Bele Bele en la Habana explained
| Bele Bele en la Habana |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Chucho Valdés |
| Cover: | Bele Bele en la Habana.jpg |
| Released: | 1998 |
| Label: | Blue Note[1] |
| Producer: | Réne López |
| Prev Title: | Solo Piano |
| Prev Year: | 1991 |
| Next Title: | Briyumba Palo Congo |
| Next Year: | 1999 |
Bele Bele en la Habana is an album by the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés, released in 1998.[2] [3] Valdés supported the album with a North American tour.[4]
The album peaked at No. 22 on Billboards Jazz Albums chart.[5] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Latin Jazz Performance".[6]
Production
The album was produced by Réne López. It was recorded in Toronto, with Valdés leading a trio.[7] "Con Poco Coco" was written by Bebo Valdés, Chucho's father.[8] "Los Caminos" was written by Pablo Milanés. "Lorraine" is dedicated to the owner of the Village Vanguard.[9] "But Not For Me" is a cover of the Gershwin song.[10] "Son Montuno" was written by Valdés in the 1960s.[11]
Critical reception
The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that several pieces "contain references to the suitelike Cuban danzon and the agitated high-speed-chase lines associated with Dizzy Gillespie's bebop-era Afro-Cuban hybrid."[12] The Los Angeles Times stated that "the music ranges from a son to a mambo, from a danzon to a guaguanco."[7]
The Hartford Courant thought that Valdés's piano "sounds like a giant modern orchestra powered by a dynamo percussion section."[13] The Globe and Mail opined that Valdés's "playing is impressive enough in its power and technical facility, but his showy improvisations have an off-handed glibness that leaves them less than compelling and sometimes even less than fully coherent."[14]
AllMusic wrote that "Valdés more often than not is all over the keyboard, comfortable with everything from Ravel-ian classical complexity to Bill Evans' introspection to Cecil Taylor-like crunches."
Notes and References
- Book: Kirchner, Bill. The Oxford Companion to Jazz. October 19, 2000. Oxford University Press. June 2, 2022. November 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231113205921/https://books.google.com/books?id=nc_QCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA532#v=onepage&q&f=false. live.
- Web site: Chucho Valdés Biography, Songs, & Albums. AllMusic. 2022-06-02. 2022-06-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20220602130741/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/chucho-vald%C3%A9s-mn0000289094/biography. live.
- Jesús 'Chucho' Valdés. Bomb. 2022-06-02. 2022-06-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20220602130741/https://bombmagazine.org/articles/jes%C3%BAs-chucho-vald%C3%A9s/. live.
- News: Surowicz . Tom . A giant unleashed . Star Tribune . 21 June 1998 . 1F.
- Web site: Chucho Valdés. Billboard. 2022-06-02. 2022-06-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20220602130740/https://www.billboard.com/artist/chucho-valdes/. live.
- Web site: Chucho Valdés . Recording Academy . 2 June 2022 . 2 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220602132425/https://www.grammy.com/artists/chucho-valdes/7655 . live .
- News: Heckman . Don . Versatility and Passion from Cuba . Los Angeles Times . 28 June 1998 . Calendar . 66.
- News: The Year of Chucho. Judy. Cantor. Miami New Times. 2022-06-02. 2023-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20231113205812/https://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/the-year-of-chucho-6359753. live.
- News: Torres . Richard . 1 Piano Passion, 2 Cuban Styles . Newsday . 14 June 1998 . D27.
- News: Byers . Jim . Havana Nirvana: Classics from Cuba . The Washington Post . 21 Oct 1998 . D7.
- News: Steinberg . David . Jazz musician rides wave of Cubans playing in U.S. . Albuquerque Journal . 25 Oct 1998 . D2.
- News: Moon . Tom . Cuban Musicians Play the States . The Philadelphia Inquirer . 15 June 1998 . F5.
- News: McNally . Owen . Bele Bele en la Habana — Chucho Valdes . Hartford Courant . 9 July 1998 . Calendar . 7.
- News: Miller . Mark . Bele Bele en la Habana . The Globe and Mail . 30 July 1998 . C4.
