This month's playlist is curated by SFJAZZ’s own Director of Education Rebeca Mauleon. An acclaimed musician and bandleader as well as co-author of the book Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz with Chucho Valdés, Mauleon is the perfect guide to the world of these Latin Jazz legends.
Scroll down for Rebeca Mauleón's guide to the songs on this playlist.
SONG GUIDE
By Rebeca Mauleón
Juana 1600 (Grandes Exitos de Irakere) - The powerful invocation with Nigerian-derived batá drums sets the pace for what became Irakere’s signature show opener, instantly mesmerizing the audience while eliciting a frenzied response. The blazing horn arrangement stuns us while Oscar Valdés overlays his Lucumí chants over the jazz-rock drumming of Enrique Plá and the insanely grooving conga playing of Jorge Alfonso “El Niño.” Ever climactic, the subsequent horn solo "sparring" between Arturo Sandoval (trumpet), Paquito D’Rivera (alto), Jorge Varona (trumpet) and Carlos Averhoff (tenor) is unmatched on any record IMHO.
Bacalao con pan (Grandes Momentos) - The very first recording by Irakere before they were officially recognized as a band in Cuba, "Bacalao Con Pan" (literally translated as "cod fish with bread"), represents the obvious influence of iconic American groups such as Blood, Sweat & Tears, and featured guitarist Carlos Emilio Morales in full-on "wah-wah" pedal mode. While the album credits the song to Raúl Valdés (Chucho Valdés’ brother), it was, in fact, penned by Chucho. The juxtaposition of electric guitar, vintage Farfisa organ and sacred batá drums is precisely what has defined Irakere as one of the most genre-defying Cuban bands of all time.
Anabis (Live) (Felicidad) - While there are several renditions of this on different albums, my personal favorite is the live version, given I was sitting in the audience at Ronnie Scott's club in London when Irakere recorded it! The haunting intensity of Chucho's piano intro is matched by the frenetic tempo of the main theme, not to mention the crackling ensemble breaks that highlight the extraordinary precision of rhythm section members Miguel Angá Diaz (congas, who also takes an amazing solo), Enrique Plá (drums), Oscar Valdés (timbales) and Carlos Del Puerto (bass). This was the second iteration of the Irakere band, encompassing most of the 1980s and into the early 90s.
Misa Negra (The Black Mass) (The Best of Irakere) - The studio version of this three-part suite brought to light a more constrained, almost theatrical interpretation of Chucho's opus, but the live version is undoubtedly one of the most memorable performances Irakere has ever given. With the first iteration of the band - featuring legendary figures Paquito D'Rivera and Arturo Sandoval, among others - this tribute to the deep African roots of Cuban music melds the sacred and the secular, informed by jazz and splattered with funk and rock. It is, simply put, epic.
Nanu (New Conceptions) - Some of Chucho's most brilliant solo piano work wasn't necessarily limited to the few solo albums he recorded. This piece is mostly piano solo with the Maestro at his most lyrical and tender, evoking an exquisite and almost heart-wrenching honesty. An amalgam of Chopin, Lecuona, McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans, Chucho's effortless mastery is clearly evident in this gorgeous piece.
Mambo Influenciado (Lucumi Piano Solo) - Contributing to a musical canon often referred to as "Latin Jazz" is Chucho's now standard minor blues piece, "Mambo Influenciado." First recorded in 1972 with members of the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna (the Cuban Modern Music Orchestra) shortly before Irakere's formation, this piece was originally conceived as a jazz tune with influences drawing from Horace Silver and other post-bop pianists. Chucho's solo piano recording on the Termidor label is by far the supreme version, and the tune is now part of Latin Jazz standard repertoire and is played by bands around the globe.
Aguanile (The Best of Irakere) - The first time I heard Irakere's live 1979 Newport Jazz recording, I immediately imagined what it must have been like for those innocent jazz fans to witness this as yet unknown ensemble of future heavyweights. If there is one song on the album that highlights how incredibly tight, funky and mind-boggling this band was, "Aguanile" is it! Featuring vocalist/percussionist Oscar Valdés and the blazing horn section (inspired by Earth, Wind & Fire and other iconic American bands), this piece highlight's the band's penchant for transforming sacred Yoruban chants, and is relentless in its danceability.
Xiomara Mayoral (Grandes Exitos de Irakere) - Cubans tend to love anything they can dance to, and as Irakere often discovered, their main obligation to their home crowd was to keep them happy! Combining funk, jazz, and Cuban rumba, "Xiomara" takes the folkloric genre of rumba to new heights and gives both listeners and dancers something to agree on.
El Duke (Misa Negra) - Irakere's cover of Dave Brubeck's tune is a prime example of how informed Chucho Valdés has always been by the jazz canon, as well as his admiration for the titans of the music. He has an uncanny ability to embrace many musical elements and create one seamless expression that is distinctly his, while creating the perfect opportunity for his amazing musicians to shine, much like Duke Ellington did for his players.
Bailando Así (Bailando Así) - Unabashedly danceable, this tune is another example of how the groove can be the most important part of any song, no matter how simple. "Bailando Así" is, much like "Xiomara" (mentioned above), for the dancers!
Three Faces of Lecuona: La Comparsa No. 2 (Fantasía Cubana) - The second movement in a triumvirate dedicated to legendary Cuban pianist and Composer, Ernesto Lecuona, this exquisite solo piano rendition pushes the harmonic boundaries of Lecuona’s composition as only Chucho can do. It is as if Chopin, Lecuona, Bill Evans and Peruchín are fused into one being while being channeled in a free-form improvisation by Valdés.
Ponle La Clave – Live (Live at the Village Vanguard) - A rhythmically adventurous piece that has evolved over the years, this composition provides Chucho’s small ensemble with the space to stretch out while delivering a relentlessly funky groove at the same time. The title is a dare to the listener: “See if you can find the clave in this piece!” An advisory might be warranted; this is not for the rhythmically challenged!
Claudia (Live At Ronnie Scott’s) - Another standard in Afro-Cuban jazz, and a beautiful bolero composed during a time where the romantic genre was certainly not in vogue among younger Cubans (it was composed in 1978), “Claudia” was actually a commission of sorts by one of Chucho’s friends who worked in the Ministry of Culture, and was released on Irakere’s second Columbia recording, Irakere 2 (1980). Another lovely rendition of the piece can be found on the Valdés-Arturo Sandoval Quartet album, Straight Ahead (Jazz House 1988).
Congadanza (Border-Free) - A transformation of a previous arrangement for the Irakere ensemble of the 80s, “Congadanza” presents some of the explosive facets of Chucho’s writing and draws from the 19th century genre of the Cuban contradanza combined with the processional conga tradition of Carnaval. The intimacy of his Messengers format allows him to tackle the orchestration on the piano while matching the intensity of the powerful rhythm section.
Caridad Amaro (Border-Free) - A plaintive and tender homage to his maternal grandmother, this piece is transformed in virtually every live performance I’ve heard and yet stays true to its sweetness and innocence. The piano and the bass share melodic duties and provide ample space for Chucho to paint a musical portrait of one of his many musical inspirations from the Valdés family tree.
Obatalá (Jazz Batá 2) - Like many Valdés suite-like compositions, Obatalá paints a tapestry of moods while centering Chucho’s profoundly spiritual sensibilities. A praise song to one of the Yoruba deities in the Santería pantheon, the piano offers a dramatic opening statement that segües into a tender melody before setting up a deeply powerful groove, featuring the exquisite voice and batá drumming work of Dreiser Durruthy Bombalé.
Ochún (Jazz Batá 2) - Continuing the theme of sacred praise songs, this beautiful piece pays tribute to the patron saint of Cuba—Our Lady of Charity—by way of her Yoruba counterpart, Ochún, highlighting the Cuban tradition of incorporating the violin to emulate the sweetness of this venerated goddess. Chucho was thrilled to work with celebrated violin virtuosa Regina Carter, who lends her delicate and soulful sound to this joyful composition.
El Majá de Vento (I Missed You Too) - In his most recent and Latin GRAMMY-winning release, Valdés joins his Irakere compatriot and alto saxophone legend Paquito D’Rivera to form the Reunion Sextet, and this tune conjures all of the explosive elements of years past, providing both seasoned maestros with plenty of room to blow. Joined by a tight-knit crew featuring trumpeter-trombonist Diego Urcola, percussionist Roberto Vizcaíno Jr, bassist Armando Gola and drummer Dafnis Prieto, this recording is a must-have for all Chucho Valdés fans!