Remembering Los Metales del Terror

NG La Banda launched the timba genre with a ferocious, virtuosic horn section affectionately known as Los Metales del Terror. The saxophonists were Germán Velazco (still going strong) and Carlos Averhoff, Sr. (who passed in 2016). The trumpeters were José "El Greco" Crego and Elpidio Chappottín, both of whom have passed in recent weeks. After Irakere and NG La Banda, El Greco led his own jazz band, Top Secret, and Chappottín (the grandson of the legendary Arsenio Rodríguez trumpeter and bandleader Félix Chappottín and a cousin of the younger Félix Chappottín now leading Conjunto Chappottín) became an in-demand session player and touring musician, most recently coming to the States with Issac Delgado. El Greco's son Marcos Crego is a leading pianist who played with Klímax and Juan de Marcos' Afro-Cuban All Stars and now lives in Arizona.

       Elpidio Chappottín with Issac at SF Jazz (click here for photos from Kuumbwa Jazz)

José "El Greco" Crego

Marcos Crego (son of El Greco) with Afro-Cuban All Stars in SF

(photos by Tom Ehrlich)

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