After three decades without recording, Lázaro Oscar Valdés, in complicity with BisMusic, reappears in the national music scene with "Manteca", a production that embodies, in 13 tracks, the endless possibilities for merging the Cuban sounds offer.
The CD kicks off with "Paran Paran", a tribute to the influence of nineteenth century piano classics through Frederic Chopin and his Study No. 12, OPUS10, thus starting a dynamic journey through a series of harmonies that have made of latin jazz one of the highest points of contemporary musical creation in the region.
Lazaro summarized in "Manteca" well known titles of popular Cuban music of all time, although the sound has been renewed to the present, which highlights to his particular style of playing.
In the phonogram fans can find again songs like "The Yerbero" famous proclamation Nestor Mill, "Tres Lindas Cubans” by Antonio Maria Romeo, "Son de la Loma" by Miguel Matamoros, "Alturas de Simpson" by Miguel Faílde, and "Bercause Campesina" by Alejandro Garcia Caturla.
A constant back and forth through the island and world music and sounds from the nineteenth and twentieth century, is confirmed when, also in from the creative perspective of Valdes, he adds hits like "Manteca", which names the album, composed by Gilliespie Dizzy and Chano Pozo, "Dead Leaves" by Joseph Kosma and Jacques Prévert, or "Viva Chango" by Reutilio Dominguez which mas made famous worldwide by Celina Gonzalez.
To this we must add the work accomplished to include in the same track scores of Miguel Cervantes and Francisco Repilado "Compay Segundo", a kind of symbiotic product, to call it something, named "Tres Golpes-Chan Chan".
It would be unfair to leave out these lines "Permiso Gitano" a Valdes’s work inspired by the work "Gitaneria" by Enesto Lecuona, and "Benny Moré in Memoriam" tribute to the King of Rhythm, which took five years to the seasoned pianist to have ready.
With his group Son Jazz, Lázaro Oscar Valdés homogenized in each of a number of the tracks several rhythms that when you listen to them confirm the creative talent, the quality of interpretation and judicious selection of topics among many available after staying so long from the studios.
We must praise the performing by Osmar Vegas, congas and small percussion, Zayda Rodriguez, bass guitar on most singles, Orlando Diego Nodal, drums, timbales and bongos, and Yulaima Nuñez, singer and chorus, all members of Son Jazz.
Manteca also featured the participation, as guests, of bass players Fernando Tort and Jorge González.
Those who have the wisdom to listen to “Manteca” will find a luxury item, an invitation to take a lavish musical journey, helped by exceptional orchestrations, through the history of Cuban music from its very beginnings.
Implicit also is the possibility to enjoy the influence of blues, ragtime, and the purest American jazz conceptions inserted into a quintessential Cuban Latin jazz, which validates the confidence of BisMusic record label on this material.
Author
Alain Valdés Sierra
