Chucho Valdés always called himself a "student" of the piano, but when your dad is master pianist Bebo Valdés, maybe "student" is all you can hope for. Still, by 1972, when these tracks were recorded, Valdés had set himself apart as a bandleader with vision. Half of the tracks are from the earlier Jazz Batá (with Carlos del Puerto on bass and Oscar Valdés on congas), and half from Tema De Chaka (with Carlos Emilio Morales on guitar, Carlos del Puerto on bass, Enrique Plá on drums and Jorge "El Niño" Alfonso on congas. The ten tracks on Jazz Batá, including the iconic "Irakere," clock in at more than 77 minutes, and nine were written or cowritten by Valdés. Chucho Valdés Trio
Chucho Valdés always called himself a "student" of the piano, but when your dad is master pianist Bebo Valdés, maybe "student" is all you can hope for. Still, by 1972, when these tracks were recorded, Valdés had set himself apart as a bandleader with vision. Half of the tracks are from the earlier Jazz Batá (with Carlos del Puerto on bass and Oscar Valdés on congas), and half from Tema De Chaka (with Carlos Emilio Morales on guitar, Carlos del Puerto on bass, Enrique Plá on drums and Jorge "El Niño" Alfonso on congas. The ten tracks on Jazz Batá, including the iconic "Irakere," clock in at more than 77 minutes, and nine were written or cowritten by Valdés. |