Bele Bele en la Habana is an album by the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés, released in 1998.[2][3] Valdés supported the album with a North American tour.[4]
| Bele Bele en la Habana | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Label | Blue Note[1] | |||
| Producer | Réne López | |||
| Chucho Valdés chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 22 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart.[5] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Latin Jazz Performance".[6]
Production edit
The album was produced by Réne López.[7] It was recorded in Toronto, with Valdés leading a trio.[8][9] "Con Poco Coco" was written by Bebo Valdés, Chucho's father.[10] "Los Caminos" was written by Pablo Milanés.[7] "Lorraine" is dedicated to the owner of the Village Vanguard.[11] "But Not For Me" is a cover of the Gershwin song.[12] "Son Montuno" was written by Valdés in the 1960s.[13]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [15] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [9] |
| Los Angeles Times | [8] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [7] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that several pieces "contain references to the suitelike Cuban danzon and the agitated high-speed-chase lines associated with Dizzy Gillespie's bebop-era Afro-Cuban hybrid."[16] The Los Angeles Times stated that "the music ranges from a son to a mambo, from a danzon to a guaguanco."[8]
The Hartford Courant thought that Valdés's piano "sounds like a giant modern orchestra powered by a dynamo percussion section."[17] The Globe and Mail opined that Valdés's "playing is impressive enough in its power and technical facility, but his showy improvisations have an off-handed glibness that leaves them less than compelling and sometimes even less than fully coherent."[18]
AllMusic wrote that "Valdés more often than not is all over the keyboard, comfortable with everything from Ravel-ian classical complexity to Bill Evans' introspection to Cecil Taylor-like crunches."[14]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Son Montuno" | |
| 2. | "Lorraine" | |
| 3. | "But Not for Me" | |
| 4. | "Con Poco Coco" | |
| 5. | "El Cumbanchero" | |
| 6. | "Tres Lindas Cubanas" | |
| 7. | "La Sitiera" | |
| 8. | "Los Caminos" |
References edit
- ^ Kirchner, Bill (October 19, 2000). The Oxford Companion to Jazz. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Chucho Valdés Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ "Jesús 'Chucho' Valdés". Bomb. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Surowicz, Tom (21 June 1998). "A giant unleashed". Star Tribune. p. 1F.
- ^ "Chucho Valdés". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ "Chucho Valdés". Recording Academy. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ a b c MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 787.
- ^ a b c Heckman, Don (28 June 1998). "Versatility and Passion from Cuba". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 66.
- ^ a b Shuster, Fred (3 July 1998). "Sound Check". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L20.
- ^ Cantor, Judy. "The Year of Chucho". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Torres, Richard (14 June 1998). "1 Piano Passion, 2 Cuban Styles". Newsday. p. D27.
- ^ Byers, Jim (21 Oct 1998). "Havana Nirvana: Classics from Cuba". The Washington Post. p. D7.
- ^ Steinberg, David (25 Oct 1998). "Jazz musician rides wave of Cubans playing in U.S.". Albuquerque Journal. p. D2.
- ^ a b "Chucho Valdés Bele Bele en la Habana". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 372.
- ^ Moon, Tom (15 June 1998). "Cuban Musicians Play the States". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F5.
- ^ McNally, Owen (9 July 1998). "Bele Bele en la Habana — Chucho Valdes". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 7.
- ^ Miller, Mark (30 July 1998). "Bele Bele en la Habana". The Globe and Mail. p. C4.