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Carmen Staaf: Sounding Line
by Dan McClenaghan
Thelonious Monk (1917 -1982) was often grouped with the bebop pianists of the late 1940s and early 1950s. But he was not bop. He was a pianistic world unto itself. Quirky, dissonant, often playful. Mary Lou Williams (1910 -1981) did not fit the bop category either. She came in before bop's advent. Her music was stylistically closer to Duke Ellington's eloquence, sass and swing. Bop aside, pianist Carmen Staaf heard a musical kinship between these two 20th-century contemporaries. ...
Continue ReadingRoger Glenn: My Latin Heart
by Pierre Giroux
Roger Glenn, son of the renowned instrumentalist Tyree Glenn, has never been content to stay in one lane. A master of reeds and vibraphone, he continues to embody the spirit of crossing boundaries. On My Latin Heart, Glenn undertakes an energizing session that celebrates the rhythmic vitality of the African diaspora as much as it serves as a personal manifesto. Flanked by a stellar ensemble of seasoned collaborators--pianist David K. Mathews, guitarist Ray Obiedo, bassist David ...
Continue ReadingJohn Santos Sextet at Brava Theater
by Harry S. Pariser
John Santos Sextet Brava Theater San Francisco, CA May 2, 2025 The San Francisco Bay area is home to a small but thriving salsa and Latin jazz scene. Many of them got together on a Friday night at the Brava Theater in the Mission District to perform together with John Santos, a local musical stalwart. Santos is an internationally respected percussionist who is also an authoritative musicologist who has taught classes on Latin ...
Continue ReadingBill Ortiz: Points of View
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Long associated with Carlos Santana, with whom he had a 16-year stint, trumpeter Bill Ortiz steps into the spotlight here with an auspicious and highly entertaining session. Ten selections showcase Ortiz who is supported by some of the Bay area's best. The order of the day is energy, excitement, and an overall superb show. “Sunburst," an Eddie Henderson tune, launches things with a pulsing piano, driving bass, textured rhythms and Ortiz wailing, first using a Harmon mute ...
Continue ReadingHalf Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival 2023
by Walter Atkins
The Second Annual Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival took place on historic Main Street Half Moon Bay, with perfect 76° weather and a cloudless sky complementing the day's music and wine tasting. Artists for the HMB Festival included El Guajiro (The Peasant), the Marcus Shelby Quintet, Sammi Joy, Paula West, the Brian Andres Trio and the John Santos Sextet. HMBW&JF 2 was brought together by the Half Moon Bay Downtown Association and volunteers, with support from major sponsors ...
Continue ReadingAlex Conde: Descarga for Bud
by Mark Sullivan
Pianist, composer and arranger Alex Conde has a unique identity; he is a flamenco musician who combines flamenco with his jazz background. After the broad Latin fusion of Origins (Uprising/Ropeadope, 2018), Conde has returned to a focus on classic bebop. Like Descarga For Monk (Zoho Music, 2015), the pianist revisits a foundational bebop pianist. And the recording sessions took place in Oakland, with an ensemble which duplicates many of the players on the Monk sessions. Pianist Bud Powell ...
Continue ReadingAlex Conde: Descarga for Bud
by Troy Dostert
Having demonstrated his mastery of flamenco-flavored jazz on Origins (Uprising/Ropeadope, 2018) by featuring principally his own compositions, pianist Alex Conde has once again turned back to a bebop master of old--continuing a project he began with Descarga for Monk (Zoho Music) back in 2015. In this instance Bud Powell is the dedicatee, and Conde brings characteristic Latin flair to nine of Powell's compositions in a way that is both accomplished and engaging. There is a certain irony to ...
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