Tom has been busy in NY, catching two great pianists - Osmany Paredes at the Jazz Gallery and Manuel Valera at the Jazz Standard. Here are their personal websites:

Manuel Valera home page

Osmany Paredes home page

Manuel Valera - photo by Tom Ehrlich

Osmany Paredes, Yunior Terry - photo by Tom Ehrlich

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

Septeto Nacional has completed another great Northern Californian tour. Pete Maiden reports.

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

José Claussell - photo by Tom Ehrlich

Tom heard Rebel Tumbao at the Drom and loved them. Here's his gallery and a link to the Rebel Tumbao  site.

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

Here's Tom's latest gallery from Joe's Pub in New York. It turns out to be an urban legend that Joaquín Pozo is related to Chano Pozo - he's not (and we're fixing this at the LPM link). In fact, his famous relative is Jorge Pozo, the great percussionist and composer/arranger for Tata Güines and others.

Meanwhile, back in the Bay Area, Septeto Nacional will be in Santa Cruz tomorrow, Wednesday, and at Yoshi's SF on Thursday and Friday. They've sold out on previous tours so get your tickets in advance.

Book News: Up to my neck in Beyond Salsa Bass, Volume 3: Salsa, Songo and The Roots of Latin Jazz. Revelation of the week: the introduction of Van Van's Aquí el que baila gana, including its seminal use of the famous timba presión kick drum figure, is actually a paraphrase of Cortijo's 1960 classic Oriza (qué lo que pasa aquí? eh? qué lo que pasa aquí?). Rafael Cortijo y su Combo - especially from the late 1950s, is well worth a trip down memory lane. [Kevin Moore]

leave a comment

continue reading La Última