Big Band with a Latin Accent,Then & Now. By Fernando Gonzalez El Padrino (Fania/Codigo) Machito The big band occupies a special place in Latin Jazz history. For starters, in the 1940s and ‘50s, the orchestras led by Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez and Machito, the real life Mambo Kings, not only defined a certain sound, putting… Read More CD Reviews: Machito, Bobby Sanabria, Arturo O’Farrill, Pedro Giraudo
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 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
Tito Rodriguez El Inolvidable (Fania) By Fernando Gonzalez The Golden Age of Latin music in New York, centered around the Palladium Ballroom, was largely defined by three orchestras: Machito and His Afro Cubans, led by Frank “Machito” Grillo, and the groups of timbalero Tito Puente, and singer and multi-instrumentalist Tito Rodriguez. Each had a distinctive… Read More CD Review: Tito Rodriquez “El Inolvidable”
By Devon Wendell The 31st annual Playboy Jazz Festival kicked off its 2009 festivities Sunday afternoon with a free outdoor concert at The Beverly Hills Civic center. The program was an entertaining study in jazz diversity. Opening the performance — Bonesoir, led by veteran trombonist Maurice Spears. Some may think it’s impossible to utilize five… Read More Live Jazz: The Playboy Jazz Festival at the Beverly Hills Civic Center with Bonesoir and Johnny Polanco
The International Review of Music 