After waiting for this for over 15 years, I didn't want to jinx it by getting excited before the visas came through, but they did and it's all systems go for the US DEBUT, believe it or not, of Giraldo Piloto y Klímax, the last of the great Cuban bands never to have come to the US.

There are 7 dates so far: Los Angeles on the 17th (333 Live), Santa Cruz on the 18th, Yoshi's SF on the 21st and 22nd, Seattle on the 23rd and Portland on the 24th.

The Santa Cruz (Felton) show at Don Quixote's is only $20/advance for the whole night. This is a very nice, low key, spacious club with a large dance floor - Havana d'Primera played there on their first US tour. On the afternoon of the show, Ryan and Sidney of Rueda con Ritmo will be giving classes from 1:00 to 4:00 at the Santa Cruz Tannery (corner of Hwy 1 and Hwy 9), including a special class that deals specifically with the style of Klímax and special dance steps that can used with it.

Klímax has three new singles out on amazon - featuring Piloto's new pianist and collaborator, Javier Moreno Piloto, the latest musical member of the legendary Piloto Barreto clan to join the timba scene. [Kevin Moore]

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The Monterey Jazz is the longest continuously running jazz festival in the world, having presented everyone from Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane to Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Issac Delgado and the Pedrito Martínez Group. Although this year's event was a bit light on Afro-Caribbean music, it featured many outstanding bands, including living legends Herbie Hancock and Charles Lloyd, young phenoms like Cécile McLoren Salvant and Melissa Aldana, master bassist Christian McBride, and dozens of other great musicians.

This is the first of at least three reports on this year's festival. [Tom Ehrlich]

 
Charles Lloyd with Zakir Hussain (above) - Melissa Aldana with Francisco Mela (below)

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BREAKING NEWS! Make that 4 new dates
Seattle and Portland on the 23rd and 24th!

CLICK HERE to see the full list (Klimax USA Tour 2014).
Much more coming on this historic tour.
OPRIMA AQUÍ para evr todas las fechas nuevas.. 

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Tom's latest SJ JAZZ gallery begins with a batch of photos by the newest addition to timba.com, renowned Bay Area rumbero/fotógrafo Yussef Breffe. Stay tuned for more from Yussef soon. Also stay tuned for news on the upcoming tour of Klímax (Oct. 18 at Don Quixote's - Oct 21 & 22 at Yoshi's SF ) and the new album from Los Hermanos Arango. Here's are three great new Klímax singles: Aquí estoy , Si te descuidas , and La ternerita .

Yosmel Montejo with Calixto Oviedo - photo by Yussef Breffe

Álvaro Benavides with Pedrito Martínez Group - photo by Tom Ehrlich

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