Musical Notation
by George Rivera
Musical Notation
by George Rivera
The Pirates and the Troubadors Are the Real Thing
August 13, 2000 - It was
appropriate that they play the Heineken Tropical Music Festival at the South
Street Seaport, "seaport" being the operative word here. For from the
"musical" seas they come. The "they", you see, are the
Pirates and Troubadours led by trombonists extraordinaire and CuBop recording
artist, Captain Papo Vazquez. Get the picture mate?
Papo Vazquez
and company showed up at the seaport this past Wednesday and put on one of the
season's best demonstrations of just what Latin Jazz is. With a band that
includes pianist Arturo O'Farrill, bassist John Benitez, percussionist Richie
Flores, drummer Dafnis Prieto (one of the baddest drummers on the scene period!)
and reedman Willie Williams, Papo and company showed how well the rhythms of the
Caribbean meld with those of what most people refer to as
"straight-up" Jazz. These guys were on a mission. The mission at hand,
to divide and conquer, divide the good from the bad and conquer and rule over
the minions of those attracted to Latin Jazz, not a small task.
For well over sixty minutes the Pirates and Troubadours played their hearts out
to a crowd that responded in kind. Every one of the guys got to showcase their
individual talents to a really receptive crowd, maneuvering effortlessly through
a steady stream of Latin rhythms caught in a cross-current of Jazz with lots of
swing. Simply stated, the Pirates and Troubadours are the real thing.
In a market that in inundated with nothing but mediocrity, the Pirates and
Troubadours breathe a fresh sigh of relief into a genre that is all but
forgotten. Forgotten because of the mediocrity of the nineties, forgotten
because of the pretty-boy atmosphere within the current market, forgotten
because of a lack of respect for the musician. With the roar of his trombone,
Papo and company are on a mission to change all that, for this is a band of
musicians that commands respect.
While those that have witnessed the power of the Pirates and Troubadours have
come to accept them as the new reigning power within the Latin Jazz movement, it
amazes me that one cannot go about town and catch them live on a regular basis.
Like the Fort Apache Band, they have found that the Jazz venues have not been as
receptive as the crowds that cheer them on. This has been a problem within the
industry for as long as Latin Jazz has been around. With the exception of an
annual week long "festival" in some small Jazz club, or a
special night during some Jazz festival, Latin Jazz has never really been
accepted by the Jazz establishment, and the music industry as a whole. One just
has to look to the slight of the Grammy nominating committee in neglecting to
honor one of the genre's founding fathers, Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill.
Perhaps it is a racial thing, like the notion that the Original Dixie Jazz Band
was the very first Jazz group. Or perhaps it's just not pure enough for the
purists. We'll never truly know.
One thing I can say with certainty is that the Pirates and Troubadours are in
good company. And like the saying goes, "you can't keep a good man
down." Eventually the tide will change so stay on course Capitan!
Hasta la
proxima, ciao…