The legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band present the soundtrack to A Tuba to Cuba, the critically acclaimed documentary directed by T.G. Herrington and Danny Clinch. The film follows Ben Jaffe of New Orleans’ famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band as he seeks to fulfill his late father's dream of retracing their musical roots to the shores of Cuba in search of the indigenous music that gave birth to New Orleans jazz. A Tuba to Cuba celebrates the triumph of the human spirit expressed through the universal language of music and challenges us to resolve to build bridges, not walls.
I remember just as if it was yesterday that the 8-track cartridge of Metiendo Mano (Fania 500) arrived at record stores before the single “Pablo Pueblo” was played on the radio. I bought my copy at Joyerнa Danilъ in Canуvanas, Puerto Rico, for only $4.99. In 1977, I was one of the thousands of salseros who approached Colуn's new work with trepidation. After bringing an end to his partnership with Hйctor Lavoe and recording a special project with Mon Rivera, Willie presented Blades as the new singer in his orchestra.
Tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon had been an expatriate since 1963 when he discovered Europe was where the consistently paying jazz gigs were to be found. In 1976 he returned to the States and began recording for Columbia Records and also embarked on an acting career. Sony Legacy repackaged and re-released six Dexter Gordon albums of that era in their entirety with mini-LP sleeves and original cover art: Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard (1976), Sophisticated Giant (1977), Manhattan Symphonie (1978), Live at Carnegie Hall (1978), and Gotham City (1980).