We're now getting close to catching up with the timbanado that hit the Bay Area last month: 5 HdP galleries and about 6 videos; selected Mayimbe shots, soundcheck photos from PMG in SF, and now Tom's PMG gallery from the mind-boggling Santa Cruz show. Still to come are the videos from this show.

PMG comes to the Mendocino Music Fest this coming Friday, July 26.

Everything else is just rumors - maybe Manolito, maybe Revé - keep your fingers crossed, and don't forget Issac in Boston for free on Thursday (see previous post).

Book news - Tirso Duarte is done and on sale at createspace and LPM. Now about 50% done with Beyond Salsa Bass, Vol. 2. Volume 1 ended with Arsenio, and Volume 2 begins with the most adventurous Arsenio survey yet - the cierres and diablos of almost 50 tracks - Arsenio, my friends, Arsenio - what can I say? Everything keeps coming back to the blind tresero from Bolondrón. Volume 2 will also cover Cachao, Dizzy & Chano, and the 1950s Puerto Rican roots of salsa: César Concepción, Cortijo, Ismael Rivera and the two Titos. Stay tuned!  

Late-breaking news! - timba.com contributor Pepe Martínez reports that Yosvel Bernal has joined Havana d'Primera! Yosvel, the nephew of Van Van's trombonist Mundo, played teclado and then piano with Paulito FG for close to 10 years before moving to Spain. He has a gorgeous voice and has been recording a lot of original R&B flavored tracks. He will apparently sing coro with HdP and help with material. [Kevin Moore]

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photo by Tom Ehrlich

Thanks to Pedro Aizcorbe for alerting us that Issac Delgado and his group will play - for free - as part of Boston's 9-day Outside the Box festival on Thursday, July 19. 

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photo by Tom Ehrlich - 2009 - with the Afro-Cuban All Stars

Calixto Oviedo - of NG La Banda, The Afro-Cuban All Stars, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, Pachito Alonso (to say nothing of Pacho himself), and Beyond Salsa Percussion - will lead a incredible band at New York's Jazz Standard club tonight, Tuesday, July 9, as part of the New Dimensions In Lazz Jazz, Cuban Drum Series.

It's an amazing band, featuring:

Gustavo Ramírez: played with NG, now probably the best timba pianist on the West Coast.

Mauricio Herrera: played drums with Paulito, 90 Miles, and many others; has now been tearing up the New York scene and YouTube for several years. Here he is with Pedrito Martínez. 

Carlos Averhoff, Jr.: Issac's ex-saxophonist and the son of NG La Banda's and Irakere's Carlos Averhoff, Sr.

Nestor Del Prado: an accomplished Latin jazz bassist, played on varios projects with saxophonist Carlos Averhoff, trumpeter Zoltan Grof, and vibist Pedro Alfonso among many others.

Catch them if you can. Calixto will also be in California later this summer playing a series of gigs with Edgardo Gambón's Candela.

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photo by Tom Ehrlich

HdP was only in the Bay Area for three nights but we have now have 5 galleries of world-class photos. Enjoy!

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