The death of a widely respected and revered Los Angeles/Miami based radio disc jockey, Emilio Vandenedes, proved to be the instigator of forging a union that would produce one of the year's best recordings of an all star cast production of USA's and Cuba's, Afro-Cuban Music elite.
What started out as a small get together as a result of the aftermath of the funeral service held for Vandenedes, ended up becoming a large contingency of a who's who in Afro-Cuban music interpretation. Spearheaded by producer and DJ/Host of the long running Los Angeles based radio program, ''Alma Del Barrio", Alan Geik, along with co-hosts, Nina Lenart and George Hernandez, the recording is a homage to Cuba's musical legacy, both from the past and of the present, interpreted by some of the figures who paved the way from that past and bring it forward onto the future for the new generation of Afro-Cuban music luminaries.
Listeners will be glued to the hypnotic tumbao of the tres and rythm of the opening track Romanza Guajira and be mesmerized by the uncanny question and answer between wily cuban sonero, Pio Leyva and the musical director of Caravana Cubana, José Caridad "Perico" Hernández. The horns haunt throughout and the remarkable flute work of Ex-Irakere member, Orlando Maraca Valle shines throughout.
Lazaro Galaraga, best remembered for his vocal prowess in Cachao's Grammy Winning Master Sessions: Volume I does it again in a song inspired by a Roberto Faz tune in Una Rumba Con Dos Tres. Who could forget Galaraga's exuberant and spectacular versing on the Rumba, Linda Yambú, on the Cachao recording? Galaraga continues with that same fervor on this tune and with the choral background of the group Bamboleo, they do this not-so-typical Rumba justice!
The King of all Piano Soneros, Jesus "Chucho" Valdes, plays a prelude piano solo before erupting in an Afro-Cuban Jam Session titled Chucho Carabali that features legendary percussionist Francisco Aguabella on a smokin' timbal solo and the veteran bajista con timba, Al McKibbon, whose musical resume encompasses most of those present in this recording...combined!
Rica y Caliente composed by Chucho Valdes' childhood friend, "Perico" Hernandez, is an excellent Són that swings and will result in absolute body movement which includes stellar bass work from another Irakere alumni, Carlos Del Puerto, Jr. and playing on Bongo, el señor Raúl Travieso Rodriguez, who should be noted as being the brother of another Afro-Cuban Giant. Arsenio Rodriguez.
Cuba's own percussionist extraordinaire, Miguel "Anga" Diaz, teams up with the fiery criollo style trombone roaring of Nuyorican, Jimmy Bosch, to lead the no-holds barred Descarga in Angá y Jimmy. Once again Jimmy displays his ability to make everyone stop what they're doing and take notice of his nasty moñas that he exhibits throughout his soloing. Angá Diaz, the third installment of Ex-Irakere members on this recording showcases his ability and proves to all that he is holding and continuing the tradition of Afro-Cuban percussion a la Tata Guines and Mongo Santamaria before him.
The last song features a master and a disciple playing on the same tune, yet both are monsters at playing the Afro-Cuban Bass style. Al McKibbon's career spans as far back as the 1940's when he played alongside Chano Pozo in Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band, and moved onto bands like Charlie Parker, Tito Puente, George Shearing, and most notably vibraphonist Cal Tjader. McKibbon has influenced many by his style of playing and Carlos Del Puerto is one of the many who took McKibbon's bass work as gospel and shows his appreciation by dueting with him on an Ernesto Lecuona composition, Comparsa.
All in all, this is a wonderful combination of stellar musicians of both yesteryear and the present who present classical Cuban music on a level you could only hope to experience from listening to it. And you can thank Emilio Vandenedes, who lived his life promoting the music of his birthplace, and died leaving his peers to pay homage to him with this magnificent testament to his legacy.
