Chico & Rita Directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando Screenplay by Fernando Trueba, Ignacio Martínez de Pisón Music by Bebo Valdés By Fernando Gonzalez “Chico y Rita” has been presented at several film festivals but does not yet have commercial distribution. It is being reviewed here for its evocation of a significant period… Read More Film Review: Chico & Rita
By Fernando Gonzalez Almost by definition, tribute concerts are safe gambits. The honored figure provides a brand name, a ready-made repertoire, and a marketing narrative. Feature in the bill artists who were part of the honoree’ s career or were influenced by the master, stir and sell out the hall. Consider Celebrating Miles, the entertaining… Read More Live Jazz: Celebrating Miles at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida
By Fernando Gonzalez Singer Enrique Morente, arguably the leading voice in flamenco, died today (Monday Dec. 13) at a private hospital in Madrid. He had been in an induced coma since December 6, after undergoing surgery for stomach cancer. Morente would have been 68 on December 25. A cantaor (singer) with impeccable traditional credentials, Morente… Read More An Appreciation: Enrique Morente
By Fernando Gonzalez Spanish producer and photographer Mario Pacheco, an influential figure in contemporary Spanish music, especially Nuevo Flamenco, died Friday at his home in Madrid after a long illness. He was 60. He was the soul of Nuevos Medios, the independent label he founded in 1982 and which, at one time or another, featured… Read More An Appreciation: Mario Pacheco
CTI Records: The Cool Revolution Straight Up, Deep Grooves/Big Hits, The Brazilian Connection, Cool and Classic (Masterwork Jazz) By Fernando Gonzalez There was a time when jazz was the popular music of the land. But that was a long time ago on a planet far, far away. Here on earth, selling jazz has been a… Read More Jazz CD Review: “CTI Records: The Cool Revolution”
Systema Solar “Systema Solar” (ONErpm) By Fernando Gonzalez Post-modernism might be a cool, interesting artistic choice in wealthy cultures, but in Latin America recycling, repurposing, mixing and matching, and generally ignoring stylistic rules is both a way of life and a necessity. Systema Solar, a Colombian collective that freely mixes hip-hop, rap, and techno with… Read More Latin CD Review: “Systema Solar”
By Fernando Gonzalez Issac Delgado L-O-V-E (Calle 54) Well before the concept of “crossover” became a commonplace in music marketing, Nat “King” Cole and his Honduras-born, Spanish-speaking manager, Carlos Gastel made a bold move to expand Cole’s fan base by recording an album of songs from the Latin repertoire — in Spanish. Some of the… Read More Latin Jazz CD: Issac Delgado’s “L.O.V.E.”
By Fernando Gonzalez Paquito D’Rivera and the Pablo Aslan Ensemble Tango Jazz Live At The Lincoln Center (Paquito Records) Cuban reedman Paquito D’Rivera has been a leader in exploring the possibilities of Latin American styles in a jazz context. He had already whetted his appetite for some kind of jazz tango fusion in his 2007… Read More Latin Jazz CDs: Paquito D’Rivera and Tito Puente
Guillermo Klein Domador de Huellas (Sunnyside) By Fernando Gonzalez Argentine pianist and composer Guillermo Klein is at the forefront of global jazz. His music, usually performed by large ensembles, freely draws from jazz, classical music, tango, Argentine rock and folk music. In Domador de Huellas, Klein applies his imagination and craft to the music of … Read More Jazz CD: Guillermo Klein’s “Domador de Huellas”
By Fernando Gonzalez Keith Jarrett / Charlie Haden Jasmine (ECM) Back in early 2007, pianist Keith Jarrett agreed to participate in a documentary film about old friend Charlie Haden. The reunion led to some unexpected, informal duet playing (they hadn’t played together in more than 30 years), and the results moved Jarrett to invite Haden… Read More Jazz CD Review: Keith Jarrett/Charlie Haden “Jasmine”
The International Review of Music 