BY LEILA COBO Valdés improvises with the right MIAMI -For the past several Blue Note's hand and plays counterpoint with years, much of Cuban music has the left, "Route 66" is played in a been associated with quaint fusion "Cuban tempo," "El Reloj octogenarians who have never left de Pastora" has blues improvisa- the island and who play Cuban Valdés tions, and "Ogguere" is a sexy standards with the gentility of interplay between Cachao's bowed Notes.. past times. bass and D'Rivera's clarinet. As But there's nothing quaint or impressive as the musicality are IT'S JUST ABOUT THE MUSIC: In a year traffic chime to alert pedestrians that old- fashioned about 83- year -old Enlivens Valdés' fine chops, which he keeps when there has been a substantial it was safe to cross busy streets. pianist Bebo Valdés' vigorous and in place by practicing his tech- amount of enjoyable and musically While Chestnut professes a deep profoundly musical reading of nique every day. challenging new releases, Cyrus love for jazz history and its accom- those same standards on El Arte Cuban Still, Valdés' prowess could have Chestnut's Soul Food (Division One/ panying repertoire, he is pleased del Sabor, set for release Oct. 23 been lost were it not for D'Rivera, Atlantic, Oct. 16) stands out from the that Soul Food does not have a his- in the U.S. on Blue Note records. who in 1994 called him out of pack for several succinct reasons. First torically themed marketing hook. Recording for the first time as the semi -retirement to record Bebo and foremost, the music is just good. "I don't want to be imprisoned by Bebo Valdés Trio with notables Standards Rides Again (Messidor) with pro- Soul Food swings hard, is fun to listen jazz history," he says. "I want to Israel López "Cachao" on bass and ducer Gortz Worner. Then, last to, and by placing solo piano, trio, and build upon history and move Carlos "Patato" Valdés (no rela- year, he was featured on the Calle myself forward." tion to Bebo) on percussion -as ferent styles of Cuban music," says 54 film and soundtrack, where he Steve DeBro, VP of asso- well as clarinetist /saxophonist Valdés, a respected pianist /com- played a duet with son Chucho and ciated labels for the Atlantic Paquito D'Rivera guesting on poser /arranger/bandleader who for another with Cachao. El Arte is the Group, says that the mar- three tracks -Valdés (who hap- years directed the Tropicana brainchild of producer Nat Chedi- keting of Soul Food effec- pens to be the father of celebrat- orchestra and recorded multiple ak, who was the associate produc- tively began last year, with ed pianist Chucho Valdés) plays albums before leaving Cuba in er of Calle 54 and who proposed the release of Chestnut's A with the technique of a classical- 1960. "It's Cuban music -as rep- bringing the trio together to per- Charlie Brown Christmas ly trained musician, the swing of resented by very well -known old form Cuban classics. Immediately (Billboard, July 26, 2000), a a jazzman, and an understanding Cuban melodies -taken to today, following the recording of Calle set of classic and original of Cuban music that belongs only yesterday, and tomorrow." 54, Chediak rounded up his three holiday music. Featuring to those who have been playing it Although El Arte del Sabor is charges and had them record live. guest vocals from Vanessa for decades. classic, there's nothing retro "We made this album to safe- Williams and Brian McK- "I made the album to play dif- about it. In "Son de la Loma," guard this music, to enjoy it, to night, the project had sig- preserve the classics interpreted nificant crossover potential. by the masters who were around "It was an attempt to broad- when this music was created -not en Cyrus' appeal," DeBro through approximation or second says, "but it was done using AméricaLatîna1 hand," says Chediak, who calls expanded -trio selections side -by -side, music that was close to his heart, Valdés a "genuine master." In- the project takes the listener on a trip music that he loves. Hopefully, we won deed, the only non -Cuban track, through both intimate settings and some additional fans with that record, In Brazil: The governor of the state of Sao Paulo signed an edict ebullient jam sessions. and they will stay with Cyrus for Soul in the first week of October creating a new government delega- It doesn't hurt that the pianist is Food." Advertising for Soul Food will tion with the sole objective of fighting electronic crime and pira- joined by a distinctive cast of charac- prominently cross-promote A Charlie cy. This is the first step taken by government authorities in the ters- bassist Christian McBride, Brown Christmas. fight against piracy, which is at least partially responsible for a drummer Lewis Nash, and guests Ste - Chestnut says that the music on huge decline in sales of legitimate CDs and cassettes. fon Harris (vibraphone), Marcus Print- Soul Food "is meant to nourish and TOM GOMES up (trumpet), Wycliffe Gordon (trom- inspire" both those who played on it bone), Gary Bartz (alto saxophone), and those who listen to it. "Jazz, in In Colombia: The kidnapping and murder of former Colombian and James Carter (tenor saxophone)- its purest sense, presents artists Minister of Culture Consuelo Araujonoguera last week by leftist all musicians who in a slightly more exactly as who they are," he says. rebels has dealt a blow to that country's musical infrastructure. just world would be household names. "When I played with Betty Carter, she Araujonoguera was one of the founders of the Festival de la Leyen- The most enjoyable aspect of Soul told me that jazz is about finding out da Vallenata -the most important vallenato festival in the world - Food may be that it harks back to the who you are, and this record is a step and was instrumental in taking the genre into the international so- called "good ole days," When artists in that direction." status it knows today. Known as la Cacica (the Chief), Arau- made records that were not boosted or jonoguera had written numerous books on vallenato, including a encumbered (take your choice) by NOTEWORTHY: Eagle Jazz releases live biography of seminal composer Rafael Escalona. overbearing concepts or marketing albums from both Dizzy Gillespie and GUSTAVO GÓMEZ "Route 66," a fusion of straight - angles. Soul Food is simply the sound Stan Getz Nov. 6. Gillespie and the ahead and Afro -Cuban jazz, was of a 30- something pianist from Balti- United Nations Orchestra's Live at the In Mexico: Joselo Rangel, guitarist with Café Tacuba, has signed included, Chediak says, "to open more creating music, and perhaps that Royal Festival Hall, London was re- a deal with newly created indie Suave Records to record a solo up a window to the range these is what makes it most enjoyable of all. corded June 10, 1989, and features ap- album. Tentatively titled Oso, the disc will be produced by Café musicians have." Of course, it helps that Chestnut pearances by Paquito D'Rivera, Slide Tacuba vocalist Rita Cantalagua and is set for release in Decem- The disc was recorded through draws influence from a wide range of Hampton, and James Moody. The ber. Other artists who will collaborate with Rangel's side project film director Fernando Trueba's sources, from '70s R&B and pop to the Getz double -disc The Final Concert include rockers Liquits and Jumbo. TERESA AGUILERA Lola Records (Trueba directed gospel that he has played in church Recording was recorded July 18, 1990, Calle 54) and released via EMI since childhood. "I did not grow up in at Philharmonic Hall in Munich. Both In Panama: Colombian singer Juanes debuted successfully in Spain and Blue Note in the U.S. the '30s, or live through the '40s or are distributed by Red Ink ... Prestige Panama Oct. 5, playing a show for 2,000 fans. The singer, who is Valdés, who has lived in Sweden '505," the pianist says. "I grew up in releases Discovery, a compilation of currently on a promotional and concert tour in Spain, is also for more than three decades, is the '70s listening to the Rolling the late Grover Washington Jr.'s ear- working on his second solo album with producer Gustavo now in the midst of a series of Stones, Three Dog Night, and the liest recordings, Oct. 16. Recorded Santaolalla, for which Juanes has reportedly written more than projects -as a soloist, arranger, Jackson 5, all the while studying between September 1970 and August 40 songs. The set is due in 2002. and bandleader -and is busier Beethoven and Mozart and playing in 1971, the set includes Inner City ANASTACIO PUERTAS CAICEDO than he's been in years. church. All of these things make up Blues, the first album Washington "My children have grown and who I am, and that is what I wanted recorded as a leader. In Puerto Rico: A telethon organized by the Puerto Rican gone," says Valdés, who turned 83 to bring to the table." government, Unidos por Nueva York (United for New York), Oct. 9, the same day Chucho Chestnut adds a personal touch to GOOD WORKS: The Jazz Corner Web raised $1.5 million to benefit the victims of the Sept. 11 terror- turned 60. "But music will stay Soul Food by including solo piano ren- site (jazzcorner.com) has established ist attacks. The Oct. 7 event, which was broadcast by the four until the day I die.