"VIVA
CUBOP 3"
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01.
Cuban Roots "Just Another Guajira"
dan weinstein: trombone, arturo velasco: trombone, omar sosa:
piano (solo), carlitos del puerto: bass (solo), humberto "nengue"
hernandez: timbales, lazaro galarraga: clave, john santos: guiro,
jose de leon: congas
Back in 1967 an album was produced by Al Santiago for Musicor
Records that has influenced countless musicians since. The album
"Cuban Roots" featured amazing performances from the
top names in Latin jazz (including Kako, Chick Corea, Bobby Valentin,
Mario Rivera, Tommy Lopez Jnr., Jullito Collazo) but was poorly
recorded and has since become super scarce.
A group of todays top Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz musicians teamed
up with CuBop to re-record and pay homage to the "Cuban Roots"
album. In the midst of recording it became obvious that the new
Cuban Roots project ("Cuban Roots Revisited") was capable
of turning out a heavy album, an album equally as impressive as
the inspirational "Cuban Roots" from 32 years ago.
02. Bobby Matos "Kimbisa"
bobby matos: timbales, guiro, coro. robertito melendez:
congas, coro. antoine caito: bongo, bell. manny silvera:
bass, coro. ismael (east). carlo: coro. victor cegarra:
piano. michael turre: flute. steve baxter: trombone.
louis taylor: tenor sax
Bobby Matos was Cubops first signing and has released multiple
albums for the label. He is now one of the leading lights on today's
Latin jazz scene (he was "Best Latin/Salsa Artist 1999"
by the LA Weekly, beating competition that included Ponco Sanchez
and Johnny Pacheco) playing countless live shows, recording and
producing, too. "Kimbisa" is from "Footprints",
which when released was named Afro-Cuban record of the year by
the Boston Phoenix.
03. Francisco Aguabella. "My
Favorite Things"
charles owens: tenor sax. eric jorgenson: trombone. ron
blaize: trumpet. donald vega: piano. John belzaguy: bass.
ramon banda: drums, timbales. jose "papo" rodriguez:
bongo and percussion. francisco aguabella: congas &
bata
Francisco Aguabella is a certified legend. Born in Matanzas, Cuba,
an area rich in African musical tradition, he immigrated to the
U.S.A in 1957. He has made outstanding contributions to Latin
popular music while maintaining his roots in traditional Afro-Cuban
religious drumming. "My Favorite Things" is taken from
his most recent Cubop album "Cubacan".
04. Ray Armando "Mallet
Hands"
benn clatworthy: sax. jorge valentin gaffenito: piano.
eddie resto: baby bass. enzo todesco: drums. papo
rodriguez: bongos and bell. ray armondo: conga drums.
It's hard to believe that someone with as much musical depth and
history as Ray Armando had never released an album of his own.
He has worked with some of the brightest stars in jazz and Latin
music and is respected worldwide as an arranger and percussionist
of the highest caliber. Mallet Hands, the featured track
is also the title track for his debut album for CuBop - a long
overdue labor of love produced by Bobby Matos and featuring
all original compositions.
05. John Santos / Bobby Matos
"I Don't Speak Spanish" (But I Understand Everything
When I'm Dancing)
john santos: guiro. bobby matos: timbales, coro. skip
howlett: bongos. robertito melendez: congas. orlando torriente:
coro. denise cook: lead vocals, coro. martin padilla: coro.
john lopez: coro. isamel 'East' caro: vocals, coro.
eliseo borrero: bass. victor cegarra: piano. paul van wageningen:
Claves. michael turre: baritone saxophone, alto saxophone,
flute. wayne wallace: trombone. It was a meeting destined
to happen. Two master percussionists with mutual respect for each
others work come together to record a forward thinking Afro-Cuban
jazz album. This track is taken from the John Santos and Bobby
Matos album Mambo Jazz, a hard-hitting exploration of the beauty
and the intensity of Afro-Cuban rhythms amd music. The album was
recorded in the spirit of the "descarga" or Cuban jam
session in which the players of instruments come together to strut
their stuff in an arena of complete self-expression.
06. Johnny Blas "Skin
& Bones"
johnny blas: congas (solo). mark guiterrez: piano, acoustic
guitar. jonathan pintoff: baby bass. dan weinstein: trombone
(solo). steve baxter: trombone (solo). francisco torres:
trombone (solo). isaac Smith: trombone (solo). jose deleon
jr.: bongo/bell. robertilo melendez: timbales (solo). 'Skin
and Bones' is the title track to Johnny Blas second album as a
band leader. He and band work their way through 12 swinging originals
with a line-up that includes an innovative four trombone concept
and the legendary vibes man Dave Pike. Conguero Blas plays what
he calls a "talking, Puerto Rican Guaganco style". He
takes his band through a journey that drifts effortlessly between
being straight ahead, hard working and experimental, evoking memories
of peers like Willie Colon, Fania All-Stars and Ray Barretto.
The solos on his album were recorded in one take with no edits
or overdubbing - a testament to the quality of the musicianship
on 'Skin and Bones'.
07. Pucho & Latin Soul Bros.
"My Dream Boogaloo"
henry "pucho: brown: timbales. john "mad hatter"
spruill: piano. jon hart: bass. marvin horne: guitar.
eddie pazant: saxophone, oboe and flute. tyrone govan: drums.
ernie colon: bongos. johnny grigs: congas. Timbalero Henry "Pucho"
Brown was a pivotal figure in the Latin boogaloo movement that
fused Latin, jazz and funk styles during the sixties. He released
a staggering 8 albums between 1966 and 69 for the Prestige label.
Adopting a dirtier street soul attitude, the "Yaina"
and "Super Freak" albums reflected a change in musical
tastes as the 60s became the 70s. Unfortunately for Pucho the
70s saw a drop in his popularity. He took to playing hotel gigs
in the relative obscurity of the Catskill Mountains resorts. Returning
to New York in 1992 Pucho found that he had been re-discovered
by a younger crowd of music fans. The renewed interest in Pucho
stemmed from the UK jazz dance scene which championed a cultural
mix of sounds including boogaloo, street soul, Latin and Brazilian
music. Since then Pucho has toured the world with his Latin Soul
Brothers and recorded new albums that celebrate the unique Pucho
blend. This track was taken from "Caliente Con Soul"
the only new album Pucho recorded for Cubop.
08. Papo Vazquez. "Juan
Jose"
papo vazquez: trombone. micheal brecker: tenor sax. arturo o'
farrill: Piano. andy gonzales: bass. haracio hernandez:
drums. richie flores: percussion. invited guest: micheal brecker:
tenor sax Vazquez' ability to fuse Afro-Carribean rhythms, especially
those from Cuba and Puerto Rico, with freer melodic and harmonic
elements of progressive jazz has insured his popularity on many
fronts. He has always been deeply moved by jazz and specifically
cites the music of John Coltrane and J. J. Johnson as having the
most influence. He studied Slide Hampton and later arranged and
performed for Hampton's "World of Trombones". Vazquez
toured Europe with the Ray Charles Orchestra and perform in New
York with jazz luminaries Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, Woody
Shaw, Mel Lewis, Pharoah Sanders, Wynton Marsalis, Lonnie Smith
and Lenny White, Hilton Ruiz, Dave Valentin and Jerry Gonzalez.
"Juan Jose" is from Vazquez second Cubop album "At
The Point Vol II".
09. Har You Percussion Group
"Barrets Bag"
myles matthews: bongos, timbales. gordon (spider) jones: timbales.
samuel (seguito) turner: conga, timbales. billy king: conga. atonio
santa cruz: cow bell, vocals. andre strobert: drums. john moody:
electric bass. dennis taitt: guitar. david (mousie) edmead:
piano. nick kirksey: piano, vocals. joseph jimenez: claves. nelson
sanamiago: alto sax. stafford osborne jr.: trumpet. joffre marchand:
trumpet. allen ray: flute The Har You album features a fantastic
raw mix of funky bass, heavy drums, burning horn lines, and soulful
vocals. One of the great Latin bands all-time, It was formed by
way of a scheme that aimed to keep Harlem kids off the streets
in the early 70s. The HarYou Percussion Group managed to squeeze
out just one album. Obscurity and a small pressing have guaranteed
the self-titled album collectors item status for many years.
10. Derf Reklaw "Tresguanco
(for Iris Pell)"
derf reklaw: quinto, vocal. munyungo jackson: congas, bata. pondaza
santiel: tumba. donlittleton: cascara. trevor ware: claves.
co-arranged by munyungo jackson Modal jazz, poetry and sambas,
jug playing, Haitian, African and Afro-Cuban rhythms lend many
shades to Derf Reklaws "From The Nile" album from which
this track is taken. To refer to Derf Reklaw as a man of
many talents would be to understate his abilities. The former
Pharoah is a musician, composer, choreographer, lecturer, vocalist
and inventor amongst other things - his career includes session
musician stints for a vast array of bands, including Terry Callier
and Phil Collins! It is highly appropriate that he resides in
Leimert Park LA, a focal point for jazz innovation on the West
Coast.
11. Dave Pike "Back To
The Roots"
dave pike: marimba. jonathan pintoff: baby bass. robertito melendez:
conga drums. bobby matos: timbales. theo saunders: piano.
Pike has led one hell of a life entrenched in the jazz music business.
He emerged in the late 50's and quickly established himself as
an original voice on the vibraphone, recording several classic
albums with the likes of Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Paul Bley, Tommy
Flanagan, Herbie Hancock, Clark Terry and others. He joined Herbie
Mann's band in the early 60's and is featured on the classic Family
of Mann on Atlantic. Pike later moved to Europe and in 1968 formed
the Dave Pike Set, one of the most popular European jazz groups
in Europe in the early 70's. It was with this group that Pike
conjured up "Mathar," a weird mix of psychedelic sitar
and big beats that became a club favorite over the past few years
and was even covered by Brit-pop demigod Paul Weller. "Back
To The Roots" is from Pikes second CuBop album "Peligroso",
recorded with the help of Bobby Matos.
12. Snowboy "42nd and
Broadway"
snowboy: congas, cajonesm hand claps. davide giovannini: drums,
timbales, lead and backing vocals. nico gomes: bass. ricardo
pla: bongos, cowbell. neil angilley: fender rhodes, hammond organ,
mini moog. sid gauld: trumpet. gary plumley: tenor sax. paul taylor:
trombone Band leading UK conguero Snowboy made his third CuBop
outing a heavyweight hard-hitting tribute to Tito Puente, the
King of Mambo. What more of a personal tribute can you pay someone
than name your album after them? "Para Puente" was a
way of acknowledging how much inspiration Tito Puente, the King
of Mambo, gave and continues to give to Snowboy. His Latin Jazz
style wears influences from the masters of the genre but as evident
on this track he continues the quest to keep the music exciting
and to keep the dancers dancing. This is not Latin jazz for the
faint-hearted, this is ballsy, straight for the jugular, frenetic
and funky Latin music.
13. Jack Costanzo "Bemba
Colora"
roy brown: trombone, coro. gilbert castellanos: trumpet. mike
hoguin: drums, timbales, coro. jack costanzo: conga drums, hand
claps. robert lanuza: piano. rene camacho: bass. bill caballero
and gilbert castellanos: trumpets. steve feierabend: tenor sax.
bob campbell: bari sax. marilu: lead vocal. quino: coro. bobby
matos and denise look: hand claps and chatter Jack Costanzo is
universally credited with introducing the bongo drums to American
jazz. Born in Chicago in the mid '20s, Costanzo wasted no time
entering the world of music. At age 13 he fashioned a pair of
bongos out of wooden butter tubs, started drumming, and never
looked back. Costanzo came to the "Scorching The Skins"
sessions (which this track is taken from) with a complete concept,
some great arrangements, and musicians that excel as an ensemble
or as soloists - it is a reflection of Costanzo and his on going
musical journey; an exciting ride through mambo, jazz, son montuno,
rhythm & blues, swing, and even some New Orleans second line
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