No jam band worth its salt ever repeats a set list, and this is a rule that these Georgia Music Hall of Famers take close to their hearts. Never in the 22 years since Widespread Panic’s inception have the bandmates performed a duplicate concert, painstakingly going through their canon of…
Although this 78-year-old Chicago transplant has not made many recordings under his own name for more than a decade, eclectic multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan needs little introduction. A legendary figure in his hometown up North, he made a name for himself there in the mid-Fifties as he performed with the likes…
Regarded by many as “The Sinatra of Rancheras,” Vicente Fernandez is arguably the best-known singer of his genre, and is one of the first to reach international iconic status without having to resort to any other musical style. The comparison to Sinatra is not difficult to understand: The former gave…
On her latest project, On the Other Side (Telarc), Los Angeles-based jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton has put together a selection of standards based on the theme of the Founding Fathers’ “pursuit of happiness.” She has emerged with a collection of tunes that examine topics from both a more positive and…
It is little wonder why Dutch-born Eric Vloeimans is considered one of the most influential trumpet players of his generation. An accomplished storyteller, Vloeimans refuses to restrict himself to any particular melodic format or sonic texture. Take, for instance, his version of “Prince of Darkness,” a Miles Davis composition included…
One afternoon in July 1958, Brazilian guitarist and singer João Gilberto entered a studio and quickly recorded “Chega de Saudade,” an early composition by Vinicius de Moraes and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Soon afterward, it was released as a single by Brazilian label Odeon (EMI’s subsidiary), with the blessings of Jobim…
As vallenato grows in popularity via superstar Carlos Vives, other Colombian acts have begun enjoying fame stateside as well. One of the latest is the twosome of singer-songwriter Jorge Celedón and accordionist Jimmy Zambrano, who perform this Friday in support of De Lo Nuevo … Lo Mejor (Norte/BMG), their first…
In many ways, you could consider this Madrid transplant a Latin pop pioneer. He was one of the first Spanish-language artists to play for arena-size audiences in the United States (a feat accomplished during his 1997 Vivir tour) without the support of a crossover hit. In addition, his 2002 video…
In the years since its inception in 2002, this local multicultural band has definitely succeeded in its quest to create what it defines as a Latin jam-band sound. The eight-piece act embraces funk, hip-hop, cumbia, timba, jazz, Caribbean rhythms, and whatever else that fits. Much like the Spam Allstars (with…
For a band that has been together for only a little more than a year, local multicultural act Bachaco has accomplished quite a lot. In this short time, the musicians scored a coveted weekly residence at Jazid while also sharing the stage with Locos por Juana. The group, which is…
Though this local Afro-Cuban ensemble doesn’t have much recorded history to make for much copy, one look at the names on the group’s roster shows the music is pretty serious. Among the notable members is Venezuelan-born saxophonist Ed Calle, who boasts a long history both as a leader and a…
Last year, Marc Anthony received mixed reviews for his portrayal of salsa pioneer Héctor Lavoe in the big-budget biopic El Cantante. But that critical reception does not reflect the Nuyorican actor, singer, and songwriter’s true star power. As he approaches his 40th birthday, Anthony boasts enormous crossover success, recording musically…
Although she has a degree in literature from a university in her native Rio de Janeiro, local singer-songwriter Rose Max always had music in her genes. “My great-grandfather was a classical composer and conductor, and my grandfather was part of the samba scene in Rio in the Thirties,” she says…
After a four-year layoff from writing and releasing new material, 67-year-old Gilberto Gil has emerged with a collection of songs that marry ideas from northeastern Brazilian street poetry (cordel) and contemporary concepts. He opens with the upbeat “Despedida de Solteira” (“Bachelorette Party”), whose humorous lyrics tell the story of a…
For Miami-based guitarist and bandleader DJ Le Spam (a.k.a. Andrew Yeomanson), his band’s name, the Spam Allstars, has nothing to do with the famed meat substitute. Instead, what the moniker actually represents is this eclectic act’s mission “to blend improvisational electronic elements and turntables with Latin, funk, and dub to…
It’s fitting that the classic Jamaican powerhouse of Sly & Robbie provides the backing for “El Aire,” the first track on Eljuri’s solid American debut album. The song shows that this Guayaquil, Ecuador-born multi-instrumentalist is comfortable playing different styles, going from reggae to Brazilian-inflected ballads to rock and Latin pop…
Popularized by Lionel Hampton, the vibraphone is from the same family as the marimba and xylophone. Over the past couple of decades, the instrument has found its place among both the Latin and jazz music scenes thanks to the likes of Tito Puente, Gary Burton (who introduced the four-mallet technique),…
At age 95, Mississippi Delta-born pianist Pinetop Perkins is still an active performer and one who is still able to hit his piano’s keys with amazing dexterity. The proof is in this beauty of a blues CD, on which the veteran shares the spotlight with an array of friends and…
Venezuelan-born composer and guitarist Aquiles Báez has been known for confusing audiences. “For jazz fans, I am too folkloric, while for those into folk, I am too academic,” he writes in the liner notes of La Patilla, his latest release on Cacao Música. “I believe that my music is as…
When Return to Forever disbanded in 1977 after going through four lineup configurations, the quartet’s core members went on to develop stellar, fruitful careers. Al Di Meola experimented with an acoustic trio alongside Paco de Lucia and John McLaughlin, among many other projects. Stanley Clarke continued to revolutionize the bass…
For a band that is considered a side project of the members of Miami-based Locos por Juana, Xperimento has done quite well for itself. In the six years since the group’s inception, it has earned a Grammy, been voted best local band by New Times, and even landed once on…
“I have a hard time with modern technology,” Brazilian icon Gilberto Gil says, describing the theme of his latest CD, Banda Larga Cordel. “I admit that I use it with moderation, but I am nevertheless fascinated by it.” This awe was the inspiration for his first disc of original material…
