If you are in the NYC area and you have never heard the classic NYC latin big band style played authentically in a live situation, you owe it to yourself to come down. This band has music from the original libraries of of the Tito Puente, Machito and Tito Rodriquez bands, and is comprised of about 18 musicians who all experienced the functional, day-to-day playing life of those bands when they were THE dance and social music of the latino audience in NYC.
Burning!!!
No other word will quite do.
A few names should suffice for those who know what’s up.
Johnny Rodriquez
Joe Madera
Bobby Porcelli
John Walsh
Sonny Bravo
Mitch Frohman
Until recently…God rest his soul…Mario Rivera
Reynaldo Jorgé
Louis Kahn
Plus some surprise guests, no doubt.
Under the belts of that band I will bet that there are literally tens of thousands of nights of real, no holds barred NYC latin gigs.
Hazardous duty pay kinds of gigs, from the golden era(s) of the music.
Still in their prime.
Bet on it.
No lame history band of old men.
This band is ON THE CASE!!!
You cannot…I repeat, you CANNOT…record a band like this accurately. The power lies in its rhythmic punch to the gut. That and the simultaneous realization that for all of that power, there is also a highly formal system at work in which the musicians reside with perfect comfort and no apparent excess effort. Listening to even the best recordings of it is like watching a film of Roberto Duran in action. You can get some idea or what’s going on, but you have to be there…or better, climb into the ring with him…to appreciate what is really going on.
Anyone who wants comps…I think I have enough pull at the club to get some. The Chico O’Farrill band has been there on Sunday nights for 12 years now…say 50 Sundays a year plus maybe 10 week-long engagements. That’s going on 700 gigs. Add in the other 20 weeks or so that i have played there with other bands? Now we are talking about 840+ nights.
That’s about two years and 4 months of my life on that damned bandstand.
I can getcha in, I think.
Email me if you are interested.
Later…
Sam
