Cuba Percussion

Nach über 250.000 verkauften Alben kehren die Klazzbrothers & Cuba Percussion zurück zum Beginn ihrer Erfolgsgeschichte mit Classic Meets Cuba II: bekannte und beliebten Klassik-Hits im unverwechselbaren "Meets-Cuba-Style". Vor elf Jahren ließen die Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion mit ihrem ersten Album Classic Meets Cuba aufhorchen. Nach Ausflügen in die Welt der Oper oder des Jazz und nach sieben weiteren Alben mit namhaften Gästen und Themen wie Mozart Meets Cuba kehren sie jetzt zurück zu den Ursprüngen..

Few musical marriages can seem more oddly matched than a German classical/chamber trio with an Afro-Cuban percussion ensemble. Yet Mozart Meets Cuba presents astonishing work: Latin explorations of Mozart's timeless melodies that are true to the fire and passion, and to the almost mathematic precision, of Afro-Cuban and classical perspectives. Mozart's compositions remain refined and austerely beautiful (such as his Clarinet Concerto, for example, here presented as "Poema Con Cohiba ), but they rhythmically move forward with a smile and bounce.

Since their establishment in the year 1999, the Klazzbrothers have been exploring the borders between classic and jazz, linking tradition and the desire for novelty, as well as the correspondence of music of different cultures. The success of the Klazzbrothers with audiences and critics is undisputed, eliciting "… initial amazement followed by tumultuous applause." (translated from the Rheingau Echo).

Since 1999, three "Klazz Brothers" Kilian Forster (bass), Bruno Böhmer Camacho (piano) and Tim Hahn (drums) have stood for a refreshing and innovative fusion of classical music with jazz and world music. For their albums "Classic meets Cuba" and "Mozart meets Cuba", which were recorded with the Duo Cuba Percussion, the Klazz Brothers from Dresden received the ECHO Prize in the category "Klassik ohne Grenzen" several times. With their new CD "Christmas meets Cuba 2", the five musicians are following up on the success album "Christmas meets Cuba", released in 2010, which brought international and German Christmas carols to new musical life. With a mixture of jazz swing and Latin feeling, spirited zest for life, Cuban serenity and moody melancholy, the Klazz Brothers and Cuba Percussion have recorded such classics as "White Christmas", "Silent Night" and George Michaels "Last Christmas". And here and there, prominent guest singers such as Olvido Ruiz and Tom Gaebel give the songs another special flair.

After the worldwide success of their album "Mozart meets Cuba", which was one of the best-selling albums for Mozart's 250th birthday, Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion dedicate their twelfth album to Ludwig van Beethoven, whose 250th birthday celebrates the Klassikwelt 2020. Beethoven's work seems so compact and coherent that the impression is created that nothing more can be added. But already on his first album, "Classic meets Cuba", the quintet has shown through a set of the "Pathétique" sonata that it is possible to skilfully blend Beethoven's music with Cuban rhythms, and over the years, they have created more for their successful albums edits.

Pianist Rodriguez serves up a panoramic view of Afro-Cuban music on this dizzyingly varied release. He uses different-sized lineups, but his literate, complementary piano playing is in the midst of it all. Some of the more prominent sidemen include trumpeter Jesus Alemany, saxophonist/percussionist Yosvany Terry, percussionists Tata Guines and Monguito, bassist Carlos Del Puerto, Jr., and, on loan from Orquesta Aragon, flautist Eduardo Rubio and violinists Dagoberto and Lazarito Gonzalez. Rodriguez contributes some writing and arranging. The album's most jazz-oriented number, "Tumbao a Peruchin," is an all-out descarga/jam composed by Rodriguez and featuring Peruchin Jr. on guitar. "Tumba, Mi Tumba," also composed by Rodriguez, is a Haitian francesa arranged and directed by Leonardo Alexander; dancing drums and Enrique Navarro's flute keep the pianist jumping on this number.

Recorded in Japan in 1980 and released as a Japanese exclusive vinyl LP ‘Cuba Libre’ was composed, arranged and produced by the remarkable Japanese musician Chikara Ueda. With almost the entire original line up in place including Chucho Valdes, Arturo Sandoval, and Jorge Alfonso this is a record of sublime quality that retains all of the authentic essence and beauty of Cuban music. Among the most influential Latin bands Irakere’s mix of fiery funk anthems and sophisticated jazz has rarely sounded better than on these six classic tracks.

This landmark set superbly documents the wide ranging talents of one of Cuba's greatest artists—expatriate pianist/composer/arranger Bebo Valdés—in the company of an impressive cast of New York's finest Latin jazz instrumentalists. The first disc, Suite Cubana, features the pianist, father of the more famous Chucho Valdés, leading an all-star big band through a collection of original compositions that revisit the classic sound of the golden age of Cuban music in a variety of infectious rhythms (mambo, bembé, son, guaracha, guajira, montuno, batanga, and comparsa) laid down by Valdés, Edgardo Miranda, John Benitez, Dafnis Prieto, Milton Cardona, Joe Gonzalez, and Rickard Valdés.
The melodies are memorable and the arrangements smooth and sophisticated.