ON FIRE: LIVE FROM THE BLUE MOROCCO, A HEATED UNISSUED 1967 PERFORMANCE BY FREDDIE HUBBARD

ON FIRE: LIVE FROM THE BLUE MOROCCO, A HEATED UNISSUED 1967 PERFORMANCE BY FREDDIE HUBBARD, DUE FROM RESONANCE AS LIMITED THREE-LP SET ON RECORD STORE DAY APRIL 12

Legendary Trumpeter is Heard at His Ferocious Peak at Sylvia Robinson’s Bronx Club with an All-Star Combo Featuring Bennie Maupin, Kenny Barron, Herbie Lewis, and Freddie Waits

Deluxe Package, Also Available on CD on April 18, Includes New Interviews with Maupin and Barron, Notes by Jazz Authority John Koenig, Appreciations and Interviews with Charles Tolliver, Eddie Henderson, Steven Bernstein, Jeremy Pelt and More

Trumpet master Freddie Hubbard is heard at the apex of his early brilliance in the newly unearthed collection On Fire: Live from the Blue Morocco, which arrives on April 12 as an exclusive, limited three-LP Record Store Day release from Resonance Records.

Remastered from the original tapes by Matthew Lutthans, with the LPs mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed at Le Vinylist, the previously unreleased set was captured by recording engineer Bernard Drayton in 1967 at the Blue Morocco, a jazz spot located in the New York borough of the Bronx and operated by Sylvia Robinson, later a co-founder of Sugar Hill Records. The collection was produced with the full endorsement of the trumpeter’s son and estate representative Duane Hubbard.

Hubbard’s work with Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, his appearances on historic recordings by John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, and his own brilliant recordings as a leader for Blue Note and Impulse! Records led contemporary observers to hail him as the masterful successor to the late Clifford Brown. He is heard on the new release playing a storming set of his own compositions and a pair of smartly arranged standards. Hubbard is backed by his working group of the day, a skilled unit that included saxophonist Bennie Maupin, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Freddie Waits.

 

The package — which will also be issued as a two-CD set on April 18 — is co-produced by Bernard Drayton, his celebrated son and drummer Charley Drayton, and Zev Feldman, the award-winning “Jazz Detective” and co-president of Resonance Records. It includes an introductory essay by jazz scholar John Koenig; new interviews by Feldman with Maupin and Barron; and interviews and appreciations by trumpeters Charles Tolliver, Eddie Henderson, Steven Bernstein, and Jeremy Pelt; and more.

Feldman says, “This album captures Freddie Hubbard at an important point in his career. He had come fully into his own and was forging for himself an honored place in the pantheon of the world’s greatest jazz trumpet players. These live recordings represent Freddie at the height of his powers. The band on these recordings was Freddie's working group at the time, and they certainly rose to his level.”

 

“We were excited about Freddie Hubbard coming to the Blue Morocco,” says Drayton, who also captured the previously unreleased recording of Kenny Dorham at the club that is being released for RSD by Resonance. “By 1967, when this album was recorded, Freddie was laying his claim, as Dizzy Gillespie put it, as the greatest trumpet player in the world. Freddie was a dynamo, full of energy and full of pepper. As you can hear, he was on fire. I’m proud to have documented this page in the annals of Freddie's career.”

Duane Hubbard adds, “My dad, to me and millions of fans, was one of the greatest trumpet players in history. He came to New York from Indianapolis with the drive to be great. In New York, he worked with the top musicians of the time. He took every gig, and he practiced so much and worked so hard that with his natural gifts he rose to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of his, or any, generation.”

 

“As the performances on this album show,” Koenig writes, “it’s easy to see the qualities that allowed Freddie to make his way into the rarefied milieu of the jazz elite as an instrumentalist. But with this recording, we also have a view of Freddie coming fully into his own as a bandleader. These tracks have never before been heard publicly. They show Freddie in action in a live setting with what was his first regular working band.”

Hubbard’s gifted sidemen of the day testify that playing alongside Hubbard at the top of his game was a thrilling experience.

 

“Playing with Freddie was very, very intense,” Maupin says. “It was really exciting for me to be able to be a part of the group and be doing these things with him. It was a lot of fun, just great musical fun. For me, playing with someone who had been working with people like Art Blakey, who had that kind of incredible experience, I realized what I needed to do just to keep up with him: I had to really practice a lot. It inspired me to really up my game.”

                  © Tom Copi

“Musically, playing with Freddie was always great,” says Barron. “Always. And what was great about that band on this record is that with Freddie, we could play all kinds of music. By that, I mean, in one piece, we would go from straight-ahead to avant-garde and switch on a dime, change on a dime. Freddie was always the instigator. If you listened to him, you could tell where he wanted to go and we would just go there with him. It was a great band. I loved playing with them.”
 
Hubbard’s formidable legacy as a trumpeter has served as an example for his successors on the instrument.
 
“Hub was one of my trumpet heroes in my youth,” Tolliver says. “Initially coming out of Brownie, by slightly modifying an already great embouchure, he was able physically to fashion and create the style he was aiming for — to execute and muscle the trumpet in a saxophone-like pianistic manner resulting in incredible improvisational feats and solos never heard before, while at the same time delivering a big, sassy, warm, brass sound without ever sacrificing those crucial inherent elements of our art form — swing, the blues, and pure sophistication.”

Henderson recalls, “Freddie dominated the trumpet scene in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. He was without a doubt the top of the hill — his trumpet expertise and prowess, his execution and facility, his range. And his compositions were so challenging, over and above what was coming out of the bebop era. They were very difficult harmonically to maneuver through.”
 
In an enthusiastic outburst, Bernstein says, “This recording is insane! It’s one of the most exciting live documents I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s f!cking mind-blowing. Freddie’s on fire. It's just so damn good.”
 
 
Resonance Records is a multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning label (most recently for John Coltrane’s Offering: Live at Temple University for "Best Album Notes") that prides itself in creating beautifully designed, informative packaging to accompany previously unreleased recordings by the jazz icons who grace Resonance's catalog. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Resonance Records is a division of Rising Jazz Stars, Inc. a California 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation created to discover the next jazz stars and advance the cause of jazz. Current Resonance Artists include Tawanda, Eddie Daniels, Tamir Hendelman, Christian Howes and Donald Vega. www.ResonanceRecords.org

DORHAM DATE BLUE BOSSA IN THE BRONX: LIVE FROM THE BLUE MOROCCO BOWS AS TWO-LP SET FROM RESONANCE RECORDS

 PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED KENNY DORHAM DATE BLUE BOSSA IN THE BRONX: LIVE FROM THE BLUE MOROCCO BOWS AS TWO-LP SET FROM RESONANCE RECORDS

ON RECORD STORE DAY APRIL 12, 2025

Deluxe Package Includes Notes by Grammy Winner Bob Blumenthal, An Appreciation by Dan Morgenstern, Observations from Fellow Trumpeters Charles Tolliver, Eddie Henderson, Steven Bernstein, and Jeremy Pelt, and More

Limited April 12 Vinyl Release Will Be Succeeded by Deluxe CD Edition on April 18

 

Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live from the Blue Morocco, a never-before-heard live performance from master hard bop trumpeter Kenny Dorham, will be released as a two-LP set by Resonance Records for Record Store Day (April 12, 2025).

The collection has been transferred from the original tape reels, mastered by Fran Gala at Resonance Records Studio, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at 33-1/3 rpm at Le Vinylist as a limited-edition package.

 

The storming all-star club date will be issued as a deluxe CD on April 18.

 

Both LP and CD editions include notes by two-time Grammy winner Bob Blumenthal; a Dorham appreciation by Dan Morgenstern, the late director of Rutgers University’s Institute of Jazz Studies and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master; remembrances from trumpeters Eddie Henderson, Charles Tolliver, Steven Bernstein, and Jeremy Pelt; and more.

 

The collection was recorded by Bernard Drayton in 1967 at the titular New York venue, a local bar at Boston Road and 168th Street that was operated by Sylvia Robinson (previously in the hit-making duo Mickey and Sylvia) and her husband Joe; the couple went on to found the groundbreaking rap label Sugar Hill Records.

Blue Bossa in the Bronx features a hard-hitting band comprising alto saxophonist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Denis Charles. It leads off with Dorham’s best-known composition, “Blue Bossa,” first heard on Page One, tenor saxophonist and longtime bandmate Joe Henderson’s 1963 debut as a leader. The repertoire also includes an untitled blues by Dorham, numbers originated by Charlie Parker, Milt Jackson, and Miles Davis, and the standards “Memories of You” and “My One and Only Love.”

 

The award-winning producer and Resonance co-president Zev Feldman says of his latest archival find, “As I write this in 2024, the jazz world is marking the centenary of Kenny Dorham’s birth. I hope this recording will further cement his stature as a major figure during an important period in the development of modern jazz.”

 

In his notes, Blumenthal eloquently measures Dorham’s towering stature in jazz history, situating him among the music’s greats: “Underrated. Deserving of wider recognition. Musicians' musician. In Art Blakey's memorable phrase, ‘the uncrowned king.’ These were the labels that Kenny Dorham carried throughout his career and that continue to linger over his legacy. A vital presence in jazz for over a quarter century and a valued collaborator with most of the period's creative forces, he never won a poll or acquired enough star power to sustain a working band or become a commercial draw.

“Part of the problem,” he continues, “was Dorham's fate to succeed more charismatic figures in historic groups. He followed both Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro, whom he considered ‘the two most outstanding trumpet players in jazz history, if not trumpet history,’ when he became the featured soloist in Billy Eckstine's orchestra. He became Charlie Parker's front-line partner after Miles Davis left. He succeeded Clifford Brown, whom he characterized as ‘the youngest player in trumpet history to achieve musical maturity,’ not once but twice — first in the Art Blakey/Horace Silver unit that became the Jazz Messengers and then, after Brown's death, in the Max Roach band.”

Kenny Dorham. © Raymond Ross Archives / CTSIMAGES

In one of the last interviews he gave before his death at 94 in September 2024, Morgenstern said, “Kenny’s legacy is in his recordings. And there’s a lot of great stuff. I think there are very few recordings by Kenny that are not worth listening to. And he was a good partner on the front line. He was a good partner to his saxophonists. He was different from many of the musicians who were contemporary with him, trumpet players. He was more thoughtful and he was more melodic. And he had a great sound. I was very fond of him. To sum it up, Kenny was one of my favorite modern trumpeters.”
 
A chorus of great trumpeters testify to Dorham’s enduring influence.
 

“From hearing Kenny's first note, I realized that he had a very distinctive sound, to say nothing of the melodic flow he had,” Henderson says. "It was so lyrical. His sound stood out from all the other trumpet players. Each of my heroes — Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, they all had the sound, but Kenny could hit just one note, bingo — you knew it was him. Miles Davis had his sound, but Kenny was one of the heavyweights of that generation.”
 
Tolliver recalls, “Having broken in in 1964, by 1967 I had met and/or played with all the supporting participants of KD on these recordings.  Birks, of course, sits at the throne, but KD was also one of my trumpet heroes in my youth. Though somewhat coming out of Birks/Fats, KD crafted and possessed a style and delivery inimitable to all other trumpeters before or after — tone, attack, theory, execution, ‘turnarounds.’”

“The thing about Kenny Dorham,” says Bernstein, “is that you could tell it was him in one note. And that’s hard to do on the trumpet. The trumpet’s a difficult instrument to play in general. People of Kenny Dorham's era and before played in big bands, so you had to be able to blend with other big-band players. You were required to have a certain kind of sound that matched the big band. Kenny was one of the first guys who had a sound not like that. His sound was so unique that you could hear one note and you knew, ‘Well, that’s Kenny Dorham.’ He also had what people used to call turnbacks; they call them turnarounds now. Turnarounds are a way to get from one chord to another chord and Kenny had a really singular way of doing turnarounds.”

Pelt enthuses, “Kenny Dorham had an obvious knack for melody. He displayed a keen melodic focus in his playing, which was also quite lyrical. His harmonic sense was what we call slick. He was playing inside of the harmony. It's a distinctive thing with Kenny — the way he plays inside the chord. I don't mean slick in a bad way. It's slick in like wow!”

Recordist Drayton says of the special qualities of his newly unearthed tapes, “When this show was recorded, Kenny was so highly regarded among musicians that even though he didn't have a regular band, he was always able to get the best musicians available to play with him. The performances that night were right there. The vibe was just one of those KD vibes. For a guy who wasn't able to play on a regular basis owing to his health issues, he was on fire and so was the band. As I said, it was a dream fulfilled for me.”
 
 
Resonance Records is a multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning label (most recently for John Coltrane’s Offering: Live at Temple University for "Best Album Notes") that prides itself in creating beautifully designed, informative packaging to accompany previously unreleased recordings by the jazz icons who grace Resonance's catalog. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Resonance Records is a division of Rising Jazz Stars, Inc. a California 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation created to discover the next jazz stars and advance the cause of jazz. Current Resonance Artists include Tawanda, Eddie Daniels, Tamir Hendelman, Christian Howes and Donald Vega. www.ResonanceRecords.org

CHARLES MINGUS’ LATE-‘70s MASTERY REVEALED ON IN ARGENTINA: THE BUENOS AIRES CONCERTS

CHARLES MINGUS’ LATE-‘70s MASTERY REVEALED ON IN ARGENTINA: THE BUENOS AIRES CONCERTS, A THREE-LP RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE DUE APRIL 12 FROM RESONANCE RECORDS 

Bassist-Composer’s Brilliant Working Quintet Heard in First Authorized Release of Two Exciting Live Dates from His 1977 South American Tour, Also Coming as Two-CD Set on April 18
Deluxe Package Includes Detailed Notes from Mingus Biographer Brian Priestley, Recollections of the Concerts from Argentinian Writer Claudio Parisi, New Interviews with Band Members Jack Walrath and Ricky Ford, and More

Charles Mingus’ thrilling, little-heard 1977 quintet finally gets its due on the revelatory In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts, to be released on April 12 as a limited edition three-LP Record Store Day exclusive from Resonance Records.

The collection, which succeeds Resonance’s first Mingus release The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott’s (2022), will also be issued as a two-CD set on April 18. Like its predecessor, it is being released with the full cooperation and authorization of the Jazz Workshop, Inc. and the Charles Mingus Estate. The 180-gram vinyl set has been transferred from the original tape reels recorded by engineer Carlos Melero, mastered by Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab, and pressed at Le Vinylist.

 

Recorded in concert at the Teatro Coliseo and the Teatro Sociedad Hebraica Argentina (SHA) on June 2-3, 1977, In Argentina affords a revealing look at the great composer-bassist’s little-documented working band of the era. He is joined by trumpeter Jack Walrath, a veteran of the storied “Changes band” of the mid-‘70s that included tenor saxophonist George Adams and pianist Don Pullen; their gifted successors, tenorist Ricky Ford and pianist Robert Neloms; and the leader’s long-tenured drummer Dannie Richmond. The shows took place only six months before Mingus was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), which claimed him on Jan. 5, 1979.

Exhorted vocally by Mingus, the spirited combo bracingly essayed material ranging from classic compositions like “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” and “Fables of Faubus” to such expansive latter-day compositions as “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love,” “Three or Four Shades of Blue,” and the aptly Latin-infused “Cumbia and Jazz Fusion.” Mingus also stepped to the piano for a pair of short solo performances.

 

In Argentina’s deluxe packaging includes a thoughtful new essay by Brian Priestley, author of the pioneering work Mingus: A Critical Biography (1983); a detailed and intimate look at the Buenos Aires concerts by Claudio Parisi, excerpted from his 2014 book Grandes del jazz internacional en Argentina (1956-1979); new interviews with Walrath and Ford; and photographs by Uberto Sagramoso and Tito Villalba. 

© Uberto Sagramoso

Ricky Ford, Jack Walrath, Bob Neloms and Charles Mingus performing at the Teatro Coliseo on June 2, 1977 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo by Uberto Sagramoso.

Producer and Resonance co-president Zev Feldman says, “Regardless of the era, Mingus always found a way to surround himself with incredible musicians. I'm a fan of this group in particular. I became familiar with it in my early 20s when I discovered the Dannie Richmond album The Last Mingus Band A.D., issued on the Landmark label in 1980. That album featured the same band as the one on this set, except that for on that album, Cameron Brown played bass. The band had an amazing energy and simpatico, and they just sounded terrific. In fact, there was such an undeniable chemistry in this band that they would continue to perform with Brown in the bass chair for years after.”
 
In his essay, Priestley notes that the group Mingus brought with him to Buenos Aires has been if not completely unsung, at least less acknowledged and appreciated than it should have been.

“What has been written about Mingus's continuing performances with his regular quintet mainly consists of brief comments in live reviews,” he says. “The exception, of course, is the contribution of Argentinian writer Claudio Parisi, whose reactions are featured elsewhere in this booklet — here translated from the original Spanish to English. But the majority of the coverage that Mingus received at the time, apart from comments on his aforementioned album, contained somewhat mixed enthusiasm for his current group.

“Of course, it hasn't helped the long-term reputation of the 1977 band that almost nothing of its work has been preserved. A couple of limited-edition bootlegs of live gigs came and went, but all the contemporary studio recordings were performed by larger ensembles, of which Three or Four Shades of Blues was the most modestly sized. So the present album is actually the first to be issued legitimately, with the cooperation of the Mingus estate, of his quintet as it was constituted in 1977.”
 
Parisi, who attended the Buenos Aires shows, notes, “Unfortunately, by and large, the local music press did not treat Mingus to the type of welcome one would expect should befit such an important figure of the jazz pantheon. Consequently, Mingus's appearance in Buenos Aires was not well-attended. It was rock publications such as Pelo and Expreso Imaginario that placed more importance than the standard press on the arrival of this musical giant and documented the details of the concert with commensurate respect in their reviews.

“According to the annual supplement of the magazine Pelo, published in December 1977, ‘Among the most important musical events of the year, the arrival of Mingus stood out as “The Visit of the Year” because, even without the necessary publicity to ensure an audience, he infused his music with virtuosity and great harmonic adventure, without losing an iota of the joy of making music.’”
 
For their part, the musicians who participated on the tour remember the South American trek fondly, both in terms of the response and the caliber of the music.
 
“The audiences on the tour always loved us,” Walrath recalls. “I think it was arguably the best band of the time. In Argentina, they went crazy. They loved it. We reached all different kinds of people and it was great.”
 
“It’s fantastic to hear this music now after all these years,” says Ford. “Now, no one will be able to say, ‘Oh yeah, well, the best thing was ’64 Antibes,’ or ‘[T]he greatest thing was Changes One and Changes Two.’ Now people are going to have another final stamp about the Charles Mingus band and how he had a really strong consistency in his musical expression, even late in his life.”
 
Resonance Records is a multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning label (most recently for John Coltrane’s Offering: Live at Temple University for "Best Album Notes") that prides itself in creating beautifully designed, informative packaging to accompany previously unreleased recordings by the jazz icons who grace Resonance's catalog. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Resonance Records is a division of Rising Jazz Stars, Inc. a California 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation created to discover the next jazz stars and advance the cause of jazz. Current Resonance Artists include Tawanda, Eddie Daniels, Tamir Hendelman, Christian Howes and Donald Vega. www.ResonanceRecords.org

¿PURO TEATRO EN EL AMOR? ZAYRA POLA DESENMASCARA LA FALSA PASIÓN EN SU NUEVO SENCILLO

¿PURO TEATRO EN EL AMOR? ZAYRA POLA DESENMASCARA LA FALSA PASIÓN EN SU NUEVO SENCILLO

San Juan, Puerto Rico – ¿Cuántas veces has caído en una historia de amor que al final resultó ser puro teatro? Hoy, Zayra Pola expone esas relaciones llenas de engaños y falsas promesas con el lanzamiento de su más reciente sencillo, Puro Teatro. Esta canción icónica, popularizada en bolero en la voz de La Lupe, renace en la salsa con una versión electrizante y emotiva, Convirtiéndose en un himno para quienes han sido protagonistas de un amor ficticio.

El tema ya está disponible en todas las plataformas digitales y su lanzamiento no pudo haber llegado en una mejor fecha: 12 de febrero, día que se conmemora el natalicio del gran compositor de esta pieza, Don Tite Curet Alonso, cuya genialidad sigue marcando la historia de la música latina. Con esta canción, Zayra Pola no solo rinde tributo al género, sino que también le da un giro moderno y contundente, resaltando la resiliencia de las mujeres ante el desamor.

“¿Cuántas veces nos han prometido amor eterno y al final todo fue una gran actuación? Esta canción es para todas las mujeres que han vivido la decepción de un amor de mentira. Con esta versión, quiero darles voz, hacerles saber que después de la desilusión siempre llega un renacer”, expresó Zayra Pola.

El sencillo, producido con una fusión de sonidos modernos sin perder la esencia del ritmo salsero, se perfila como una propuesta fresca y vibrante dentro del género. Puro Teatro viene acompañado de una campaña visual impactante que refuerza su mensaje de fuerza y determinación.

Este lanzamiento marca un nuevo hito en la carrera de Zayra Pola, consolidándola como una de las artistas femeninas más prometedoras de la salsa contemporánea. Con una sólida formación musical y una pasión inquebrantable, la cantante reafirma su compromiso de llevar el género a nuevas generaciones y de seguir construyendo su camino con autenticidad.

Puro Teatro ya está disponible en todas las plataformas digitales. No te quedes fuera de la conversación y únete al movimiento que revela las verdades del amor.

Créditos: 

Puro Teatro

Composición: Catalino “Tite” Curet Alonso

Arreglo: Andy Guzmán

Interpretación: Zayra Pola

Ingeniero de grabación: Miguel Ortiz y Javy Fernández

Mezcla y Master: Javy Fernández

Grabado en 160 Mass ave. Berklee Studios y F3 Studios - Bayamón, PR.

Músicos de Grabación:

Piano: Javy Fernández

Bajo: Jorge David Rivera

Congas: Miguel Martínez

Bongos + campana: Zayra Pola

Timbal: Zayra Pola

Percusión menor: Zayra Pola

Trompetas: Yibran Aponte y Miguel Ortiz

Trombones: Ben Romanow

Coros: Henry Santiago, Juan Bautista, Ricelys Colón

Voz: Zayra Pola

Arte: Karolina Meireles

Video: Karolina Meireles

Maquillaje y Peinado: Arquímedes González

Fotografía: Will Favinger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDHGp-_yDy8&list=RDNDHGp-_yDy8&start_radio=1

 bookings@zayrapola.com

  www.zayrapola.com

MAESTRO JOSÉ NEGRONI, NOMINADO TRES VECES AL GRAMMY, DEVELA SU NUEVO Y MUY ESPERADO ÁLBUM ‘HEARTBEATS’

MAESTRO JOSÉ NEGRONI, NOMINADO TRES VECES AL GRAMMY, DEVELA SU NUEVO Y MUY ESPERADO ÁLBUM ‘HEARTBEATS’ 

Miami, 12 de febrero de 2025 – ¡Prepárense para embarcarse en un viaje musical como ningún otro! El maestro José Negroni, nominado tres veces al Grammy, se complace en anunciar el lanzamiento de su muy anticipado nuevo álbum, Heartbeats.

Esta encantadora colección cuenta con siete pistas instrumentales, incluyendo el tema titular “Heartbeats”, compuesta por el propio Negroni. Marquen sus calendarios: este cautivador álbum estará disponible en todas las principales plataformas de streaming, incluyendo Spotify, Apple Music y YouTube, a partir del 14 de febrero de 2025. 

El maestro Negroni se ha consolidado como una poderosa influencia en el ámbito musical. Pianista, compositor, arreglista y educador de renombre internacional, es celebrado por su singular fusión de jazz que combina maravillosamente ritmos clásicos y latinos. 

Con una rica trayectoria como director musical de artistas latinos icónicos como José Luis Rodríguez, Carmita Jiménez, Chayanne, Ednita Nazario, Pedro Capó y Plácido Domínguez Jr., Negroni ha dejado una huella indeleble en la industria. Su década de trabajo como Director de Publicaciones en Sony Music y sus colaboraciones con importantes sellos discográficos como Sony Music y Universal Music subrayan aún más su impresionante carrera. Heartbeats no es un álbum cualquiera; es un sincero homenaje a legendarios compositores como Duke Ellington, Victor Young, Burt Bacharach, Richard Rodgers y Arthur Schwartz. 

La creatividad de Negroni brilla mientras infunde cada interpretación con una nueva perspectiva del jazz, mostrando su meticulosa atención al detalle en sonoridad e improvisación. Este álbum rinde homenaje a estas grandes obras mientras refleja la expresión artística personal de Negroni, prometiendo una experiencia musical que invita tanto a la reflexión como al disfrute. 

Aspectos destacados: El maestro Negroni está listo para dejar una marca perdurable en el mundo del jazz. Nacido y criado en la costa sur de Puerto Rico, el viaje musical de Negroni comenzó desde humildes comienzos. Ha pisado escenarios alrededor del mundo, actuando en numerosos festivales de jazz en EE. UU. e internacionales, así como en prestigiosos lugares como el famoso Blue Note Jazz Club de Nueva York. Su música se transmite en más de 600 estaciones de radio en todo el mundo, abarcando países como Japón, España, Argentina, Inglaterra, Grecia, Uruguay, Indonesia, EE. UU. Y México. 

La destacada creatividad de Negroni como pianista, compositor y arreglista le permite fusionar sin esfuerzo sus raíces clásicas con vibrantes ritmos de jazz y latinos. ¡Únete a nosotros para celebrar el lanzamiento de Heartbeats! 

Te invitamos a interactuar con nosotros en las redes sociales y a fomentar la transmisión y compra de esta música extraordinaria. No te pierdas esta experiencia musical única.

ESCÚCHA Heartbeats AQUI:

 – https://www.symphonicms.com/album/view/id/239b7fb22d9c2b82eb7296d0b56e33ea  

¡Deja que los ritmos de Heartbeats resuenen en tu corazón!  

Medios Sociales/Información de Contacto   

www.negronipiano.com 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6clJrNFd1xD5dzc9UzxW7C?si=Po9gdLgtSp6_7m3pp56nzA  

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-f2cifPObja-Wo-h9BRuIA  

https://www.instagram.com/negronistrio/        

https://twitter.com/negronistrio    

Concierto en Tributo en Grande a Mercedes Sosa a 15 Años de su muerte

Tributo en Grande a Mercedes Sosa a 15 Años de su muerte.

Josy Latorre, Zoraida Santiago, Chabela Rodríguez, Miriam Pérez, Tepeu, Cayenito y Coqui Sosa participarán del concierto

“Gracias a la Vida”

(11 de febrero de 2025, San Juan, Puerto Rico) – Puerto Rico rendirá tributo a una de las intérpretes más grandes que ha dado Latinoamérica, Mercedes Sosa. A 15 años de su fallecimiento, grandes artistas se unen para recordar a la icónica estrella Haydeé Mercedes Sosa, apodada “La Negra”. Directamente de Argentina, su sobrino Coqui Sosa se unirá a artistas del patio para honrar el indiscutible legado de su tía. Josy Latorre, Zoraida Santiago, Chabela Rodríguez, Miriam Pérez, el grupo Tepeu, y Cayenito han preparado un espectáculo repleto de recuerdos y de música, avalado por la UNESCO y la Fundación Mercedes Sosa.

Mercedes Sosa fue famosa por darle voz a canciones de grandes compositores latinoamericanos. “Gracias a la Vida” compuesta por la chilena Violeta Parra se convirtió en un tema obligado en los conciertos de la ganadora del Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 2004.

Para esta argentina oriunda de Tucumán, su conexión con Puerto Rico fue extraordinaria. Se presentó en muchas ocasiones aquí y llenó todos sus conciertos. Así lo hizo también a través de otros países de Latinoamérica. Europa no fue la excepción. “La Negra” tuvo la oportunidad de presentarse en el Théâtre Mogador de París, en la Capilla Sixtina en el Vaticano y el Coliseo Romano en Italia respectivamente. La seis veces ganadora del Latin Grammy, también recibió dos Latin Grammy Póstumos como Mejor Álbum Folclórico.

Este concierto encerrará esas canciones que el público conoció en su voz; “Canción con Todos”, “La Masa”, “Alfonsina y el Mar”, “Todo Cambia”, “Solo le pido a Dios”, “Canción para un Niño en la Calle”, entre muchas otras. Anécdotas y proyecciones en pantalla acompañarán a los éxitos de quien sigue siendo una de las figuras más sobresalientes del pentagrama musical.

Las funciones para el concierto “Tributo a Mercedes Sosa Gracias a La Vida”, que además coincide con el Día Internacional de la Mujer, son las siguientes: jueves 6 de marzo a las 7p.m. en el Teatro Yagüez, Mayagüez y sábado 8 de marzo a las 7:00 p.m. en el Teatro de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Los boletos ya están a la venta en www.prticket.com.

Zaccai Curtis recibe su primer premio GRAMMY® por 'CUBOP LIVES!' (Truth Revolution Recording Collective)

Zaccai Curtis recibe su primer premio GRAMMY® por 'CUBOP LIVES!' (Truth Revolution Recording Collective)

Ell pasado 2 de febrero de 2025, el pianista y compositor Zaccai Curtis, junto con sus acompañantes Luques Curtis, Willie Martinez, Camilo Molina y Reinaldo De Jesus, lograron su primer premio GRAMMY® con el  álbum Cubop Live! bajo la categoría de Mejor Álbum de Jazz Latino. Publicado a través de  Truth Revolution Recording Collective. Cubop Lives! Es un vibrante homenaje a la tradición afrocubana y el bebop americano, interpretado por el increíble pianista. Este premio representa un hito significativo en la carrera del aclamado músico.  

“Me siento muy honrado de ser reconocido y contribuir al jazz latino y la tradición del jazz (la música clásica estadounidense). La importancia de músicos como Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, Mario Bauzá y Machito no puede pasar desapercibida, ya que todos seguimos construyendo con orgullo sobre la base de su trabajo”, comentó Zaccai Curtis sobre la victoria.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: (L-R) Willie Martinez, Zaccai Curtis and Reinaldo DeJesus, winner of Best Latin Jazz Album for "Cubop Lives!", pose in the press room during the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

¡Cubop Live! Abarca 17 temas, a su vez incluye algunos  originales del pianista presentados con interpretaciones melódicas de Noro Morales, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker y más. "Quería hacer un álbum de época que aportara una nueva perspectiva a un estilo más antiguo, uno que no estuviera cubierto de la manera que pensé que podría ser", dijo Curtis. “¡Cubop Live! señala lo más temprano de la “fusión de jazz” y la combinación de culturas que se relacionaban entre lo social, político y, por supuesto, musicalmente”. 

Los diversos créditos de Curtis incluyen a Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch, Mambo Legends, Abraham Burton, Ralph Peterson, Ray Vega, Lakecia Benjamin, Cindy Blackman Santana y Avery Sharpe, entre otros. Profundamente arraigado en la tradición del Jazz, el Bebop y grandemente inmerso en el Jazz afrocubano, Curtis se sintió obligado a honrar a los músicos legendarios que allanaron el camino, fusionando estas ricas culturas musicales en una fusión única. El título del álbum tiene múltiples significados ya que rinde homenaje a un género del ayer. “Cubop” se refiere a la fusión de la música Cubana con el Bebop americano. 

¡Cubop Live! ha obtenido grandes elogios tanto de la crítica como de los fanáticos. La revista DownBeat premió al álbum con cuatro estrellas y media y calificó el proyecto como “no simplemente una excavación o evocación del pasado”, sino “música [que] permite a cada generación curiosa descubrir sus secretos ocultos”, y el destacado crítico de jazz Marc Myers elogió Cubop Lives!. cómo "enormemente diversificado" y la técnica y el gusto de Curtis como "extraordinarios" y "excepcionales". El álbum encabezó la lista de radio nacional de la Semana del Jazz en el puesto número 1 durante cuatro semanas consecutivas y continúa ubicándose entre los 20 primeros.

El trompetista ponceño Julito Alvarado celebra 40 años de trayectoria con un Álbum Emblemático

El trompetista ponceño Julito Alvarado celebra 40 años de trayectoria con un Álbum Emblemático

(5 de febrero de 2025, San Juan, Puerto Rico) – El trompetista, arreglista, compositor y director musical ponceño Julito Alvarado celebra una trayectoria impecable de cuatro décadas en la música con un álbum emblemático.

La grabación titulada “My Musical Journey” 40 Years Celebration contiene nueve temas, siete de ellos compuestos por Julito Alvarado y dos estándares de jazz: ”A Night in Tunisia” de John Gilliespie, destacando la plena en un trío de trompetas junto al joven y destacado trompetista Pedro Ruiz y su amigo y hermano Humberto Ramírez, y “Blues For Alice” de Charlie Parker.

Ventitrés (23) músicos, amigos y camaradas acompañaron a Alvarado en esta producción. Entre ellos se destacan el saxofonista Frankie Pérez, los trombonistas Eliut Cintrón y Víctor Vázquez, el cuatrista Pedrito Guzmán y el trompetista Humberto Ramírez.

 

“My Musical Journey” es una celebración a la riqueza musical que ha nutrido la carrera del trompetista de El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico y que ha servido de inspiración para sus proyectos de Latin Jazz y Salsa Del Sur Al Norte. Es una fusión bien lograda en formatos desde Quinteto hasta Big Band donde combina perfección la música autóctona puertorriqueña con las influencias del jazz.

Julito Alvarado se ha destacado por dirigir grandes orquestas como la de Tony Vega; además de sus proyectos en solitario tanto en la salsa con su Orquesta Del Sur al Norte como en el jazz con su sexteto. Ha participado en cientos de grabaciones como trompetista y arreglista y en presentaciones en vivo con gigantes de la salsa como: Willie Rosario, Andy Montañez, Cheo Feliciano, Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz, Tito Nieves, Humberto Ramírez Big Band, Luis Enrique, Tommy Olivencia, Bobby Valentín, por solo mencionar algunos.

“My Musical Journey es un viaje de ritmo, armonía, melodías e improvisación. Es un recorrido desde mis raíces folclóricas (plena, bomba, danza, música campesina y la salsa), hasta las influencias del jazz afroamericano, música afrocubana y demás ritmos caribeños”, explica Julito Alvarado.

 

“Daddy’s Swing” nos hace recordar esa época gloriosa del ‘swing’, “Aires de Campo” nos presenta la esencia de la música de la montaña, “El Bloqueo” nos mantiene al filo del tumbao del sabor de nuestras raíces afrocaribeñas y “Ponce Rumba” nos pone a bailar con la sabrosura de la salsa y el latin jazz. Completan la producción “Colores”, “Hilda” y “1ro de julio”.

“Vivo agradecido con Dios, mi familia, y tantos músicos que me han brindado apoyo y decenas de oportunidades durante estos cuarenta años. Todos han sido parte integral de mi desarrollo como trompetista, arreglista, compositor, productor y docente”, expresa Alvarado.

“My Musical Journey” ya está disponible en todas las plataformas digitales y muy pronto estará en formato físico. Pueden seguir a Julito Alvarado en sus redes sociales como @julitoalvarado.

 

El Puerto Rico Jazz Jam da inicio a la buena música en el 2025

El Puerto Rico Jazz Jam da inicio a la buena música en el 2025.

Por Wilbert Sostre Maldonado para Puerto Rico Jazz Blog 

Enero 2025. 

El Puerto Rico Jazz Jam, evento que por más de una década ha dado inicio al año con su oferta de excelencia musical, presentó un variado menú para el deleite de los aficionados al Jazz y a la Buena Música.

Viernes 24 de enero.

El viernes 24 de enero, comenzó con el saxofón de Miguel Zenón, el jazzista y músico boricua de más proyección internacional en años recientes. Miguel vino en compañía de otro virtuoso, el pianista venezolano Luis Perdomo. El dúo llevó a la sala René Marqués del Centro de Bellas Artes, su musicalidad y virtuosismo presentando parte de sus trabajos discográficos "El Arte del Bolero, Volumen I y II"

En "El Arte del Bolero", Miguel Zenón y Luis Perdomo exploran parte del repertorio de los boleros y el cancionero clásico latinoamericano. Ambos volúmenes fueron nominados al Grammy, recibiendo el reconocimiento hace un año por "El Arte del Bolero Volumen II"

Los presentes tuvieron la oportunidad de apreciar a dos grandes maestros en un diálogo musical en el que hicieron despliegue de su virtuosismo y total dominio de su instrumento musical. Con el sentimiento de cada nota e improvisación, Zenón y Perdomo impresionaron al público en los temas; "En la oscuridad", "Paula C", "La vida es un sueño", "Caballo Viejo", "Juguete" y finalizando con "Silencio" de Rafael Hernández.

El segundo acto de la noche fue el percusionista Little Johnny Rivero y su grupo, en un homenaje a las leyendas del Jazz. Bajo la excelente dirección musical de Manolo Navarro en el piano, y con Jorge Rodríguez en el bajo, Pablo Padin en la batería y Rubén Ríos en el saxofón alto y flauta, interpretaron los clásicos; "Little Sunflower" de Freddie Hubbard, "Morning" de Claire Fischer, y "Puerto Rico" de Eddie Palmieri.

En un cierre espectacular, suben al escenario el pianista Luis Perdomo y el saxofonista Miguel Zenón para interpretar el clásico de Dizzy Gillespie y del Jazz Latino, "Manteca".

Sábado 25 de enero.

La segunda noche del Puerto Rico Jazz Jam comenzó con Humberto Ramirez Jazz Project presentando parte de la música de su más reciente producción discográfica en la que celebra sus 40 años en la música.

Acompañado de músicos de excelencia; Frankie Pérez en el saxofón, Francisco Alcalá en la batería, Giovanni Ortiz en el bajo, Javier Oquendo en las congas, y Giovanny Rodríguez en el piano, el Maestro trompetista Humberto Ramirez interpretó los temas inéditos; "Tropic Dance", "El Secreto del Silencio", "La Puntilla", "Notes for Ted" y "Basic Rules".

En un homenaje a la cantante Lucy Fabery, quien nació un 25 de enero, Humberto Ramirez y su grupo sorprenden al público con una exquisita interpretación del clásico de la compositora puertorriqueña Sylvia Rexach "Mi Versión", tema que Humberto grabó con Lucy poco antes de su fallecimiento.

En el cierre de la segunda noche, y del festival, Humberto Ramirez regresa al escenario, esta vez con su Big Band; Fernando Marcano, Pedro Ruiz, Jahaziel García (trompetas), Frankie Pérez, Rubén Ríos (saxofón alto y flauta), Norberto Ortiz, Nelson Vega (saxofón tenor), Zuleyka Martinez (saxofón barítono), Miguel Rivera, Reynaldo Jorge, Hommy Ramos, Kristhian Hernández (trombón), Francisco Alcalá (batería), Giovanni Ortiz (bajo) y Angel David Mattos (piano).

La gran sorpresa del festival fue la potente y hermosa voz de la invitada especial Camila Isabel, joven cantante y egresada del Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico.

Con magistrales arreglos y dirección musical de Humberto Ramirez, la cantante Camila Isabel impresionó al público con bellas interpretaciones de algunos de los éxitos de la legendaria Barbra Streisand; "Somewhere" "The Windmills of your Mind", "People", "A Time for Love", "Woman in Love", "Smile", "Evergreen", y "Happy days are here again".

Luego de una gran ovación del público pidiendo un tema adicional, Camila, Humberto y su Big Band, los complacen en una majestuosa interpretación y cierre del festival con el tema "The Way We Were".

Con el Puerto Rico Jazz Jam, la oferta de excelencia musical comenzó oficialmente en el 2025.

(Fotos por Wilbert Sostre Maldonado)

HUMBERTO RAMÍREZ INTERPRETARÁ ÉXITOS DE BARBRA STREISAND DURANTE LA CELEBRACIÓN DE LOS 15 AÑOS DEL PUERTO RICO JAZZ JAM

HUMBERTO RAMÍREZ INTERPRETARÁ ÉXITOS DE BARBRA STREISAND DURANTE LA CELEBRACIÓN DE LOS 15 AÑOS DEL PUERTO RICO JAZZ JAM

(21 de enero de 2025, San Juan, Puerto Rico) - El Puerto Rico Jazz Jam cumple 15 años y su creador el trompetista, compositor, arreglista y director musical Humberto Ramírez tirará la casa por la ventana.

Durante los dos días de celebración, a saber: este viernes 24 y el sábado 25 de enero de 2025, grandes exponentes del latín jazz se darán cita en la Sala René Marqués del Centro de Bellas Artes de Santurce.

La primera noche, a las 8:00 p.m. y directamente de Nueva York, llega uno de los más importantes percusionistas puertorriqueños: Little Johnny Rivero y su grupo de Jazz Latino.

A las 9:30 p.m. el saxofonista Miguel Zenón y el pianista Luis Perdomo presentarán la propuesta con la que recién obtuvieron el Grammy como Mejor Álbum de Jazz: “El Arte del Bolero Vol. 2”.

La segunda velada iniciará a las 8:00 p.m. con la presentación de Humberto Ramírez Jazz Project y su reciente grabación titulada “40Th Anniversary”. Y a las 9:30 p.m., subirá a tarima Humberto Ramírez Big Band con la propuesta Barbra Streisand Greatest Hits.

Como invitada especial estará la joven cantante Camila Isabel, quien tendrá a su cargo la interpretación de éxitos tales como: “The Way We Were”, “Somewhere”, “Woman In Live”, “Happy Days Are Here Again”, entre otros.

Los boletos están a la venta en Ticketcenter (787.792.5000; www.tcpr.com) y en la boletería de Bellas Artes.