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'When the Spirits Dance Mambo' with Paquito D'Rivera
Some artists are so personable that the moment you hear them, you love them. That's Paquito D'Rivera, a fountain of melody, cascading and life-affirming, with a wicked sense of humor.
It's no surprise that Paquito (born in 1948) was a prodigy. His father, Tito Rivera, withdrew from his own saxophone career in Havana, Cuba, to manage his son. Tito traveled with Paquito, the child performer, to stages in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and New York. From Tito's record collection, young Paquito developed a love of jazz. Then the Castro government changed the family's life. Paquito's parents emigrated to Miami. Since Paquito himself left Cuba in 1980, he has taken every opportunity to present the irresistible music of his island worldwide.
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He outdoes himself on this JazzSet, entitled "When the Spirits Dance Mambo," from the NJ Performing Arts Center. First, Paquito presents Las Hermanas Marquez -- Trini and Nerza. Having performed at the Tropicana nightclub in Havana with the likes of Celia Cruz, Trini and Nerza Marquez came to New York in 1951. With a third sister, they played the Palladium on Broadway, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Their original guarachera music comes from the same era as the Buena Vista Social Club, and they are must-hear!
Generoso Jimenez, a.ka. "El Tojo," is the other guest artist from Cuba. The trombonist worked with the legendary vocalist Beny Moré in Havana in the 1950s. Paquito leads an orchestra in his new orchestral composition "Tojo," commissioned by Meet the Composer. The remainder of the program features arrangements by Jimenez -- and yes, they will make you dance.
Guest Steve Turre raises a conch shell and opens the concert. The spirits dance mambo all the way home!
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