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The comparison between pianists Bebo Valdés and his son Chucho Valdés could be likened to the choice of the Beatles (Bebo) to the Rolling Stones (Chucho). A more likely frame of reference would be Bebo as the Cuban version of Hank Jones and Chucho that of Don Pullen.Like Jones, Bebo started as an accompanist, only to shine as a soloist in his later years. Now nearly 90, his music just seems to get better and better. This session ...
A more apt title would be hard to find for this intriguing piano/violin excursion into the music of the Americas. And the music could hardly be placed in more talented hands. Bebo Valdés is not only a giant of Cuban music, he is a giant of the jazz piano, period. Though perhaps not as widely known, Uruguayan violinist Frederico Britos has won Grammys for work with Charlie Haden and Israel “Cachao Lopez. His virtuoso performance on this album confirms he ...
Bebo Valdes and Federico Britos are an inspired pairing. Valdes, who has been living in Stockholm since 1963, is one of the prime figures of Cuban jazz. The pianist made his biggest impact in the '40s and '50s, before he left the country in 1960. He kept to himself until 1994, when he emerged from his cocoon to record again. Among his recordings was the solo piano effort Bebo (Calle 54, 2006), which won the Latin Grammy Award for Best ...
Bebo Valdés is more than the ranking patriarch of Cuban pianists: he is a living archive of the piano literature of Cuba, as this eponymously titled release amply demonstrates. More than simply a solo album--amazingly, his first ever--this release is a comprehensive survey of the grand sweep of Cuba's piano canon, a rich and storied tradition to which Valdés is heir and guardian.
This landmark set superbly documents the wide ranging talents of one of Cuba's greatest artists--expatriate pianist/composer/arranger Bebo Valdés--in the company of an impressive cast of New York's finest Latin jazz instrumentalists. The first disc, Suite Cubana, features the pianist, father of the more famous Chucho Valdés, leading an all-star big band through a collection of original compositions that revisit the classic sound of the golden age of Cuban music in a variety of infectious rhythms (mambo, bembé, son, guaracha, guajira, ...
Bebo Valdes & Diego el CigalaBlanco Y Negro Bluebird 2005
I may fall out of favor with my fellow Americans expressing admiration for cultures much older and well, certainly more developed then ours. You disagree? Did you catch more then five minutes of the latest addition of the Grammy Awards? What passes for 'art' or more importantly what sells millions of copies is slightly more challenging than potty training.
Traditional Cuban music brings a festive mood to any performance. It's music for dancing and it also allows plenty of room for the artists to improvise. Three legendary Cuban artists share equally on this session to reminisce about the development of Latin jazz and its relationship to traditional music. Each is in fine form. Since it's a trio session, Bebo Valdes, Cachao and Patato Valdes are heard individually, clearly and distinctly throughout. Traditional pieces by Ernesto Lecuona, Manuel Corona, Julio ...
When three musicians come together with total command of their instruments and the music they are playing, the results are usually quite satisfying, and when each member of an ensemble sublimates his ego to perform the function the music demands of his instrument the collective is stronger, performing like a well-oiled machine. That is certainly the case with the Bebo Valdes Trio, masters of their instruments and Latin Jazz.The melodies are simple, the grooves are authentic, the tempos ...
I love jazz because I hear musicians being in the “now”, creating on the spot.
I was first exposed to jazz by my father. He doesn't play (though he has dabbled with piano in the past), but apparently jazz runs in the family blood
I love jazz because I hear musicians being in the “now”, creating on the spot.
I was first exposed to jazz by my father. He doesn't play (though he has dabbled with piano in the past), but apparently jazz runs in the family blood. My grandfather, a professional jazz pianist, once accompanied Judy Garland when she strolled into the Chicago hotel where he played; one of the songs they performed was, of course, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” I never got to hear my grandfather play, because he gave up “the life” when he moved to California, when my dad was still in high school. However, my grandpa remains an inspiration, so I wrote an arrangement of “Somewhere” in Latin Jazz style, and dedicated to my father and to the memory of my grandfather.
The first jazz record I bought was McCoy Tyner, “Dimensions.” McCoy is a great influence on my piano playing to this day.
My advice to new listeners is, have an open mind; let the music develop, let the artists take you on a journey. Jazz is human, personal, and carries great immediacy. In an age where technology replaces the human element in much art, jazz in general is all about the performance. Even in recording, it is a moment of spontaneity frozen in time. So support live music, support live jazz! Keep us human in the modern world.
