Customer Reviews

Indestructible: Roots of Buena Vista

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On Monday, December 8, 2003, Ruben Gonzalez died at the unregretful age of 84. Farewell to an unbelievably charismatic and talented musician! His death is the sad realistic reminder that as great musicians like him grow old and die, so does a priceless era of music that will never be emulated.

(Clarification Note: I'm not sure why there are so many previous reviews of this album under my name when I only submitted one!)

Ry Cooder once described Ruben Gonzalez as, "A Cuban cross between Thelonius Monk and Felix the Cat." Ruben Gonzalez is no Thelonius Monk...and I cannot really say if he is Felix the Cat...but he is definitely an extremely rare piece of jazz history...an "endangered species" of sorts in comparison to today's lacklustre jazz scene. Thanks to the re-emergence of mostly forgotten Cuban musicians in the late 90's through such vehicles as the Afro-Cuban All-Stars and the Buena Vista Social Club, the world...or at least a portion of it...has had the opportunity to experience a truly unique skill and sound that once flourished. This description of Ruben Gonzalez's music cannot do him justice. When you listen to him either pounding out or softly lifting notes off the piano keys, feelings of excitement, nostalgia, appreciation, comfort, and reflection can all rise to the surface. His skill is difficult to match; his love of music nearly impossible to emulate. Ruben Gonzalez "is" the music he creates and plays...a living example of the musical past re-introducing itself to the ever-emerging present.