Latin Jazz News

• Drummer, historian, bandleader, and educator Bobby Sanabria will be hosting a preview of the first two parts of the upcoming PBS documentary Latin Music U.S.A. next Saturday September 26th at the Jazz Museum In Harlem. This FREE preview of this very important documentary will also feature a discussion with producer Pamela Aguilar and director Dan McCabe. The event will start at 11:00 a.m. and last until 4:00 p.m. - it’s a great opportunity to get a closer look at this fantastic piece of work that will premiere on PBS on October 12th. If you’re in the New York area next Saturday, don’t miss this one - get all the details HERE.

• Congratulations to the nominees for Best Latin Jazz Album for the tenth annual Latin Grammy Awards. The nominees are: Forests from The Brazilian Trio, Kenya, Revisited Live!!! from Bobby Sanabria & The Manhattan School of Music Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Sepulveda Boulevard from Charlie Sepulveda & The Turnaround, Nouveau Latino from Nestor Torres, and Juntos Siempre from Chucho Valdes & Bebo Valdes. The Grammy Foundation did a good job of selecting some outstanding nominees this time around - get the full scoop HERE.
• Percussionist Poncho Sanchez is set to release his 24th album next week, Psychedelic Blues, and NPR Jazz is offering a stream of the full album HERE. Make sure that you check it out, there’s some classic Sanchez on there. In addition, Felix Contreras reflects upon the Sanchez sound and the course of the percussionists career, recalling many interviews over the course of the past two decades. It’s a good read that looks back on the Sanchez legacy - check it out HERE.
• Is Latin Jazz really a style or just a simple commercial marketing term meant to marginalize Latin music (and musicians)? That’s a loaded question that tackles many important issues in the style. Over at the Jazz Latino New York blog, Jose Cruz asks these questions and reflects upon a conversation about that very topic with the late great Ray Barretto. It’s an interesting perspective on an important topic. Check it out HERE.
• Social Media has become an important part of any modern musician’s career, yet some artists truly lack the knowledge to use these tools effectively. Over at Latino Web Cafe, Hector Aviles has launched into a series that explores the evolving world of Latin Music in social media. It’s a thought-provoking article that will make us all rethink our Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter accounts.

http://www.chipboaz.com/blog/2009/09/21/latin-jazz-this-week-81/