Chucho Valdes Quintet at 2009 Ottawa International Jazz Festival
Marcia Hillman | All About Jazz – Philadelphia, PA
The rain held off and skies cleared just in time for the Chucho Valdés Quintet to delight the audience at the Ottawa Jazz Festival, Confederation Park. The group-consisting of Chucho Valdés on piano, Lazaro Alarcon on bass, drummer Juan Carlos Rojas, percussionist Yurali Abreu and vocalist Mayra Caridad Valdés (who appeared later in the set)-started the set with an Ellington medley. “Satin Doll” smoothly segued into “In A Sentimental Mood” and then “Caravan.” Valdés is a master at his instrument and travels from jazz to classical and further, but never loses the Cuba in his soul. This was clearly demonstrated in the next selection, “Poinciana,” which featured a polyrhytmic figure in his left hand and in the drums playing against a delicate melody line in his right hand. The figure was then played by bass and piano behind a dazzling conga solo by Abreu.
Full review on AllAboutJazz.com: Chucho Valdes Quintet
Tags: Ottawa Jazzfest, TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival
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