PALBO "MEZCLA" MENÉNDEZ AND THE CUBAN JAZZ ALL STARS
YOSHI'S, OAKLAND, CA
JANUARY 28, 2009

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY TOM EHRLICH © 2009

THE BAND MEMBERS

PABLO MENÉNDEZ leader, guitar, harmonica, vocals

OSMANY PAREDES piano

JORGE "SAWA" PÉREZ bass

RAUL PIÑEDA drums

JESUS DÍAZ congas, vocals

MELECIO MAGDALEYO saxes and flute

From left to right Osmany Paredes, Pablo Menéndez, Sawa Pérez, Melecio Magdaleyo,
Raul Piñeda and Jesus Díaz

Pablo Menéndez, born in Oakland, California, went to Cuba in 1966 as a 14 year old to study music at the Escuela Nacionale de Arte in Havana and has lived in Cuba ever since. He is the leader of a truly unique band, Mezcla, which plays music that is a combination of rumba, son, jazz and rock and roll.

Pablo was joined by an all star group of US based Cuban jazz musicians plus Melecio Magdaleyo, a Bay Area reed player who plays with many of the Bay Area latin jazz and salsa groups. The band played two sets of music which reflect the diverse musical interests of the leader - a latin jazz standard by Chucho Valdes, a son by Cachao, some latinized American jazz standards, a song by Irving Berlin (famous American pop music composer), a blues song and other types of Cuban music.

Pablo Menéndez

Pablo talked of a new era which hopefully will see the return of cultural exchanges between the US and Cuba.

Jesus Díaz

Melecio Magdaleyo

Osmany Paredes

Pablo

Raul Piñeda

Pablo and Sawa Pérez

Melecio and Jesus

Osmany

Pablo and Melecio

Pablo, Melecio and Jesus

Osmany and Pablo

Pablo and Sawa

Raul

Group

Melecio and Sawa

Osmany

Sawa, Melecio and Raul

Pablo on vocals and guitar

Pablo blowing some blues harmonica

Pablo invited his mom, Barbara Dane to join him for a song by jazz singer pioneer King Pleasure. Barbara Dane is a blues and folk singer who has performed all over the world and was one of the first American musicians to travel to Cuba after the revolution in defiance of the American ban on travel to Cuba.

Barbara Dane (Pablo's mom) and Pablo

Raul

Melecio

Pablo thanking the nearly sold out crowd