Cuban percussionist Cándido Camero passed away on Nov. 7, 2020. Camero was 99 years old and was a well known, and loved, pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz genre. He was an innovator in conga drumming.
Cándido Camero died peacefully at his home in New York on Saturday morning according to Camero’s grandson, Julian, told NPR member station WBGO of the sad news. Despite his age Cándido Camero played music up until the very end.
Cándido Camero performs with Paquito D’Rivera at Flushing Town Hall (November 2019)
He was born in San Antonio de los Baños, near Havana, in Cuba on April, 22 1921. His parents were Caridad Guerra and Cándido Camero. He moved to New York in 1946 and was “already a well-known musician in Havana as a percussionist and also for playing the Cuban tres, a folkloric guitar. He spent eight years playing at the famed Tropicana nightclub, backing the biggest Cuban stars of the day and counted the young Mongo Santamaría among his bandmates” according to NPR’s article.
Throughout the years Cándido Camero became a well known and extraordinary pioneer of the Latin Jazz genre and played with the best of the best throughout the years. Some of the big names he performed with include Charlie Parker, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, and Machito. He is known for being one of the first percussionists to play multiple congas at the same time, with each conga tuned to a different pitch, enabling him to play not only rhythm but melodies.
His biggest mainstream track came in 1979 with his disco recordings for Salsoul. He recorded several albums for the audiophile label Chesky Records. One of these records included Inolvidable, with Graciela, which earned him a nomination at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. He was still playing and performing live up until the end. Back in Sept. of 2019 he joined Flushing Town Hall to celebrate their season’s launch with a performance from Canadian Afro-Cuban artists Jane Bunnett & Maqueque. He then returned in November to perform with the Gathering of the Masters alongside fellow greats Paquito D’Rivera, Joanne Brackeen, Jimmy Owens, Jimmy Cobb, and Reggie Workman.
Cándido Camero will be greatly missed from the music community. We mourn his loss and send our condolences to his family and friends.
Utica’sall grown up boy wonder guitar god, Joe Bonamassa, has just unleashed another fantastic solo album, Royal Tea. Recorded at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios. Bonamassa’s latest is a tip of the hat to his British blues rock heroes, Jeff Beck, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Led Zeppelin, Cream and more. It is also as much a showcase for his increasingly progressive and mature songwriting, as is his always sizzling six-stringery.
The 10 originals here were co-written by Joe and Brit notables including former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden, ex-Cream lyricist Pete Brown and piano man Jools Holland of Squeeze fame. Bonamassa’s long-standing producer Kevin Shirley and his touring band, Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass) and Reese Wynans (keys), flew in for the sessions.
While Royal Tea is a nod to British blues masters, it is not at all about retreading the classics, or the simple but saintly joys of going round and round the 1-4-5 pattern. It’s an album full of songs that are firmly rooted in a blues feel, but with very progressive and surprising leanings. It’s all about the unexpected chordal turnarounds and multi-movements that span epic length, things that owe more than a bit to Brit prog acts of the ‘70s.
Bonamassa sets the tone with the album opener, “When One Door Opens.” It kicks off with baroque strings and brass that could’ve been mustered up by another true Abbey Road legend, Beatles’ producer George Martin. It’s a mournful ballad that feels a bit like Guns N’ Roses “November Rain,” until it shift into a nasty Led Zep-styled groove and then a boogie for a screaming wah-fueled solo. It solo winds down with rhythmic quote from “Beck’s Bolero,” before returning to the mournful orchestral mood for the close. A ballsy move, as this one clocks in at 7:34, making it the longest track on the album.
The title track follows. It’s another hard blues with a thick slamming groove and unexpected descending chordal turnaround, and yet another Beck-era Yardbirds’ quote in the solo. Here and everywhere on the album Joe’s guitar tones are killer, honey thick and biting. And his solos here are kept brief, always in service of the song. And why not? Joe’s got one of the world’s best employed vintage guitar collections to make these varied sounds, a virtual museum that can be viewed here.
“Why Does It Take So Long to Say Goodbye” is another of the many slow grooves here. Joe wrenches every bit of emotion out of the melody, with his guitar playing and his vocals, the latter which gets better in each passing album. This is another blues in a few epic movements over its six and a half minutes, where he complements thick power chording with sweet flourishes on his acoustic.
For a John Lee Hooker-styled boogie, with extra crunch, turn up “High Class Girl;” for a bit of Southern rock and slide, tap into “A Conversation with Alice.” On “Lonely Boy,” Joe and company go for broke, with a sprightly big band jump blues with rocking’ horn parts. Some beautiful soloing from Jools Holland and what must be flashy chromatic runs on a vintage Telecaster from Joe. This is a track that would be totally at home on a Brian Setzer album.
One of my favorites is the offbeat “Lookout Man!” This one combines another Jimmy Page-styled riff with Space Rock sound effects a la Gong/Steve Hillage, with a nasty blues harp and a chorus of female singers that sound like Ike and Tina Turner’s Ikettes. “Savannah” ends the album on an up tempo, with slamming’ country picking and a droney fiddle.
This week Royal Tea made a big splash on the charts, earning Joe Bonamassa his 24th #1 album on the Blues Chart, an incredible feat, more than any other artist in the history of the chart! More importantly, it’s gaining Joe fans beyond the narrow blues niche. He’s #5 on Current Albums, #6 on Indie Albums, #7 in Rock and #7 in Rock charts.
Bands like Cream and Zeppelin were successful because they took to the wonderful foundation of American electric blues and did something new and different with, with each album as their careers progressed. Bonamassa deserves their level of success because he is following in their progressive and bold footsteps.
KeyTracks: When One Door Opens, Why Does It Take So Long to Say Goodbye, Lookout Man!
Ethel Waters was born on October 31, 1896 in Chester, Pennsylvania. She was raised in poverty by her grandmother as well as two aunts and an uncle. When asked about her childhood, Waters once said “I never was a child. I never was cuddled, or liked, or understood by my family.” On her 17th birthday, she attended a costume party and sang two songs. Her performance impressed the audience so much that someone immediately offered her a job in Baltimore.
Baltimore
When offered the job at the Lincoln Theatre in Baltimore, she received $10 per week, nearly double what she was making before. Even with her success, she fell on hard times and joined a carnival of freight cars going to Chicago. Soon after, she headed to Atlanta where she worked at the same club as Bessie Smith. Smith demanded that Waters not compete with blues songs, and Waters agreed to sing ballads and popular songs.
Harlem
Waters moved to Harlem in 1919, getting her first job at Edmond’s Cellar, a club that specialized in popular ballads. When she arrived in Harlem, female blues singers were becoming more and more powerful. She became the fifth black woman to make a record, originally joining Cardinal Records, but later switched to Black Swan.
At Black Swan, she was accompanied by Fletcher Henderson. Over the next two years, Waters became the highest paid black recording artist at the time. In 1924, Paramount bought Black Swan and Waters stayed for the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJBI2E_6lFA
She switched to Columbia in 1925 and began working with Pearl Wright. She continued touring, joining with Earl Dancer in what was colloquially called “white time,” the Keith Vaudeville Circuit, performing for white audiences. In Chicago, they earned an unheard of $1,250. Later, in 1926, Waters recorded “I’m Coming Virginia” which was a hit partially due to her performing it on Broadway. In 1929, Waters and Wright arranged “Am I Blue?” which became a hit and later her signature song.
Film, Theater, and Television
In 1933, Waters appeared in a satirical all-Black film, “Rufus Jones for President”, featuring future star Sammy Davis Jr.. She went on to star at the Cotton Club. Later that year, she stared in the successful Broadway musical, “As Thousands Cheer”.
Waters held three jobs: in “As Thousands Cheer”, as a singer for Jack Denny & His Orchestra on a national radio program, and in nightclubs. Due to these three jobs, she became the highest-paid performer on Broadway. Even with her success she still had difficulty finding work.
Waters moved to Los Angeles in 1942 to appear in “Cairo”. That same year, she starred in “Cabin in the Sky”. In the latter, Waters sang the Academy Award nominated “Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe”.
In 1939 Waters became the first African American to star in her own television show, The Ethel Waters Show, a 15-minute variety special. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film “Pinky”.
In 1950, Waters won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for her performance in “The Member of the Wedding”. Later that year, she became the first Black actress to star in a television series with “Beulah”.
Awards and Accomplishments
Her recording of “Stormy Weather” was listed in the National Recording Registry in 2003. She became a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (1983). In 2004, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Additionally, three of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame: “Dinah” (1998), “Stormy Weather” (2003), and “Am I Blue?” (2007).
The Analog Players Society (APS) will release their single “Chase” and the accompanying music video on October 30. “Chase” is an instrumental cinematic record sampled from the original recording session that created TILTED, the precursor to Soundtrack for a Nonexistent Film.
“Chase” will be the first single from the complete Soundtrack for a Nonexistent Film, a sample-heavy production of Hip-Hop’s Golden Age, which will release on November 13 and will be available on Bandcamp on November 6. APS describes Soundtrack for a Nonexistent Film as an “intense, beat-driven, dystopian soundtrack for those moments when you need to escape deep into your earbuds.”
The Analog Players Society is a collective effort founded by producer and engineer, Amon Drum, that features a rotating ensemble of the top musicians in New York City. The various projects created by the APS include jazz, dub, funk, afrobeat, and Soul variety within them. APS has already posted a top 15 position on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart with their 2012 debut album Hurricane Season In Brooklyn. The “Chase” music video showcases the concept revolving around New York City and the resilience and drive of its people, even when running from the many things one can fear. Jude Goergen edited the video with Mona Kayhan and Amon Drum producing the video.
That’s NYC. We can keep running forever. It might be ridiculous, scary, and we might get tired, but don’t even try to outrun us.
Amon Drum, Producer and Engineer of Analog Players Society
Producers Amon Drum and Ben Rubin (aka Benny Cha Cha) collaborated with jazz luminaries including tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin (David Bowie’s last bandleader on Blackstar), pianist Orrin Evans (the Bad Plus), bassist Dezron Douglas (Ravi Coltrane), and drummer Eric McPherson (Fred Hersch Trio) to recreate the songs reflected by the producers to make Soundtrack for a Nonexistent Film. Since its August release, TILTED was included in Bandcamp’s “best jazz releases” and received strong support from Jazziz, Medium, Postgenre.org, NY Music Daily, and The Vinyl District.
The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance will host the virtual “Notes 4 Votes” on Oct. 25 at 8:30 p.m. EST. The event will showcase jazz and classical music alongside global artists and speakers to support getting out to vote in the 2020 election. “Notes 4 Votes” will be emceed by multi-Grammy Award winner Arturo O’Farrill, journalist and critic Larry Blumenfeld, and Tracy Hyter-Suffern, Executive Director of The National Jazz Museum of Harlem. The Afro Latin Jazz Facebook Page will broadcast the event.
The “Notes 4 Votes” diverse performance list includes, Terence Blanchard, Vijay Iyer, Carla Bley, Dr. Cornel West, Oscar Hernandez, Simone Dinnerstein, Steve Swallow, Dr. Shana Redmond, Matt Shipp, The Villalobos Brothers, William Parker, Kikirikí Biquéy, Ayodele Casel, Akua Dixon, Jen Shyu, Ganavya Doraiswamy, Crystal Joseph, Tiffany Austin, Mimi Jones, Caridad “La Bruja” De La Luz, Luis Perdomo, and more.
Nothing, nothing, nothing is more important than getting your vote in and on time. Too many of us slept on this moment four years ago and we cannot afford to let the process for change given to us by our framers, go unused. Musicians from every genre and aesthetic are lining up to show us that we must likewise unite. Let nothing stand in the way of showing the nation and the world that we can take back our destiny as a people governed by sanity and the fair application of governance that is the basis of the social contract and the foundation of the American ‘experiment!’
Arturo O’Farrill
The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance is a nonprofit created by Arturo O’Farrill in 2007 to promote Afro Latin Jazz through performances and education programs. Their mission is to perform, educate, and preserve the music of the Americas, starting from African and indigenous roots with the entry point of jazz. The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance is committed to social justice, equity inclusion, and equality of all cultures worldwide.
The release of Disney/Pixar’s Soulhas been announced as a Christmas Day release on Disney+. The move comes as movie theaters continue to remain closed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, thus preventing Soul from opening on November 20, as originally planned.
Not only will the release of Soul only be delayed a month – where other features, such as Black Widow and WonderWoman: 1984 have been pushed into 2021 – but the movie will stream for free for all Disney+ subscribers, similar to the way Hamiltonwas released in July.
Written and directed by Pete Docter, who co-wrote notable movies like Up, Inside Out and Monsters, Inc., Soul centers around Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who gets a chance to perform at a famous jazz club, but instead falls into a sinkhole, where his soul leaves his body. He must then has to find his way back to his body, with the help of 22, a soul voiced by Tina Fey.
We are thrilled to share Pixar’s spectacular and moving Soul with audiences direct to Disney+ in December. A new original Pixar film is always a special occasion, and this truly heartwarming and humorous story about human connection and finding one’s place in the world will be a treat for families to enjoy together this holiday season.
Bob Chapek, CEO, The Walt Disney Company
Although the score for the film was composed by Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, both trailers feature neo-soul musician Cody Chesnutt with the song, “Parting Ways,” and pop rock band AJR with the song, “Overture.”
When Soul is released, it will be accompanied by Burrow, from the Pixar SparkShorts program. The official description of Burrow says:
In Disney and Pixar’s new short film Burrow, a young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. After hitting (bed)rock bottom, she learns there is no shame in asking for help. Directed by Madeline Sharafian and produced by Mike Capbarat as part of Pixar’s SparkShorts program, Burrow opens in theaters on Nov. 20, 2020, in front of Disney and Pixar’s Soul.
From October 14-24, the Chautauqua Institution will be hosting the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) septet with Wynton Marsalis for a ten day residency. The residency will focus on improvisation, blues, and swing.
The performances will take place at Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall and will be released to stream at a later date on the CHQ Assembly Video Platform. However, the concerts will also be available live through brunches and meals that CHQ is offering.
Additionally, Wynton Marsalis will present three live conversations at Chautauqua on the CHQ Assembly Virtual Porch. JLCO musicians and leaders will also teach a series of multiple courses on jazz classics and culture via the CHQ Assembly Classroom (dates and times below).
“This residency provides the opportunity for Jazz at Lincoln Center and Chautauqua Institution to deepen our relationship, which has always been about exploring important issues through art and conversation,” said Deborah Sunya Moore, vice president of performing and visual arts. “This residency will feature online performances, conversations, and classes offered for the Chautauqua Assembly community as well as communities across the globe with which JLCO has existing relationships.”
Watch past performances of Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at Chautauqua here.
The Ever Fonky Lowdown composed by Wynton Marsalis Tuesday, October 20 • 10:30 a.m. EDT
Freedom Suite composed by Sonny Rollins Tuesday, October 20 • 1:30 p.m. EDT
Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom: Part 1 Wednesday, October 21 • 10:30 a.m. EDT
Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom: Part 2 Wednesday, October 21 • 1:30 p.m. EDT Charlie Parker Centennial: Freedom to Take Flight Thursday, October 22 • 10:30 a.m. EDT
Freedom Across the Pond: Jazz in the U.K. Thursday, October 22 • 1:30 p.m. EDT
We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite Friday, October 23 • 10:30 a.m. EDT
Freedom of Expression: Latin Jazz in New York City Friday, October 23 • 1:30 p.m. EDT
On Oct. 14. Flushing Town Hall will host their monthly Virtual Jazz Jam will be kicking off spooky season with, “October: The Heart of Autumn.”
The Virtual Jazz Jam, Led by Astoria resident Carol Sudhalter, is part of the Flushing Town Hall online entertainment series FTH at Home!. This is their aim to provide a sanctuary for jazz musicians and lovers who can’t experience a live show, due to the global pandemic.
The Jam invites a maximum of 15 musicians a month to play their music, as long as they haven’t played at one before. This encourages a variety of artists without repeating the same tunes.
Since spring 2020, there has been a medley of different themes for the jams, including one in August, which was, “unity in mind, spirit and action.”
Tune into Flushing Town Hall’s website at 7:00 pm (EST) on Oct. 14 to experience an autumnal virtual jazz show.
Jazz at Lincoln Center makes music for all ages–even toddlers. On October 30 at 9PM EST, Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration will debut on national PBS stations.
The hour-long special will feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis along with Elmo, Bert & Ernie, Big Bird, Herry Monster, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, The Count, Abby, Hoots the Owl, and Rosita.
Wynton Marsalis and Ernie
The orchestra takes Sesame Street favorites like “Rubber Duckie,” “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon,” and “People in Your Neighborhood” and re-imagines them for the stage. On October 30, PBS will premier the Sesame Street gang singing these classics to a sold out audience.
Since 1969, Sesame Street has introduced young children to music and culture. Jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and Mary Lou Williams all performed on the show. Kenny Rampton, member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, plays in Sesame Street’s house band.
In this special, Wynton Marsalis meets back up with the familiar the Children’s Television Workshop characters after visiting them on the show in 1991 and 1998.
A Swingin’ Sesame Street Orchestra is funded by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the show. The performance is a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s educational and diverse programs that hope to ensure that younger generations appreciate jazz in the future.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s other educational programs, such as Swing University, WeBop, Essentially Ellington, and Middle School Jazz Academy are available online at jazz.org. They aim to show jazz as a metaphor for democracy and freedom.
Paying tribute to Sesame Street’s New York roots, as of May 1, 2019, sunny days can be found every day at the intersection of West 63rd Street and Broadway. Honoring the show’s 50th anniversary, New York City gave Sesame Street its own real intersection.
Jazz great Wynton Marsalis has been a frequent guest on Sesame Street—and now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark series, he’s returning the favor. On A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration, Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra host thegang in the “House of Swing” for a big band salute to a very special show.
The Smoke Jazz and Supper Club in NYC is starting a new streaming service, Smoke Screens, to deliver its jazz to audiences around the world. The world-renowned artists are streamed live using six HD cameras in audiophile sound.
The program was launched in July with Wayne Escoffery. Since then, there have been sets by Peter Bernstein, Vincent Herring, Steve Turre, and other esteemed artists. Joe Farnsworth will be on September 25, joined by Wynton Marsalis, to celebrate his new album, Time to Swing.
Smoke Screens has been considering starting a livestream for many years. However, the owner, Paul Stache, wanted to do it correctly and “reflect the quality of the artists performing.” Because Smoke Jazz and Supper Club hosts so many top artists, Stache wanted to wait until they were able to have optimum sound and lighting.
When asked about the quarantine, Stache replied, “It’s been tough for us, it’s tough for the musicians and it’s tough for New York. All the things that we love about the city are shut down, so Smoke Screens is our attempt to bring the intimacy and excitement of Smoke into people’s living rooms and find a way to bring them the music they need.”
