VI. JUNE 13, 2002 ­ ISSAC AT THE COPPACABANA - POMONA, CA

by Bill Wolfer©2002
(photo by Peter Maiden - from Yoshi's a few days earlier)

The power of music never fails to amaze me. Music is my religion and my redemption. This week I have been suffering from post-Havana letdown, a mild depression that often inflicts people who have an incredibly intense two weeks in la habana, and are then forced to return to their everyday lives back in El Yuma. I've been cranky and ill-at-ease, but I was cured tonight by the next best thing to being in Havana: hearing one of Cuba's best groups here in the States.

Issac and his band played the Coppacabana in Pomona tonight. The Coppacaba is a beautiful club sitting high on a hilltop overlooking Pomona. But that's the thing: Pomona. Few people seem to know about this club, and few people knew about Issac's appearance tonight. The place was maybe at two-thirds capacity at best.

As soon as I arrived, I made my way to the outdoor patio just off the stage where the musicians tend to congregate and smoke. It's a great place for schmoozing. I introduced myself to Rolando Luna and Ceruto by dropping Kevin Moore's name. I told Rolando that I had tried to hear his jazz group last month in Havana, but I had to leave early because I was on the guest list for Manolito Y Su Trabuco at the Habana Libre. He said that he came up there to hear Trabuco after his gig.

He asked me if I was a musician, and I told him about my band, Mamborama, that it was a mixture of Yanquís and Cubanos. Just after I had told him that Jimmy Branly was our timbalero, I looked behind me, and there was Jimmy. Jimmy said, "Man! I didn't know you were going to be here." I said, "I didn't know you were going to be here!"

All of the band members were delighted to see Jimmy--he used to play with Issac's group. He brought a big box of drum sticks for the baterista and timbalero. It was a big reunion, everyone was glad to see him. Not a note had been played, and I was already glad I came--hanging out with the musicos, speaking Spanish, Havana didn't seem so far away now.

Issac kicked off the show with Malecón, and then played Catalina. Rolando took an amazing solo during Catalina--the guy is amazing--every phrase was a surprise. I was standing next to another piano player, whose jaw was dropping towards the floor. When Rolando was done, I said, "You know, he's just twenty-three!" He shook his head in disbelief and said, "let's go backstage and break his hands!"

The next tune was Solar de la California. I ran into two more of my musician cohorts: Rigoberto López (played in Adalberto Alvarez's band, now lives in Los Angeles), and Luis Eric, the brilliant Cuban trumpetista who plays with Mamborama every time I can book him. Now it really felt like Havana: Incredible music, and lots of friends in the house.

Issac moved on to material from the new album next. It sounds as though the next record will be a perfect sequel to La Fórmula/Malecón. The new tunes are intelligent, sophisticated, and move into Issac's classic timbafied funk in the coros. He's not called El Chévere for nothing. Very cool stuff.

Issac brought Haila out for her part of the show. She did Celia Cruz's Colorao, and Bamboleo's Yo No Me Parezco A Nadie. She sang her ass off as always. She's going to be a major star if she plays her cards right. She certainly is keeping good company with Issac and his band. Haila stayed on stage for the rest of the show.

They did an incredibly rearranged version of El Pregón de Chocolate that started off with a deep funk groove--you didn't recognize the tune until they started singing. Then they went into the regular arrangement, but later in the tune, they went into a coro that was straight ahead rumba, just voices and percussion. ¡Fuerte!

At this point, I'm forgetting some tunes, but the whole room was up dancing and grooving, and details escape me even though it was just a couple of hours ago. The last tune was La Fórmula. Through the whole set I was amazed at the variety of Rolando's tumbaos. I've heard him play most of these tunes before, but every time I hear him, he's playing different tumbaos. I bet he'll be playing different tumbaos Saturday night in San Diego. The guy is truly a jazz player--everything he plays seems to be spontaneous, but not in a way that detracts from the music. He really drives the rhythm section.

The entire set was over two hours, and for now, I have been redeemed from the dark space I was inhabiting earlier today. I'll get another fix Saturday night in San Diego. ¡Viva la música cubana!

Tomorrow (Friday the 14th), they play the Conga Room in LA. Saturday is the Bellyup Tavern in San Diego. Southern California people need to get out and experience this band--it's the closest thing to being in Havana you're going to get for awhile. Gracias, Elena Peña, for bringing them here.

Bill Wolfer is a well-known Latin Jazz pianist from Southern California, and the leader of the group Mamborama, featuring Timba giant Jimmy Branly and other top Cuban musicians from the LA area. Mamborama's CD, "Night of the Living Mambo" has been extremely successful around the world and on mp3.com. Bill writes articles as well as music and his hilarious and extremely candid accounts of his journeys to Havana are not to be missed.