Paquito D'Rivera Clarinet, Alto Sax, Soprano Sax
Fareed Haque Guitar
Ed Cherry Guitar (plays on Jean Pauline and Who's Smoking)
Danilo Perez Piano
David Finck Bass
Jorge Rossy Drums
Sammy Figueroa Percussion
Once upon a time, back in the years B.C. (before Castro), my dad would take me to the cafes on Las Marquesinas de Prado in Havana, my hometown. There, we'd meet all of the local musicians, and enjoy hanging out and talking for hours, drinking that good Cuban coffee. Some of the places even had live bands. Back in the years B.C. ... As I was making this new record, I was thinking about thet beautiful time."
Although he left for good in 1980, the life of his native Cuba has remained a major source of inspiration for Paquito D'Rivera. As on his previous Chesky release "Tico-Tico" (Chesky JD34), in this latest outing Paquito once again draws on the seemingly boundless energy of his homeland and its Latin American neighbors. Yet even a casual listening to the title tune proves this is no mere exercise in nostalgia. To further stimulate his already astonishing virtuosity, irrepressible spirit and ebullient sense of humor, Paquito has called some of his favorite younger musicians to bring "new blood" to the tradition. The result? Havana Cafe--1991 version.
Foremost among the relative newcomers are pianist Danilo Perez and guitarist Fareed Haque. Danilo, a native of Panama, is the music director of Paquito's new sextet. "He brings us not only new compositions, but a whole new musical conception. Dizzy Gillespie, Jon Hendricks, Roy Haynes and a lot others have already discovered Danilo; he's going to be a big star," says the proud bandleader who first brought him to prominebce.
In addition to his Pakistani and Chilean ethnic roots, Fareed Haque brings to his unique guitar style an equal fluency with jazz and classical music. His diverse credits include touring with Sting, two albums of original acoustic music, and a professorship at Northern Illinois University.
Paquito's belief that "the young can inspire the old" is further demonstrated by Spanish drummer Jorge Rossy, who first came to America on a music scholarship--as a trumpeter! Yet it was his time-keeping talents which won him the recognition of trumpeters Woody Shaw and Jack Walrath, as well as his current employer.
Rounding out the sextet are precussionist Sammy Figueroa, bassist David Finck and guitarist Ed Cherry. Sammy is one of the best-known and most-accomplished percussion players on the New York scene, having performed and recorded with everyone from Michel Camilo to Miles Davis. "And not only that, he sings great rock-and-roll!" adds the leader. Speaking of the bassist, Paquito points out that "David has learned the real way to play many different rhythms from other countries." Perhaps this is why he is in such demand on Chesky albums alone, recording with artists as diverse as vocalist Ana Caram, the chamber ensemble Orquestra Nova, and singer-songwriter Kenny Rankin. Ed Cherry, who is heard on "Who's Smoking?" as well as his own "Jean Pauline," has an enviable track record as a sideman. A veteran of many years with Dizzy Gillespie, he has also performed with fellow guitarist Kenny Burrell, organists Jimmy McGriff and Jack McDuff, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Rivers.
These seven bring their experience and inspiration to bear on a diverse collection of challenging and attractive compositions, including.
Havana Cafe--the twists, turns and offbeat accents of this swinging mambo by Danilo evoke images of the Havana of Paquito's youth, but its tantalizingly dissonant harmonies and telepathic rhythmic interchange are thoroughly up-to-date.
Jean Pauline--this sultry yet driving jazz-influenced cha-cha is the first Ed Cherry original ever recorded--a situation we may well hope will change soon. Prominent are the composer's swinging electric guitar and Paquito's dancing soprano sax.
The Search--exotic harmonies, an unpredictable yet lyrical melody and the pulsating samba groove of this composition by Fareed help lead all the soloists, particularly Paquito, into unexpected and fascinating new directions.
Look At You--the catchy samba melody and rock-solid bass playing of composer David Finck inspires Paquito to joyful flights of fancy.
Improvisation--Fareed's arrangement of a composition by Paquito, dedicated to Venezuelan composer Antonio Lauro. "Fareed turned me on to Lauro's guitar music, and since then I've recorded something composed or dedicated to Maestro Lauro on every album." says the composer.
Contradanza--a solo piece by Paquito (a tribute to the foremost Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona), demonstrating why he is considered one of the few jazz saxophonists "who play such accomplished clarinet as to send some of us clarinetists scurrying back to the woodshed." (Jhon Kuehn, The Clarinet)
Who's Smoking--a D'Rivera/Roditi joint effort, inspired by a favorite saying of their colleague and dear friend from the Dizzy Gillespie band, the "smoking" saxophonist James Moody.
The Return--another soprano sax feature, this reflective tune by Fareed features a lyrical melody and contemporary harmonies over a loose 6/8 beat, signaling the composer's return to his roots in modern jazz.
Bossa do Brooklym--written by superb Brazilian trumpeter extraordinaire Claudio Roditi, Paquito's long-time associate, featuring a cool acoustic guitar as well as some hot clarinet.
What Are You Doing Tomorrow Night?--composer Lucio Godoy hails from Argentina, but the poserful samba beat and funky-jazz harmonies of this tune bespeak both Brazilian and American musical roots.
Paquito D'Rivera countinually searches for inspiration in his own musical heritage, and encourages his colleagues to do the same. Thanks to the affinity for freshness and pure fun shared by all concerned, the search never degenerates into rehashing musical history for its own sake. Whatever the current status of the haunts of Paquito's yesterdays, he's made sure that we can all enjoy the Havanna Cafe of 1991.
Steve Sacks
Recorded by using the 128x Oversampling A to D Mark II with ultra-analog modules, built by Bob Katz