electric guitar, he owns one of those original arch top guitars with those funky pick ups that Christian popularized while with Benny Goodman. His first album for Fantasy, Jazz Guitarist, is a collector's item with later LPs on Concord Records and a long list of session work.

The Mission Project: This tireless Latin jazz ensemble never ceases to amaze me with its spunk, initiative, and motivation to progress. They recently went on a mini-tour to promote their debut album Arrival to the Knitting Factory in New York City and the Baked Potato in Los Angeles. To rave reviews, the band, led by saxophonist Herman Clark, is jazzed and ready to hit the streets with their new CD due out on the streets in late May.