Road Trip: Poncho Sanchez in Roanoke SATURDAY (1/28)

Nobody throws a mid-winter Latin party like The Jefferson Center, a reclaimed school turned multi-use arts complex in Roanoke, Virginia.

This Saturday (1/28), the annual event starts in the Shaftman Performance Hall, with an 8 pm concert of conguero Poncho Sanchez and trumpeter Terence Blanchard. Long-time collaborators, the two recently teamed up to make Chano y Dizzy, an homage to Latin jazz' ancestors Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie, released on the Concord label last fall.



According to my email exchange with Poncho's manager, the tour personnel will be as follows:

Poncho Sanchez Congas/Band Leader
Francisco Torres Trombone/Musical Director
Ron Blake Trumpet
Joseph De Leon Jr Timbales
Robert Hardt Sax
Andy Langham Piano
Rene Camacho Bass
Angel Rodriguez Bongos

Special Guest: Terence Blanchard Trumpet

Larry Sanchez Production/Sound Engineer

As an after party, some of our friends from Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and the Triangle will perform, as West End Mambo lights up Fitzpatrick Hall. There's a cash bar and gorgeous parquet wood floor for dancers to enjoy in this ballroom, which is right next door to Shaftman in the Jefferson Center.


Same party last year: Dancers dig Fitzpatrick Hall, 2011

Salsa dancers from 'Noke and the surrounding college towns usually turn out for this Latin Dance Party, now in its 9th year; past afterparty bands have included Richmond's Bio Ritmo and D.C.'s Sin Miedo. Poncho Sanchez/Terence Blanchard concert ticket holders get discounted admission to the Latin Dance Party, but they are separate admissions so folks can attend either or both.

West End Mambo is led by husband-and-wife team Cesar Oviedo (pianist) and vocalist Maria Vasquez. She has the range to cover some Celia Cruz tunes, among the band's strong Fania and Latin American fare. I got up with Cesar a few days ago for an updated band lineup, and it is heavy with local Triangle favorites:

Alberto Carrasquillo (trumpet)
Ricardo James (trumpet)
Steve Blake (sax)
Andres Leon (bass)
Atiba Rorie (congas/vocals)
Billy Marrero (timbales)
Maria Vasquez (lead vocals)
Cesar Oviedo (piano/vocals)

Kudos to the Jefferson Center's programmers for pairing these two signature events, honoring both the concert experience and the dance imperative of "our Latin thing." It's going to get heated.

LINKS:

Jefferson Center website

FREE CONCERT: Ilan Bar-Lavi Trio Saturday (11/19)

The young, unusual Latin jazz trio of Ilan Bar-Lavi plays a free concert in Chapel Hill this Saturday (11/19) at 5 pm in the FedEx UNC Global Education Center's Nelson Mandela Auditorium. The concert will close out this year's NC Latin American Film Festival.

This video by Martin Cohen at Congahead.com opens with a Bar-Lavi guitar solo:



The Israeli-Mexican guitarist is a 20-something graduate of Berklee School of Music; his own brand of avant-garde jazz blends his Latin and Middle Eastern roots.

LINKS:

Berklee Podcast: Ilan Bar-Lavi '09
UNC Global Event Calendar page
Presenter Event page

Eddie Palmieri at UNC-Memorial Friday (2/18)

Read my Indy story, P'Adelante: Eddie Palmieri Continues to Reinvent his Pioneering Latin Jazz, here. The concert is Friday at UNC-Memorial at 8 pm.

A TRANSCRIPT containing more of this interview will be available here LATER TODAY. Check back later on Thursday.

I just had a chat last night with Conrad Herwig, Eddie Palmieri's trombonist, in the green room after he played a lip-blistering concert with Jim Ketch in Hill Hall. This was a free concert, lots of other events (some paid/ticketed, some not) taking place over the next two weeks at UNC, part of the Carolina Jazz Festival. Conrad is doing a residency and will also perform in Memorial with the UNC Jazz Band and Charanga Carolina on Saturday. I will post more info later!

SAlsa JAzz SOul

SAJASO @ Yancy's Friday night: Lou Ramos, Billy Marrero, Pako Santiago, and Rick Radian back vocalist/leader Chino Casiano

Ramon Casiano, better known as Chino, has been making his brand of Latin jazz in the Triangle for several decades. A hardscrabble New Jersey native, Chino can reminisce about growing up around Frankie Ruiz, Herman Olivera and others who rose to prominence in that scene. Chino has a soulful authenticity as a singer of English-language standards such as "Autumn Leaves," one of the snappiest arrangements in Sajaso's book. Boricua to the core, he takes a high energy Cuban son, "El Cuarto de Tula," and playfully weaves it together with bombiplena lyrics and rhythms. "Elena, Elena," meet "Tula": a fitting meetingplace for two of the most storied women in Antillean verse.



On this gig were Andy Kleindienst on electric bass, Frank Vila on grand piano, a tricolor brass trio of Ricardo James (trumpet), Serena Wiley (tenor saxophone) and Joshua Vincent (trombone), and a seasoned array of percussionists who rotated positions, making for a collegial atmosphere: Pako Santiago, Billy Marrero, Rick Radian and guest Lou Ramos. Ramos, a sometime visitor from the Bronx, has family in the Triangle; his daughter directs church music and runs a music school in Raleigh.


Joshua Vincent


Serena Wiley


Ricardo James

Yancy's is a jazz venue on the outskirts of Raleigh, with a small dance floor; most of the beers were reasonably priced domestics (I had a $3 Yuengling draft). The barbecue wings got rave reviews from Serena, who was dipping between sets.

You wouldn't think we'd need another video of "Oye Como Va." But as a descarga tune, it's a perfect opportunity for soloists to shine. Here, Andy Kleindienst gets funky on an unstoppable bass solo; Billy Marrero comes in on timbales around the 4 min mark:



The Tite Curet classic "La Esencia de Guaguanco" is an easygoing salsa tune in Sajaso's hands, but again the soloists paint some magic in the corners. First the percussionists converse, with Pako Santiago on bongos, Billy on timbal, and Rick on congas. Then Ricardo James shows what he can do with an extended trumpet solo:




Pako Santiago

LINKS:

SAJASO on Facebook

Guillo Carias Trio @ Sullivan's

Caught up with Guillo Carias last Wednesday at his weekly trio gig, 7-11 pm at the Sullivan's on Glenwood Ave in Raleigh. Drummer Ramon Ortiz' brother Eduardo was sitting in, a musician whose home base is in Worcester, Mass. With Eduardo on bass, Andy Kleindienst shifted to his primary instrument, trombone. Nelson Delgado also sat in on congas and made vocal contributions on some boleros and sones.



This video captures a lively moment in the last set, with the Cuban dance tune "El Cuarto de Tula." While Andy Kleindienst is barely visible in the low light conditions, his trombone gleams close to the camera as he delivers a solo:




Ortiz brothers Eduardo and Ramon with Andy Kleindienst





Guillo has a new website, and some gigs coming up; he'll be performing with the Triangle Salsa All Stars at the Festival Ritmo Latino in Cary this weekend. More TBA soon...

CINCO DE MAYO: Carnavalito @ Dos Taquitos

Free, live music by Carnavalito this evening from 5 - 11 pm celebrating Cinco de Mayo.


Location is the North Raleigh Dos Taquitos restaurant on Creedmoor Road. This patio party will be outside in the parking lot--last year they had a tent in case of bad weather.







Links:

Cinco de Mayo History: From Bloodshed to Beerfest (National Geographic)

WAR song "Cinco de Mayo" on iLike player (one free play)

Dos Taquitos Restaurant website

Carnavalito band page on Facebook

Outdoor Music Begins at Brightleaf

Brightleaf Square Summer Concert Series, running from May to September, kicks off this weekend with three nights in a row of live music.

Singer/songwriter Janet Stolp performs Thursday (5/6), followed by former Muscle Shoals and Bonnie Raitt guitarist Will McFarlane on Friday (5/7), and funk horn band Bull City Syndicate on Saturday (5/8).

All concerts are 7-9 pm, free and outdoors in Brightleaf Square, located at 905 W. Main St (corner of Gregson) in downtown Durham.

SALSA FANS: Next Friday (5/14), Latin jazz favorite Carnavalito will perform.

See Brightleaf Square Summer Concert Series full schedule here.

New Latin Jazz in Charlotte: Rhythm+ THIS THURS (4/15)

Latin jazz band Rhythm+, led by percussionist Lucas Torres, makes their hometown debut this Thursday (4/15) at the Halton Theater in Charlotte.

Torres is a member of salsa band The Latin Project, and a strong exponent of Puerto Rican culture. He was the instigator of a spontaneous plenazo in Carmen's parking lot that was featured on Onda Carolina a year ago.

The group features Panamanian, Cuban, Mexican, American and Puerto Rican musicians, performing bass, drums, flute, piano, major and minor percussion, vocals and sax. Check out their website for more info. Good luck to them Thursday; I hope we get to hear Rhythm+ in the Triangle in the near future.


Link: Rhythm+ Band Website

Fresh Canela: Esperanza's Jazz

Esperanza Spalding at Arts NC State
3/5/10

Forget the hair. Forget the hype. Forget those ads she did for Banana Republic, and her three (so far) concerts at the White House. Forget everything you've heard about Esperanza Spalding. Close your eyes, and hear her music: grooving, unpredictable, out on a limb, filled with so much yearning, so much love, and so much freedom.

If I sound like a convert, I am; I didn’t own the Esperanza album going in to the concert in Stewart Theatre Friday, but I laid my $20 down to take it home that night.

Spalding’s pure jazz vocals alone would be enough to make her a career. But she does something unprecedented. I don't think any artist has ever controlled both the foundational bass, and upper melodic registers at the same time. (There's Meshell Ndegeocello, but she raps more than she sings, and doesn't have Spalding's ethereal range.)

But Spalding's more than a novelty, that’s certain, and much more than just a singer who plays bass (or vice versa). She’s an impressive composer who has put together an original sound with her prodigiously talented band of fellow Berklee grads. Featured on this short North Carolina tour: Argentinian keyboardist Leo Genovese, Brazilian guitarist Ricardo Vogt, and drummer Gerald Cleaver of Detroit. No embattled egos jockeying for solo position, no dominating displays of post-bop prowess, just there to serve the music.

When Spalding took the stage, her lowkey greeting morphed imperceptibly into performance, as the piano and drums began to move beneath her spoken words. Without warning, she unfolded her wings and flew into a soaring Betty Carter lyric: "Jazz ain't nothing but soul." By now, the entire room was at her feet, where it remained for the rest of the night.

In case you’re wondering, Spalding alternated between playing electric bass, and a travel-sized upright double bass. The understated, but wired-in Vogt played guitar only on selected numbers. I wouldn’t have known this was only Cleaver’s second appearance with Spalding; he didn’t overplay the drums, but brought them out of hiding when the music called for it, giving Spalding cause to head-bob approvingly.

Genovese, who leads his own band called The Chromatic Gauchos, seemed like Spalding’s most essential collaborator, through the subtle and inventive use of five keyboards at his fingertips: grand piano, melodica (to mimick harmonica and bandoneon), computer (crunchy noise samples), Fender Rhodes and Electro Nord 2 organ. The two sometimes duo’ed on Genovese’s bizarro Argentine folk jazz compositions, as Spalding toyed with the degradation of vocal pitch.

“We’re not normal,” said Spalding. Thank goodness for that.

Who knows how management will try to mold this rising star, who is managed by the same Spanish company that handles Omara Portuondo and other Cuban artists; local advanced press interviews were tightly restricted, though Spalding herself seemed surprisingly willing to sit for over an hour signing post-concert autographs and posing with fans. Her encore included two new songs, ending on the same soulful groove where she started with "Cinnamon Tree." This catchy R&B joint suggests she has the crossover potential of an Erykah Badu. I left the theater with its refrain in my ears, already waiting for the next album to come out.

Esperanza in NC

Buzz is great for Esperanza Spalding in Raleigh this Friday (3/5); online ticket sales are at their highest, says Arts NC State marketing director Mark Tulbert. Spalding was so busy, she didn't have time to do advance interviews for the local press. But does she really have to? The 25-year-old has played Barack Obama's White House three times already. At age 20, the Portland native became the youngest ever instructor at Berklee, her alma mater, where she had earned a full scholarship at age 16. Crazy.

Yes, she is crazy gorgeous, and crazy talented. I tried to suss out her Hispanic heritage, if any, to go with the name and Spanish/Brazilian vocals. Her mother has some Hispanic background, but according to the Wiki gods, she learned Spanish from a Cuban nanny. The way she sings and plays bass in an interlocking, polyrhythmic groove definitely feels Latin to me, at times, as Latin as the Stevie Wonder tunes she covers. (Some of my earliest exposure to Latin music was through Stevie Wonder. If you get what I mean, you get what I mean.)


Photo by Johann Sauty

There are still some tickets left, in the reasonable price grade of $24. Of her 3 dates in NC, Asheville got snowed out; Kinston is on for tonight. Hope comes to the Stewart Theatre this Friday.

Pre-Concert Talk with bassist John Brown, head of Duke's Jazz Program, at 6:45 pm, Walnut Room, also in the Talley Student Center.

WHAT: Esperanza Spalding
WHERE: Stewart Theatre, Talley Student Center, NCSU (Raleigh)
WHEN: Friday (3/5), 8 pm

Concert Website: http://ncsu.edu/centerstage/currentseason/esperanza.html

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=365830668898&ref=nf

Wine Bar Descarga

After Saturday's concert, UNC jazz students and faculty jammed with guests at the West End Wine Bar on Franklin Street.


Jason Foureman and Ivan Renta

This tune with a Latin vibe is Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream."

Pt. 1: Ivan Renta (sax), UNC Jazz director Jim Ketch (trumpet).



Pt. 2: Joe Poran (sax), Ramon Ortiz (tambora) and Jason Marsalis (drums).



Also performing: Jake Higgins (piano), Andy Warwick (guitar), Jason Foureman (bass).


Ivan Renta and Ramon Ortiz

Grand Band

The UNC Jazz Band joined forces with the Charanga Carolina Saturday night, for the first time, with some new arrangements for the combined ensemble. Ivan Renta and Jason Marsalis, artists-in-residence at the Carolina Jazz Festival, were featured soloists. Renta brought a number of Chico O'Farrill charts with him, and the big band led off with "Havana Blues." Marsalis, a founding member of Los Hombres Calientes, did some impressive drumming in 6/8 on a Latin jazz number, but stuck mostly to vibes. He even snuck in a reference to the Star Trek opening theme in his vibes solo on "The Nearness of You." Inside joke?



Earlier in the day, Jason and Ivan gave a masterclass at an open rehearsal with the combined ensemble. A couple of pics (click on any to see larger):







Ivan Renta has been to the Triangle a few times before; I first met him in 2005, with Chembo Corniel's five-piece Grupo Chaworo, at the old Exploris during the travelling Latin Jazz exhibition from the Smithsonian. He came to Memorial Hall for the first time the following year, with the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra led by Arturo O'Farrill. From the ancient, mineral hotsprings town of Coamo, Puerto Rico, the 29-year-old has been a leading sideman since his teens, when he moved to New York and began gigging with Eddie Palmieri and others.



The Jazz Band sounded really great, under the irrepressible leadership of Jim Ketch. But I admit I could hardly wait to hear David Garcia lead the Charanga and combined ensembles in the second half. Here are videos in full of the 3 new numbers they did, arranged for charanga and big band together.

"Pide Que Lo Toque" - a gem! Ivan plays a vintage German "Krebs" flute with a plastic mouthpiece, with an unusual Cuban provenance. These were once in common use in Cuba, and according to Ivan, while the middle range is nothing special, it really pops out the high notes which are favored in charanga. This very flute once belonged to the inimitable Richard Egües of Orquesta Aragon; Egües exchanged instruments with Mario Rivera in 1978, when the two recorded together in Cuba on the Tipica 73 album Intercambio Cultural. The flute came to Ivan recently following the passing of Mario Rivera in 2007. The first flute solo features Charanga flutist Caity Bunch; then Jason Marsalis takes a vibes solo; Ivan Renta plays the second flute solo about 4 min. in to the video.



"La Justicia" - Jaime Roman sings lead on this Papa Molina merengue cover. Funny lyrics! You hardly ever hear these old school, big band-era merengues anymore, with saxes doing the guajeos:



"Cayuco" - a classic, Tito Puente cha cha cha, with vibes solo by Marsalis and Renta again on sax/flute:



The night wasn't over yet. See more videos from the post-show jam session at West End Wine Bar, here.

Ivan Renta & Charanga Carolina SATURDAY

Carolina Jazz Festival continues...

Charanga Carolina performs tonight, Saturday (2/27) at Memorial with the UNC Jazz Band, with featured artists Jason Marsalis and Ivan Renta. For the first time, Charanga and the Jazz Band will perform together on a few arrangements: a classic merengue by Papa Molina arranged for big band and charanga, "La Justicia," and Tito Puente's "El Cayuco." I can't find specific ticket price info on this concert, but assume some admission will be charged at the door at Memorial.

Meanwhile, masterclass sessions this afternoon, Saturday (2/27) in the Kenan Music Building rehearsal hall are FREE and open to the public:

1:00pm-2:15pm Masterclass Sessions
Jason Marsalis, drums and vibes
Ivan Renta, saxophone and jazz improvisation

2:30-4:00pm Workshop on Latin Jazz
With Charanga Carolina, David Garcia, Director
With UNC Jazz Band, Jim Ketch, director
With guests: Ivan Renta, tenor sax; Jason Marsalis, drums

Gregg Gelb Goes Latin

Heart of Carolina Jazz Band with "Grandes Estrellas de Latinoamérica" @ Temple Theatre

Some footage of Gregg Gelb's jazz band performing with Pako Santiago, Nelson Delgado, Ramon Ortiz, Andy Kleindienst and Guillo Carias in Sanford on Nov. 6.

Full review coming soon.








"Para Los Rumberos": Tito Puente medley featuring percussion breaks by Pako Santiago (bongo), Nelson Delgado (congas) and Ramon Ortiz (timbales).

Afro Cuban Big Band in Sanford FRIDAY (11/6)

My land: Latin big band in Sanford?! Gregg Gelb and the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra will perform tonight at the Temple Theatre in Sanford at 8 pm. Local luminaries Guillo Carias, Ramon Ortiz, Pako Santiago, Andy Kleindienst and Nelson Delgado will join them for an evening of swing era Latin big band tunes by Tito Puente, Stan Kenton, and more.

Tickets $15; call Temple Theatre box office: (919) 774-4155 until 6 p.m.

Link: http://www.carolinajazz.com/wp/2009/09/24/latinafrocuban-big-band-music/

Food Drive & Good Vibes THURSDAY

Mosaic Fall Music Fest is on through the weekend, and Thursday (10/8) is Noche Latina with live music at 8 pm by Guillo Carias Trio and DJ Steven Feinberg. No cover.

Meanwhile "Dance for Hunger," a month-long food drive organized by local salsa and swing dancers, will collect donations for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern Carolina at this event. A list of most needed items is on the Food Bank website.

The campaign has been very successful so far, so if you are able, please join the party and bring a can of food or other item to donate.

It has been phenomenal to see the Triangle dance community coming together and using that positive energy that comes from dance to impact the community at large. Appreciation to all the instructors, venues, dancers and volunteers who are making the collection possible!

UPDATE: a few photos from Noche Latina @ Mosaic 10/8

HARP THURSDAYS

7-9 pm: Pavelid @ Dos Taquitos Centro

Guillo, el Maravillo

Guillo Carias Trio @ Sullivan's every Wednesday night, 8 pm - 12 midnight.

Guillo Carias' primary instrument is trumpet/flugelhorn, but for the trio he leads from the piano. Also a master piano tuner and rebuilder, Guillo and his wife Maria moved to the Triangle about a year ago, but his career in music traces back to his youth in Santo Domingo, when his father taught him every instrument in the marching band. Today, he is a well-known figure in Dominican jazz, still returning to the island every year to play their jazz festival, and has released 10 albums under his own name.

This genial trio combines just the right mix of experience and insoucience, with fellow Dominicano Ramon Ortiz on percussion and Andy Kleindienst on jazz bass. Salseros know Andy as the elephant trombone of Orquesta GarDel, but listen and hear what a fine bass player he is. Likewise Ramon, often the timbalero or bongocero in dance bands, is a sophisticated and playful trapset drummer bringing his special knowledge of hand drums to the party.



The suave, muscular dance rhythm of Dominican merengue gives the Carias Trio its unique pulse, energizing standards such as "Speak Low" and "Besame Mucho" like waves breaking the surface of an endless sea of smooth. Guillo, who led hotel bands in Santo Domingo for years, is thoroughly at ease in the cocktail lounge setting, smiling at guests while multitasking on guira, vocals or melodica to keep the voyage percolating.

Here's a characteristic peek at the crew wearing its many hats:




Venue details: No cover for Wednesday jazz. Sullivan's serves high-end martinis and a surf-and-turf menu at the bar, which has comfortable seating in which to park and listen for hours. ESPN runs on the silent big screens, and the female waits in fishnets are attentive to small parties and high rollers alike.

Downsides: no draft beer, and drink prices are restaurant style, so tax-added totals run into the pennies and dimes. The occasional cigar puffer may get to you if you are sensitive to smoke.

The upside: World class Latin jazz a lo dominicano like you won't hear anywhere else. And Guillo personally tunes the piano every week. If you love live music in the Triangle, check this out at least once.

Links:
Guillo Carias' contact page (bio, photos, video clips)

Under One Sun

One of 160 bands performing for free at Carrboro Music Festival this Sunday (9/20), One Sun is a jazz fusion project of Saludos Compay pianist Erich Lieth. He is joined here by Drew Pilant (percussion), Padmini Hands (Brazilian and South Asian vocals), Jay Miller (saxophone) and Victor Murillo (guitar), at Weaver Street Market last weekend:



Victor, who moved back to Ecuador this week, takes a final guitar solo at minute 3:15.

never enough harp

I just discovered that the musical Castañeda family, masters of the Colombian folk harp, have set down roots right here in the Triangle. Patriarch Pavelid Castañeda Sr. (pictured), the harpist I raved about at La Fiesta this year, makes his home Chapel Hill. (He and his wife moved here from New York in 2006 when one of their sons received a soccer scholarship to Duke.) A full-time musician and music educator, Pavelid wowed Fiesta audiences with his solo take on "Oye Como Va," as well as traditional llanera music of Colombia's eastern plains.

It turns out, I've been listening to the music of Pavelid's children for years, and didn't know it. Johanna Castañeda has sung backup on Jimmy Bosch's great salsa dura albums, and takes center stage on one tune on Jimmy's latest, A Millon!. Johanna, also a folk dancer and a harpist, gigs regularly in the New York area as a cuatro guitarist and vocalist.

Her older sister, Angela Pilar Castañeda, also sings and plays the Venezuelan cuatro professionally. She and her father performed as a duo for over a decade. Now Angela is an active church musician who resides in Florida.

Youngest son Pavelid Jr. played "soccer for Duke and harp for my family," according to his myspace. The Duke '09 grad plays both these days in the New York area, coaching soccer at Nassau Community College and playing harp at a Colombian restaurant.

Meanwhile, eldest son Edmar Castaneda is breaking paradigms with his introduction of the Colombian folk harp to jazz's highest echelons.
Edmar's jaw-dropping live renditions of Latin jazz tunes are the stuff of legend, and Edmar is frequently invited to play with top guns in the Latin and Jazz worlds such as Arturo O'Farrill, Wynton Marsalis, Lila Downs, Candido Camero and Paquito D'Rivera.



Married to Colombian vocalist Andrea Tierra, Edmar will perform with her at 7 pm this Sunday (9/13) in Asheville at the Diana Wortham Theatre. The concert is sponsored by the WNC Jazz Society.

Want to hear the Castañeda magic a little closer to home? Pavelid Sr. plays the Colombian harp weekly for dinner guests at Dos Taquitos Centro in downtown Raleigh, Thursdays from 7-9 pm. He also plays at The Umstead for brunch and afternoon tea several times a month. Catch him while you can; father and son will be travelling to France and Israel together in October and November.