Calixto Heating Up the LA Scene

... and if any major city needs some heating up, it's LA. I can say this because I was born and raised there: Los Angeles sucks - sorry Kay, Gloria, Bob & Paul - the truth hurts. Only Miami surpasses LA for its sheer quantity of unappreciated talent. But don't jump off of City Hall just yet - where there's an Oviedo, there's hope - and there are two of them in Smogville now.

Calixto (of NG La Banda, Pacho Alonso, Adalberto Álvarez and of course Beyond Salsa fame) has put together a super-tight band featuring his talented wife Lily. They tore it up at SJ Jazz this year and now they're starting to play regularly in the LA scene (I use the term "scene" advisedly).

Lily D. Oviedo y su Orchestra play Nov. 8th, 14th and 20th at La Floridita, Tía Juana's and M Bar - full details on the Tours page.

Then, on December 4th, a new incarnation of The Arsenio Rodríguez Project. Here are some photos from their last tour. But this new band - while it lacks the two New York studs - has a lineup that makes me want to do the 6-hour drive and brave the smoggy Southland. Calixto on drums, the great Rigoberto López (of Opus 13 and Adalberto) on bass, changüí master Gabriel García on tres, Alberto Salas on piano (this guy is great), and vocalist Perico Hernández - as close as we're likely to get to Cuní and Scull among the living. This is really a must-see concert. [Kevin Moore]

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