Son Elegante by RAUL GUTIERREZ Y SUS ESTRELLAS CUBANAS (CD)

RAUL GUTIERREZ Y SUS ESTRELLAS CUBANAS present finest Cuban / Latin standards like “Manteca”, “Mambo Inn” or “Cuban Fantasy”, arranged by masters such as HORACIO GONZÁLEZ, JEFF FULLER, CHILEAN TOLY RAMÍREZ or JOSÉ QUINTANA.

For “Son Elegante”, prolific saxophon player RAUL GUTIERREZ (ex-AFROCUBAN ALL STARS) gathered a huge array of skilled musicians in the studio. To name a few, we have: ARISTIDES SOTO “TATA GUINES” (1930-2008) is considered one of the most important percussionists that Cuban popular music has ever had. ADOLFO
ARGUDIN, better known as “Perruchin”, is a piano star in Cuba and inventor of the “Timba” style. LUIS CONTE, also of Cuban origin, developed a great musical career in California becoming the percussionist for MADONNA and SANTANA and is one of the
most requested percussionists in Hollywood’s recording studios. POLICARPO “POLO” TAMAYO (1934-2016) was one of the last five-key flute players in Cuba and GUTIERREZ’s partner for 7 years in the “AFRO CUBAN ALL STARS”.
Recorded in 2008 and so far only released in Latin America, “Son Elegante” presents its fine Cuban big band sound to the rest of the world now for the first time. Latin classics such as “Manteca” (co-written by DIZZY GILLESPIE), “Mambo Inn”,“Cuban Fantasy” or the PEREZ PRADO composition “Caballo Negro”, arranged by masters
such as HORACIO GONZÁLEZ, JEFF FULLER, CHILEAN TOLY RAMÍREZ or JOSÉ QUINTANA, bring the listener back to a golden age of big bands, to BENNY MORÉ, to BEBO VALDÉS’ orchestra “SABOR DE CUBA”, to ERNESTO DUARTE and his Jazz Band at the “Cabaret Tropicana”, as well as to PÉREZ PRADO and clubs like the “Tropicana” where they staged marvellous shows which featured fireworks, water and whatelse! „Son Elegante“ provides a sonic voyage into nostalgia and at the same time the album manages to sound fresh and modern.
Or to quote PAQUITO D’RIVERA, a long-term friend of RAUL GUTIERREZ:
“Son Elegante” is like a lovely son, a delicate son, a nostalgic son, the sovereign son of Cuba. Congratulations Raúl!