Wikipedia

Bele Bele en la Habana

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
Chucho Valdés
Released1998
LabelBlue Note[1]
ProducerRéne López
Chucho Valdés chronology
Solo Piano
(1991) 		Bele Bele en la Habana
(1998) 		Briyumba Palo Congo
(1999)

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

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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

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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

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No.TitleLength
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

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  1. ^ Kirchner, Bill (October 19, 2000). The Oxford Companion to Jazz. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-802893-2. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  2. ^ "Chucho Valdés Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  3. ^ "Jesús 'Chucho' Valdés". Bomb. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  4. ^ Surowicz, Tom (21 June 1998). "A giant unleashed". Star Tribune. p. 1F.
  5. ^ "Chucho Valdés". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  6. ^ "Chucho Valdés". Recording Academy. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  7. ^ a b c MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 787.
  8. ^ a b c Heckman, Don (28 June 1998). "Versatility and Passion from Cuba". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 66.
  9. ^ a b Shuster, Fred (3 July 1998). "Sound Check". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L20.
  10. ^ Cantor, Judy. "The Year of Chucho". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  11. ^ Torres, Richard (14 June 1998). "1 Piano Passion, 2 Cuban Styles". Newsday. p. D27.
  12. ^ Byers, Jim (21 Oct 1998). "Havana Nirvana: Classics from Cuba". The Washington Post. p. D7.
  13. ^ Steinberg, David (25 Oct 1998). "Jazz musician rides wave of Cubans playing in U.S.". Albuquerque Journal. p. D2.
  14. ^ a b "Chucho Valdés Bele Bele en la Habana". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  15. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 372.
  16. ^ Moon, Tom (15 June 1998). "Cuban Musicians Play the States". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F5.
  17. ^ McNally, Owen (9 July 1998). "Bele Bele en la Habana — Chucho Valdes". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 7.
  18. ^ Miller, Mark (30 July 1998). "Bele Bele en la Habana". The Globe and Mail. p. C4.
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