Notes From The Jazz Front June 2013

A lot of exciting things for US listeners are coming soon:

Chucho Valdés will be touring the United States in support of the release of his latest CD with the Afro-Cuban Messengers , Border-Free .   This is a killer recording, and you can read our review here. The following US Tour dates have been announced:
June 21:  The Town Hall, New York, NY
Aug 10:  Stanford Jazz / Bing Concert Hall, Stanford, CA
Aug 13:  Miller Outdoor Theatre, Houston, TX
Aug 14:  Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

Although the López-Nussa family may not have the same level of name recognition as the Valdés family in the United States, it's not for lack of merit.  Two of them, Harold López-Nussa and his brother Ruy Adrian López-Nussa , are touring the US as a duo in June. You can read our review of Harold's wonderful 2011 recording El País de la Maravillas here. The following dates have been posted for that tour: 
June 12: Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA
June 13-16:  SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco, CA
June 18: Jazz Standard, New York, NY
June 19: An die Music, Baltimore, MD
                                               June 21: Regattabar, Cambridge, MA
(also scheduled at Montreal Jazz Festival, July 1)

In other news, Manuel Valera is finishing up another New Cuban Express recording in New York. The last one, which knocked our socks off,  was nominated for a GRAMMY in Latin Jazz last year along with a Cubadisco 2013 nomination in the same category.  Manuel tells us that the group will include mostly the same personnel as the first recording plus additional percussion and may be "perhaps even more Cuban".  We can't wait to hear this!

Over the weekend, we caught the Chuchito Valdés Trio in Chicago. These guys have some serious chemistry going on, and if they should happen to drop in on your town, check them out.  A review and photo gallery are here. 

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