Jazz Articles about John Santos

About John Santos

In Pictures

Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival 2023

by Walter Atkins
May 31, 2023

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 ...

Album Review

Alex Conde: Descarga for Bud

Read "Descarga for Bud" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
October 21, 2021

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 ...

Album Review

Alex Conde: Descarga for Bud

Read "Descarga for Bud" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
September 15, 2021

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 ...

Album Review

Erik Jekabson Sextet III: One Note At A Time

Read "One Note At A Time" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
March 13, 2020

By the time One Note At A Time's first two songs have finished, it's been made abundantly clear that trumpeter Erik Jekabson appreciates a groove as much as he values space. The opener—"Days of Haze"—provides an introductory shot of adrenaline in the form of a tight, funk-framed blues, and “Dusk," in contrast, looks to open vistas, with longer lines and a less-is-more attitude reflecting the liminal spirit in its name. Foreshadowing what's to come, those early offerings prove complementary through ...

Interview

John Santos: Keeper of the Culture

by Steve Bryant
August 26, 2013

In a career spanning almost 40 years, percussionist John Santos has gained world-wide renown and acclaim as one of the great composers and bandleaders in the Afro-Cuban jazz idiom. The four-time Grammy nominee is one of the foremost proponents of Afro-Latin music in the world today, known for his innovative use of its traditional musical forms and instruments. Santos has performed, recorded and studied with acknowledged Afro-Latin and Jazz masters such as Cachao,Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Bebo Valdés, Armando Peraza, ...

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Album Review

John Santos Sextet: Filosofía Caribeña Vol. 1

Read "Filosofía Caribeña Vol. 1" reviewed by James Nadal

by James Nadal
July 28, 2011

John Santos is a sophisticated percussionist with impeccable credentials, so it is no surprise that Filosofía Caribeña, Vol. 1 is a brilliant foray into the broader scope of Caribbean music. As the title infers, there is an inherent rhythmic philosophy ingrained in this music which is as rich and vibrant as the culture which it represents. The John Santos Sextet teams Santos up, once again, with flautist John Calloway, and saxophonist Melecio Magdaluyo. Augmented with a premier ...

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Multiple Reviews

John Santos: Perspectiva Fragmentada & La Guerra No

by Russ Musto
April 4, 2009

John SantosPerspectiva FragmentadaMachete2008 John SantosLa Guerra NoMachete2008 Despite an impressive resumé that includes early sideman stints with Tito Puente and Peter Escovedo and bandleading credentials for his long admired Machete Ensemble, which at various times has included grand masters Alfredo “Chocolate" Amenteros, Israel Lopez “Cachao" and Armando Peraza, as well as young lions Anthony ...