Bebo Valdes - Suite Cubana, Vol. 1 (Historic Recording) (Immersive Edition) (2024) [DSD512]

Hot on the heels of his appearance in the 2000 film Calle 54, with his son, Chucho and his stunning Latin/Flamenco project Lagrimas Negras, “Suite Cubana“‘s Big Band is an impressive musical autobiography of the Cuban-born, Stockholm-based octogenarian pianist, Bebo Valdés.
He’s supported on the album by an array of Latin jazz all-stars. Including Saxophonist and Clarinetist Paquito D’ Rivera and the late trombonist Juan Pablo Torres. The first disc is an eight-suite big band opus entitled Suite Cubana. “Cachao, Creator del Mambo,” pays tribute to the influential bassist, while the processional pulsations on “Nocturno en Batanga,” features the engaging rhythm Valdes created in the ’50s.