Latin Jazz Network

Michel Camilo Releases Solo Piano Album: What’s Up?

Editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:34:43 PDT

11-Track Project Spotlights a Collection of Originals, Latin and Jazz Standards OKeh releases GRAMMY®, Emmy®, and Latin GRAMMY® Award winning pianist and composer Michel Camilo’s new album, What’s Up?, on May 14, 2013. The project is the Dominican Republic-born musician’s debut for the label and is OKeh’s second overall release as part of the new [...]

Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers – Border-Free

Raul da Gama — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:36:10 PDT

The connotation of the music of Chucho Valdés being Border-Free, from soul to finger-tips, is that idiom and metaphor melt—one into the other—and that lines are blurred; so much so that the imagery and sound of musical topography of continents merge in a singular, beautiful song. In Spanish the title of this record is Sin [...]

Juan Tizol – His Caravan Through American Life and Culture

Tomas Peña — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:42:19 PDT

In the opening pages of his enlightening and informative book, Juan Tizol- His Caravan through Life and American Culture the author makes no bones about the fact that his purpose in writing the book is to set the record straight and “give credit where credit is due.” Juan Tizol – His Caravan Through American Life [...]

Gema Corredera – Derramando Luz

Wilbert Sostre — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:11:41 PDT

“On Derramando Luz Gema explores aspects of cuban music fused with the harmonics of jazz and convey both the present and the past of cuban music in a selection of outstanding compositions.” Most people sure recognize her name as the female half of the duo Gema y Pavel. Derramando Luz is Gema Corredera’s debut album [...]

Harold López–Nussa Duo at the Jazz Standard

Editor — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:16:40 PDT

The son of drummer Ruy López–Nussa and nephew of pianist Ernan López–Nussa, 29–year-old pianist Harold López-Nussa is one of the brightest lights on Havana’s thriving jazz scene. Harold gained international attention when he won top honors at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Piano Competition in 2005 – a triumph that earned him a featured festival spot [...]

Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates Troubadours at Dizzy’s Club

Editor — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:01:35 PDT

Trombonist, composer and arranger Papo Vazquez is more than thirty-five years into a career spanning the jazz, Latin, Afro-Caribbean and classical music and recording worlds. His Mighty Pirates Troubadours band is a seven piece Afro Puerto Rican Jazz group. Last year 2011 he was presented by Pregones Theater an NEA Latino Masters Award under the [...]

Pedrito Martínez – Rumba de la Isla

Oscar Montagut — Sun, 12 May 2013 18:12:07 PDT

Pedrito Martínez and his Rumba de la Isla, A Tribute to Maestro Camarón Rumba de la Isla is the new album that Pedrito Martínez, the prolific Cuban musician, has released. This work is an encounter of two intense and passionate rumbas, the Cuban and the flamenco, where the great Pedrito plays in his own way, [...]

Paolo Fresu Devil Quartet – Desertico

Raul da Gama — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:00:58 PDT

If Paolo Fresu is quickly becoming one of the most sought after trumpet players it might easily be because he calls to mind a sound that was attributed to Miles Davis’ most famous “electric period”. In reality that aspect of his playing—the hollow and lonesome howl of his horn—is only part of the enormous talent [...]

Nilson Matta’s Black Orpheus

Raul da Gama — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:34:07 PDT

“Nilson Matta’s Black Orpheus tells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice with monumental skill, great intellect, great joy and elemental sadness; all of this wrapped up in the inimitable fabric of Brazilian magic.” Of the many mesmerising narratives of Orpheus and Eurydice—both classical and modern—one of the finest is contained in the dramatic re-setting of [...]

Chucho Valdés & The Afro-Cuban Messengers: Border-Free

Danilo Navas — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:58:57 PDT

Cuba’s foremost pianist Chucho Valdés – winner of five Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards – has developed a brand new repertoire. Boasting a new line-up for his band, The Afro-Cuban Messengers, and a guest appearance from saxophonist Branford Marsalis on three tracks, his new album takes us through an eclectic range of pieces. [...]