Remembering Bebo Valdes, Cuban Music Titan
The Latin jazz world lost one of its key figures with the passing of Bebo Valdes on March 22 at age 94. Valdes, one of the greatest pianists in the history of Cuban popular music, drew gracefully from such disparate sources as Yoruba, western Baroque music and Tatum to forge his unique and deeply influential voice. Larry Blumenfeld tells us more about the impact Valdes registered on Latin music as we know it today.
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Tito Puente and Machito: Latin and Jazz Happily Co-exist
In this 1977 Down Beat profile, Tito Puente and Machito chime in on the debates on where the line should be drawn between Latin music and jazz. For Puente and Machito, those geographic considerations seemed to matter little. They seemed comfortable with where they stood on the landscape. So, we understand, did the many jazz players, including Charlie Parker, who played for them; and happily, so were those of us lucky enough to hear them in person. (Above: Machito and the Afro-Cubans, 1946)
-Nick Moy
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