SINTESIS TO PLAY LOS ANGELES AUGUST 25

For followers of Cuba's Fusion scene, Sintesis, founded in 1976, needs no introduction. They have been one of the most important groups performing Afrocuban Fusion there for decades. They are currently still doing performances in their 40th Anniversary tour, which sadly only includes a couple of dates in the US. One of those is Friday, August 25, at 8:30pm at the Ford Theatres in Los Angeles. An extra reason to go see this if you can is that they are bringing percussionist Degnis Bofill with them. Degnis is one of the most impressive young percussionists in Cuba today (and that is saying a LOT). He won first place in Solistas Mayores at JoJazz in Havana last year AND 3rd place in Composition. I have seen him perform with a few groups already, and he has elevated whatever he was in so far. Not only do you get to help Sintesis celebrate 40 years of excellence, you'll also get a glimpse of part of Cuba's percussion future.

Also on the bill is Cuban-born violinist Dayren Santamaria and her band Made in Cuba. Dayren plays in Los Angeles with several excellent groups.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TICKETS FOR THE CONCERT, SEE THE IGNITE @ THE FORD EVENT PAGE

Thursday, 25 July 2024, 12:04 AM

ENGLISH: Cubadisco 2015 was an intense and wonderful experience, and I have returned with a massive quantity of photographs and recordings. In the near future I will begin sharing photos and observations here and the best of the Jazz recordings on the radio along with many reviews of recordings of different genres here. Most of this will appear in the Cubadisco 2015 section .

ESPAÑOL : Cubadisco 2015 fue una experiencia intensa y maravillosa, y he regresado con una enorme cantidad de fotografías y grabaciones. En un futuro próximo voy a empezar a compartir fotos y observaciones aquí y lo mejor de las graciones de Jazz en la radio unto con muchos reseñas de grabaciones de diferentes géneros aquí. La mayor parte aparecerá en la sección Cubadisco 2015.

Thursday, 25 July 2024, 12:04 AM

ENGLISH: Pablo Menéndez of Mezcla on PRI
Earlier this year, Steve Paulson of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, a program on Public Radio International, interviewed Pablo Menéndez of Mezcla in Havana, Cuba. This segment, which aired on May 24, is part of a longer program about Cuba and Cuban-American relations. You can listen to that interview here. Mezcla's most recent album, Pure Mezcla, was released in February, and you can read a "meta review" of that album here.
ESPAÑOL: Pablo Menéndez de Mezcla en PRI
A principios de este año, Steve Paulson de To The Best Of Our Knowledge, un programa en Public Radio International, entrevistó a Pablo Menéndez de Mezcla en La Habana, Cuba. Este segmento, que se emitió el 24 de Mayo, es parte de un programa más largo acerca de Cuba y las relaciones cubano-americanos. Puede escuchar esta entrevista en inglés aquí. El álbum más reciente de Mezcla, Pure Mezcla, se lanzó in febrero, y puede leer una "meta-critica" del álbum aquí.
ENGLISH: Special Cuban Jazz and Fusion segments on The Afro Cuban Jazz Edition
Frankie Piñeiro has had one of the best Latin Jazz programs on radio for many years now, The Afro Cuban Jazz Edition, which airs every other Tuesday morning from 10am-noon Eastern Standard TIme on WSLR, (you can stream it on the Internet) and I will have the pleasure of sharing the new music coming out of Cuba with him in the weeks to come in a segment called Bill's Bag. Tuesday, June 16, the program will include an interview with Melvis Santa along with some music from her recent recordings. Then, in future shows (beginning June 30), there will be interviews with Cuban Jazz greats like Ernán López-Nussa, Alejandro Falcón, Yasek Manzano and others along with their most recent recordings which I brought back from Cuba. Frankie's program is "must hear" radio without me (yes, he includes some Timba and some Rumba in his playlists), but now you have two reasons to listen.
ESPAÑOL: Segmentos especiales de Jazz y Fusion cubano en la Afro Cuban Jazz Edition
Frankie Piñeiro ha tenido uno de los mejores programas de Jazz latino en la radio desde hace muchos años, The Afro Cuban Jazz Edition, que se emite cada dos martes por la mañana de 10 am-mediodía hora estándar del Este en WSLR, (se puede escuchar en Internet) y tendré el placer de compartir la nueva música que sale de Cuba con él en las próximas semanas en un segmento llamado Bill's Bag. El 16 de junio, el programa incluirá una entrevista con Melvis Santa, junto con un poco de música de sus recientes grabaciones. Luego, en los programas futuros (a partir de 30 de junio), habrá entrevistas con grandes del jazz cubanos como Ernán López-Nussa, Alejandro Falcón, Yasek Manzano y otros, junto con sus grabaciones más recientes que he traído de Cuba. El programa de Frankie es "hay que escuchar" radio sin mí (sí, él incluye algunos Timba y algunos Rumba en sus listas también), pero ahora usted tiene dos razones para escuchar.
SPEAKING OF MELVIS SANTA..... she'll be at Zinc Bar in NYC on Thursday, June 18 at 9pm and 10:30pm. Details HERE. She'll be leading a quartet. I heard her in a small group setting in May in Chicago - this is worth checking out.

NEW CD REVIEWS / NUEVAS RESEÑAS DE CD
See our Reviews section for several new CD reviews of recent Cuban recordings
Vea nuestra sección Reseñas para muchas nuevas reseñas de recientes grabaciónes cubanas.

Thursday, 25 July 2024, 12:04 AM

ENGLISH: Our hearts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey. Cuba was hit hard by Irma, and Primera Linea, which was to take place this week (see our post of July 4), has been postponed to November 27-30, 2017. You can see more information and get updates here.
ESPAÑOL: Nuestros corazones están con todos los afectados por el huracán Irma y el huracán Harvey. Cuba fue duramente golpeada por Irma, y Primera Linea, que iba a tener lugar esta semana (vea nuestro puesto del 4 de julio), se ha pospuesta al 27-30 de noviembre de 2017. Más informacion y actualizaciones están disponibles aquí.

OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST

Louisville, Kentucky: Louisville has a growing Cuban-American musical colony and community, and The Clifton Roots, Jazz and Heritage Festival is presenting local favorite Cosa Seria, led and powered by some very talented Cuban conservatory graduates, on Thursday, September 21, as well as with pianist Elio Villafranca on Friday, September 22. More information and tickets are available on the Clifton Center website.

Baltimore: Chuchito Valdés is performing in quartet at An die Musik LIVE! in Baltimore, Maryland on Friday, Sept. 22 at 8pm and 9pm.
The rest of the quartet for these performances includes Rafael Monteagudo on drums, Steve sachse on bass and Julio Matta on Conga. This writer has heard Rafael and Steve with Chuchito in Chicago - this should be excellent. More details and tickets are available on the An die Musik LIVE! website.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:
Albertico Lescay, one of the leading lights of Cuba's Nu Jazz movement, has been spending enough time in and around Pittsburgh during his visit (which ends next month) that I won't be shocked if that city starts showing up as a locale of serious interest to fans of Cuban Jazz within a few short years - he has engaged in an ongoing musical dialogue with several progressive Jazz musicians there (including with members of the Afro Yaqui Music Collective, which fuses Jazz and indigenous music). His next performance in Pittsburgh is on Monday, September 25 at the Frick Fine Arts Building Auditorium at the University of Pittsburgh, and he is presenting the music of Formas with the musicians he has been collaborating with here. This concert is free and open to the public, and there is a Facebook event page.