Customer Reviews

Briyumba Palo Congo

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In this album, the piano of Jesús "Chucho" Valdés is featured in all its fullness, rich and strong. Only a great master like him could place a "Caravan" at the level of Thelonious Monk's and Randy Weston's interpretations (the upcoming album by Gonzalo Rubalcaba has another of the same caliber). But it is with his four original compositions that Valdés' opus enters the category of universal, especially with the album title-track, a follow-up of his recent album with Irakere, Yemayá. Leonardo Acosta is right in the album liner notes when he concludes that "listening to Briyumba Palo Congo is certainly an exhilarating and unique experience".

Quite simply stunning. Essentially flawless, the only criticism I can think of is that his effortless genius is intimidating. Moving, challenging, reeking of musicality, rythmic greatness.

Like most of the music Chucho Valdez plays in whatever the setting - solo, with Irakere, with Roy Hargrove's band, or with his own jazz quartet, this recording is full of brilliant playing both from Chucho and from the percussionists. The guy is a giant and effortlessly connects the African roots of jazz to the traditional. A beautiful record and one worth savoring.

Another great pice of work from one of the masters of Cuban music. Bebo Valdes a master pianist brings us the wonderfull and rich world of the Cuban culture through his music. Bebo is second generation musician and is succeeded buy his son Chucho Valdés the gentle giant and the best Latin piano player today. Album is a deffinate keeper and a wonderfull addition to your collection.

In his rigth roots to make one of the most brillants jazz stars of the end of this millenium, Jesús "Chucho" Valdez dedicate the most better arragement of the "Taphsody in Blue" latin jazz-style, that I can heard. The latin break of this classical theme of George Gershwin theme, with the introduction of the Joaquín Olivero Gavilán-flute, is unique, and a demostrate that Cuba have the most jazz nnovators musics, in this time.

Incredible. I recognize songs from his dates in Washington DC last year. "Chucho" is a living legand and his band is TOP notch. With the renewed interrest in Afro/Cuban music, this should be at the top of the new fan's wish list. HOT Hot Hot!!!

This is my first foray into the "cubop" genre, and chucho slams. i found out about him while listening to bluenote.com's radio station. being a go-go head, the congos are more appealing to me than the rest of the quartet. anyway, my favorite cuts are el rumbion, briyumba palo congo, and caravan.

Thank you Sr. Valdes for your profoundly powerful, beautiful, and personally moving performance on that perfect night (July 18,1999) in Juan-Les-Pins.

Chucho and the rest of the group are simply fantastic musicians. Beautiful phrasing, technique, style. Wonderful disk. Bravo Chucho.

A great combination of piano, african drums and cuban rhythms