Ernan Lopez-Nussa

[Allan Johnston]

Cuban piano monster Ernán López-Nussa will be performing three times (Aug 7,8 and 11) as part of Festival Vancouver (www.festivalvancouver.bc.ca). His latest work "From Havana to Rio" won the 2002 Cubadisco Award (Cuba's Grammy)for Latin Jazz. This guy is right up there with guys like Chucho and Gonzalo in technique and creativity - though he really has his own thing going on. The Thursday August 8th gig is at the Commodore - a double bill with JK's 20 piece Orquesta Goma Dura (Hard Rubber goes Latin). The gig also features singer/conguero Israel "Toto" Berriel, from Cuba's famous Rúmba ensemble Los Muñequitos de Matanzas. Ernan will be bringing his great quartet, but will also be playing some tunes (his arrangements, I believe)with members of Goma Dura (with yours truly on bass). This is going to be memorable...drop on by, if you like Afro-Cuban Jazz at it's finest.

Allan www.jazztumbao.com (http://www.jazztumbao.com)

[Allan Johnston]

Ernán López-Nussa has been here in Vancouver for the past few days with his great quartet (it was supposed to be a quintet, but Alexander Brown (trumpet) had visa technicalities and couldn't make it). On Wednesday night, the quartet positively TORE UP Studio 16. With Ernán leading the way on piano, the band includes the great Jorge Reyes on bass, Don Pancho Terry (his son, Yosvanny Terry, is a sax player on the NY scene now) on chekere (and djembe), and little Oliver Valdes on drums - this 17 year old kid is one to watch!! He plays with a loose, polyrhythmic style - like his compatriot Dafnis Prieto who's also hot on the NY scene. He's like the Cuban Tony Williams - in clave. Last night, Ernan played a few numbers with Orquesta Goma Dura at the Commodore. He sat in on the big band arrangement of my tune "Frankness", and played a burning up tempo version of "Caravan" with me on bass, Jack Duncan on conga, Phil Belanger on timbales and Martin Romero on bongó. Our lads played their asses off, by the way. The pressure was on them(Cuban pressure, yet ;-), but they smoked. What an inspiration - setting up a groove with Ernán, and then getting to play over it. Sometime during the tune, Don Pancho came out front and added his chekere to the groove. And just when we were about to end it ("NO!"), Oliver Valdes jumped up and took a timbale solo (they almost didn't even let him into the club for being underage!). OH yeah. I'm still smiling...

Ernán's quartet has one more concert in town (Sunday at 3:00, at the UBC First Nations Longhouse), then it's back to La Habana. You should check them out - especially you drummers!

Allan
www.jazztumbao.com (http://www.jazztumbao.com)