Irakere - Yemaya (1998)

Artista: Irakere

Álbum: Yemaya
Año: 1998
Género: Latin jazz
Nacionalidad: Cuba

Lista de Temas:
1. Yemayá
2. Mister Bruce
3. Santa Amalia
4. La Explosión
5. San Francisco
6. Son Montuno
7. Chorrino

Alineación:
- Chucho Valdés / piano, composer, arranger
- Mario Fernández, Basilio Márquez / trompeta
- César López / saxo alto
- Alfredo Thompson / saxo tenor
- Carlos Emilio Morales / guitarra electrica
- Carlos Del Puerto / bajo electrico
- Enrique Plá / bateria
- Andrés Miranda / congas
- José Miguel Meléndez / timbales
- Mayra Caridad Valdés / vocal

Empezamos el lunes, y como con algo tenemos que empezar, vamos con un disquito de Iraquere. Y que mejor que esta banda, muchos de los mejores músicos de jazz cubano han tocado en Irakere durante las últimas décadas. Chucho Valdés en el piano ha encabezado la orquesta, y su música oscila entre el jazz latino y las melodías folklóricas cubanas, con énfasis en esos ritmos infecciosos y desatadas improvisaciones.
Pero hoy es lunes y no tengo muchas ganas de escribir, dejo algún comentario de otros y a otra cosa mariposa...

The sudden breakout of Chucho Valdés as a solo artist in North America in 1998 was no doubt the leverage behind the new billing of his band, "Irakere featuring Chucho Valdés," and the large amount of exposure that his piano fireworks get here. The band sometimes doesn't sound all that electrified by the prospect, though ultimately they do take us on a wide-ranging tour of acoustic and electric Latin jazz idioms and grooves. "Mister Bruce" most emphatically features the leader, a tour de force for Valdes who unleashes a torrent of notes (not always coherently) over percussion, bass and drums. "Santa Amalia" is straight ahead Latin jazz with lots of Valdes, hot horn solos and a flourish of vocals at the close, yet for all of its 13 minutes, it doesn't totally ignite. "La Explosión," with quotes from "Love for Sale" near the end, presents a multi-sectioned serpent of funk, bop and mambo -- nothing really fused since the grooves appear in sections -- while "San Francisco" is a fine, barely updated Latin boogaloo. "Son Montuno," which also appears on Valdes' Bele Bele en la Habana solo album, is blown open by some rough rock guitar, the old freewheeling Irakere spirit at work. Though Yemayá has its big moments, Valdés seems to have saved his most heated inspirations of the late '90s for his own solo work.

Richard S. Ginell

Originally released on the Cuban state label Egrem in 1997, this session likely marks the Irakere swan song for Chucho Valdes. These days Chucho is more heavily invested in his piano work than in leading this stellar aggregation, a task he has relinquished to son and keyboardist Francisco ("Chuchito"). Based on evidence at the nightly jams at the Riviera at December's Jazz Plaza festival in Havana, Irakere will be in good hands.
Given that the band smoothly survived the defections of Paquito D'Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, and now Chucho's change in direction, coupled with the fact that the island boasts a wealth of musicians, Irakere will remain a potent force. Yemaya is up to the explosive legacy Irakere has established over nearly 30 years. Leading off with the title track, vocally essayed by Chucho's dynamic sister, Mayra, this is yet another chapter bristling with ebullient energy and no shortage of fine musicianship. Though Yemaya is less horn-centered than its predecessors, saxmen Alfredo Thompson and Cesar Lopez stand out as the latest of Irakere's featured soloists. Its the boss who is clearly in the spotlight here. Chucho's keyboard dexterity and facility are magisterial, check out the extended feature "Santa Amalia." Its just too bad he is saddled with a rather tinny electric keyboard, but alas that's a condition that is all too frequent in Cuba as the embargoed island appears to have a shortage of good pianos. Couple Chucho's rich and deep pianistics with the band's keening horn section, tight ensemble passages, and uplifting rhythm section, and this edition very ably upholds the Irakere tradition.

Willard Jenkins