I am a little apprehensive about posting here, given the rather intense debate above and not really knowing a lot about Cuban music, but... My wife and I really enjoy the Charlie Haden album "Nocturne", which is really a collaboration between him and Gonzalo Rubacalba. It's essentially a collection of slow-paced ballads (mainly 'boleros' I think). Really gorgeous stuff.
We attended a concert by Rubacalba and Haden, with David Sanchez on sax, last summer during the Montreal Jazz Festival. What a display of feeling and musicianship. They were so cohesive and yet relaxed in their presentation. It must be quite a challenge to sustain a fairly low-key (in terms of pace) musical event for close to two hours. Incredible.
Other Cuban-flavoured jazz of note would be the last two or three CDs from Jane Bunnett. She's a Canadian soprano sax player who has visited Cuba frequently and recruited numerous Cuban jazz musicians, young and old, to record with her. Quite a revelation.
We attended a concert by Rubacalba and Haden, with David Sanchez on sax, last summer during the Montreal Jazz Festival. What a display of feeling and musicianship. They were so cohesive and yet relaxed in their presentation. It must be quite a challenge to sustain a fairly low-key (in terms of pace) musical event for close to two hours. Incredible.
Other Cuban-flavoured jazz of note would be the last two or three CDs from Jane Bunnett. She's a Canadian soprano sax player who has visited Cuba frequently and recruited numerous Cuban jazz musicians, young and old, to record with her. Quite a revelation.