Tjader’s Cuban Fantasy
Here’s some mokin’ hot latin jazz from a virtuoso of the vibes, Cal Tjader. I wasn’t familiar with Tjader until I heard his live Cuban Fantasy album sometime last year, but the man was a vital component of the Bay…
Review: In Tucson with David Hidalgo and Louie Perez
This past Sunday, I jumped on I-10 East and headed down to Tucson for a Dave & Louie show. Dave & Louie being David Hidalgo and Louie Perez, two members (and the main songwriters) of Los Lobos. The atmosphere and…
Go Go Music: Chuck Brown (DC’s Best Kept Secret)
Pete and I must have had a cross country mind meld, as I swear the post you are about to read was started on my laptop late Friday night. My first exposure to Chuck Brown came earlier this year in…
Prince y Grupo Fantasma
AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill This past weekend in Pasadena, the National Council of La Raza’s ALMA Awards took place. Our very active little purple man was there, performing with 11-man Latin juggernaut Grupo Fantasma from Austin, Texas. Things…
Airto and Flora in Telluride
I just returned from a much needed vacation in one of the most beautiful spots on earth: Telluride, Colorado. That pic above is the view from my parents’ place. Not bad, eh? I timed my trip to coincide with the…
Sunday Grab Bag 2
Another random sampling of some music I’ve been particularly enjoying of late. Though a ton of artists have recorded this Boudleaux Bryant classic, I first heard Nazareth’s version as a kid, then the Everly Brothers (who did the original in…
Laswell’s Rhythmic Stew
Tonight it’s all about atmospherics. I only own one Bill Laswell album: ‘Imaginary Cuba’. On top of that, Nick from Jazz and Conversation posted a great sample / podcast of his work a while back. So obviously I need to…
Sad News from Havana
RIP Ibrahim Ferrer. My wife and I were lucky enough to see Ibrahim and his large Cuban band at Gammage Auditorium (ASU) back in 2003. To get a better understanding of this angelic-voiced, gentle man, rent/buy Buena Vista Social Club;…
Mana’s Revolucion Starts Now
Mana is a mega-popular Latin American rock band whose roots go back to Guadalajara, Mexico, where they started out in the 70’s and 80’s performing under the name Sombrero Verde. Their self-titled debut as Mana was released in 1987. My…
Those Green Eyes – Ibrahim Ferrer
A perfect song for a late Saturday night… the lights are low, there’s a few drops of wine left in the bottle, your eyes meet. You slowly walk closer to her. You sense excitement in the air as you approach…
