AND HIS LATIN ALL STARS - REENCUENTROS

5 STARS ON NOVEMBER'S DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

It’s been more than 20 years since Cuba’s bestof times/worst-of-times musical renaissance astonished everyone who was paying attention.
In that time, Cuba has been fully reintegrated as a world capital of music, and a transcendental generation of players who emerged at the end of the ’80s and beginning of the ’90s in Cuba, from Cuba, or connected to Cuba has progressed from prodigy status to being mature, mid-career masters.

Luxurious and lively, flutist Orlando “Maraca” Valle’s Reencuentros shows him at a new level of artistic growth. It’s an international dream Latin jazz band—the “all star” billing is no hype—coupled with a marvelous, reallyexisting 18-piece Cuban string orchestra.

Part of the dreamlike quality of the project is to hear Puerto Rican, U.S.-based Cuban and Cuban-Cuban playing together as if there were no obstacles. They’ve been putting their heads together whenever they get the chance, and the mutual admiration illuminates the music.

Horacio “El Negro” Hernández pushes Maraca like no previous drummer I’ve heard. With Giovanni Hidalgo on congas, and bassist Feliciano Arango (who powered the colossal NG La Banda), the tumbaos are deep. Cuba’s best-known güirero, septuagenarian Enrique Lazaga, scrape-drives “Danzón Siglo XXI.” It’s not a salsa band; it’s orchestral Cuban jazz, combining Maraca’s flute with tenor (David Sánchez), trumpet (Julito Padrón), trombone (Hugh Fraser), and violin (the Cuban-trained Sayaka Katsuki), along with a synth player (Yusef Díaz). Pianist Harold López-Nussa is a rising star, but more about him in a minute.

The tunes stretch out, sometimes to double-Digit minutes. The recording is live, in front of a packed-out Cuban audience, and comes packaged together with an impressively produced DVD of the entire two-hour concert, which took place at Havana’s Gran Teatro.

The opener is a number that has in the last few years accomplished the uncommon feat of becoming something of an orchestral standard: Tchaikovsky Conservatory graduate Guido López-Gavilán’s “Camerata en Guaguancó,” better known in its version by Havana’s Camerata Romeu. Maraca’s compositions are excellent, and they also play “Manteca” (with Maraca on piccolo and Giovanni Hidalgo in the Chano Pozo role) and Ignacio Cervantés’s “Serenata Cubana,” turned into a bluesy solo
vehicle for David Sánchez on tenor. - Ned Sublette - November's 2011 Downbeat Magazine

Personnel:
Orlando “Maraca” Valle, flute; Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, drums; Giovanni Hildalgo, percussion; David Sánchez, tenor saxophone; Hugh Fraser, trombone; Harold López-Nussa, piano; Feliciano Arango, bass; Julio Padrón, trumpet, flugelhorn; Yusef Díaz, keyboards; Enrique Lazaga, güiro; Sayaka, violin; Orquesta de Cámara de la Habana.


CD
1. Camerata En Guaguancó
2. Afro
3. Danzón Siglo XXI
4. Noche De Batá
5. Manteca     
6. Serenata Cubana
7. Parque Central

DVD
1. Camerata En Guaguancó
2. Afro
3. Serenata cubana
4. Manteca
5. Balada de Marzo
6. Danzón Siglo XXI
7. Presentación
8. Los tres golpes
9. Noche de batá
10. Nueva Era
11. Parque Central