¡¡Viva The Latin Jazz!!
Chucho Valdés & Royal Quartet - Cuba & Beyond
This artistic, cultural, educational and tourist event sets an important precedent, because although it is only two days, Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September 2025, the lineup it presents is extraordinary, worthy of calling it: The Great Musical Reunion: Jersey City Latin Jazz Festival 2025.
Just like in the old days, Jersey City will host top stars representing Latin Jazz, all gathered together to thank and celebrate their fans and enthusiasts of our music.
Of course, not everyone will be there; their time will come, but there's no doubt about the effort to bring them together.
We hope this festival will spark new ideas and renew other festivals in our musical genre.
Jersey City Latin Jazz Festival 2025 Program:
Friday, September 5, 2025
Saturday, September 6, 2025
The event will feature 10 bands including tributes to Eddie Palmieri and John “Dandy” Rodriguez that include many past members of their groups. The event will take place at Exchange Place Plaza on the Hudson River waterfront on Friday, September 5 from 6pm to 10pm and Saturday, September 6 from 2pm to 10pm. The festival is free-to-the-public and is presented by Exchange Place Alliance.
“This year is an incredibly special year. We will be honoring two absolute titans of Afro-Cuban music that have left an indelible mark not only on our festival, but a worldwide influence on music in general” says festival director Bryan Beninghove. “So many musicians in our community have played, recorded, or have been directly influenced by Eddie Palmieri and Dandy Rodriguez. It’s going to be a real honor to have all these members of their bands there to celebrate their lifetimes of music.”
On Friday, September 5 three bands will perform on the RWJ Barnabas Plaza stage. They include the horn-driven septet Dave Schumacher & Cubeye (6pm), bassist Alex “Apolo” Ayala & the Bámbula Project (7pm), and Doug Beavers “Titanes del Trombón” Tribute to John “Dandy” Rodriguez (8pm). The early afternoon of Saturday, September 6 will have plenty of kids’ activities including performances by the United Children’s Music Project Latin Jazz Ensemble (2pm) and the WBGO Music for Kids series featuring trombonist Juanga Lakunza’s History of the Clave (3pm). At 4pm the great bassist John Benitez (also a Palmieri alum) will lead his ensemble, followed by the hard-hitting percussionist Chembo Corniel’s Quintet (5pm). At 6pm the 7-time Grammy nominee, percussionist, and WBGO on-air personality Bobby Sanabria will perform with his group Ascension, followed by the Cuban-born pianist/vocalist and Jersey City resident Melvis Santa (7pm), fresh off her tour with the iconic saxophonist Kenny Garrett. Closing out the festival will be the Palmieri Experience at 8pm presented by Luques Curtis and will feature many members of the late great maestro’s band.
Eddie Palmieri, the dynamic musical innovator who shaped Latin music perhaps more than any other artist, passed away on August 6, 2025. He was a fiery performer that fused jazz, R&B, and traditional Latin music to create the sounds that ushered in the heyday of the Salsa era. Palmieri performed at the 2023 Jersey City Jazz Festival with Sonido Solar. Bassist Luques Curtis had been performing with Palmieri for years and will be leading the ensemble for the tribute.
“Everyone in this group has played a vital role in Eddie Palmieri’s legacy” says Curtis. “He has profoundly shaped each of our careers, giving us all the chance to grow and shine. We’re deeply grateful for the opportunity to present this tribute and honor the greatest bandleader, mentor, and friend anyone could ask for.”
John “Dandy” Rodriguez was one of the world’s leading percussionists, having long played bongo with the likes of Tito Puente, Willie Bobo, Johnny Pacheco, Celia Cruz, and many more. Dandy had performed annually at Riverview Jazz events since 2016 and often with trombonist and Circle 9 record label founder Doug Beavers.
“I met Johnny Rodriguez serendipitously back in 2000 when I was called to arrange for and ultimately perform with Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta II band, where he was playing bongos,” recalls Beavers. “What blows my mind now in 2025 is that I was sitting in the midst of so much legacy and history from these two combined icons of salsa music and Latin Jazz – together they performed with all of the founders: Tito Puente, Machito, Tito Rodriguez, Celia Cruz, Cachao, Johnny Pacheco, Típica ‘73…the list goes on and on.”
Beavers continues, “The tradition lives on with all of us who had the opportunity (and luck) to learn from both of these legends of our music. Most interestingly – or perhaps by fate – on September 5th and 6th, we disciples of both Eddie and Johnny will find ourselves in the unique position to celebrate both of these icons here right here at Jersey City Latin Jazz Festival.”
Viva The Latin Jazz!!
www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com
jazzcaribe2001@yahoo.com
Note: The bestselling book "The Bible of Latin Jazz" by musicologist, writer, and educator Luis Raul Montell is available on Amazon
The documentary "O Menino d'Olho d'Água," about Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, maked its world premiere, at IDFA 2024 (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), one of the world's most important documentary festivals. Directed by Lírio Ferreira and Carolina Sá, the feature is part of the Luminous section, which showcases films of distinct styles.
"The Boy from the Water Eye" is a Coqueirão Pictures production that explores the life and work of iconic Brazilian musician Hermeto Pascoal, focusing on three distinct segments: a recent performance by Hermeto, at age 88, which captures his artistic genius at its peak; an exploration of his childhood memories in the backlands of Alagoas, revealing the origins of his musical influences; and an intimate conversation with the artist, in which he shares his music and reflections on his creative process. The production was made possible by Curta! with resources from the Audiovisual Sector Fund (FSA) and is scheduled to premiere on the channel in the first half of 2025.
SYNOPSIS
In Hermeto Pascoal's music, when we confront the harmonic complexity and unravel its countless layers, what emerges is a hauntingly simple sound, directly reminiscent of his childhood in the backlands of Alagoas, in the town of Olho d'Água Grande. The film is built on three pillars: a recent recording of a Hermeto Pascoal concert at the height of his 86th birthday, a delve into his childhood and emotional memories, and an interview with him, who produces what he does best: music.
Two of Maestro Hermeto Pascoal's greatest hits:
LADO B BRAZILIAN PROJECT 2
"This exquisite Brazilian Jazz album by Catina Deluna and Otmaro Ruiz is refreshing, elegantly blending the past with the present. One that highlights obscure Bossa Nova gems and offering reinvented versions of well-known classics"
Musicians: Catina Deluna (vocals); Otmaro Ruiz (piano, accordina, synthesizer, composer, arranger); Larry Koose (guitars); Edwin Livingston (bass); Derek Oles (bass 9); Edu Ribeiro (drums); Special Guest: Gregory Beyer (percussion, mallets); Bob Sheppard (sax, clarinet, alto flute); Bruno Mangueira (acoustic guitar 4, 5); Carol Robbins (harp); Jimmy Branly (udu clay pot 6); Fabio Cadore (vocals 5)
Tracks List: Passarim; Mar E Lua; Na Volta Que O Mundo Da; Requebre Que Eu Dou Um Doce; Choro Das Aguas; Aguas de Marco; E Luxo So; Aluviao; Meu Silencio (Velho Companheiro); Vatapa
Behind the Scenes - The making of Lado B Brazilian Project 2: great work, harvest a wonderful recording
The program begins with Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Passarim,” a piece that DeLuna has known since she was gifted the recording as a child. The melancholy piece compares man’s destruction of nature to fleeting love, with Ruíz’s arrangement providing driving motion and elements of nature enhanced by a background choir. The theme of Chico Buarque de Hollanda’s “Mar e Lua” remains prescient as it speaks of the dangers of love between two women and their sad story. Ruíz’s arrangement is cinematic in scope and assisted by Carol Robbins' elegant harp playing. The simplicity of Vicente Barreto and Paulo César Pinheiro’s adventurous “Na Volta Que O Mundo Dá” makes the piece’s beauty instantly infectious.
Your Bossa Jazz combines elements of traditional samba with jazz influences, especially in its complex harmonies and rhythmic patterns.
It is easy to become attached to tradition when performing Brazilian song. CATINA DELUNA and OTMARO RUÍZ use their unique voices to create a stand-out experience with the brilliant source material of Brazilian songwriters on their new recording, LADO B BRAZILIAN PROJECT 2.
Catina Deluna:
Born in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, Catina DeLuna grew up in a musical environment. Her father is a music lover and a huge supporter of local musicians, and her mother, a classical music aficionado. Catina grew up with frequent gatherings of musicians in her home, called saraus, where music played all night long. These seminal memories served as her first musical education and would become the primary inspiration for the unique musician Catina has become. A Bossa Nova fan in her teens, Catina fell in love with jazz piano. She began her performing career at age sixteen, playing solo piano in local venues and recording jingles both as a pianist and singer at top studios. Later, she received a B.A. in Brazilian Popular Music at the prestigious UNICAMP University in São Paulo and a M.M.A in Music at Northern Illinois University. Additionally, she served as a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
DeLuna’s voice is warm, clear and unaffected. There is authenticity to her approach, sound and style. As a native Portuguese speaker, she embodies the language and it contributes significantly to the effectiveness and effortless storytelling she conveys in her work.
Otmaro Ruiz:
Considered one of the most important jazz pianists in the current scene, venezuelan Otmaro Ruiz is known for his versatility and virtuosity. After working intensively in Venezuela with artists such as Soledad Bravo and Ilan Chester, Otmaro moves to Los Angeles in 1989 to join the group of great names of the jazz world such as Alex Acuña, Justo Almario y Abraham Laboriel, with whom still collaborates in diverse projects.
Viva The Latin Jazz!!
www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com
jazzcaribe2001@yahoo.com
Note: The bestselling book "The Bible of Latin Jazz" by writer and musicologist Luis Raul Montell is now available on Amazon.
Sérgio Mendes, a musician who emerged with Brazil’s bossa nova movement in the 1960s and became an ambassador for that country’s music around the world, died... NO.
A composer, pianist, producer and singer, Mendes had a prolific career spanning over 60 years, collaborating with everyone from Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire to the Black Eyed Peas. In a 2020 interview with NPR, he said these “incredible encounters” with musical peers began after his first visit to the United States, in 1962, when he performed alongside other bossa nova greats in a historic concert at Carnegie Hall. After that event, he was stunned to receive an invitation from Cannonball Adderley to work on his album.
In his native Brazil and beyond, artists and celebrities have been paying tribute to Mendes on social media. The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am shared a picture of him and Mendes walking together, calling theirs “a timeless friendship.” Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento recalled how much fun they had when Mendes attended his concert in Los Angeles in 2022: “We had many years of friendship, partnership and music, and he will be with me forever in my heart.” Herb Alpert, who produced Mendes’ first international albums, mourned the loss of his “brother from another country,” saying: “He was a true friend and extremely gifted musician who brought Brazilian music in all its iterations to the entire world with elegance and joy.”
As a composer, producer, keyboardist and vocalist, Sergio Mendes helped pioneer the bossa nova movement and popularize Brazilian music globally with his band, Brasil 66. In his over 60-year career, Mendes has been one of the most explorative collaborators in world music, working with everyone from the Black Eyed Peas to jazz great Cannonball Adderley. His new album, In The Key Of Joy, is out now.
We spoke to Sergio Mendes about continuing to write joyful music after all these years, getting Joe Pizzulo and his daughter, Sophia, on the same album together and taking his time to enjoy each new release. (“I’m not a workaholic. I’m from Brazil,” he jokes.) Listen in the player above and read on for highlights from the interview.
https://youtu.be/BrZBiqK0p9E?si=eLx4DsoS1TrBhMGA
It always starts with the melody. I wrote the melody with a friend of mine from Brazil, and recorded all the percussion — all the track was recorded in Brazil. When the song was ready, we had the lyrics and everything, I said “It would be great to have a great rapper, like Common.” And it so happened. We called him and he was very happy to be part of it, collaborating on this track. I think it added the diversity that I love about Brazilian music: the rhythms, the melody, the joy. Common is from Chicago. … He brings the joy from Chicago to the world, the same way we bring the joy from Brazil, so it was wonderful.
I’ve been, always, very curious, since I was a kid, working with different guys in Brazil. Then when I came to the United States for the first time in 1962: at the Bossa Nova Festival at Carnegie Hall, Cannonball Adderley invited me to work on his album. And after that so many other incredible encounters in my life: Frank Sinatra, will.i.am. I’ve been very fortunate to have had such experiences because that has enriched my life. Working with different people from different countries, from different cultures, I think it just helps you grow and learn new things. … I love that because you don’t program that; it’s about the magical encounter. I think it’s a beautiful thing in life, meeting Gracinha and so many other people that I had the chance to work with.
That was the first time a song in Portuguese became a hit all over the world — not only here, but in Asia, Europe, everywhere. Then it was a hit again 40 years later with the Black Eyed Peas. So it’s something very magical about that chant; people love that song everywhere in the world. And after the recording with the Black Eyed Peas in 2006, there’s a whole generation that never heard this “Mas Que Nada” played, the sons and daughters of the people that loved the first one. So again, this is a wonderful feeling.
Viva The Latin Jazz!!
www.jazzcaribe.blogspot.com
Note: The bestselling book of musical literature, "The Bible of Latin Jazz," by renowned writer, musicologist, and educator Luis Raul Montell, is now available on Amazon.
