AUGUST 2011 ISSUE FROM THE EDITOR

1 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM Home Features Columns Hit Parades Reviews Calendar News Contacts Shopping E-Back Issues AUGUST 2011 ISSUE FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the wonderful world of Latin Beat Magazine Online. In this Volume 21, Number 6, August 2011 issue of LBMO we take a look at some of the top concerts and festivals of this summer season through the eyes and ears of contributing writers and photographers. Ricky Richardson covers the annual Playboy Jazz Festival, which this year headlined the legendary Eddie Palmieri y La Perfecta and Cuban Carlos Varela, as well as dozens of jazz icons. Mark Holston (in English) and Elmer González (en Español) reported on the annual Heineken Jazz Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico, while Yvette and I had a great time as always at the 13th Annual Los Angeles Salsa Congress in Los Angeles. Please enjoy the informative columns from coast to coast, national and international hit parades, CD reviews, streaming tracks, music videos, and much more. Cintron Band Live Human Nature By way of commencing Latin Beat s 20th Anniversary celebration, we are delighted to announce that Rafael Ithier and El Gran Combo are the recipients of the Siempre Salsa 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award. Salsa s ultimate ambassadors have been delighting audiences for decades with their one-of-a-kind sound that remains forever fresh and only improves with age. Salseros everywhere owe an enormous debt to the members of El Gran Combo, past and present, which have shown that the perfect blend of musical artistry and precision showmanship can spread the pure joy of salsa with grateful souls all over the world. Siempre Salsa y Siempre Rafael Ithier y El Gran Combo! Vanelis Como Lo Extraño

2 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM Nayibe Borinquen Luis González Spain Rolando Sanchez Vamonos De Fiesta Steve Pouchie Watch Ur Wallet Somos Son Bilongo The Estrada Brothers Mr. Ray Manny Silvera Bassed in America Bobby Matos Cuchy Frito Man Latin Beat Magazine s own Vicki Solá finally finished her novel The Getaway That Got Away and she is now a published author, see availability info in the Columns section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Musically yours, Rudy & Yvette Mangual Latin Beat Magazine is number one in the world of authentic Latin music. For advertising opportunities in lbmo.com, call (310) 516-6767 or request advertising information at sales@latinbeatmagazine.com. Back issues are still in hard copy print and available! Enjoy 19 years of documented Latin music history and evolution in the pages of Latin Beat Magazine. Please order through the shopping section or by telephone at (310) 516-6767. Buy more than 10 issues in one purchase and receive a discount! Playboy Jazz Festival 2011 By Ricky Richardson Photos by Ricky Richardson and LeRoy Hamilton

3 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM Chembo Corniel Buena Gente Maña Tranquilito Johnny Polanco y Su Conjunto Amistad El Gusto de Mi Salsa Siempre Salsa All Stars Salsa Para Siempre

4 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM The 33rd Annual Playboy Jazz Festival featured an illustrious artistic roster, presenting a diverse mix of celebrated jazz giants, next-generation stars, and legendary festival favorites. Drawing a crowd of 35,000 jazz fans, this years' festival was held on Saturday June11th and Sunday June 12th.

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6 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM Many enthusiastic fans wore funny headgear and kept the conga lines winding through the aisles. There was plenty of gourmet dining, wining, dancing and more dining. Among the artists featured were Dianne Reeves, Eddie Palmieri's Salsa Orchestra (who rocked the event), first-timer Cuban singer Carlos Varela, Geri Allen's Timeline Band, Bill Cunliff's Resonance Big Band (with Marian Petrescu, in a Tribute to Oscar Peterson) and Naturally 7 (back by popular demand). Puerto Rico Heineken JazzFest Story & Photos by Mark Holston

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8 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM The 21st edition of San Juan's celebrated annual Puerto Rico Heineken JazzFest had a high quotient of drama this year, and, unfortunately, much of it had nothing to do with the uniformly high level of music artistry presented on its open-air stage. For only the second time in the festival's history, which includes a total of over 80 nights of concerts, an entire evening of presentations by world renowned artists had to be scrapped due to rain and nearby flooding. On two of the three other nights, a smaller than usual crowd of aficionados spent most of the time huddled under umbrellas as occasionally heavy downpours kept many wondering whether a decision would be made at any minute to pull the plug on the music and send the audience scurrying home, soaked but still happy.

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10 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM Sadly, the night that an especially vicious torrent of warm rain sent the nearby Rio Piedras over its banks, much anticipated performances by Dee Dee Bridgewater and her quintet, led by pianist Edsel Gómez, and Poncho Sánchez's octet, with special guest, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, had to be nixed. Sad, because this year's festival had been dedicated to pioneering conguero Chano Pozo and trumpeter and Latin jazz visionary Dizzy Gillespie. Sánchez, appearing with Payton, would have brought the spirit of those two icons to the Heineken JazzFest stage in a particularly effective way. But, even on such a bleak night, all was not lost. Back at the InterContinental Hotel in Isla Verde, home base for the visiting musicians and VIP fans from abroad, many of the displaced musicians gathered in the hotel's bar and adjoining lobby to enjoy trumpeter Charlie Sepúlveda's quartet and mix with fans. Sánchez moved affably around the room, autographing conga heads and sharing abrazos fuertes with old friends like sonero Andy Montañez. Bridgewater, who had come to Puerto Rico with a slew of close family members in tow, blunted her sorrow at not being able to perform by dancing with her young granddaughter to Sepúlveda's always impressive trumpet work. I spent pleasant moments with trombonist Francisco Torres and bassist Tony Banda, both key members of Sanchez's famed unit, getting caught up on the latest West Coast Latin jazz news. The festival had opened on its one totally dry night with two complementary groups, conguero Richie Flores' sextet and pianist Monty Alexander's Harlem-Kingston Express. Flores, a technically explosive conga player and impassioned bandleader, sparked an energetic set highlighted by the talents of an all-star group, including drummer Robbie Ameen, bassist John Benítez, saxophonist Ivan Renta and trumpeter Mike Rodríguez. Flores is the kind of leader who likes to take chances, and invited celebrated timbalero Tito de Gracia on stage for a riveting percussion summit. For Alexander's part, the debonair keyboardist began with his basic trio before bringing on stage a completely different, reggae-oriented rhythm section to concoct a strikingly effective fusion of popular and jazz idioms. Festival producer Luis Álvarez, whose beer and wine importation firm, Méndez & Company, is largely responsible for the annual event, has a knack for programming that's both daring and audience-pleasing. The event's second night, featuring three groups, was an example of how Álvarez organizes the concerts. Although two bands included Puerto Rican musicians, all played non-latin influenced jazz that ranged from the smooth, crossover grooves of pianist Ramsey Lewis to the avant-garde experimentations of saxophonist and composer Ted Nash's quintet and the 1970's style jazz fusion of bassist Stanley Clarke. The ageless Lewis, charming and handsome at 76-years of age, is an old school kind of performer who sets a standard for other to follow. He and his quartet, including noted guitarist Henry Johnson, bassist Joshua Ramos and drummer Charles Heath, all came onstage in elegant suits and performed with as much class, playing such R&B-influenced Lewis hits as "Wade in the Water." Nash, trumpeter Marcus Printup and their rhythm section, which included bassist Carlos Henríquez, played selections from the leader's Portrait in Seven Shades album, a concept project he did for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The works were influenced by Nash's

11 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM interpretation of the art and personal histories of such painters as Van Gogh, Pollock, Picasso and Monet. For his part, Clarke, who has recently been on the road with Chick Corea and Lenny White in a reprise of Return To Forever, fronted a young band that included two Israeli keyboardist. They enthralled the waterlogged crowd with Clarke's energy-infused, technically dazzling take on funk-based fusion.

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13 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM The festival's final day is always reserved for set-opening performances by local music students who are involved in the Berklee College of Music's extensive program in Puerto Rico, and it is a heartwarming treat. Hearing the student big band, with four accomplished vocalists, surge with so much polish and enthusiasm through the Eddie Palmieri classic "Puerto Rico" was an unforgettable experience. The collaborative group Ninety Miles, fronted by saxophonist David Sanchez, vibraphonist Stefon Harris and trumpeter Christian Scott, provided a preview of their forthcoming, recorded-in-havana album of the same name. Pianist Luis Perdomo stepped into the keyboard role admirable, playing the intricate, challenging music for the first time. The jovial Harris delighted the crowd with a near perfect recitation in Spanish, with occasional jabs, giggles and a bit of grammatical help from Sanchez. Closing the festival usually falls to a local favorite, trumpeter Humberto Ramírez and his big band, and once again this year the powerful ensemble, with the exception of a misplaced version of Frank Sinatra's trite and overindulgent standard "My Way," did not disappoint. Tributes to Tito Rodríguez, featuring the exceptional sonero Josué Rosado, and La Lupe, spotlighting the bracing renditions of vivacious vocalist Michelle Brava, were, for many, among the most rewarding of all festival highlights. Ramírez's trumpet and band never sounded better, and hopefully the set was captured and will be released on an album. As the festival grows in longevity and stature, it is also evolving. Original albums and collector quality original artwork have been produced annually since the festival's first years over two decades ago. This year, another breakthrough; the release of the event's first DVD, 20th Anniversary Big Band Celebration, featuring Eddie Gómez, Gato Barbieri, Michel Camilo and other luminaries. Now, with the hoped for addition of a suitable alternate concert venue, the Puerto Rico Heineken JazzFest will truly be lo mejor. THE 13th ANNUAL LOS ANGELES SALSA CONGRESS By Rudy Mangual Photos 2011 by Ramon Cabrera

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15 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM Continuing a tradition that was created 13 years ago by salsa dancer and music promoter Albert Torres, the 13th Annual Los Angeles Salsa Congress once again lived up to its expectations bringing together thousands of salsa dancers and aficionados from all corners of the world for three days of outrageously great music and dancing. The beautiful Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles became the salsa headquarters and epicenter of all things salsa from May 27 through May 29, 2011. A congress pre-party for early attendees was held on Thursday, May 26 at The Mayan nightclub in downtown L.A. featuring the live sounds of Chino Espinosa y Los Dueños del Son.

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17 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM Dance classes and workshops at every level of salsa dance proficiency filled most of the daily schedules, leading to the ritualistic dance exhibitions, which brought everyone together nightly for their 5 minutes of fame in center stage. Again, as in previous years, the numbers of participating dancers was overwhelming, pushing the music performances past the midnight hour nightly.

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19 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM The live music entertainment opened on Friday evening with a salsa dance concert by Boricua superstar Victor Manuelle and his band, directly from Puerto Rico. The shoulder-to-shoulder crowd provided a high-octane ambience, and Victor Manuelle did not disappoint. On Saturday evening, the stage belonged to the group Latin Vibes from New York City who also gave a commendable performance in spite of initial sound problems. Bachata lovers were also treated to a special dance concert by the group Xtreme in the Bachata Room (a new addition to this year s salsa congress) on Saturday night. Los Angeles own Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad rocked the house on Sunday fronted by special guest singer Choco Orta, directly from Puerto Rico. International and national DJs provided contagious salsa tracks nightly until the early morning hours for those salseros with insomnia. The combination of thousands of salsa dancers and aficionados, amazing music by live artists and professional salsa DJs, plus the luxurious setting of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel was explosive. Latin Beat Magazine congratulates Albert Torres Productions and all those responsible for making this special annual event again a reality in our city. Viva La Salsa! Note: Special kudos to photographer Ramón Cabrera for capturing the essence of this year s congress with his camera and his talent. Gracias Santa Mónica Pier Sizzles with Latin Music Text and photos by Ricky Richardson

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21 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM Featuring high-profile artists from all over the world, the 27th Annual Twilight Dance Series (produced by the Santa Mónica Pier Restoration Corporation and sponsored by OneWest Bank) is again presenting ten free concerts on the Santa Mónica Pier from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M., every Thursday of the summer season. These concerts feature a big screen to enable the fans to watch what s taking place on the stage, while lounging throughout the pier. Co-produced by L.A.-based Rum & Humble, the series kicked off on July 7th, with two Grammy-Award winning bands playing hot Latin music. Those who arrived early were able to participate in the free salsa lessons led by Cristian Oviedo, who teaches salsa dance classes every Monday evening at Zanzibar (1301 5th Street, Santa Mónica). Pianist Oscar Hernández's L.A. Salsa All-Stars got the evening under way with some salsa dura. The producers of the event installed a dance floor for the evening, and every inch of such floor was utilized throughout the first set. Hernández was aided, and abetted by Eddie Resto (bass), Joey de León (timbal), Angel Rodríguez (congas), Ramón Flores and Serafín Alquilar (trumpets), James Zaveleta and Adonis Puentes (vocals). Their spicy consisted repertoire of Tírame la Pelota, La Madre Rumba, Como Mongo, Muñeca, etc. Grupo Fantasma is a 10-piece, Austin-based Latin-funk orchestra. The group received its first Grammy Award in the "Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album Category for the album El Existential. This tight band opened the second set with Oye Como Va, and later performed original material from its Grammy Award-winning album. If you live in Los Angeles, (or perhaps plan to travel to our city this summer), I urge you check out the eclectic line-up scheduled for the Twilight Dance Series on the Santa Mónica Pier Aug. 4- Rock of the Bay: In support of a Cleaner Ocean (The Twilight Dance Series partners with Heal the Bay Foundation). Aug.11- La Monica Ballroom Then & Now: Royal Crown Revue, Orgone, plus Ameera, featuring Big Daddy' Fargas (dance floor available for the swing dancers) Aug.18- Making Waves: A Night of Surf Guitar- The Duotones, Slacktone and the Eliminators. Aug.25- Tango on the Timbers: Milongatron (Tango lessons start at 6:00 P.M.). Sept. 1- New Americana: Dawes and Sonny & The Sunsets (plus the winner of the emerging artist competition at Rusty's Surf Ranch). Sept. 8- A Night In Treme: Jon Cleary's Philthy Phew, Donald Harrison Electric Band and Wanda Rouzan (presented by Bloomingdales). For more information about this sensational summer music series, please visit www.twilightdance.org or www.santamonicapier.org. The Twilight Dance Series is the perfect venue to enjoy live music and warm beaches in a relaxing atmosphere.

22 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM CHEF RAISES THE BAR ON CUBAN FAVORITES By Teresa Gordon Photos 2011 by John Q. Berry When you're a world-class chef accustomed to relaying upon a well-stocked resort kitchen and an army of assistants, pulling off a dinner party for thirty all by yourself in a humble suburban home sounds like a reality show challenge. But for Trump International Executive Chef Jean-Pierre Vincent, that feat was met with confidence and ease when he produced a lavish Cuban feast at my Redondo Beach home on April 29, wowing both salsa friends and Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) executives used to sampling all kinds of Latin dishes. "It was a sophisticated interpretation of traditional dishes that just went beyond," raved MOLAA chief curator Cecilia Fajardo-Hill. The dinner menu included vaca frita, chicken in mojo sauce, boiled yuca in garlic sauce, black beans and rice, and for dessert, bananas foster and homemade flan. Vincent made everything from scratch, down to the salad dressings. I had been lucky to win the dinner party by Vincent at a charity fundraiser for the Wellness Community/Cancer Support Group of Redondo Beach. I hadn't realized that the chef would be prepping at my home for two full evenings prior and twelve hours on party day. And this would be in addition to a demanding, full day at Trump, where he is in charge of a staff of forty. He donated all of his time and talent for this event to the charity. Born in Venezuela to a Cuban mother and a French father, Vincent was inspired to cook early on by his French grandmother. After a simple red snapper dish won him a cooking school scholarship, he traveled extensively training across Italy, France, Greece and Morocco for ten years, and also serving as guest instructor at the Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Miami, where he regularly addressed an audience of 1,000. He was handpicked to head up the Palos Verdes Trump after a stint at the Trump property in Washington, D.C. But in Redondo Beach there would be many challenges that someone at his level would never have faced. An executive chef is feted with the finest ingredients brought to his doorstep,

23 of 24 8/31/2011 9:08 PM broke a sweat. The backyard buffet was fronted by bistro tables and a dance floor, where guests also enjoyed mojitos and Cuban music supplied by the Havana-born DJ Robby. It reminded me a house party back home, he said. Plate after plate were filled with the dishes, and while traditional, each boasted a unique flair derived from Chef Vincent s family background, international training and creative imagination. Fajardo-Hill praised the fried tostones with green sauce as a tasty interpretation of one the favorite dishes from her own Venezuelan childhood, pabellón criollo. Surprisingly, tostones had not been on the original menu, but Vincent improvised when the plaintains hadn t ripened. A chef needs to think on his feet, says Vincent. For a dramatic finish, Vincent prepared bananas foster set to high flame with Cuban rum, all under the low-hanging branches of the hibiscus trees in the backyard. I think people were surprised to see me actually making some of these dishes, said Vincent. They weren t expecting to see me actually flambéing the bananas. but Vincent had to brave the pickings at my local surf-town supermarkets. I never really go shopping, noted Vincent, and finding certain Latin ingredients was a difficult task. Next, he would have to be handling his industrial-sized pots over my tiny cook-top and sink, with barely a human-sized width between the two. And then there was the challenge of moving the feast from my top floor kitchen to the buffet in the garden, three flights down. Vincent never With disappearing to-go boxes filled to the brim, it was a tough call to identify which was the favorite dish, but raves over the berry-topped, brandy-soaked flan seemed to top everyone s list. It was unbelievable, pronounced DJ Robby. The dinner was a reflection of where I ve been and where I want to be going, said Vincent. Latin American dishes are constantly being re-interpreted, declared Fajardo-Hill. There are 1,000 versions of every dish. But to have these traditions interpreted in a first-class way is really quite wonderful.