One of the initiators of the project, producer Joe Boyd, qualifies this musical encounter as a “collision” between two musical cultures. The other initiator was the leader of ¡Cubanismo!, Cuban trumpet blower Jesùs Alemañy.
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| ¡Cubanismo! |
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| John Boutté |
This tropical collection counts as many Cuban compositions as "made in New Orleans" numbers (sometimes totally mingled together as on the “Shallow Water Suite”). But where things get interesting is that in most cases the Cuban titles have been arranged by New Orleans (or at least American) musicians (pianist-producer Glenn Patscha, saxophonist Donald Harrison…) and the New Orleans titles by Cubans (Jesús Alemañy, Yosvany Terry…).
The Spanish lyrics are generally sung by Rafael Duany, while John Boutté takes the English parts with his rather high pitch voice which marries perfectly with the Cuban style.
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| Jesús Alemañy |
The richness of Cuban polyrhythmic percussion (timbales, congas, bongo, guiro, maracas, clavés, cowbell) marries for the best with New Orleans drums (bass, snare, bata), proving the common African roots of the traditional music of both places. The brass band tradition of New Orleans mingles with the large horn sections of Cuban salsa and jazz. Both transform the album into an infectious experience.
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| Glenn Patscha |
The tropical fiesta starts with “Marie Laveaux”, a typical Cuban salsa about an iconic figure of New Orleans voodoo culture, co-written by Glenn Patscha and Mark Bingham. Not even halfway through this opening track, I was totally conquered!
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| Rafael Duany |
“Mardi Gras Mambo” symbolizes the encounter : the song is actually a standard of the New Orleans classic repertoire, and rejoins here its Cuban roots. Originally written by famous New Orleans pianist Huey P. Smith, “It Do Me Good” is transformed into a slower piece carried by Nachito Herrera's piano.
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| Tim Green |
“Alemañy's Boogaloo”, of course signed by Jesús Alemañy, is another great moment. It features the rich combination of Alemañy's top notch trumpet, solos from New Orleans saxophonists Clarence Johnson and John Boothe, riffs from the brass band-flavored baritone sax of the excellent Tim Green, the warm sound of Glenn Patscha's Hammond organ, and the typically Latin piano of Nachito Herrera.
Rampart Street is a famous New Orleans artery but with “Rampart Street Rumba” you could think it's a Havana road. It features rap-like vocals by Eric "Cassius" Clay, who actually wrote the song, over a flaming salsa rhythm. The following track is a slower romantic New Orleans tune, “Nothing Up My Sleeve”, carried by Boutté's vocals and featuring strings (cello, viola, violin).
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| Nachito Herrera |
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| Craig Klein |
With its symbolic title, the thrilling “Cuborleans” closes the album as a fireworks of New Orleans second line and Cuban groove with explosions of percussion and drums, horn solos, piano and Hammond organ. A superb final hard to quit.
Such is the exceptional mambo gumbo concocted by the Cuban band with their New Orleans friends for this stirring album. Did I hear somebody say “world music”? ■
■ Concerts excerpts
► House Of Blues, Los Angeles, 1999 : https://youtu.be/uYVXD_0ZcDs
► New Morning, Paris, France, 2008 : https://youtu.be/Kjwl5FGHwf0
Festival Tempo-Latino, Vic-Fezensac, France, 2009 : https://youtu.be/5DEGfJyMVEM
► US Tour, 2016 :
► Jazz in Duketown Festival, Holland, 2017 :► DuPage, Chicago, 2018 :
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