When you're old enough...(Al must be planning ahead!)...

Submitted by Al Kanovsky 5/29/13

...to use your age as an excuse-------do it!!!! Well, there's no excuse for not mentioning The Real Tracy Fields (WLRN FM 91.3).She is my weeknight drive home companion and was when I left the Funky Biscuit Monday night. It is locals night and when I pushed the on button the first sounds I heard were Arturo Sandoval's trumpet and a little Dizzy too.. Oh yeah!.. It was gonna be a be-bop night. Arturo was followed by Melton Mustafa, then Ira Sullivan and as I pulled into my parking spot Jesse Jones Jr. playing flute on "I'm Coming Home". How did Tracy know that? Last night I left BJB's and trusty Tracy was spinning the late night discs. The first sound I heard was Danny Burger's voice doing the stations call signs. Not bad. Thank heavens she didn't have him sing. Then Tracy's sultry voice thanking him. Memories of the 'day' when she played Ray Charles 60's platter "You Are My Sunshine". Another version by guitarist(old age excuse) and "Rainy Night In Georgia" done just last year by Randi Campbell with Joe Sample. It started to drizzle as I got out of the "short".

Oriente was the band at Blue Jeans Blues last night. Yoel Del Sol returning from a European tour with Yani took up his usual seat with congas. bongos etc. Doni Felix on bass, Orlando Machado playing drums, William "Caliente" Peredes (trombone) and "El Gato Fresco" Eddie Balzola out front on guitar and vocals. They opend with the JAZZ tune "So What" and that set the tone for the rest of the night. JAZZ played with Latin rhythms. BLUES with congas flirting in the background. It made me think about Latin JAZZ and JAZZ  Latin style. Melding genres on what I think of as a 2 way street. Rhythms coming from one direction. Melodies from another. It becomes a perfect union either way. BLUES too. Yes this Latin oriented band does the BLUES. There definitely is an "alma Latino'---Latin soul. They played B.B. King's "Can't You hear Me Talking To You". It tells the story of a man telling a woman that it's over. Part of the lyric goes:

"I'm telling the grocer, I ain't paying your bills no more

Telling the landlord to change the lock on the door

Gonna take your string of pearls to wring your neck

call the folks downtown to stop your welfare check" 

 

 -----I hope the poor woman got the message.

The evening of JAZZ renditions included "Watermelon Man", Juan Piso's "Caravan" and Sonny Rollins "Pent-up House". Eddie did his touching tribute to John Coletrane, "Love, Magic, Freedom. Music".

Yoel's brother. Raul came up to the piano during the 2d set with a little Latino Rap and then blew the joint up with his solo on a mambo . William continues to impress me with his style and exuberance. He is always "quoting" tunes during solos. I like to think of him as 'mi nieto musical'(my musical grand-son). As the evening was coming to a close, some late comers requested an old style BLUES. The band started with the opening bars of "Down Home Blues" and morphed into "Hard Headed Woman". They can rock.  I left happy. Ready for the Real Tracy Fields.

    

     

Al's Disclaimer:

A short note: The reason I write this is because I love music and words. I do not book acts. I do not promote acts. I do not accept invitations to review artists. I go to venues of my own choice. When and where is not influenced by anything other than who I would like to hear that night or day. If I don't like what I hear, I won't write about it. When I like it I let you all know. I never mention a name without asking permission. "Pardon me, Miss. Would you like to dance?"       

 ~ ~ ~

Traveling to catch some of Florida's good music? Check out these places and rates!

 ~ ~ ~

Posted by Jazz & Blues Florida 

Please visit http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/ to sign up to have 

Florida's jazz & blues news delivered to your inbox.

Or, just email me at Charlie@JazzBluesFlorida.com

And, if you like what you see here, HIT THAT FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON below!

Thanks!