Patricia Sosa, Chucho Valdés - ONCE: Concierto para Dos

Styles: Vocal, Piano
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:53
Size: 114,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:47) 1. Alli
(3:53) 2. Envidia
(3:39) 3. Distancia
(3:24) 4. Ningún Amor Es Perfecto
(6:22) 5. Vela Encendida
(6:44) 6. Dias de Otoño
(3:44) 7. Me Has Echado al Olvido
(5:14) 8. Marcada a Fuego
(5:02) 9. Ya No Me Dueles
(3:32) 10. De Aqui a la Eternidad
(4:28) 11. Concierto para Dos

The Argentine singer-songwriter, Patricia Sosa, gives a turn in her career with the presentation of "Once (Concierto para dos)", an album of boleros and ballads that features the participation of the emblematic Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdés. This record was recorded at Chucho's studio in Málaga, with the participation of artists Dany Leis, Daniel Casares, Esperanza García de Soria and Miguel Poveda. https://www.amazon.com/Once-Concierto-PATRICIA-VALD%C3%89S-CHUCHO/dp/B0784W1HC7

ONCE: Concierto para Dos

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Jay Rodriguez, Chucho Valdes - Live In Verona

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:08
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:35)  1. Blues To You
(8:05)  2. Blue In Green
(5:46)  3. Beatrice
(7:28)  4. All of You
(1:28)  5. Channel Five
(7:40)  6. Sunday Kind of Love
(8:34)  7. Thing a Ma Jig
(7:28)  8. Mambo Influenciado

Colombian-born Jay Rodríguez (Hernan Ramiro Rodríguez Sierra) began playing music while attending elementary school and has been performing professionally since eighth grade. The talented musician studied clarinet with Paquito D'Rivera's father, Tito D'Rivera, and later harmony at the Hight School of Performing Arts. After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Rodríguez became involved in the tropical music field, teaming up with the legendary Eddie Palmieri and Ray Barretto, among other prominent Latin artists. However, New York's environment moved him to explore different sounds, having the opportunity to join the acid jazz outfit Groove Collective soon after. 

In 2001, DJ and producer Ron Trent teamed up with him to assemble an experimental duo called Batidos, issuing a full-length record titled Olajope. ~ Drago Bonacich https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jay-rodriguez-mn0000222172/biography

Live In Verona

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Arturo O'Farrill & Chucho Valdés - Familia: Tribute To Bebo & Chico (Disc 1) And (Disc 2)

Album: Familia: Tribute To Bebo & Chico (Disc 1)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:49
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front + Back

( 8:56)  1. BeboChico
( 7:52)  2. Three Revolutions
( 9:33)  3. Ecuación
(11:59)  4. Tema de Bebo
( 6:09)  5. Pianitis
(10:18)  6. Father, Mothers, Sons, Daughters

Familia: Tribute To Bebo & Chico (disc 1)

Album: Familia: Tribute: To Bebo & Chico (Disc 2)

Time: 39:29
Size: 90,7 MB

(7:20)  1. Run And Jump
(7:41)  2. Recuerdo
(5:44)  3. Gonki Gonki
(3:50)  4. Pura Emoción
(2:32)  5. Para Chico
(8:07)  6. Con Poco Coco
(4:12)  7. Raja Ram

Pianists Arturo O'Farrill and Chucho Valdés celebrate their rich musical family legacies on 2017's ambitious, gloriously realized Familia: Tribute to Bebo & Chico. Although they grew up on separate shores, O'Farrill in New York (via Mexico) and Valdés in Cuba, they both came of age in musical households as the sons of legendary Cuban bandleaders Chico O'Farrill and Bebo Valdés. Along with icons like Chano Pozo, Machito, and Dizzy Gillespie, the elder O'Farrill and Valdés were giants of Afro-Cuban music. Similarly, just as their fathers helped further the dissemination and creative development of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz, Arturo and Chucho are innovators in their own rights, with decades of experience playing both traditional Cuban music and ultra-modern jazz. Impressively, they bring all that history to bear on Familia, a two-disc collection featuring songs composed by their fathers, as well as new compositions inspired by their lives growing up in such deeply artistic families. Joining them here are their equally talented children, including trumpeter Adam O'Farrill, drummer Zack O'Farrill, pianist Leyanis Valdés, and drummer Jessie Valdés. Also on board are the members of Arturo O'Farrill's own Grammy Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. Disc one primarily features the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and finds O'Farrill and Valdés taking a more traditional, if still dazzling approach on cuts like the merengue-infused "BeboChicoChuchoTuro" and a lushly orchestrated reading of Bebo Valdés' "Ecuacion." Also compelling are the pianist's solo turns on Chico O'Farrill's "Pianitis" and O'Farrill's homage to his parents, "Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters," which features several sparkling cadenzas from pianist Leyanis Valdés. Disc two showcases the smaller, post-bop-leaning Third Generations Ensemble, in which they explore the more progressive edges of Afro-Cuban jazz. Here, trumpeter (and third place finisher at the 2014 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition) Adam O'Farrill shines, revealing his knack for harmonically adventurous improvisation à la Woody Shaw on the kinetic and fractured "Run and Jump." Similarly, the trumpeter breathes new life into Chico O'Farrill's "Pura Emocion" framed by his father's taut, angular arrangement. Elsewhere, Zack O'Farrill contributes the expansive "Gonki Gonki" (his mother's way of describing the sound of rhythmic piano montunos) and Chucho offers the lushly virtuosic solo track "Para Chico." The sheer amount of virtuosity on display on Familia: Tribute to Bebo & Chico might well be overwhelming if the music itself weren't so warmly and beautifully rendered. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/familia-tribute-to-bebo-chico-mw0003086663               

Familia: Tribute: To Bebo & Chico (disc 2)

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Bebo Valdés, Chucho Valdés - Juntos Para Siempre

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:31
Size: 118.0 MB
Styles: Afro-Cuban jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2009/2014
Art: Front

[5:03] 1. Preludio Para Vevo
[4:50] 2. Descarga Valdes
[4:41] 3. Tres Palabras
[4:11] 4. Rareza Del Siglo
[5:05] 5. Tea For Two
[3:27] 6. Son De La Loma
[8:37] 7. A Chucho
[5:26] 8. Sabor A Mi
[3:09] 9. Perdido
[3:41] 10. Lagrimas Negras
[3:17] 11. La Conga Del Dentista

In this album,cuban piano virtuosos and exceptionally talented composers Bebo and Chucho Valdes, father and son, got together somewhere in Spain to record this joint effort and example of their musical greatness. Also included in this great album are songs each one composed in honor of the other. Many good things can be said about this joint effort, but in my opinion, let it suffice to say that each are a credit to Cuban music and its history, aside from being authorities in the world of "Afro-Cuban Jazz". I highly recommend this album by both the great Bebo and his son "Chucho" Valdes, two immortals of our cuban and latin american music. ~L. Dequesada

Juntos Para Siempre

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Arturo Sandoval & Chucho Valdes - Straight Ahead

Styles: Trumpet And Piano Jazz 
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:27
Size: 104,3 MB
Art: Front

( 7:57)  1. King Pete's Heart
(10:34)  2. My Funny Valentine
( 4:32)  3. Mambo Influenciado
( 7:20)  4. Claudia
( 6:52)  5. Blues 88
( 8:10)  6. Blue Monk

With his remarkable range and phenomenal technique, Arturo Sandoval is one of the world's great trumpeters; he can do virtually anything he wants on his instrument. Some detractors have claimed that he has too much technique (is such a thing possible?) and that his recordings for GRP are a bit erratic. 

The latter criticism cannot be applied to this 1988 release. Sandoval is heard with a standard quartet comprised of the great pianist Chucho Valdes (the leader of Irakere), bassist Ron Matthewson, and drummer Martin Drew. Recorded in England before Sandoval broke ties with Cuba, Sandoval is in near-miraculous form on some blues, a lyrical "My Funny Valentine," and a few basic originals. Just listen to him tear through "Blue Monk," playing in the low register with the speed of an Al Hirt before jumping into the stratosphere like Maynard Ferguson. This CD serves as an excellent introduction for the bop lover to the very talented Arturo Sandoval. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/straight-ahead-mw0000171274

Personnel:  Bass – Ron Matthewson;  Drums – Martin Drew;  Flugelhorn – Arturo Sandoval;  Piano – Chucho Valdes;  Trumpet – Arturo Sandoval

Straight Ahead

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Irakere - Cuba Libre

Styles: Latin Jazz, Fusion
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:10
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

(12:57)  1. Cuba Libre
( 6:58)  2. Sea Mail
( 7:38)  3. Encuentro
( 5:28)  4. Qué Pasa?
( 5:58)  5. Gospelanza
( 1:08)  6. Cuba Libre (reprise)

It's with great pleasure that Far Out Recordings can re-issue this extremely rare, cult record from one of the finest bands to emerge from Cuba. Stepping out of Brazil Joe Davis has been digging through the dustiest crates to re-discover one of the very best Latin American records. Recorded in Japan in 1980 and released as a Japanese exclusive vinyl LP 'Cuba Libre' was composed, arranged and produced by the remarkable Japanese musician Chikara Ueda. With almost the entire original line up in place including Chucho Valdes, Arturo Sandoval, and Jorge Alfonso this is a record of sublime quality that retains all of the authentic essence and beauty of Cuban music. Among the most influential Latin bands Irakere's mix of fiery funk anthems and sophisticated jazz has rarely sounded better than on these six classic and uniquely Cuban tracks. 'Cuba Libre' is one of Irakere's finest moments. Never before released on CD, this is the first ever release outside of Japan for 'Cuba Libre' and with stunning re-mastering and music of glorious quality this is an essential and significant re-issue of one of Latin music's holy grail collector's items. A vital 45 minutes in the history of Cuban music. https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/CDs-Vinyl/Cuba-Libre-Irakere/B003BL0BCC

First time on CD for this 1980 Japanese release by one of Cuba's best loved bands. Overshadowed internationally by the sucess of Buena Vista Social Club, Irakere inhabit an exalted place with those in the know. A real treaasure for all music lovers. ~ Clash
 

Personnel:  Chucho Valdés – keyboards;  Arturo Sandoval – trumpet;  Jorge Varona – trumpet;  Germán Velazco - alto saxophone;  Carlos Averhoff - tenor saxophone;  Carlos Emilio Morales – guitar;  Carlos del Puerto – bass;  Jorge "El Niño" Alfonso – percussion;  Óscar Valdés – percussion;  Enrique Plá – drums.

Cuba Libre

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Ivan Lins, Chucho Valdes E Irakere - Ao Vivo Em Cuba

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:58
Size: 137.3 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[9:48] 1. Lua Soberana
[4:11] 2. Somos Todos Iguais Nesta Noite
[5:59] 3. Comecar De Novo
[3:16] 4. Dinorah, Dinorah
[8:33] 5. La Explosion
[4:03] 6. Lembra De Mim
[2:52] 7. Iluminados
[7:10] 8. Garota De Ipanema
[4:18] 9. Vitoriosa
[9:44] 10. Al, Al, Al, Al, Al

The combination of Chucho Valdés’ Afro-Cuban fusion jazz with Ivan Lins’ elaborate songwriting has produced a truly world-class recording. For Ivan Lins music lovers, Ao Vivo em Cuba is more than a collection of greatest hits. The new arrangements and totally new Caribbean flavor in Lins’ songs are unforgettable and just sound well together.

Ivan Lins is not new to the world market. Since Quincy Jones’s Grammy winner arrangement of “Velas” hit the air waves in 1981, Ivan Lins’s music is being recorded by artists such as George Benson, Manhattan Transfer, Mark Murphy, Diane Schuur, Sting, Nancy Wilson and a fantastic array of renowned names. Also, the encounter of Brazil and Cuba is not new. This Brazilian-Cuban romance has survived governments and geographical distances. Pablo Milanés, for example, has sung some of his songs with Chico Buarque and Simone. This new flame with Ivan Lins is the result of the work of Julio Ballester Guzmán and Vítor Martins (Ivan Lins’s most regular songwriting partner).

As indicated in the liner notes, Ao Vivo em Cuba was recorded in La Casa de la Música (Havana, Cuba) before a live audience exclusively comprised of Cuban artists and musicians. Irakere’s Latin percussion and, especially, Chucho Valdés’s piano accompaniment carry most of the songs in this release. To give the audience a breathing moment, Ivan Lins sings a few songs only with piano accompaniment. It is during this segment of the show that we hear a medley of “Garota de Ipanema” and “Aos Nossos Filhos.” Though a rather unusual medley, the ending result is quite pleasing. However, from the opening track of “Lua Soberana/Confins,” the listener has no alternative but agree with Franklin Valverde’s statement that this CD is a “cocktail to be enjoyed slowly.” “Somos Todos Iguais Nesta Noite,” “Dinorah” or the closing track “Ai, Ai, Ai, Ai, Ai” will be anything and everything that encompass Cuban and Brazilian flavors. ~Egídio Leitão

Ao Vivo Em Cuba

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