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Jazz Articles about Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
About Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
Instrument: Drums
Irving Flores: Armando Mi Conga

by Bridget A. Arnwine
Every now and again an artist releases an album that is so striking, so stellar, that it cements their legacy forever, not in a way that the artist can never grow beyond the album's greatness, but in a way that propels them beyond it. Pianist Irving Flores and his all-star Afro- Cuban Jazz Sextet have created such an album. Armando Mi Conga (Amor de Flores) consists of eight breathtakingly beautiful original compositions plus a bonus track (a solo piano version ...
Continue ReadingJohn Beasley, Jose Gola & Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez: El Trio Live in Italy

by Glenn Astarita
El Trio Live in Italy features the impressive line-up of Grammy Award-winner John Beasley on keyboards and synthesizers, José Gola on electric bass, and Horacio “El Negro" Hernandez on drums. Described as a dream threesome" of renowned musicians, this album is a product of their summer tour of Italy in 2022. The album's essence is a journey of three friends allowing the music to guide them. All three artists have a rich history, having toured with the maestro of Afro-Cuban ...
Continue ReadingHilario Duran: Cry Me A River

by Pierre Giroux
Hilario Durán is a renowned Cuban-Canadian jazz pianist and composer known for contributing to Latin jazz. He does not release big band efforts often, but with the release of Cry Me A River, he has reconstituted his Latin Jazz Big Band to take us on an extraordinary musical journey, effortlessly blending myriad genres into his singular style. Durán's Afro-Caribbean cultural attachment informs the nine works of both originals and covers in this outing, resulting in a unique tapestry of sound. ...
Continue ReadingPhil Woods, Tito Puente and More

by Joe Dimino
This week we start with a cat straight outta Cuba. Horacio El Negro" Hernandez does his magic on the drums with his Italuba Big Band followed by the great Dizzy Gillespie and Tito Puente. We then hear a mix of Django Reinhardt, Melissa Aldana and Longineu Parsons. We profile the great Montreal cat Jacques Kuba Séguin and the talented South Korean-born Pureum Jin. As the show begins to wind down, we feature Miles Brown and Putte Wickman to round out ...
Continue ReadingEsperanza Spalding: Esperanza

by AAJ Italy Staff
Ha un nome che è una dichiarazione d'intenti: Esperanza. Ha bruciato le tappe di una carriera che a soli 24 anni può dirsi formidabile. Contrabbassista, insegnante di contrabbasso a 20 anni al Berklee College, ha suonato con Stanley Clarke, Pat Metheny e Joe Lovano, per citare i più grandi. Poi ha pensato di fare da sé. E per il suo esordio, Esperanza, non ha badato a fronzoli. La Heads Up le ha dato credito e speranza". Niño Josele, James Haddad, ...
Continue ReadingEsperanza Spalding: Esperanza

by Woodrow Wilkins
From a guest appearance on Stanley Clarke's The Toys of Men (Heads Up, 2007) to her self-titled debut, Esperanza Spalding is turning heads, and opening lots of ears. After an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, the host called the 23-year-old vocalist/bassist/composer the coolest guest" he'd ever had. Spalding is indeed cool, having enrolled at Berklee College of Music at 16, and ultimately becoming the institution's youngest professor in its history. She landed gigs with Patti ...
Continue ReadingEsperanza Spalding: Esperanza

by Ernest Barteldes
On this major label debut, bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding demonstrates plenty of eclecticism, taking on styles ranging from samba, hard-driving jazz and R&B, a risky combination in less confident hands. However, Spalding revels in the multiple directions without ever sounding pretentious. The Berklee College alum opens the disc singing in fluent Portuguese, with a small hint of an accent, on Ponta de Areia," a Milton Nascimento/Fernando Brandt composition originally featured on Wayne Shorter's Native Dancer and often covered ...
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