The "Concierto de Aranjuez," by the blind, 20th-century composer Joaquín Rodrigo, is one of the most well-known works for classical guitar. However, it is less often that one gets to hear it backed by a full orchestra. Ed Stephensonperformed the Spanish bonbon last night on the Meredith College campus, accompanied by the Raleigh Symphony, which also performed works by Beethoven and Dvorak.
Meredith College campus at night.
Born in Canada, Stephenson is half-Ukrainian (original family name: Stefanyshyn). Besides teaching at Meredith, he performs regularly in the area as a soloist and with his nuevo-flamenco combo Paco Band.
The Adagio second movement is instantly familiar; so familiar, in fact, that contractually, orchestras can only obtain the rights to perform this concerto in its entirety. But for simplicity's sake, I'm bringing you just the video of this melancholic second movement from last night's performance:
Ed passes a bouquet to Raleigh Symphony conductor Jim Waddelow.
Dobet Gnahore. Photo (c) Michel De Bock courtesy of Rock Paper Scissors.
Seriously...have I just never noticed before, or is the Triangle awash in opportunities to hear African music right now?
NEXT on the roster: Ivory Coasts's Dobet Gnahore. She's strikingly gorgeous, an experienced professional dancer, singer and musician, and she speaks French (so therefore, local interviews and press coverage have been limited). Music style is contemporary, with influences from Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ghana, Congo, etc. She's the daughter of Ivorian percussionist Boni Gnahore, and has three solo albums to her credit. Musically and personally, she has paired up with French guitarist Colin Laroche de Félin.
Tickets run $24-28 at Stewart Theater (NCSU still has the lowest precios populares among the area's elite arts series). Discounts apply if you are faculty, staff, or student at NCSU.
PARKING NOTE: because of some construction/campus street closings, Cates Ave. is blocked for about one block between Talley Student Center and the parking deck, but do not be deterred. You can access the usual FREE parking deck via PULLEN ROAD.
Is there any Triangle stage that features black women artists more regularly, and in greater proportion to their overall programming, than Arts NC State? In recent memory, they've presented Buika, Esperanza Spalding and Emeline Michel; already this season, they introduced me to the exquisite blueswoman Ruthie Foster. Yet to come in November: Ivorienne singer/dancer Dobet Gnahore (11/4), and local cellist/singer Shana Tucker (11/11).
TONIGHT (10/22): Jazz violinist and MacArthur "Genius" grant winner Regina Carter performs at Stewart Theatre. Her latest album, Reverse Thread, integrates African folk tunes with jazz, in a band featuring kora and accordion. Tickets run $28-32 for general public, with NCSU staff and student discounts available.
Our good friend John Brown, director of Duke's jazz program, leads a pre-show discussion at 7 pm. The discussion is free and open to the public in the Walnut Room, in Talley Student Center.
Shana Tucker gave a gift to the North Carolina Museum of Art on September 2: a free concert to lure visitors in for the last day of the exhibition, "30 Americans." Attendance that night broke records, according to Museum program director George Holt.
Her quartet featured Mark Wells, Peter Kimosh, and Stephen Coffman. Here is her lovely take on Nora Jones' "Wish I Could":
Young people were especially delighted with Shana's big finish: a New Orleans version of "You Are My Sunshine." Here's a montage of the dancing that ensued.
COUNTERPOINT
Here's Shana with a trio, performing the same tune, in a different style. With Mark Wells, piano, and Brevan Hampden, percussion, here's her Latin version of "You Are My Sunshine" one recent evening at Brasa Brasilian Steakhouse:
This was the first year I really applied myself to delve into Hopscotch, which transformed Raleigh into a downtown funzone the second weekend of September. It was really fun to walk the distance between venues and to see a ton of people on the streets, popping in and out of clubs. I'd definitely say (as a Durhamite) that there's been an uptick since in my comfort levels with going out in Raleigh; Spark.con'sfreebies the following weekend served as a booster shot.
FRIDAY NIGHT @ LINCOLN THEATER:The Foreign Exchange.
SATURDAY NIGHT @ POUR HOUSE: With an all-club wristband, I milled about for awhile seeing various indie phenoms, and slowly figured out (DUH) that I probably needed to go to the Pour House, where it was all horn bands. I didn't manage to see that full lineup, but heard fantastic things about Fight The Big Bull (out of Richmond), and my good pals Peter Lamb and The Wolves. I arrived during the set of D-town Brass, a band with quite a few guys in it I know from thar and yonder, but had somehow never heard before. It was experimental and groove-based, kind of nerd-funky, and reminded me of movie scores. The sheer size of that horn-line is devastating, both as an audio and a visual. Orchestral in scope, the front line was like a Noah's ark of trombones, trumpets, saxophones, and clarinets. I'm not sure what all percussion they had back there, but congas for sure, marimbas maybe. Sonorous and intense.
D-town Brass
Budos Band
It started to really fill up as the clouds gathered for Budos Band. These guys brought an unrelenting Latin fusion groove all night. Hopscotchers pitched glowsticks on stage--landing right in the bell of the bari sax player's horn at some points--and instead of getting pissed, they seemed revved by the friendly dose of aggression. They rained glowsticks, and powerful Latin funk beats, right back at us. I really liked Bobby the conga/bongo player's setup and slap style, idiosyncratic and well adapted. "We're the black sheep [of the Daptone label]," these guys told me later, "but people like us, so they can't get rid of us."
Two things I've noticed about the "international" party scene lately: a) it seems to be migrating more and more to Raleigh, and b) the names for some of the new parties sound like new brands in Trojan's expanding product line (i.e., "Latinsations," "Latinvibe," etc.).
New local sextet Caribe Vibe, co-led by Billy Marrero and Andres Leon, seems like the perfect band for this newer, "hotter" Raleigh scene. On just their third gig out in public last night, they brought an agile and unique sound to the newly remodeled Cantina South on Glenwood. Breaking away from either "salsa" or "Latin jazz" formulas, the creative ensemble is making pure dance music that is relaxed, sophisticated and just a little outside the box. Also, absolutely perfect for relatively intimate club spaces. When a sextet doesn't feel like a logistical compromise, but an opportunity for musical creativity, you know you have something special.
So, what's different? For a half-Boricua band--Alberto Carrasquillo (trumpet), Nelson Delgado (vocal/ bongo), and BillyMarrero (congas)--it also sports a heavy Venezuelan angle: co-leader Andres Leon on the piano, and his Maracaibo cohort Josue Bracho on drumset. American Paul Dobelstein plays electric bass.
That drumset (in place of timbales) sets Caribe Vibe apart from other salsa bands, giving it a jazzy versatility and a rock-heavy downbeat reminiscent of Cuban timba. Yet unlike most Latin jazz combos, Caribe Vibe keeps vocals and dancefloor appeal always foregrounded. Nelson Delgado, also a lead vocalist with Charanga Carolina and Orquesta GarDel, as well as a percussionist for many years in Carnavalito, maximizes both talents in the sextet--as sonero and bongocero.
In repertoire, they have a similar range to Billy and Andres's large ensemble, Orquesta K'Che: salsas, son/cha cha chas, merengues and cumbias. But even on well-worn standards, Caribe Vibe isn't treading water; with drumset and electric bass on hand, "Oye Como Va" can really plunge off the deep end toward rock. On "Moliendo Cafe," a classic pianist's showcase, Andres played a solo which is one of his best I've heard:
Caribe Vibe showed its own personality with two boleros that the group adapted into exciting salsa arrangements. This one, "La Barca" (Luis Miguel) got my blood up, with instrumental soloing on piano and trumpet:
Dancers loved this show; the sound (mixing and volume) was excellent. The venue has mixed bar- and restaurant-style seating, and a moderately sized wood dancefloor. Door cover was $5. I would definitely hit this band/venue up again.
"Mambo princess" Griselle Ponce will give a dance performance and workshop in the Triangle on Saturday, August 13. That evening's Copa Night party, hosted by the Cobo Brothers at Mint Restaurant in Raleigh, features live music by the Triangle's elite salsa orchestra, Orquesta GarDel.
Note: The dress theme for the party is no longer "Black and White," as originally advertised, but a dress code of NO JEANS or athletic wear still applies. Please consult the web for full details.
Ms. Ponce, who frequently partners with mambo legend Eddie Torres, will offer a Ladies Styling workshop at the Triangle Dance Studio on Saturday afternoon. Limited advance and package discounts are being offered on the Cobo Brothers' webpage.
Orquesta K'Che["kah-CHAY"] is now vying for the title of the Triangle's Latin Party Band. The legendary Cinco de Mayo party at Dos Taquitos in Raleigh is hardly a level playing field, though; the supply of Coronas never outlasts the partiers at this redoubtable outdoor fiesta. It was K'Che's first year playing at this event, which has been held down in the past by Carnavalito.
I came in for the last two sets, and by then, things were loose and lubricated. In the front row, sonero Jaime Roman was stoking the attention of a cadre of ladies in giant straw hats. Finding a safe cul-de-sac, I got busy dancing to the salsas, cumbias, merengues, and occasional son. Some casino rueda dancers were making space to dance their Cuban formations in the parking lot. At one point, a conga line snaked through the tiny dance tent, which was an endless traffic jam of jubilating bodies.
It was a party that just wouldn't quit, and this young band was drinking it in. Pushing their time an extra 30 minutes, they kept jamming even as the percussionists were packing up, and friends like Brevan Hampden and Cristian Cañaveral jumped in for a swan song.
The only video I took (because I was too busy dancing) was this one, a juiced descarga very close to the end of the night:
K'Che's official lineup: Andres Leon (piano, musical director), Billy Marrero (percussion, leader), Julio Correa and Pako Santiago (percussion), Levy Vargas (electric bass), Jaime Roman (vocals/hand percussion), Nelson Rodriguez (vocals/hand percussion/tres?), Channing McCullough (sax), William Villalba (trumpet), Mathew Parunak (trombone).
I had the privilege to interview Haitian singer Emeline Michel, as well as her guest violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), for this story in the INDY this week:
Some pictures from the Black and White Party at Mint, the new location for the Cobo Brothers' monthly Copa Night. It was Orquesta GarDel's last gig of 2010, and the first I've heard them since August.
Nelson, Andy, Tim, Blu, Alberto, Kyle and Jose
Cute as buttons: floor show dancers Eider and Luisa
Kitchen staff checks out Pete and Eric's irresistible tumbao
Brevan's eye view
It was too dark for me to take video last night, but GarDel's first CD, Lo Que Tu Querias, will be out in no time--sources say January.
Late add to the party calendar: Orquesta GarDel has been booked to play Copa Night this month at its new Raleigh location: The Mint Restaurant on Fayetteville Street.
GarDel says this will be the last time to hear them in 2010 before the release party for their imminent CD.
Party hours: 11 pm - 2:30 am, with two live band sets at 11:45 pm and 1:15 am. Professional salsa and tango dancers Eider and Luisa and Cristian Oviedo will perform.
It's a Winter Black and White Party, so guests get a door discount for wearing all black and/or all white. Limited online tickets are available, which include a gift certificate to dine at Mint.
I counted about 40 heads at Alex Cuba's live show at the Berkeley Cafe in Raleigh this past Tuesday, just about a week after he won "Best New Artist" category at the Latin Grammys.
Or course, this tour was booked long before. But what impressed me wasn't just Alex' clarion voice, his hot guitar pickin', or his adorable sneakers (the same shiny, silver hightops that he wore to the Latin Grammys). He played this show like he was earning our love, one listener at a time. With several Junos and a Latin Grammy in his pocket, Alex Cuba is still paying his dues. And he doesn't seem to mind at all.
Something of a perfectionist, Alex (whose first instrument is bass) plays almost all the parts on his solo albums; on tour, he doesn't like to go bigger than a trio. He seemed very disciplined about the whole touring thing, and very happy to be building his audience, one beerhall at a time. From Raleigh, next stop: Vienna, Virginia, on a 14-leg tour.
Re: The Alex Cuba trio band:
Bass player David Marion is a Paris native; his mother is from Guadeloupe. He has played some zouk, but mostly gospel back in Paris (who knew!). It figures; he has that light-from-within thing when he smiles. He's toured with Alex since 2006.
Drummer Max Senitt is based in Toronto, where he's involved with the Latin jazz scene, and gigs regularly with the exquisite Cuban pianist Hilario Duran. Hilario seems like a laid-back dude, I saw him live backing Jane Bunnett, but as Max says, he's a "madman" at the piano. I have been playing his recent solo disc Motion on WXDU (Azucar y Candela Wednesdays, 6-8 pm, wxdu.org). Max has toured with Alex for about two years.
There is only one word for the reception Alex Cuba + trio received in Raleigh: an embrace. Please come back soon, fellas.
For the home audience, here's video of Alex's first English lyric tune, which he graciously dedicated to Berkeley Cafe promoter Marianne Taylor:
Alex is dreamiest alone at the mic, with his guitar and hooky songwriting. Here's a snippet of the first encore we received, his lovely ballad "Solo Tu," from the newest, self-titled album Alex Cuba:
I first came to know Alexis Puentes [aka "Alex Cuba"] via the Puentes Brothers' Morumba Cubana, a rootsy little album of Cuban son that turned up one day at the radio station WXDU around 2004. Canadian emigres, the brothers Alex and Adonis Puentes were doing fun, original material that draws not only on traditional Cuban son, but trova, the native Cuban and Latin American tradition of folk. I seem to recall some American swing mixed in there as well. This album fell into the "pleasant surprise" category.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that Alex and Adonis--now on quite different solo paths, are actually (fraternal) twins. There's enough difference in their look, sound, and personal style that this never hit me as obvious. Naturally, there's a great resonance between them, too.
Adonis blew me away with his shrewdly cynical, yet bumpin' dance tune "Commerciante" on his 2005 solo album Vida. With the coro, "yo no soy músico, soy comerciante (I'm not a musician, I'm a businessman)," the song is both a resignation to, and a protest of, the pressure on artists to produce "hits." Adonis' sound is much more traditionally Cuban, informed by newer dance grooves of timba and salsa but hewing close to the acoustic aesthetic of traditional son. His vocal style reminds me of elegant, jazzy sonero Issac Delgado. Adonis was tapped as a vocalist recently, along with Ruben Blades, for the Lincoln Center free revival concert of Larry Harlow's La Raza Latina: A Salsa Suite.
I would have pegged Alex for the younger brother, because his style, both audio and visual, is much more contemporary and fused with urban and pop fashion. Whereas the cleanshaven Adonis strikes me as a plainspoken craftsmen, Alex, with his trademark fro and arching sideburns, cuts the figure of a flamboyant hipster. Both of them have the songwriting knack and a strong, clear voice. Trova is generally written in a much more personal first-person voice than son, so in a way this is a good starting point for pop fusions, something Alex in his solo career has exploited well.
I really liked Alex's last album, Agua del Pozo, because it congenially strayed from Cuban tradition without falling into a generic Latin pop sound. The new one, self-titled, I've only heard on the website, and while it sounds a little poppier to me than the last one, I can't give it a full review yet. If it's any indication of which direction he's going musically, Alex also helped craft Nelly Furtado's first Spanish-language album, Mi Plan, which also one a Latin Grammy this year.
Alex plays a mean Gibson, and I'm curious to see what the touring band sounds like, and how much of the show will be acoustic vs. electric.
Having spent a week trying to describe Buika, I don't have a lot of energy left except to say: see this indescribable songstress on Tuesday (11/16), 8 pm at NC State's Stewart Theatre, you won't regret it.
Oh, and yours truly will give the Pre-Concert Talk from 7:00-7:30 pm in Talley, Room 3118 (3rd floor, same building as the Stewart Theatre). There will be audio and video. Come on down!
70s soft rock got Cristian Cañaveral's set off to a nostalgic start last night at Buku. Singing Spanish lyrics to Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are," without a hint of irony, set the mood for an evening of lovely, digestible, R&B-infused Latin pop.
The built-out combo, with piano, electric guitar, Latin percussion and drumset, gives welcome dimension to Cristian's acoustic-guitar-driven originals.
It was mayhem on the dance floor until 2 am, following the live set, with DJ Salsa Mike spinning the traditional tropical mix. Mike's next party, Salsa Brava, will be next Saturday (10/2) at Carmen's.
Singer/songwriter Cristian Cañaveral has burst onto the Triangle scene lately, making a lot of new fans at the Ritmo Latino Festival in August. Since then he's been a popular draw at small, live music venues such as Mosaic Wine Lounge, where his next gig will be this Monday (9/27) 9-11 pm; no cover.
Below, from his last concert there, Cristian sings an original on the patio (low light, sound only):
With a decidedly romantic timbre to his voice, and Latin pop sensibilities drawing on the bolero tradition, the 22-year-old appears to have a lot of commercial potential.
Performing sometimes as a solo or trio act, he also works with a backing band that rocks more formidably, featuring Venezuelan core musicians from the local scene: pianist Andres Leon, percussionist Josue Bracho Quintero, and others.
Check out the Cristian Cañaveral Live BandTONIGHT, Saturday (9/25) at the Buku Loco party in Raleigh. Live music from 10 to 11:30 pm, followed by dance party with DJ Salsa Mike.
Baltimore band Zephyros @ Greek Festival in Raleigh
Raleigh's Greek Festival got off to a good start last night with a Friday dinner rush; around 5 pm, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church's website slowed as people printed out their coupon for complimentary admission.
Sit down dinners, gyros and calamari, a nice selection of Greek wines and beer, coffee, and baklava sundaes were among the homemade treats on offer at the Exposition Center at the NC State Fairgrounds. At the vendors' market, you can purchase religious icons, paintings of Greek landscapes, and belly dance coin belts at an affordable price of $10.
Stavros Blicas and Dave Drosinos
Live band Zephyros is back again from Baltimore, having played Fayetteville's Greek Festival last weekend, and the guys welcomed me back as their "official" videographer (see my coverage of last year's Greek Festival).
I'm not an expert on Greek music, but I can tell that it requires a high level of musicianship, especially on instruments I don't get to hear too often, such as clarinet and bouzouki. I also love the dance rhythms and the unstoppable medleys. Here's a taste of Friday night's music and dancing:
Zephyros will be playing throughout the festival, which ends Sunday (9/18) at 8 pm; Saturday's live music schedule is 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, then again from 5 to 10 pm.
The Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti makes three stops in the Triangle this weekend, offering rare opportunities for cultural exchange while gathering donations to rebuild homes there.
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:
Day 2 of La Fiesta, with headliner Tropic Orchestra:
Tropic Orchestra is like an unstable isotope, still evolving; ironically, I think the cave-like resonance of Jim Graham Building helped even out their sound. They're still missing some of the sharper turns in their arrangements. The rhythm section had a lot of power though, with this new conguero I don't know, Joseph Mejia, but whom I could hear well, Frank Vila on bongos as usual, and Billy Marrero filling in on timbales. Backing vocalists Ivan Ramirez and Josue Bracho Quintero also contributed hand percussion, giving a nice full sound.
The brass section welcomes back William Villalba on trumpet, an old bandmate of sonero Ricardo Diquez from earliest Samecumba days. Another veteran: Rey Riera has taken up his electric baby bass once again, which he hasn't played (that I can recall) since he was part of the long lost conjunto La Sexta Clave. It's good to see these gentlemen back in the music scene.
These guys can all still work on the cogency of their soloing, but the strength of Tropic as usual is in the driving quality of their street sound. What I realized, talking with another long-time DJ about this at La Fiesta, is that "our music" (salsa) is música popular, and that means the basic rhythms are unchanging and simple to reproduce, anywhere, under varying conditions of time and place. Every band doesn't have to be Spanish Harlem Orchestra to bring the dancers what they need. You can come away quite satisified with an average band, in an average town, on an average day, as long as the clave and tumbao aren't screwed up. And even an average band in an average town on an average day has its elevated moments. We live for those.
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