March 16 - Show #47

Theme: Chi chon chow – Louie Ramírez

Song-Artist-Album-Label

Afro-Blue – Mongo Santamaría with Cal Tjader and Willie Bobo – Afro Roots

Shoshana – Cal Tjader – Gózame! Pero Ya… – Concord Picante

Got myself a good man – Pucho and The Latin Soul Brothers – Compilation The Most of Latin Groove – Jazz FM Records

A night in Tunisia (A tribute to Dizzy) – The Subterraneans – Compilation The Most of Latin Groove – Jazz FM Records

Caravan – Nicola Conte & Philipp Weiss at vocals – Rituals – Schema Records

Warm winds – Charles Kynard & Buddy Collette – Warm Winds – World Pacific

McCanna – Les McCann LTD. – Compilation ¡A Gozar! – Blue Note

Misa negra – Irakere – Misa Negra – Messidor

Brasil native – Lani Hall – Brasil Nativo – Windham Hill Jazz

Terra do indio – Marcos Ariel – Terra Do Indio – WEA Latina

Caminhando – Terra Sul – Kindness of Strangers – Motown Jazz

Coisa mais linda – Oscar Castro-Neves & Paul Winter – Brazilian Days – Living Music

Intro-A jeitosa do morro – Che – Sexy 70 - Music inspired by the Brazilian sacanagem movies of the 1970’s – Vampisoul

Latinaire (Batucada version) – Beatless – Compilation The New Latinaires – Ubiquity Recordings

Tema en Hi-Fi – Nicola Conte – Jet Sounds Revisited – Schema Records/ESL

Veja o sol (Spiritual South remix) – A Bossa Electrica – Compilation Latin Vibes, Vol. 2: Club Selection – Kinkysweet


Highlights of the show:

Tonight show’s highlight has no doubt been Irakere and its 17 minute track “Misa negra”, out of the album by the same title. Following, you may find a review on this album.




Released by Messidor in 1991, the CD information accounts 1987, though, for the year “Misa Negra” was recorded. Nonetheless, it is an album of Irakere at its best. Irakere, a long-life Cuban band, formed by big stars in Latin jazz today was born under the musical vision of Chucho Valdés and Paquito D'Rivera, whose careers already came together from the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna. An idea of renovation of popular music led them to set a new band so that a combination of Afro-Cuban folklore with bop jazz, funky, and fusion would be the outcome of all of it. Since its inception they set the standard for the cutting-edge vanguardist sounds in Latin jazz. Every album has offered always an element for surprise and awe. “Misa Negra” is a four-track album, composed totally by Chucho Valdés, except for the last track, “El Duke”, a version of a Dave Brubeck´s theme, which is a tribute to Duke Ellington. The big band sound in this tune is simply remarkable, like the musicianship of Mr. Valdés at the piano. The album flows around the theme “Misa negra” ('African Mass' in English) as the album´s name, which is a seventeen minute suite resembling the four movements of a Cuban Yoruba religious ceremony as they are practiced in the sincretic cult in today´s Cuba, with an opening prayer, the approximation, the arrival and development, and the farewell, of God in all the stages. The piano full range of sound expression is key and a wonder in this theme. Track three scents a Brazilian flavor in “Samba para Enrique”, and funky opening track “Concierto para metales” roots on the power of the large brass section of the band. In conclusion, a great album of Latin jazz with variety of rhythms and takes to enjoy by the hand of a legendary band with superb musicians at their best.