Boom! Percussionist can't beat this gig

Boom! Percussionist can't beat this gig It's been a long and winding road of rhythm for Louie Cruz Beltran, who's worked the restaurant and late-night club circuit for years to make a living. My song 'Rumba Chula' was a song I wrote about 10 years ago. "There's only so many clubs to play in Bakersfield. Another big name that stands out in the credits is legendary Cuban saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, who assisted with an arrangement of the Cal Tjader Latin jazz standard, "Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro. To actually record with them. "To have those guys in the studio, you know you're going to have something special. These two guys are innovators for me. They're all good carpenters who know how to build a house of music. I carry my roots with me no matter where I go, right here in my corazon. He assembled some well-known players in the Southern California and coastal jazz scene he's befriended through the years to back him in the studio: pianist Joe Rotondi, saxophonist Justo Almario, plus notable guests like saxophonist Hubert Laws, acclaimed percussionists Poncho Sanchez and Giovanni Hidalgo, drummer Peter Michael Escovedo, bassist Abraham Laboriel, and on backing vocals he recruited brother Robert -- whom many know as Commander Chakotay from the "Star Trek: Voyager" TV series. "When you finally have an opportunity to do a project like this, you wanna make certain you work up to it and get the army together. I'm a percussionist by nature -- that's what I do. You can hear people talk and hear the thumbs up. There was complete respect for my music and compositions. "Paint the Rhythm" is an accessible and consistently entertaining collection of songs that harkens back to '70s-era crossover offerings of Latin rock and jazz percussion icons Coke Escovedo and Willie Bobo. Next up is a silky mid-tempo cover of Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love," also sung by Beltran, who adds a cool, soulful touch to the lounge classic. Some are faithful to the original arrangements, others offer new touches, heavily leaning toward traditional Afro-Cuban stylings. "I've always needed to play timbales on Tito Puente's 'Ran Kan Kan. I also had to pay tribute to my Chicano brother, Carlos Santana, because, wow, what an influence he was with many musicians and understanding the crossover concept. It's fate mixed with a resume for them to book you," he said. Bottom line is, it's your band. "When you work with cats of this caliber, one of the things I noticed is that they really don't give you advice; they see it as your baby. They walk in and work as part of the overall picture. Behind the congas and timbales, he shines when it's his turn to solo. And, like his influence, Poncho Sanchez, who helped introduce new fans to Latin jazz, Beltran should have no problem doing the same with "Paint the Rhythm. Beltran said he appreciates all of the support he's received from his hometown on his Playboy Jazz Festival honor, with special shout-outs to his patient wife, Christina, and loving mother, Auralia. "This is a great thing. "My manager was doing some financial stuff for a rehearsal studio in Burbank. ' I said, 'Cool, man . ' I canceled rehearsal and went partying," Cruz recalled during a recent telephone interview in Bakersfield. Also appearing with Beltran on June 16 are the Christian McBride Big Band, Boney James, Ozomatli, Sheila E. The June 17 line-up features Ramsey Lewis Electric Band, Robin Thicke, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Keb' Mo', Terri Lyne Carrington's Mosaic Project, and more. Boom! Percussionist can't beat this gig Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 07/06/2012