Calixto DVD Out

As you know, we've had downloadable video files (also here) for the two volumes of Beyond Salsa Percussion for about a year. The downloadable .MOV files come with fancy video looping .XSC files, which we think are amazingly cool, and we were convinced that "DVD is dead" but apparently no one told the rest of the world about this, and, as they say, "the customer is always right", so here you have both Calixto volumes combined into one regular commercial DVD.

It also has some "raw footage extras" in the form of one extra solo and Calixto playing along with four NG La Banda classics (Santa Palabra, Picadillo de soya, Échale limón, and La bruja, with an excerpt from Murakami Mambo). These of course don't have the audio from NG track - all you hear is the drum parts. The downloadable videos are $10 each and the DVD, which contains both, plus the extras, is $25. In other video news, I now have footage, thanks to the indispensable Czech timbero Vasik, for Melón AND Alain Pérez, so Beyond Salsa Bass in all formats, and Melón's videos will be coming soon. Also working on Beyond Salsa for Ensemble, and the long-promised Beyond Salsa Bongó, featuring Carlos Caro should be out sometime in 2012. Here's some insane footage of Carlos soloing in my backyard (I wish my yard were as good as the solo!).

Saturday, 12 November 2011, 06:36 PM

David Murray is at Yoshi's this weekend (not with Melón), but here he is on youtube with Melón playing a killer solo on El bodeguero - Melón's solo begins at 7:30. Check it out, meng.

Sunday, 16 October 2011, 05:24 PM

Click Here for Peter Maiden's Gallery

Both from Café Cócomo in San Francisco - Tomorrow, Monday, is the lecture/demo at Mission Cultural Center at 7:00 and there will be another concert Wednesday night at House of Music in Oakland. Then The Reef on Thursday in Long Beach.

Click Here for Tom Ehrlich's Gallery

Friday, 14 October 2011, 07:47 AM

Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor at Moe's Alley - Santa Cruz - photo by Tom Ehrlich

Okay - these guys are really hot! This was one of the two bands I had never seen live so I'm still pretty bowled over, learning people's names, etc. Fortunately, Michelle White has built a truly EPIC Salsa Mayor section over the last few years - with monstrous quantities of lyrics, concert reports, video, photos et al., so check that out for details and I'll just give you my first impressions.

So, yeah, really hot. The rhythm section is incredibly disciplined, well rehearsed, and just plain fierce - even by Havana standards. They have 14 members: bass, two keyboards, drums/timbales, congas, güiro, 2 trumpets, 2 bones, and 4 singers. All four singers are very strong and one guy is just off the hook - and as dancers, the whole band is the best to come through here - probably ever. They have this amazing, rippling, wave-like set of moves that they all do (even the bassist while he's playing). These guys have perfected every visual and musical detail and their rapid ascendance to the top tiers of the Havana scene now makes perfect sense. More veteran SM fans than I have also pointed out that this particular incarnation of the band is probably the best they've had. More photos coming soon. In the meantime, get your fix here ... and here ... or check out one of our six video interviews or twelve concert videos.

Bay Area: Tonight, Friday, at Cócomo: There's some stiff competition, but to be honest, if you miss this band, you're going to be very sorry when your friends come to you drooling about it. The Cócomo show is unlikely to start before 10:00, so if you're rich (haha) you can probably catch Aragón's first show and not miss any of Salsa Mayor. Aragón also plays Saturday and Sunday. Salsa Mayor returns for a lecture at Mission Cultural Center on Oct. 17th.

Washington State: Tomorrow, Saturday in Bellingham's Blue Horse Gallery, and Sunday in Seattle at Club Sur.

Los Angeles: Thursday October 20 at The Reef in Long Beach.

Miami: Club Aché on Saturday, October 22.