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Chucho Valdes: New Conceptions

By Norman Weinstein
November 2, 2003
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The album title is misleading. It is more than about time for the immensely talented Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes to come up with a wholly new musical concept for an album, particularly since he has been repeating the "Tyner-meets-Tatum in Havana" mode for many years. What sounds freshest here are polyrhythmic workouts with drummers Yaroldy Abreau Robles and Ramses Rodriguez Baralt on original Valdes tunes synthesizing Afro-Cuban religious drum rhythms with waves of thunderous piano riffs by Valdes. What sounds lackluster are his attempt to Cubanize Ellington, and what major jazz composer less needs Latinizing when he knew how to add Latin flavors himself?

A particularly thoughtless version of the standard "You Don't Know What Love Is," played with a gut-busting fortissimo, shows Valdes might never have considered what the original song lyrics meant. Valdes loves pounding melodrama a bit too often for my taste, and his penchant for playing thirty notes when twelve might do wears thin quickly. A fresh new concept would be a solo album of restrained ballads, something with no "pedal to metal" – literally, or metaphorically.

Track Listing

La Comparsa, You Don't Know What Love Is, Los Guiros, Nanu, Solar, Sin Clave Pero Con Swing, Homenaje A Ellington

Personnel

Chucho Valdes

piano

Chucho Valdes--piano; Yaroldy Abrue Robles--congero, drums, shekere; Lazaro Rivero Alcaron-- bass; Ramses Rodriquez Baralt--trap drums. guests: Maylin Sevila Brizuela--cello; Jacinto JoaquinOlviero Gavilan--flute; Ramon Filin O'Reilly--alto saxophone; Irving Luichel Acao Tierra-- tenor saxophone

Album information

Title: New Conceptions | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

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Chucho Valdes Concerts

Nov 14 Fri

Chucho Valdés - Royal Quartet

Palau De La Música Catalana
Barcelona, Spain

Nov 15 Sat

Chucho Valdés - Royal Quartet

Sala Villanos
Madrid, Spain

Nov 15 Sat

Chucho Valdés - Royal Quartet

El Pavón Teatro Kamikaze
Madrid, Spain

Nov 21 Fri

Chucho Valdés - Royal Quartet

Teatro Campoamor
Oviedo, Spain

Nov 27 Thu

Chucho Valdés - Solo Piano

Palau De Les Arts Reina Sofia
Valencia, Spain

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