Film Festival 2024 | Committed Documentary in the Americas - Music

 

From November 7 to 10, 2024

The “Committed Documentary in the Americas” film festival returns in the fall of 2024 for its third edition around the theme of music.

For the 2024 edition of the festival Le documentaire engagé dans les Amériques , the Institut des Amériques (IdA) has formed a new partnership with the L'Écran cinema in Saint-Denis, always with the desire to work in the territory in which it is established.   

During the festival week, the screenings will be led by specialists in cinema and the areas concerned, who will present the films and open the debate following the screenings. Some screenings will also include interviews with the directors. 

Organized by the Institute of the Americas in partnership with the L' Écran cinema in Saint-Denis . With the support of the CRIMIC-Sorbonne University laboratory , the Search laboratory of the University of Strasbourg , Georgetown University , the Colombian Embassy , ​​the City of Saint-Denis , the El Café Latino magazine and the Crous de Créteil.

https://youtu.be/Bb7kOMLeeBE?si=2ce4ik-Aqj1iXkjY

Film Festival 2024 | They shot the piano player

Saint-Denis Screen Cinema

November 9, 2024

They shot the piano player, Fernando Trueba et Javier Mariscal 

A New York music journalist investigates the disappearance, in 1976, on the eve of the coup d'état in Argentina, of Francisco Tenório Jr, a virtuoso Brazilian pianist. While celebrating jazz and bossa nova, the film captures a fleeting period of creative freedom at a turning point in Latin American history in the 1960s and 1970s, just before the continent descended into regimes totalitarian.

They Shot the Piano Player (Spanish: Dispararon al pianista) is a 2023 adult animated docudrama film directed by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal.

The film's soundtrack includes music by João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Vinicius de Moraes and Paulo Moura, with some of the musicians also appearing in the voice cast as themselves testifying about Tenório's importance and influence as part of Goldblum's character investigation.

https://youtu.be/jQwajCDIwcg?si=osgqS4PSnaZOD6ql

Festival de cinéma 2024 | Miúcha : La voix de la Bossa Nova

Cinéma l'Écran de Saint-Denis

Le 9 novembre 2024

Miúcha, Daniel Zarvos et Liliane Mutti

Heloísa Maria Buarque de Hollanda, known as Miúcha, singer of Bossa Nova, goes through the 60s and 70s facing the pains and twists and turns of her desire to have a musical career. During her journey, she meets “famous musicians”: she is the wife of João Gilberto, the student of Vinícius de Moraes, the sister of Chico Buarque, the companion of Tom Jobim, the voice that accompanies Stan's Getz sax and the interpreter of Pablo Milanés. At the pace of a road movie, between New York, Paris, Mexico and Rio de Janeiro, the film reveals the story of this woman who tries to impose her voice in a male musical world.

https://youtu.be/TAA7q4XoAkQ?si=KJ8yTaljw-RBL6ZG

Festival de cinéma 2024 | Niños de Las Brisas

Cinéma l'Écran de Saint-Denis

Le 10 novembre 2024

Niños de las brisas, Marianela Maldonado

For a decade, from 2010 to 2020, Marianela Maldonado filmed three young children from the Las Brisas neighborhood, among the poorest in the city of Valencia, Venezuela. They benefit from a music education program founded by conductor José María Abreu in the 1970s, “El Sistema”. During these ten years, we observe the evolution of these young musicians and their fight for a better life thanks to classical music.

https://youtu.be/1gpKDUzPh9M?si=n1TAnflVhoRFjZJt

Viva The Latin Jazz!!

www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com

jazzcaribe2001@yahoo.com

"Woods" is the new album by flutist Carlos Jimenez accompanied by star musicians!

 

WOODS

Musicians: Carlos Jimenez (flute, composer, arranger, bandleader); Hector Martignon (piano); Ruben Rodriguez (bass); Vince Cherico (drums)

Tracks List: You're the Best Pops; Wheelbarrow Blues; Eyes over Dawn; Dreams of Brazil; Woods; Snuggle & Cuddle; Not That Far Away; Bamboo Path; Outside in the Rain

In baseball, the most qualified sport, for us, is Major League Baseball, so with the experience obtained in his musical career Carlos Jimenez managed to assemble a small team of stars for his compositions that he creates with passion and inspiration.

Baseball has a lot to do with Latin jazz and salsa. It's a happy tradition.

When you manage to put together a team with so much experience, you can say I have the best to support my music. Quick facts about the superstars in "Woods": Hector Martignon (Ray Barretto), Ruben Rodriguez (Dave Valentin) and Vince Cherico (Arturo O'Farrill).

"Woods" easily enters the heart and all of our senses, because his music originates in Latin and jazz, with harmonious mixtures of waltz, bolero, pop, bossa, very balanced. Music for everyone!

https://youtu.be/zVmINnSJrfA?si=CgTfl1VsDXM-cCpK

https://youtu.be/zVmINnSJrfA?si=3ONdn1tCyOZ83ncI

There’s a diverse serving of rhythmic grooves in which all four members get to shine. “You’re the Best” and “Bamboo Path” are two “cool jazz” tunes where Jimenez and Martignon improvise effortlessly over the chord changes on flute and piano respectively.

On “Wheelbarrow Blues” and the down-home bluesy track, “Snuggle and Cuddle,” Jimenez and Martignon demonstrate their improvisational mastery throughout their solos, with Rodriguez stepping out front with a tasty bass solo on the latter.

“Eyes Over Dawn,” a 6/8 time jazz waltz, features some stellar brush work from Cherico on drums along with another nice bass solo from Rodriguez. The band gets funky on “Dreams of Brazil,” with Cherico tearing it up on drums in tandem with punchy “baby bass” lines from Rodriguez, amid syncopated rhythmic conversations with Martignon on piano.

The breezy laid-back title track, “Woods,” puts Jimenez front and center effortlessly flowing through his solo with expressive flutters dancing over the chord changes, followed by Martignon tickling the ivories of his Fender Rhodes piano with fluid phrasing and perfectly executed rapid musical lines.

“Not That Far Away,” the only true ballad track, Jimenez shines with a lovely lilting melody and solo throughout with a brief bass solo from Rodriguez before taking it home. The ten-minute-plus up-tempo track “Smoketacular” features all in the quartet, highlighted by an intense musical conversational exchange between Martignon on piano and Cherico on drums, reminiscent of pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Alphonse Mouzon back in the early 1970s.

The album concludes with “Outside in the Rain,” a straight-ahead jazz cooker with an opening melody head that could be a strong candidate for an opening television theme. Jimenez leaves no doubt here about his flawless articulation and improvisational mastery on his instrument, bolstered by a high level of musicianship from the other three, making this a delightful listen from start to finish.

Carlos Jimenez:

Carlos Jimenez is an extraordinary flute player and vocalist, as well as composer and bandleader of Jazz, Latin Jazz, Morld Music and Salsa. 

Born in New York, his family moved to Puerto Rico when he was six years old. It was there that his musical training began. From a young age, Carlos had an aptitude for percussion and played timbales, bongos and congas. His first lyrical instrument was trumpet, which he studied under Professor Pablo Leon at Francisco Zayas Santana High School. Carlos soon changed his instrument to flute, feeling inspired listening to the music of Mongo Santamaria and how he utilized the flute in his rrangements.

Carlos returned to New York to pursue his dream of becoming a jazz flutist. He began studying classical flute at the Music Conservatory of Westchester, New York before expanding his repertoire to include jazz, studying privately with master musicians. A few years later, he studied Jazz harmony and voicing with master pianist, Michael Longo. 

Carlos has recorded nine albums of his own compositions and arrangements. 

Viva The Latin Jazz!!

www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com

Note: If you want to know more about the illustrious career of Carlos Jimenez, Hector Martignon, Ruben Rodriguez, Vince Cherico and more, I invite you to read or consult "The Bible of Latin Jazz" by Luis Raul Montell (available on Amazon).                                                                

Mike Eckroth elegantly explores the cultures and traditions of the world from man's point of view in his album "Human Geography"

 

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Musicians: Michael Eckroth (piano, keyboards); Raúl Reyes (bass 3, 4, 7, 8); Edward Pérez (bass 6, 9, 10); Alex “Apolo” Ayala (bass 1, 2, 5); Joel Mateo: drums; Mauricio Herrera, Carlos Maldonado (percussion); Matt Hilgenburg (trumpet 1, 5); Alex Norris (trumpet 1, 2); Peter Brainin (tenor saxophone)

Tracks List: Human Geography; 2. Little B’s Poem; 3. Freedom in Precision; 4. Kachina; 5. New Bomba; 6. In 15; 7. Funk Gets It; 8. Hilton; 9. Ballad in Three; 10. New Years Day

The album opens with its title track, featuring piano trio with horns. The piece “Human Geography” stands as an apt summation of a series of compositions Eckroth wrote that incorporate jazz with a guaguancó rhythmic sensibility. On this track, Eckroth utilizes a 5/4 rhythmic basis over a long harmonic form, culminating in a vamp, with both sections acting as vehicles for improvisation. “Freedom in Precision” similarly leans into guaguancó jazz rhythms, while harmonically and structurally standing in contrast by periodically shifting to single-chord vamps instead of remaining strictly bipartite in form. “Kachina” is loosely Afro-Cuban in sensibility, but veers from the norm in that its support beam is an angular bass line with a rich harmonic ecosystem atop it. Notably, “Kachina” showcases the use of synthesizer for orchestration, which Eckroth notes is a sound he’s leaning increasingly towards as a poignant palette within composition. “Little B’s Poem” is set apart in that it is the only piece on the album that is an arrangement, not an original composition. An ode to Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson, the piece aligned neatly with the vision of the album, and features trumpeter Alex Norris, saxophonist Peter Brainin, and drummer Joel Mateo. “New Bomba” is a piece composed heartily upon a series of interwoven ostinatos, with the Puerto Rican bomba rhythm as the basis for them all. The album concludes with “Hilton”, the title of which is a tribute to the great Hilton Ruiz, whose music has become increasingly influential on Eckroth.

Eckroth is quick to give praise to his band members in achieving the powerful vibrancy of this album. All of the musicians on the album are longstanding collaborators for Eckroth, with each one representing a lengthy history of performing and creating together. Above all, Eckroth values the musicians’ ability to fit anywhere and envision anything. “These musicians are supremely flexible, and most importantly are able to bring out more than what’s intended by the compositions and arrangements,” Eckroth says. “It’s a group aesthetic that has been nurtured over several years of sporadic playing.” The album boasts multiple arrangements of piano trios, changing bassists and percussionists both to suit the needs of each piece and to represent different moments in Eckroth’s musical history. The personnel on Human Geography is Michael Eckroth (piano, Rhodes, keyboards); Joel Mateo (drums); Raul Reyes, Edward Perez, and Alex “Apolo” Ayala (bass); Mauricio Herrera and Carlos Maldonado (percussion); Matt Hilgenburg and Alex Norris (trumpet); and Peter Brainin (tenor saxophone). 

With Human Geography, Eckroth showcases not only his indomitable command of the piano keys and the heartstrings, but the intentional beauty of careful knowledge as each piece, each groove, and each collaboration is a masterfully crafted charter between cultures and worlds. Truly, Human Geography stands as a landmark in the truest sense as it denotes the histories and traditions within the locale of the human experience.

Mike Eckroth:

Michael Eckroth is an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer from Phoenix, Arizona, particularly known for his work in Latin jazz. He was a member of jazz-rock guitarist John Scofield's New Quartet from 2010-2012. Currently, he is the co-writer, arranger, and pianist for Cuban and American mambo big band Orquesta Akokán, whose self-titled debut album from Daptone Records Was nominated in the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

Throughout a varied career which covers musical styles from Latin jazz, R&B, pop, salsa and world music in general, Michael has shared the stage with performers with as varied pedigrees as pop icon Sheena Easton and jazz legends John Scofield, Ron McClure, Eliot Zigmund and Paul McCandless. In an over 15 year stint as a New York-based musician, Michael performed on local stages everywhere from major jazz clubs like Blue Note, Birdland, and Smalls to larger NYC venues such as Lincoln Center’s summer stage and Joe’s Pub. On the international stage, Michael has performed in venue and festival settings everywhere from the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, the North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazz al Parque and Salsa al Parque in Bogotá, SFJazz, WOMAD festivals in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand- all over the United States, the Americas and Europe in concert halls, jazz clubs and outdoor events.

Michael is an avid recording artist, writer and arranger who continues to draw accolades for his work in various settings. With several solo albums to his name, he also is called upon as a collaborator who has worked on dozens of original-music albums as pianist, keyboardist, or musical director. Among the many collaborations he’s brought forward are the groups La Voz De Tres (with Jason Ennis and Natalia Bernal) and DEFtrio (with Greg Diamond), and various productions with the broadway/R&B artist Syndee Winters. He has also worked alongside grammy-awarded producer Jacob Plasse on a variety of popular and world music projects as writer and arranger. He currently records as a solo artist or collaboratively for Daptone and Truth Revolution records in NYC. His newest album as a leader, Plena will be released in September of 2021.

Michael began his piano studies in classical music at the age of four but only began to take music seriously as a vocation after being introduced to jazz improvisation in high school (Phoenix, Arizona), which soon led to a long-standing relationship with world popular music, and in particular, Brazilian and Latin Jazz music forms. In addition to decades of experience performing and recording jazz, world music and American music in general, he completed a bachelor’s degree (University of Arizona) and master’s degree(University of Nevada) while furthering a national and international profile as a writer/pianist and becoming a family man and father of three.

Viva The Latin Jazz!!

www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com

jazzcaribe2001@yahoo.com

Note: In "The Bible of Latin Jazz" book (Amazon) you can have information about our entire musical genre, its exponents and recordings.

Caracas Trio : Venezuelan Jazz conceived for these times!

                                             

                       Caracas Trio

The band members are Gabriel Chakarji, Juan Diego Villalobos, and Daniel Prim.

Caracas Trio is a Venezuelan musical group that has been captivating audiences with their unique sound and style. 

The trio is made up of three highly talented musicians, each bringing their own individual flair to the group. Their music is deeply rooted in the Afro-Venezuelan rhythms and melodic improvisation that form the foundation of Venezuelan folk music. 

What sets Caracas Trio apart is their use of a distinctive instrumentation consisting of keyboards, drums, and vibraphone. This combination of instruments allows the group to create a diverse range of sounds and colors, weaving together intricate rhythms and melodies in their compositions. In addition to their musical prowess, the members of Caracas Trio also share bass parts, percussion, and vocal duties, adding to the richness and complexity of their sound. 

Their music is a fusion of traditional Venezuelan folk music with modern elements, resulting in a unique and innovative sound that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Caracas Trio's compositions are known for their rhythmic and melodic complexity, exploring the immense variations of rhythms and grooves found in Venezuelan music. 

They incorporate a mix of drums and Venezuelan percussion instruments, paired with the melodic dexterity and improvisation featured by the keyboard and vibraphone. The result is music that is at once deeply rooted in tradition and yet contemporary and fresh. 

Overall, Caracas Trio strives to connect with the folkloric spirit of music, while incorporating modern elements and techniques. Their music is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of Venezuela, and a testament to the enduring power and beauty of music as a universal language.

The concerts offered by Caracas Trio in important venues: The Jazz Gallery, The Millennium Stage of the Kennedy Center, NPR Music's Live Sessions and several jazz clubs have been widely supported by their fans and specialized critics.

Chakarji, Villalobos and Prim are leaders in their own bands with which they also make recordings and performances.

There is expectation with Caracas Trio in what will be their first album and their next presentations.

https://youtu.be/fLsurKj_FH4

https://www.youtube.com/live/fLsurKj_FH4?si=bTBTwLWKdorsg-NB

Viva The Latin Jazz!!

www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com

jazzcaribe2001@yahoo.com

Tonight (September 19, 2024) at Nublu Jazz Club Robby Ameen launches his creation "Live At The Poster Museum"

 

LIVE AT THE POSTER MUSEUM

Musicians: Robby Ameen (drum, bandleader); Conrad Herwig (trumpet); Bob Franceschini,Troy Roberts (sax); Edsel Gomez (piano); Lincoln Goines (bass)

Tracks List: Fast Eye; Una Muy Anita; 3 2's & 3's; Oleo; Mixology; Lucia's Wawa; Swiftboating

The toast and concert for "Live At The Poster Museum" will be tonight at Nublu Jazz Club, 151 Avenue C, New York, NY

The pick of this AfroCuban rollercoaster from drummer Robby Ameen and his crack band is the fresh treatment of Sonny Rollins' 'Oleo' but there are plenty of goodies here on these 7 tracks including originals by the leader. As an initial taster an Ameen number - the sticksman is known for his work with Dave Valentin and Horacio "el Negro" Hernandez - long in the band book opener 'Fast Eye' was out ahead of the album's full release. The sound is hard boiled - not-weedy-at-all - which is refreshing in itself. And not 1 but 2 monster tenor players are in tow in heavy hitter tenorist Bob Franceschini - formidable with Kevin Hays, Obed Calvaire & Orlando Le Fleming on their Led Zep hommage Whole Lotta Love - and Aussie ace ex-Joey D & Van Morrison Green Lights type, Troy Roberts. The horn ensemble sound is fattened out by Conrad Herwig with whom Ameen has worked loads.

Fans of Ameen will know 'Fast Eye' from 2020's Diluvio on which you will also find a jaggedly different deftly contrapuntal version that works of Trane's 'Impressions'

Trombone trouper Herwig was scalding hot on The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner. There's great cowbell from Ameen on 'Lucia's Wawa' to cool one.

The 'Wawa' Ameen tune was also snuck on to Overproof's Three Guys Walk Into a Bar in a head bobbingly larging it know the Sco-down kind of setting released 20 years ago. The line-up is completed by Edsel Gomez on Rhodes and by bassist Lincoln Goines (known for his work with the much missed Bob Berg). You gain the best Herwig solo going higher up his register on the piece. Seattle jazz indie Origin are having a great year and this - recorded at a Tribeca art shop on Chambers Street called Philip Williams Posters in New York - is among their best.

Robby Ameen:

Grammy Award-winning drummer Robby Ameen has lived in New York City since the early ’80s and has established a recording and touring career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than 20-year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Los Seis del Solar.

Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed. Other long-term musical relationships include Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, and Conrad Herwig’s multi-Grammy nominated Latin Side All-stars.

He has recorded on over 200 records and played on numerous major film scores and television shows including the hit series Sex and the City .

As a leader, Ameen wrote, arranged, and produced his CDs  Days in the Life, and most lately, Days in the Night, which Down Beat magazine recently awarded 4 stars. As a co-leader he has recorded three records with the El Negro and Robby Band alongside drummer Horacio “el Negro” Hernandez. In addition he helped found the Latin-jazz power trio Overproof, and also made two latin-jazz records with Seis del Solar.

Viva The Latin Jazz!!

www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com

jazzcaribe2001@yahoo.com

'Brazilian Voices' presents "Amazonas" at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, Aventura, Florida

 

Brazilian Voices, the acclaimed female vocal group, presents

“AMAZONAS: The Rhythm of Nature” 

a multi-media, musical extravaganza!!!!

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at 8pm

at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

3385 NE 188th St, Aventura, FL 33180, USA

https://youtu.be/1iCtCaivvAk?si=_PJXfDe0oFoVTaEr

The performance will portray the strengths of, and threats to, the Amazon Rainforest and will highlight the group's noted strengths: powerful interpretations by female voices, rich bossa nova harmonies, and a passionate approach. Their singing exhibits a delightful fluidity and warmth, serving as a poetic tribute to Brazilian composers such as Tom Jobim, Dori Caymmi, Sergio Mendes, and Marisa Monte, among others.

The *AMAZONAS* concert will emphasize the importance of the Amazon Rainforest, the Everglades, and the planet's ecosystem. Through music and projected images by Brazilian artist Ernesto Kunde, the group will raise awareness about these critical environmental issues.

Additionally, Brazilian visual artist Clara Piquet will exhibit her paintings in the gallery lobby, featuring themes on Brazilian indigenous communities and the environment.

About Brazilian Voices:

Inspired by the love of singing and a passion to share the Brazilian culture, in 2001 Loren Oliveira and Beatriz Malnic joined their musical talents and decided to recruit women to sing together. The group evolved out of a vocal technique workshop organized by them when they both realized a fantastic way to promote and preserve the rich multicultural Brazilian heritage and, at the same time, foster multicultural exchange, music appreciation, and education.

Brazilian Voices, a non-profit organization, is a women’s vocal ensemble that performs at cultural community and philanthropic events. Brazilian Voices aspires to incorporate the best of Brazilian culture throughout the world. As a non-profit organization, Brazilian Voices relies almost solely on sponsorships, grants, and funds obtained through advertisements and donations. Members are not compensated, and all proceeds are applied to the development of new projects and programs, supporting the Brazilian Voices’ mission of promoting philanthropic events for the community.

Beatriz Malnic, Brazilian-American vocalist, vocal arranger, classical pianist and Director of Brazilian Voices arrived in the United States in 1996. Beatriz is a highly respected interpreter of Bossa Nova and Samba mix jazz and has performed and recorded with musical luminaries such as Al Di Meola, Nestor Torres, Toquinho, Chico Buarque, Roberto Menescal, Duduka da Fonseca, jazz pianists Mike Renzi and Mike Orta, guitarist Ulisses Rocha, saxophonist Harry Allen, bassist Don Wilner and many others.

Loren Oliveira is the co-founder and artistic & project director of Brazilian Voices. Her responsibilities include project concept design, productions, marketing, rehearsals, repertoire selection, and resource management, while also working to keep the group’s cultural, educational, and artistic endeavors coordinated and on track. Immersed in the arts since childhood, Loren studied drama and voice with well-known arts professionals throughout Brazil and Europe. As an actress & singer, Loren performed in many plays and musicals, including leading roles in touring productions of “Evita”, “Amapola” and “The Imaginary Invalid,” as well as many other dramatic and musical roles which appeared at international festivals in Madrid, Cadiz, New York (the NY Shakespeare Festival), Mexico, Barcelona, São Paulo and Costa Rica. Viva The Latin Jazz!! www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com jazzcaribe2001@yahoo.com Note: We recommend everyone to read and/or consult the excellent book "THE BIBLE OF LATIN JAZZ" (Amazon) by the renowned writer and journalist Luis Raul Montell recommended by musicians, publicists, radio hosts and chroniclers.