The audio and digital download versions of the second volume of Beyond Salsa Piano are now available on LPM.

For a preview of the contents, including audio and notation examples, click here. This one covers the emergence of the piano in Cuba, including the music of Arcaño, Cachao, Beny Moré, Celia Cruz, Aragón, et al. It ends with the Cuban Revolution. Volumes 3 and 4 will get us from that revolution to the timba revolution.

Meanwhile, as many of you know, I've appointed myself guinea pig for Amazon's brave new world of on-demand publishing, and they're torturing the guinea pig! Imagine my shock after days of proofing Volume 2 when I tried to upload it and discovered that they had discontinued the page size they'd told me to use in the first place! I'll spare you the gory details, but here's the short version. Volume 1 is still available here, for $15 in full color. However, it will very soon disappear and be unavailable in hard-copy for a couple weeks, and when it comes back, it will be $20 and the interior will be black and white. It will also be slightly smaller in dimensions. So if you want the soon-to-be-ophaned color version, get it now, but be warned that it will be replaced and the new one will be the same size as the rest of the series. So if you want your collection to match, wait a few weeks, but if you want color, for $5 less, this is the last chance. It's too bad, because the color interior was going to be great for the timba volumes, but their rapidly changing policies made it impossible. The LPM digital versions will continue to be in color however.

Sorry to keep changing my strategy, but somebody has to figure out how this stuff works, and when you self-publish your book, you'll know exactly where to come for advice! Thanks to all for your extreme patience and don't worry - the timba stuff is really coming soon. The next four volumes are essentially done except for the formatting and proofreading. And the free online version has some Melón and other crazy timba to keep your fingers busy.

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continue reading La Última

As part of the SF Jazz Festival Issac Delgado will be at Bimbo’s 365 Club on February 19, 8PM & 10:30PM.

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Chucho el Rey de la Salsa reports from Havana that at a special concert yesteday, a free event that took place at the at the Tribuna Anti-Imperialista in El Malecón, Paulo FG launched a new album after a 5 year hiatus. The production features the hit "Mami Te Fuiste Pa' La Yuma" (my hottie split to the USA). Stay tuned for more info. 

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continue reading Pa' Ponerte en Talla

Pepitín in France

José Antonio Rodríguez González, better known to timba fans as Pepitín, is back in the studio after leaving Salsa Mayor. He is not cutting a new timba CD, but rather recording some traditional style songs that will be released when the mix is finished.

The musicians are:
Cesar 'El Lento' - tres
San Miguel - guitar
Ernesto Palmas (director of los clasicos del son) - bass
Rolando Salgado 'el niño mentira' - percussion
Robby (Manolito y Su Trabuco) - trumpet

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continue reading Timbera Mayor