Articles by Tomas Pena
Jeff "Tain" Watts Family Reunion Band at the Jazz Standard
by Tomas Pena
Jeff “Tain" Watts Family Reunion Band Jazz Standard New York, NY January 23, 2014 Sigmund Freud would have had a field day with Jeff “Tain" Watts' compositions. Case in point: “The Devil's Ringtone," where Watts conjures up an imaginary conversation between Satan and a corrupt politician. The tune features Paul Bollenback, whose electric guitar eerily captures the pleas of the politician, and Frank Lacey, whose growling trombone captures Satan's devilish reply. The tune ...
Continue ReadingAfro Horn at Zinc Bar
by Tomas Pena
Francisco Mora-Catlett and Afro Horn Zinc Bar Greenwich Village, NY January 8, 2014 There was a moment during Afro-Horn's performance at the Zinc Bar where the lines between reality and fiction became a blur. It occurred when Sam Newsome, an imposing figure of a man and a consummate reed player, appeared to be possessed by the spirit of Probe, the protagonist and wielder of the Afro Horn, a rare object of power in Henry Dumas's ...
Continue ReadingJuan Tizol: His Caravan Through Life and American Culture
by Tomas Pena
Juan Tizol--His Caravan Through Life and American Culture Basilio Serrano Pages ISBN: #978-14691-8166 Xlibris 2012 Basilio Serrano is a seasoned educator, historian and a person who is all too familiar with the plight of Puerto Ricans whose contributions to jazz have been ignored or forgotten. In 2000 he wrote a series of articles on Juan Tizol's cross-cultural collaborations with Duke Ellington, Harry James and other nationally known orchestras. In addition he has ...
Continue ReadingBobby Carcasses Brings His Afrojazz to The Jazz Gallery, NYC
by Tomas Pena
Bobby Carcasses Jazz Gallery New York, New York March 11, 2010
Afro-Cuban Jazz guru Bobby Carcasses made a rare New York appearance at New York's Jazz Gallery, an international cultural center and performance space located in downtown Manhattan. The elder statesman is celebrating 50 years in the music business and visited the Big Apple as part of a promotional tour for his most recent recording, De La Habana a Nueva York (Vero ...
Continue ReadingPaul Austerlitz Quintet at El Taller Latino Americano 3/06/10
by Tomas Pena
Paul Austerlitz QuintetEl Taller Latino AmericanoNew York, New YorkMarch 6, 2010
The Paul Austerlitz Quintet made a rare New York appearance at El Taller Latino Americano, a performance space and showcase for artistic talent on Manhattan's upper west side. The occasion marked the introduction of music based on Dominican rhythms and was sponsored by the Mellon Foundation and the Sundeman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College, where Austerlitz teaches ethnomusicology and Africana Studies. The ...
Continue ReadingOscar Penas: From Barcelona to Brooklyn
by Tomas Pena
Oscar Peñas belongs to a generation of artists who believe there is more to being a musician than being technically proficient. Like his peers--many of whom are emerging, independent musicians--his music reflects his roots, his impressive credentials and his openness to new ideas and concepts. Oscar is part of a flourishing new music scene in Brooklyn where emerging artists gather to experiment, exchange ideas and create music that is changing the face of jazz.All About Jazz: You were ...
Continue ReadingJane Bunnett: Embracing Voices
by Tomas Pena
Jane Bunnett, the Toronto soprano saxophonist, flutist and bandleader and her husband, trumpeter Larry Cramer have built their careers at the crossroads between Cuban music and jazz. Twice nominated for Grammy Awards and a fixture at the nominations for Canada's Juno Awards, their bands are virtual showcases for the finest musical talent from Canada, the United States and Cuba.Bunnett has long held an ongoing love affair with the human voice. Embracing Voices (Blue Note, 2008)--one of her most ...
Continue ReadingMichele Rosewoman: Wearing Her Passion With The In Side Out
by Tomas Pena
From Oakland CA, pianist/composer/educator Michele Rosewoman began playing piano at age six. Prior to moving to New York and while still in her late teens she began playing percussion and studied Cuban/Haitian folkloric idioms. In New York Rosewoman formed new ensembles, while nurturing associations with notable New York-based artists such as Julius Hemphill, Carlos Ward, Rufus Reid, Reggie Workman, Freddie Waits, James Spaulding and Billy Hart. In the Latin music genre, Rosewoman has performed with Cuban master drummer/vocalist Orlando “Puntilla" ...
Continue ReadingYosvany Terry: Growth from Tradition
by Tomas Pena
Saxophonist, composer, arranger Yosvany Terry received his early musical training from his father, Eladio “Don Pancho Terry. He is a graduate of the National School of Art and Amadeo Roldan Conservatory in Cuba. He has performed with Chucho Valdes, Sylvio Rodriguez, Jesus Alemany y Cubanismo, Jane Bunnett and the Spirits of Havana, Dafnis Pietro, Avishai Cohen, the International Vamp Band, Eric Revis, Steve Coleman, Los Terry and Columna B.
Since his arrival in New York in 1999, Terry has been ...
Continue ReadingMoacir Santos: Choros y Alegria
by Tomas Pena
In 2002, music critic Ben Ratliff listed Coisas (2002) in the New York Times Essential Library's 100 Most Important Recordings. He posed this question: “Why is this man not famous? Ratliff was alluding to the fact that little was known about Santos' vast body of work, despite the fact that he is regarded by many critics and researchers as one of the most important and innovative artists in the history of Brazilian music. Thanks to the efforts of Adventure Music, ...
Continue Reading
