Afro Cuban Jazz

Afro Cuban Jazz

ASIN: B00004TLZA

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
In the past, percussionist Snowboy (a.k.a. Mark Cotgrove) took mambo, rumba, and Afro-Cuban jazz and juiced it with modern-day touches of house, hip-hop and lounge for acid jazz audiences. Here Snowboy and the Latin Section stick a little closer to the tradition, instead going for a jazzier vibe filled with Afro-Cuban rhythms and searing solos. While Cotgrove and his two percussion partners keep the music at a rhythmic boil, the three horn players skip across the top with snappy charts and brash solos that add new rhythmic layers. The secret weapon, however, is keyboardist Neil Angilley, who adds some dusty funk grooves to the proceedings with slammin' B3 and Fender Rhodes work. Another fine addition to the great Cubop catalog, Snowboy and Co. never let the party die down, and this high-energy disc is one that would make both Machito and Mongo proud. --Tad Hendrickson

From Jazziz
He's perhaps the first club DJ to make the jump from spinning disks to leading his own Latin jazz group and winning international renown as a hard- hitting Afro-Cuban percussionist. But it all seems perfectly logical to Mark Cotgrove, a 39-year-old Brit known to the Latin jazz world as Snowboy. His love of old-style Cuban music and deep involvement in London's Acid-Jazz dance scene have proven to be the inspiration for some of the most energetic, raw-edged Latin jazz since the Palmieri brothers, Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, and Cal Tjader, the music's most important standard-bearers.

On Snowboy's current release, Afro Cuban Jazz, and its predecessor, Mambo Rage, the influence of vintage early '70s Latin jazz is as evident in the recording technique as it is in the arrangements' minimalist style. Snowboy favors the sound of organ and Fender Rhodes keyboard over the traditional acoustic piano.

Still much in awe of the pioneering Latin artists whose artful blend of traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms and funk-influenced, urban elements have guided his personal style, Snowboy has, nonetheless, crafted his own distinct rhythmic identity. He uses a mixture of three rhythms, that makes a kind of big groove sound on four congas. It comes from a style of bata [sacred Afro-Cuban] drumming called chachalokafun, rumba, and mozambique [a 6/8 rhythm]. Although the eight-member Latin Section includes only one Latino, it's closer to the vibe of benchmark, '50s-style Cuban descargas (jam sessions) than much recent Latin jazz and salsa.

Tracks:

Chan Chan
De Camino A La Vereda
El Cuarto De Tula
Pueblo Nuevo
Dos Gardenias
Y Tu Que Has Hecho
Veinte Anos
El Carretero
Candela
Amor De Loca Juventud
Orgullecida
Murmullo
Buena Vista Social Club
La Bayamesa

Amazon.com essential recording

Ry Cooder's name has helped bring attention to this session, but it's the veteran Cuban son musicians who make this album really special. Reminiscent of Ellington in its scope and sense of hushed romanticism, Buena Vista Social Club is that rare meld of quietude and intensity; while the players sound laid-back, they're putting forth very alive music, a reminder that aging doesn't mean taking to bed. Barbarito Torres's laoud solo on "El Cuarto de Tula" is both more blinding and more tasteful than any guitar showcase on any recent rock album; a quote from "Stormy Weather" and some very distinct parallels to Hawaiian styles remind us of why it's called "world music." --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Nice cuban music.......2007-03-15

I have had this album a number of years, and my enthusiasm is not quite as great as many of the viewers here, because although it is generally pleasant listening, I don't think there are really any outstanding tracks or personal favorites on here.

I should add that I speak Spanish fairly well and therefore understand the lyrics, and am generally an enthusiast of Hispanic culture and music. The story of this worthy project and how this was recorded are interesting and I suspect some reviewers are moved more by sentiment than just on the merits of the music, some of which seems very middle-of-the-road to me, albeit pleasant enough for casual listening.

Cubano Revisited.......2007-02-12

Ry Cooder did a good thing reassembling these wonderfully talented and forgotten stars of another period. Great album, wish it was a double, triple, a collection. I would buy it. Can't replace these icons of another era and their sound will be gone with them.

Ry Cooder With All Star Cuban Band.......2007-02-02

All done in Spainish, this excellent CD has a book included with translations and facts about the players. The music here oozes with atmosphere, taking you to the heart of Cuba. First rate musicianship and great songs all the way through. Ry leaves the vocals to various others, but his guitar work is unmistakably present. A good veiw indeed!

Buena Vista Social Club Classic.......2007-01-16

For those of you who are fans of the Buena Vista Social Club already, this is the masterpiece. A culmination of talented musicians, soul, love, and sultry afternoons with a cool drink getting ready to kick on into the night!

For those of you who have never listened to this style of music, don't just listen to it once as you could compare it to the first 3 olives you have ever eaten.

The first one shocks your taste with a layered complexity that is both sharp and mellow, leaving you with a look on your face that says "what just happened?".

The second takes you back to the memory of your first taste, and enjoying re-living the sensation, you start looking for more.

The third confirms your interests and instils an infatuation with something unique, powerful, and good for the heart and soul, that will be played over and over again.

Absolutely fantastic!.......2007-01-11

Michael Fletcher reviewed this CD spot-on. And I concur with the review that it is magical--it is indeed that. I can listen to it over and over at work or at home! It seems to suit almost any mood and simply nourishes the soul. I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys good music--you don't even need to be a fan of Cuban music. I certainly am not well versed in Latin music, but am a definite fan of this album!

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Putumayo Presents: Latin Jazz
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Putumayo World Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Salsa | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Mexico | International | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Raise Your Hand
Putumayo Presents: Afro-Latin Party

ASIN: B000P6R8F4
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

Congo Mulence - Machito
El Sabroson - Poncho Sanchez
Rumdrum - Tomas R. Einarsson
Cha Cha Cha - Tito Puente
La Clave, Maraca Y Guiro - Chico Alvarez
Summertime - Ray Barretto
Steppin' With T.P. - Hilton Ruiz
Cuando Se Acabara - Manny Oquendo & Libre
Trompeta En Montuno - Chocolate Armenteros
Guajira Dubois - The Bryan Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project

Album Description

A mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz style come together on Latin Jazz, a lively collection of songs by masters of the genre.

The artists featured on Latin Jazz represent an honored cast of musicians ranging from early pioneers of the genre to those who have helped it remain a viable force for more than 60 years. Machito, a contemporary of Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, was a pioneering bandleader who helped deepen the bond between Afro-Cuban music and American jazz. His classic track "Congo Mulence" opens the album and features fellow jazz legend Cannonball Adderley. Other legendary figures on the album include Tito Puente, whose mastery of the timbales combined with old-fashioned showmanship kept his music fresh and relevant over the years, and Eddie Palmieri, whose piano techniques put him in the same league as jazz legends Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. He teams here with Brian Lynch on "Guajira Dubois," a game of musical tag between Palmieri's piano and Lynch's trumpet.

The driving rhythm behind most Latin jazz comes from its powerful percussion, and Latin Jazz showcases some of the finest in this field. Master conguero (congo player) Poncho Sanchez leads one of the most popular Latin jazz groups in the world. His seasoned ensemble contribute the cool energy of "El Sabroson", while Ray Barretto covers the classic "Summertime." Considered the "godfather of Latin jazz," Barretto was the first Latino to have a Latin hit on the American Billboard Charts.

Other luminaries on the album include Hilton Ruiz, a former child prodigy who appeared at Carnegie Hall at the age of 8, Chocolate Armenteros, the legendary Cuban trumpet player, and Manny Oquendo & Libre, who represent a multigenerational dynasty of Latin music. Icelandic double-bassist TÃ³mas R. Einarsson, and New York icon Chico Alvarez round out the collection.

Raise Your Hand
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Raise Your Hand
Poncho Sanchez
Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music
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General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Funk Tango

United We Swing

Spirit of the Moment

CARLOS SANTANA & WAYNE SHORTER/LIVE @ MONTREUX JAZZ FEST/CD

ASIN: B000PA9Q46
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

Raise Your Hand
Tropi Blue
Shotgun
El Agua De Belen
Rosarito
Maceo's House
Donde Va Chichi?
Gestation
Amor Con Amor
Knock On Wood

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Rumba Palace
Arturo Sandoval
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Arturo Sandoval & the Latin Jazz Orchestra
Funk Tango
Arturo Sandoval & His Group
Raise Your Hand
United We Swing

ASIN: B000OQDX2M
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

A Gozar
Guarachando
El Huracan Del Caribe
21st Century
Sexy Lady
Peaceful
Having Fun
Arranca De Nuevo
Rumba Palace
Nouveau Cha Cha

Amazon.com

Sandoval, a Cuban ex-pat who was a founding member of Irakere, one of Havana's most legendary jazz bands, has so far won four Grammys, six Billboard Awards, and even an Emmy (for the soundtrack to For Love Of Country -- The Arturo Sandoval Story). His trumpet style, with its soaring improvisational pyrotechnics and sometimes blustery but always sonorous tone, has influenced an entire generation of young Latin players. Now a tenured professor at Florida International University and proud owner of Miami's Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club but still a working musician, he has performed with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Michel Legrand to Tony Bennett to Patti Labelle. The present album captures both his virtuosity and generosity toward other musicians, as he leads a hand-picked cadre of headliners through 12 delightful tracks, all recorded in robust, state-of-the-art sound. Felipe Lamoglia (sax), Antonio Perez (piano), Armando Gola (bass), Alexis "Pututi" Arce (drums) and Tomas Cruz (percussion), plus some very talented sidemen, toss themes around with playful or obsessed abandon, making some tunes into a mad scrimmage and others into a post-coital meditation. Even a new-comer to jazz and/or Latin music will be charmed and elated by the sonic brilliance and musical passion on tap here -- it's one of Sandoval's latter-day high points and that's saying a lot. --Christina Roden

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A Toda Cuba Le Gusta

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

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Buena Vista Social Club
Introducing...Rubén González
Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer
Buena Vista Social Club Presents: Manuel Guajiro Mirabal
Distinto Diferente

ASIN: B000005J54
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Amor Verdadero
Alto Songo
Habana Del Este
A Toda Cuba Le Gusta
Fiesta De La Rumba
Los Sitio' Asere
Pio Mentiroso
Maria Caracoles
Clasiqueando Con Ruben
Elube Chango

Amazon.com

A rousing ensemble recording, A Todo Cuba Le Gusta features a band made up largely of Cuban music elders. As a reflection of their collective experience playing multiple percussion instruments and brightly lit trumpets, the Afro-Cuban All Stars churn with high drama, even while playing music that's paced with extravagant patience. The time signatures overlay and run against each other in a casual trot while the trumpets blare with fat fullness. Add to that the impassioned group vocals and you've got a hard-to-beat Cuban traditional music session. --Andrew Bartlett

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Lágrimas Negras
Bebo & Cigala
Manufacturer: RCA Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

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Blanco Y Negro: En Vivo
Bebo de Cuba
Undebel
Corren Tiempos de Alegria/Teatro Real
Recuerdos de Habana: A Portrait at 80

ASIN: B0001EKZOQ
Release Date: 2004-06-22

Tracks:

Inolvidable
Veinte anos
Lagrimas Negras
Nieblas del riachuelo
Corazon loco
Se me olvido que te olvide
Vete de mi
La Bien Paga
Eu sei que vou te amar

Amazon.com

This album pairs one of the greatest flamenco singers of today, cantaor Diego El Cigala, with one of Cuba's finest Afro-Cuban pianists, Bebo Valdes. With Valdes (father of the great Chucho Valdes) born in 1918, there's a 40-year age difference between the pianist and the singer, but they do a fine job crossing generations and oceans to discover the commonalities between Caribbean and the Iberian music, coming up with a romantic marriage of the two cultures using rumbas, guajira, sons and boleros. All the songs are classics out of the Latin music tradition, using just a handful of players in support. Valdes's fingers are delicate and prone to dramatic flourishes; Cigala's voice is pure flamenco in its hoarse intonation, cadence and emotional outpourings. The two masters make the union work by focusing on the drama of the love songs--"Veinte Años," "Inolvidable" and the title track are just three amazing examples--as fuel for some of the most exquisitely passionate music to come out in ages. --Tad Hendrickson

Album Description

Winners of three PREMIOS DE LA MUSICA AWARDS (Spanish Academy of Musical Arts & Sciences) Lágrimas Negras, a collection of old standards performed by Cuban jazz pianist Bebo Valdes and Spanish flamenco vocalist Diego el Cigala.

This was recorded at the suggestion of Hollywood Oscar® Award-winning director, Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque), which has become a phenomenon in Spain.

The result is a journey that discovers the essence of the Latino "love" song with connections to Cuba, Central and South America, and Spain.

Picked by New York Times critic Ben Rattcliff as "the best album of the year", Lágrimas Negras has had an impressive debut. The album has never been out of the top 30 since its release in Spain over nine months ago, achieving double Platinum sales status. It has won five Amigo Awards, one Premio Ondas, and three Premios de la Musica Awards (including Best Album).

Buena Vista Social Club Presents: Manuel Guajiro Mirabal
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Buena Vista Social Club Presents: Manuel Guajiro Mirabal
Manuel "El Guajiro" Mirabal
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music
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Introducing...Rubén González

Buena Vista Social Club

A Toda Cuba Le Gusta

ASIN: B0006SSNCI
Release Date: 2005-01-04

Tracks:

El rincon caliente
Para bailar el montuno
Deuda
El roloj de Pastora
Me bote de guano
Mi Corazon no tiene quien lo llore
Tengo que olvidarte
Canta montero
Chicarronero
No vuelvo a Monon/Las tres Marias/Apurrunenme mujeres Medley
Dombe Dombe

Amazon.com

For his first solo album, 71-year-old trumpeter Mirabal has created a tribute to the seminal bandleader Arsenio Rodriguez. The latter was a tres-wielding maverick who reveled in Cuba's African heritage and gave new opportunities to the piano and brass. With three trumpeters on board, it is not surprising that the tracks often explode into blaring, festive, sloppy--precise fanfares, but Papi Oviedo on tres and pianist Roberto Fonseca more than hold their own. The singers also get a workout, notably on Me Bote De Guano, with its humming opening chorus and robust tenor lead vocal. The late Rubén González, who was Rodriguez's original keyboard man, is heard on Dombe Dombe, a tune he suggested for the set list. The sessions were recorded in Havana at legendary Egrem Studios with a minimum of technical bells-and-whistles and if the sonic texture is somewhat rough and remote, it only adds to the studio-live atmosphere. --Christina Roden

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Mambo Sinuendo
Cachaito

Album Description

Cuban trumpeter Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabel was among the first musicians recruited by British producer Nick Gold for the now legendary sessions at Havana's Egrem Studio that yielded the multi-platinum Buena Vista Social Club album and Wim Wenders' groundbreaking concert documentary. But the veteran player already had enjoyed a rich musical history, having performed for more than 40 years in some of the most celebrated Cuban nightclub orchestras. With this lively set of '40s-era conjunto classics, he pays tribute to pioneering Cuban composer-bandleader Arsenio Rodriguez, whose trumpet arrangements inspired Mirabel as a boy.

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Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945
Dizzy Gillespie , and Charlie Parker
Manufacturer: Uptown Jazz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

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One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note
Complete Jazz at Massey Hall
Live at the House of Tribes
Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert

ASIN: B0009Q0EQ0
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

Intro
Bebop
A Night In Tunisia
Groovin' High
Salt Peanuts
Hot House
Fifty Second Street Theme

Amazon.com

Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker first became aware of each other in 1940 when the former was playing in Cab Calloway's band and the latter with Jay McShann. Two years later they were both living in New York City and a real friendship developed. By 1945 they were recording and gigging together, culminating in this Town Hall concert on June 22, 1945. These recordings languished for sixty years as acetates that weren't even known to exist in their entirety. That this set captures these two formidable players in their ascendancy and with such clarity is a staggering find. Here, with host Symphony Sid announcing the songs (this would have been for his radio show, but apparently never ended up in his possessions), an important chapter in American music is now restored. By the end of the summer of '45 Gillespie and Parker went their separate ways, both emerging with their own bands and reaching new heights of commercial success. --David Greenberger

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Cal Tjader - Greatest Hits
Cal Tjader
Manufacturer: Fantasy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ultimate Cal Tjader
Soul Sauce
Latino
Black Orchid
Monterey Concerts

ASIN: B000000XFT
Release Date: 1995-06-30

Tracks:

Soul Sauce (Wachi Wara)
Mamblues
Cool
Cubano Chant
Ginza Samba
Black Orchid
Doxy (Parts 1 & 2)
Lucero
Maria
Afro Blue
Invitation
Viva Cepeda
Mambo Macumba
Ritmo Africano
Tumbao
Bonita
A Night In Tunisia
Sonny Boy
Mambo Terrifico
Ritmo Caliente

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Una Sangre (One Blood)
Lila Downs
Manufacturer: Narada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Boleros | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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La Sandunga
La Cantina
Border (La Linea)
Tree of Life
La Llorona

ASIN: B00023GFT0
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Tracks:

Viborita
Dignificada
Cielo Rojo
La Bamba
One Blood
Malinche
Tiringini Tsitsiki
La Cucaracha
Mother Jones
Paloma Negra
Brown Paper People
Una Sangre
Yahahuari Nin

Amazon.com

There's no doubt that singer Lila Downs' profile is on the rise after her appearance in the film Frida and on the accompanying soundtrack, which led to a performance at the 2003 Academy Awards. The dividing lines between cultures and classes are major themes throughout the Mexican-American singer's decade-long career; but whereas 2001's Border is more angry about the disparities, One Blood: Una Sangre is more inclusive, if only for the hopeful note of unity sounded in the English-language version of the title cut (the album has two distinctly different readings of the song sung, respectively, in English and Spanish). While much of the cumbia-based, genre-breaking material here is original, Downs and her band completely revamp two covers: Ritchie Valens classic "La Bamba" features techno beats and African drumming; the folk song "La Cucaracha" opens with wailing guitar before settling into a gentle reggae groove. Stylistically restless and lyrically didactic, One Blood: Una Sangre is as ambitious as it is beautiful. --Tad Hendrickson

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Buena Vista Social Club	BVSC Presents Omara Portuondo	BVSC Presents Ibrahim Ferrer
Introducing Ruben Gonzalez	Mambo Sinuendo	Cachaito