December

Johnny Pacheco, presents “Orquesta Primera Clase” from Maracay-Venezuela

The title of this album speaks for itself; the hand of the transcendental Dominican musician is introduced in this album.

El Zorro de Plata Pacheco appears as executive producer of the album, although we do not discard that he also participated in part of the musical production, due to the way the orchestra was structured and the style in which the arrangements were given; it is something that we can hardly notice when listening to the album, it is evident the great similarity to “Pacheco y su Tumbao”; four excellent trumpets with sonorous arrangements.

Johnny Pacheco, presents "Orquesta Primera Clase" of Maracay-Venezuela — Johnny Pacheco, presents “Orquesta Primera Clase” of Maracay-Venezuela

The predominance of Teo Hernandez (R.I.P)’s vocal style and register in the nasal coros, fits perfectly with the “Tumbao Añejo” that we have always been accustomed to from maestro Johnny Pacheco (R.I.P).

Although the album was backed by the Fania label and is loaded with a cheerful and swinging flavor, we think that it went somewhat unnoticed by the music-loving public.

The reasons could be several, we must remember that in those times in the 80’s the merengue rhythm was beginning to penetrate with a lot of strength.

Johnny Pacheco, presenta la Orquesta Primera Clase

Although we could also add the little interest that the public of the capital (Caracas) had for the groups of the regions or interior of the country, and although it seems ironic to say it.
Another possible reason could be linked to the inclusion of only unpublished songs (it is well known that in those times, they supported copies more than creativity); these are only conjectures of this server, however, they do not escape the reality of that time.

As for the musical themes, we have already pointed out that all of them are original and very well compensated with their arrangement; In particular there are two songs that I like very much, one of them is “Negro Nací”, written and sung by Orlando Sanoja, is a very happy song dedicated to our black race of the danceable in his music, “Si negro nací nací nací, blanco no puedo ser”, The other song of my predilection is “El Sabio”, composition and lyrics by Jorge Compres and vocalized by Teo Hernández, with great diction, good phrasing and those tasty choruses that accompany him.

It is worth mentioning that the excellent La Orquesta Primera Clase is still in force with a musical staff of the new generation maintaining its original sound with its lead vocalist Orlando Sanoja.

It is another good Venezuelan album that you should have in your personal CD library.
Johnny Pacheco presents “La Orquesta Primera Clase” (1982) Fania LPS-66506

SIDE A

1.- NEGRO NACÍ (Orlado Sanoja) Sings: Orlando Sanoja/ Arrangements: Nicomedes López
2.- ME SIENTO MUY FELIZ (Al mMaro Ríos) Sings: Orlando Sanoja/Arrangements: Bolívar Javier
EL ANIMAL (Jorge Compres) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Jorge Compres
4.- TODO TIENE SU FINAL (Bolívar Javier) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Bolívar Javier
5.- LLEVAME CONTIGO (Almaro Ríos) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Bolívar Javier

SIDE B

1.- EL SABIO (Jorge Compres) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Jorge Compres
2.- A MARACAY (Orlando Sanoja) Sings: Orlando Sanoja/Arrangements: Jorge Compres
3.- EXTRANJERA (Phorto Jacquez) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Jorge Compres
4.- VIVA MI GUAGUANCO (Jorge Compres) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Gilberto Riera
AY QUE HUMANIDAD (Orlando Sanoja) Sings: Orlando Sanoja/Arrangements: Jorge Compres

Personnel:

Pastor Rodríguez (1st Trumpet)
Henry Kamba (2nd Trumpet)
Gustavo Nieves (3rd Trumpet)
William Fermín (4th Trumpet)
Armin Kail (Piano)
Carlos Fagúndez (Bass)
Harold Josef (Congas)
Edgar Aponte (Timbal)
Félix Benítez (Bongo)
Teo Hernández/Orlando Sanoja (Singers)
Bolívar Javier/ Nicomedes López/ Jorge Compres/ Gilberto Riera (Arrangements)
Teo Hernández/Orlando Sanoja/Edgar Aponte (Chorus)
Johnny Pacheco (Executive Producer)
Carlos Guerrero (Recording Technician)
Luis Arismendi (General Recording Supervision)
Recorded at Fidelis Studios
Alejandro Pérez (Art and Design)

How Jacira Castro and Salsa Power changed the Latin music scene

How did Salsa Power start?

Latin culture, specifically the musical part, has had a large group of unconditional allies who have promoted it worldwide through their work and platforms, being Chilean-American Jacira Castro one of the best known. Jacira is a salsa casino-style salsa teacher and web designer who had the dream of spreading the typical rhythms of our countries, but she did not figure out how until she came up with a revolutionary idea: Salsa Power.

Salsa Power was born in 1999 as part of an initiative created by Castro and graphic designer Julian Mejia, who practically became her partner until the moment when the page stopped working. From that year on that the dance instructor began to generate contacts and develop human networks with people inside and outside the world of music, especially from the salsa genre. A particularity of this system devised by Jacira was that it was fed by the information received from people from anyqhere in the world about everything related to concerts, festivals, press conferences, autograph signings and much more.

Jacira Castro - Salsa Power — Dance instructor and web designer Jacira Castro – Salsa Power

How did this project work?

Thanks to the technology that was advancing little by little in all this time, there were many more contact ways and social media came along to facilitate these activities. The website grew to such an extent that it came to have more than 300 correspondents in over 60 countries, many of whom did not even have professions or occupations related to music, but wanted to strive to make the initiative successful and Latin artists and orchestras have a dependable space to promote their work.

Contrary to what many readers may have thought, everyone involved in this project never received a single cent or publicity in return for all the work being done. In fact, it was Jacira herself who had to pay for all the expenses related to Salsa Power such as plane tickets, travel, lodging, food, wardrobe, among other things. Not to mention the website maintenance and other hosting costs for the domain to work properly.

Fortunately, all that effort and money were worth it because Salsa Power rose to become the largest salsa website on the internet and a true reference for any independent media planning to do anything remotely like that. Much of the fruits harvested by this beautiful project can still be found on the internet and consist of articles, interviews, event coverage, videos and many other things.

The name Salsa Power was so respected that you could not talk about the Latin salsa scene in the United States without mentioning it, especially in South Florida, a place where competition for the first places was at its higuest. This competition was not only between artists and musical groups, but also between media, associations and academies, triggering some inconvenience and regrettable situations like the one experienced by Jacira and Julián a few years ago.

Jacira paid for all the expenses related to Salsa Power

Controversies

Jacira has had run-ins with some important personalities of the Latin music community in Florida because of her political positions, which went against the current of a large number of Latin artists and dancers at that time, especially those who are part of the Cuban exile. Her attitudes towards the political situation in Cuba have been highly controversial, mainly those related to the U.S. economic embargo on the Caribbean country and the limitations on free cultural exchange between both nations. Both Castro and other leaders of the entertainment industry were opposed to the decades-old blockade, which has been maintained until today.

This caused the dance teacher to make some enemies in the Miami music scene, which led to the hacking of Salsa Power with the caption ”This is a communist website” in big red letters along with a message whose author calls Jacira ”communist” and ”pro-Fidel Castro”. Obviously, she got worried and immediately called Julian to bring down the page.

As they began to diagnose the issue and its possible causes, they concluded that those responsible were part of an association composed of a dozen dance schools in Miami and its sorroundings called Salsa United. Around the same time, this organization had just created its own website, which published content very similar to that of Salsa Power, so much so that its principal spokesperson Jolexy Hurtado and Jacira came to have some arguments and run-ins due to how much alike the interviews were in both websites. The conflict reached at such a level that Jacira states that Hurtado told her she was messing with the wrong guy.

Undoubtedly, this whole situation was a big headache for the web designer, but has never let any of this daunt her or make her feel inadequate. On the contrary, she has grown before adversities and has faced them with the gallantry that has always characterized her, since she knows what her work is worth in terms of quality and globality.

However, there comes a point when the effort and time invested are not enough, so it is time to be realistic and assume that everything has its end, as the great Héctor Lavoe would say.

Jacira and Larry — Jacira Castro with producer, composer, and pianist Larry Harlow

Farewell to Salsa Power and Jacira’s current life

After 22 years of operation of the Salsa Power project, many of the correspondents who provided information for the page got married, had children, studied, moved and pursued other professional opportunities that did not allow them to continue their work. For the same reason, Jacira had no choice but to terminate the project that was her life for more than two decades and publish a farewell message thanking all her readers for their support over the years and assuring that she will continue to travel and enjoy salsa and dance.

In spite of abandoning her duties as administrator of Salsa Power, the great impact of the Chilean-American’s work on those who have come to know her and collaborate with her cannot be denied. On her LinkedIn profile, there plenty of favorable reviews about her professionalism and commitment in every activity she makes.

From International Salsa Magazine, we wish her the greatest success in every project she undertakes and that she enjoys all the stages that are to come.

Understanding the music business

By: Eduardo Guilarte.

Why are so many artists broke

The mystifying extravagant language of music disseminates passions in a land the written word has never known. Music fulfills two major human needs, the need for self-identity, and to be accepted, to belong. Freud- “adopting the model of another is the psychological process of Self-Identity”. That T-shirt with “Rolling Stones,” is broadcasting “these are my values” does anyone out there feel the same?

Music identifies and defines our values. When music is sold, there’s a lot more being sold. Your values are what is sold. Your musical selection makes you predictable. Madison Avenue advertising was excited, with needs there are opportunities. Not much different than “sex sells.” Well, music sells.

The merchants learned the art & science of anchoring. Take the Pepsi / Michael Jackson commercial. Story says, that Pepsi offered Michael $15 million dollars for a commercial. However, Michael set conditions. He refused to tell people to drink Pepsi, wouldn’t hold the product in his hands, the product could not appear in the same frame as Michael. Pepsi agreed to all the conditions. Michael appeared performing, followed by series of fade in and out. Michael never appeared in the same frame with Pepsi. The commercial was a resounding success, shot with Michael Jackson performing, then a series of fades-in/out.

Technology is changing music

Technology is constantly changing industry and the world. Look at taxis. A New York taxi medallion was selling for $250,00 to $500,000, then Uber happened. An application with a better formula. Uber gave better security, women could work as drivers, no exchange of money, work the hours you choose, response time greatly reduced, and a great contributor to the reduction of unemployment.

Another example of technology at work are applications like Shazam, Sound hound, Hound, Spot search. You hear a song playing and you want to know the name and artists. Apart from giving you the information for free, what it is really doing is gathering data for the industry. These apps are really telling the industry who and what is popular with the people. It’s a guide to very current trends.

The dot com era revolutionized the music industry. In 1999, Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, developed MP3 file sharing. Napster, with 80 million users taught a new way of consuming music. Universal, Warner and Sony who control 80% of western music were furious. Lawsuits were filed, arguing copyright infringement and pirating. Although a 9^th circuit Federal judge blocked Napster, the door was now open. Through that door entered Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, You Tube Music, Pandora, Google Music and others with music streaming services.

First equipment for entertainment — record player, television and radio

There has always been a music industry. The 20^th century invention of the radio, television and record player redefined the industry. Those inventions became the start of what we call today the music industry. A multi-billion-dollar industry. Commercializing music is very different from being a minstrel. Two very different animals.

The world’s leading contemporary music institution, recommends that if you want to go into the music business, you take a year off and study the “business.” ICE, Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, offers online or on campus programs to learn the business. Berklee College phone +1617 266-1400.

It’s an understatement when they say that “how the music industry works and how the money is distributed, is very hard to understand.” Publications on the subject are:

All you need to know about the Music Business by Donald S Passman, top music attorney Harvard Law. Reputed to know his business but he doesn’t go into music streaming which is what happens now.
Music Money and Success by Jeffrey Brabec & Todd Brabec, twins, tracs the flow of money, using real examples. Not an easy read but it goes in depth. Todd was executive VP for ASCAP for more than 30 years
Artist Management for the music business by Paul Allen, as the importance of labels diminishes, the manager’s role is more important.
Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business by Fredaic Dannen, it has become the unofficial history of the pop music business. Journalist who investigated the behind-the-scenes activity of the major labels in the 70’s and 80’s. Reporting excess, greed, ruthless practices, struggle for money and power and bitter rivalries between biggest labels at the height of the industry. However, he is heavily criticked by former CBS head Walter Yetnikoff.

The first order of business is understanding the elements that go into making a song. Author of the lyrics, composer of the music. A trademark is not a copyright. Examples of what you can copyright are novels, poems, photographs, movies, lyrics to a song, musical compositions in the form of sheet music, sound recordings, paintings and more, like software code for a website or code for an application.

Once the work is created you acquire rights, often referred to as the bundle of rights. They are the right to:

To reproduce including phonorecords, physical or digital format
Prepare derivative works based on the original
Distribute and sell copies of the work, or rent, lease or transfer ownership.
To perform the work
To display
Audio transmission publicly or digital

These rights are yours regardless of filing a copyright. However, you should copyright the song. 17 U.S. Code §106 is where you will find the copyright law that talks about the bundle of rights that the bill gives to copyright owners. At www.Copyright.gov you can create an online account and register your song. A publisher promotes the song, gets it added to musical libraries, pitches it film, radio, television, etc.

Copyritht

Anyone who uses your work, including streaming, must pay mechanical royalties. So, who will collect the royalties for you? Performance Rights Organizations/Societies are tasked with getting you your money. ASCAP, BMI, PRS, SOUND EXCHANGE, Descarga.com, Kobalt Music are some of the PRO’s.

In the United States the government has predetermined mechanically the royalties. Any artist can record your song under the law of “compulsory licenses.” They must put the author on notice of intent and pay the royalties. As an example Simon Diaz wrote and composed “Caballo Viejo.” Many artists recorded their own versions, like Roberto Torres, Celia Cruz, Ray Conniff, Ruben Blades, and Placido Domingo. Simon Diaz

The power of the major labels usually dictated who became a star and who got sent home. Not always though, we hear that Shakira auditioned for Sony and was told to go home, that she didn’t know how to sing. They also passed on “The Beatles” losing an incredible fortune. It was common for artists to throw themselves at the feet of the labels signing predatory contracts.

We hear of advance money being paid if the artist signed. These were contracts that indicated 15% of the record sales to the artist and the other 85% to the label. However, the contracts had clauses in which the artist sold the ownership copyrights, and agreed to pay many costs, which resulted in the 15% being reduced beyond zero, resulting in an artist in debt.

How money moves in contracts — Flow Chart

Historically Major Labels have had the funds to commercialize new talent and pay advances. Yet, technology is again making changes and opening new doors to the artists. Artists are using Social Media to create a following for their music. Kobalt is the world’s leading independent music services company. Founded by Swedish musician Willard Ahdritz, Founder & CEO who says that old model is on the way out. Kobalt was ahead with its technology. In 2017 it reported representing over 25,000 songwriters, 600 publishers, and 20,000 independent artists. On average over 40% of the top 100 songs both in US and UK. Kobalt’s global technology platform is uniquely able to track and collect royalties for the billions of micro-payments per song in digital music today [email protected]

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Selena: the series The New Netflix Show

Selena Quintanilla Perez

Also known as the queen of tex-mex, Selena was undoubtedly one of the greatest exponents of Latin music, her songs continue to be played on many radios around the world, and keeping in mind the legacy that the singer has left, this is not surprising. If you don’t know who this extremely talented artist was, right now it’s a good time to find out about her story, the new Netflix series called “Selena: the series” shows her artistic career in detail, and it also let us watch an important part of her Personal life.

Selena was not only an icon of the genre she pioneered, but she also greatly facilitated the exposure of many Latin artists that emerged after her tragic death; All this has only made the expectations of the fans who adore the artist continually grow, but is this show just a gift from Netflix for the Selena fans, or is it also capable of pleasing the general public?

How good is the series?

It is important to mention that, as mentioned before, the show does not focus exclusively on Selena’s artistic career, but shows what the life of the Quintanilla family was like, always in a smooth way, without trying to be too dramatic. We constantly observe how what reigns in the family is the union, despite all the adversities that they go through; However, as the series continues, we observe how the tone changes little by little until we reach the last episode, where the approach is clearly cruder than that of the rest of the series.

Despite being a biographical series, the way it is told can be very entertaining, it is a show that seeks not only to tell what the artist’s life was but also to entertain the viewers, even those who watch it without knowing the singer’s story.

Another important aspect to mention is the fact that this series is authorized by the Quintanilla family, which means that the events we see on the screen are very similar to those that have taken place in real life. On the other hand, unlike what many may think when hearing about the series, the first season does not tell the whole story of Selena until the day of her unfortunate death, but focuses on her first steps as an artist, as well as at the beginning of his rise to stardom; However, season two will focus on the artist’s legacy, what it meant to her fans, and how painful and heartbreaking her death was.

The show is highly recommended for all those who want to see a new version of the story, although it is true that what we see on it may not surprise those who are very familiar with the singer’s life, it is definitely worth seeing a different version with the Netflix production in between, plus, it may turn out to be very interesting for those who do not know the history of this iconic artist.

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Mark Weinstein Flutist, composer and arranger

North America / United States / New York

With his heart in jazz, Weinstein contributed greatly to the development of the salsa trombone by playing and arranging

Flutist, composer and arranger, Mark Weinstein began his study of music at age six with piano lessons from the neighborhood teacher in Fort Green Projects in Brooklyn where he was raised.

Between then and age 14 when he started to play trombone in Erasmus Hall High School, he tried clarinet and drums. Playing his first professional gig on trombone at 15, he added string bass, a common double in NYC at that time.

Mark learned to play Latin bass from Salsa bandleader Larry Harlow. He experimented playing trombone with Harlow’s band and three years later, along with Barry Rogers, formed Eddie Palmieri’s first trombone section, changing the sound of salsa forever.

With his heart in jazz, Weinstein was a major contributor to the development of the salsa trombone playing and arranging. He extended jazz attitudes and techniques in his playing with salsa bands.

His arrangements broadened the harmonic base of salsa while introducing folkloric elements for authenticity and depth.

Flutist, composer and arranger, Mark Weinstein began his study of music at age six with piano lessons from the neighborhood teacher in Fort Green Projects in Brooklyn — Mark Weinstein Flutist, composer and arranger

The only horn in a Latin jazz quintet led by Larry Harlow in the jam session band at the Schenks Paramount Hotel in the Catskills

The only horn in a Latin jazz quintet led by Larry Harlow at the jam session band at Schenks Paramount Hotel in the Catskills, soloist and arranger with Charlie Palmieri in the first trumpet and trombone salsa band in NYC, arranger and featured soloist along with the great Cuban trumpet player Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros in Orchestra Harlow, and with the Panamanian giant Victer Paz in the La Playa Sextet, and with the Alegre All Stars, Mark’s playing and arranging was a major influence on Salsa trombone and brass writing in the 60s and 70s.

Mark Weinstein continued to record with Eddie Palmieri, with Cal Tjader and with Tito Puente. He toured with Herbie Mann for years, played with Maynard Ferguson, and the big bands of Joe Henderson, Clark Terry, Jones and Lewis, Lionel Hampton, Duke Pearson and Kenny Dorham. In 1967 he wrote and recorded the Afro-Cuban jazz album, Cuban Roots for the legendary salsa producer Al Santiago.

It revolutionized Latin jazz; combining authentic folkloric drum ensembles with harmonically complex extended jazz solos and arrangements. Chick Corea was on piano and the rhythm section included the finest and most knowledgeable Latin drummers: Julito Collazo, Tommy Lopez Sr. and Papaito (timbalero with La Sonora Matancera).

El único cuerno en un quinteto de jazz latino liderado por Larry Harlow en la banda de jam session del Hotel Schenks Paramount en los Catskills, solista y arreglista con Charlie Palmieri en la primera banda de salsa de trompeta y trombón en NYC, arreglista y solista junto con el gran trompetista cubano Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros en Orchestra Harlow, y con el gigante panameño Victer Paz en el Sexteto de la Playa, y con los Alegre All Stars, el hecho de que Mark tocara y arreglara fue una gran influencia en la escritura del trombón de salsa y los metales en los años 60 y 70.

Mark Weinstein continuó grabando con Eddie Palmieri, con Cal Tjader y con Tito Puente. Hizo giras con Herbie Mann durante años, tocó con Maynard Ferguson y con las grandes bandas de Joe Henderson, Clark Terry, Jones y Lewis, Lionel Hampton, Duke Pearson y Kenny Dorham. En 1967 escribió y grabó el álbum de jazz afrocubano Cuban Roots para el legendario productor de salsa Al Santiago.

Revolucionó el jazz latino, combinando auténticos conjuntos de tambores folclóricos con solos y arreglos de jazz extendido armónicamente complejos.

Chick Corea tocaba el piano y la sección rítmica incluía a los mejores y más conocedores bateristas latinos: Julito Collazo, Tommy López Sr. y Papaito (timbalero de la Sonora Matancera).

A principios de los 70 Mark se tomó un tiempo libre de la música para obtener un doctorado en filosofía con una especialización en lógica matemática.

Se convirtió en un profesor universitario y sigue siéndolo hasta el día de hoy. Cuando regresó a la escena musical en 1978 tocando la flauta, escribió produjo y grabó las Suites de los Orishas con la cantante Olympia Alfara, el gran pianista de jazz colombiano Eddy Martínez y los percusionistas Steve Berrios, Julito Collazo, Papaito y Papiro junto con un coro afrocubano. Inédito hasta hace poco, la música de las Suites de los Orishas se convirtió en el tema del Sunday Salsa Show de Roger Dawson en WRVR.

Mark Weinstein volvió al jazz con una venganza, trabajando en conciertos y grabando más de una docena de CDs desde 1997.

Seasoning, su primer CD de flauta experimentó con diferentes escenarios para la flauta, incluyendo un cuarteto con el vibrafonista Bryan Carrott y Cecil Brooks III en la batería y un trío de flauta y dos guitarras con Vic Juris y Rob Reich.

En 1998, Mark grabó Jazz World Trios con el maestro guitarrista brasileño Romero Lubambo y el premiado percusionista Cyro Baptista.

Su exploración de temas brasileños con guitarra clásica y percusión contrastaba con un trío de freebop con Santi Debriano en el bajo y Cindy Blackman en la batería.

Jean Paul Bourelly y Milton Cardone completaron el conjunto con música basada en temas de santería.

El lanzamiento de Three Deuces en 2000, emparejó a Mark con los guitarristas Vic Juris, Ed Cherry y Paul Meyers.

Mark continued to record with Eddie Palmieri, Cal Tjader and Tito Puente — With his heart in jazz, Weinstein contributed greatly to the development of the salsa trombone by playing and arranging – Mark Weinstein

Because of limited distribution and more demand that albums available, Mark rerecorded the material from the original Cuban Roots with new arrangements and the help of such giants of Cuban music as pianist Omar Sosa, percussionists Francisco Aquabella, Lazaro Galarraga, John Santos, Jose De Leon, and Nengue Hernandez. It was co-produced with his nephew, trombonist, violinist and arranger Dan Weinstein for Michael McFadin and CuBop Records.

In 2002 Mark had the incredible opportunity to go to Kiev, Ukraine, where his father was born, to record the music of the Ukrainian composer Alexey Kharchenko. Milling Time, the record that they made, stretched his playing in a number of directions, from modern classical music to smooth jazz to Ukrainian folk music.

He continued his exploration of his roots with a jazz album of Jewish music with Mike Richmond on bass, Brad Shepik on guitar and Jamey Haddad on drums and percussion.

He then turned to Brazil and the music of Hermeto Pascoal’s Calendario do Som, entitled Tudo de Bom with guitarist and vocalist Richard Boukas, Nilson Matta on bass, Paulo Braga on drums and Vanderlei Pereira on percussion.

In 2005 he began his ongoing association with Jazzheads record recording another version of Cuban Roots called Algo Más, with Jean Paul Bourelly playing electric guitar, Santi Debriano on bass, Thelonious Monk award winning percussionist and vocalist Pedrito Martinez, as well as Nani Santiago, Gene Golden and Skip Burney on congas and batá drums.

His next release on Jazzheads was O Nosso Amor with Brazilian jazz masters Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta and Paulo Braga along with percussionists Guilherme Franco and Jorge Silva.

In the early 1970s Mark took time off from music to pursue a doctorate in philosophy with a specialization in mathematical logic. — Mark Weinstein He became a university professor and continues to be one to this day

This was followed by Con Alma, a Latin Jazz album featuring Mark Levine on piano, Santi Debriano on bass, Pedrito Martinez playing conga and drummer Mauricio Hererra.

Next a straight-ahead album, Straight No Chaser, with guitarist Dave Stryker, bassist Ron Howard and Victor Lewis on drums. A return to Brazilian music, Lua e Sol, saw Romero Lubambo and Nilson Mata joined by award winning percussionist Cyro Baptista

Mark Weinstein took time out from Jazzheads to record an album for Otá records in Berlin with Grammy nominated pianist Omar Sosa playing vibes, marimbas and piano along with Ali Keita on balafon, Mathais Ogbukoa and Aho Luc Nicaise on African percussion, bassist Stanislou Michalou and Marque Gilmore on drums. Back to Jazzheads, Mark recorded Timbasa with the percussion team of Pedrito Martinez and Mauricio Hererra, joined by Roman Diaz with the young giants Axel Laugart on piano and bassist Panagiotis Andreou. This was followed by Jazz Brasil with NEH Jazzmaster Kenny Barron on piano along with Nilson Matta and drummer Marcello Pellitteri.

His most recent album, El Cumbanchero was recorded with a string ensemble and arranged by Cuban piano virtuoso Aruán Ortiz, along with Yunior Terry on bass and percussionists Mauricio Herrera and Yusnier Bustamante.

Next up is an album of tangos with GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominee, bassist Pablo Aslan, and featuring Latin GRAMMY winner Raul Jaurena playing the bandoneon, pianist Abel Rongatoni and guitarist Francisco Navarro. And many more surprises to come.

Mark took time from Jazzheads to record an album for Otá records in Berlin with Grammy-nominated pianist Omar Sosa — Back at Jazzheads, Mark recorded Timbasa with the percussion team of Pedrito Martinez and Mauricio Hererra, along with Roman Diaz with young giants Axel Laugart on piano and bassist Panagiotis Andreou

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