INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY IN HAVANA, APRIL 30, 2017

April 30 is the 5th annual International Jazz Day, and Cuba is the host country for the All Star Global Concert this year!  Actually, there is more or less a week of activities around this day, and more than 50 prominent artists from 14 countries (including, of course, Cuba) are participating.  Best of all, the website http://jazzday.com/concert/   will be streaming a special concert live on the 30th.   For a lot more information, visit the website just mentioned.  The lineup is stunning, and this writer deeply regrets not being there in person.   

New Website for the Instituto Cubano de la Música

The Instituto Cubano de la Música has an excellent new website, and even though they tell me that it is still a work in progress (what website isn't, really?), it already has a lot of useful information. 
Check it out at  http://dcubamusica.cult.cu/

Film:  Esteban by Jonal Cosulluela with musical score by Chucho Valdés

I will be watching this in Chicago this week, but I believe that it is traveling the festival circuit now.   It is the Director's debut, and it is about a boy who is musically gifted.   You can read more
here

New from BIS Music:  Cuba y Puerto Rico Un abrazo musical salsero

Not the first Cuba-Puerto Rico project by any means, but the promo video looks and sounds promising.    More after this writer has tasted more of it.    

CUBADISCO 2017


Cubadisco 2017 is coming in a couple of weeks.   Watch for more information soon.

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           ACAS at Kuumbwa Jazz Center - all photos by Tom Ehrlich - full gallery coming soon

The current incarnation of Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars may be the best in its legendary, star-studded 20-year history. They'll be in LA at the Catalina Bar & Grill tonight through Saturday and in Phoenix on Sunday.

De Marcos quipped that when he started the band he was the youngest member, surrounded by octogenarian legends. Now he's the oldest and he's assembled a blazing hot young band that's as much about innovation as celebrating the past.

Tany Allende, Caleb Michel, Asley Rosell, Marcos Crego, Jiovanni Cofiño

The rhythm section is tight, intense and never too loud - with de Marcos' daughter Gliceria on vibes and synth, ex-Klímax pianist Marcos Crego, ex-Revé musical director Jiovanni Cofiño on bass and a stunning young rhythm section with Arizona-born Caleb Michel on timbales, Tany Allende on congas and newcomer Asley Rosell on bongó.

Juan de Marcos

De Marcos has become an excellent singer and now uses only one additional lead vocalist, Emilio Suárez, who's also started contributing original compositions. 

Juan de Marcos, Laura Lydia González

But what continually blows me away about this band is the horn section. While finding a spot in the band for his younger daughter Laura, de Marcos hit on an idea that works so brilliantly it's a wonder that no other bands have adopted it. Placing a bass clarinet below three trumpets creates a completely unique sound and an ensemble capable of sounding as in tune as three trombones, and as ferocious as the agile, but often unruly combination of trumpets and saxes.

Laura Lydia González

Laura Lydia González combines the accuracy and perfect intonation of a classical player with the bite and rhythmicattack of a percussionist. She also solos on the standard Bb clarinet as I've never heard it played - almost reinventing the instrument. The traditionally straight-laced clarinet tends to be more accurate but less expressive than the sax, but Laura plays with a wailing, soaring tone that sounds more like a soulful trumpet. If you're anywhere near LA or Phoenix don't miss this one.

                   Juan de Marcos, Emilio Suárez, Laura González, Gliceria González

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I.  San Francisco and Santa Cruz:   


Omar Sosa   will have a 4-night residency with different guests on different nights at SF Jazz Thursday-Sunday, April 20-23. His Cuarteto AfroCubano, John Santos, percussionist Mino Cinelu , who started his career with Miles Davis, GRAMMY® -winning trumpter Joo Kraus and Yosvany Terry are among the guests during the residency, and the final night includes Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu and Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu. The trio has played extensively in Europe, but this concert is their debut in North America. 
Omar will also be at Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz  with Gurtu and Fresu on Monday, April 24. 
For more details about the San Francisco concerts, click here.  
For more details about the Kuumbwa concerts, click here.  

Also in Santa Cruz, Juan De Marcos & The Afro Cuban All-Stars will be at Kuumbwa on Monday, April 17.   Full details here.  
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And in Chicago......
1.  Movie Night! 

Ya no es antes, a feature film by Lester Hamlet , in addition to having already won some awards as a film, features a soundtrack with music by Harold López-Nussa , Kelvis Ochoa and Haila .  At the AMC River East 21  Friday April 21- Sunday 23. The director, Lester Hamlet, who already has an impressive body of other work, will be present for all three screenings.Complete details here . 

2.  Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro concerts 

Two of them coming up on May 1 and 2 - full details at Hothouse.net

3. Roberto Fonseca in a television program taping with a live audience at WTTW Friday, May 5 

Live taping of The Experience features an interview with Roberto followed by a performance and an autograph session.  Full details here . 

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Congratulations to Lazarito Valdés' who celebrates his birthday today which also happens to be the first concert of the Europe 2017 Spring tour for Bamboleo, tonight in Strasbourg, France at the Cubahinama festival. The tour will take them to France, Italy, England, Switzerland, Tunisia and Serbia. Click here for the list of concert dates .

Felicitaciones a Lazarito Valdés en la ocasión de su cumpleaños, que también es el día del primer concierto de la gira de Europa 2017 para Bamboleo, que empieza esta noche en Estrasburgo, Francia, en el festival Cubahinama. La gira los llevará a Francia, Italia, Inglaterra, Suiza, Túnez y Serbia. Dale clic aquí para ver la lista de conciertos.

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