CD Review: Habana a Todo Blues (Pablo Menéndez)
(Round Whirled Records, March 27, 2026)
Review by Bill Tilford, All Rights Reserved

Most North Americans know Pablo Menéndez primarily for his projects leading the supergroup Mezcla, but he does periodically release some solo projects that are interesting themselves. This one is a blues album, partially in English, partially en español, but totally authentic. Before he moved from the US to Cuba as a teenager, blues was an important part of Pablo's diet, and that shines through here. 
The phrase solo project may be a little misleading -he does the heavy lifting on guitar and harmonica, along with some vocals, but over 30 of Cuba's musical elite participate in this project (plus cameos by Rebeca Mauleón and his late mother, Barbara Dane)  Some of this is pure blues, some of it R & B, a touch of jazz here and there.  In a way it reminds me a little of the soundtrack to the first Blues Brothers movie, there is guitar and harmonica, but there is also brass, great piano, and things you can dance to.  One track, Ochosi's Blues, fuses aftrocuban rythms and vocals with the blues, but it is an exception that proves the rule. . 
The first track (Ni cocdrilos ni drones, Cese al fuego total!) has a video up on the web.  it is a protest song against the various wars and atrocities currently afoot in the world. 
Habana a todo Blues presents a side of music in Cuba of  which most North Americans are blissfully unaware but is nevertheless quite real.  But even if it were recorded up here, it would still be a damned good blues album. 

Tracks: 
1. Ni cocodrilos ni drones (CESE EL FUEGO TOTAL)  (Pablo Menéndez)
2. Cuando se vaya la luz, mi negra (Frank Delgado)
3.Somos Tu y Yo (Equis Alfonso)
4. Habana a todo color (Vanito Caballero)
5.Bajo un ventanal (Iván Latour)
6 Stranger's Blues (traditional)
7. Chucho's Blues (Orlando Sanchez)
8. Ochosi's Blues (Benjamin Lapidus)
9. Chicoy's Blues (Orlando Sanchez)
10. Bonnie's Blues Mambo (Pablo Menendez)
11. New How Long Blues (Barbara Dane)
12. Tomorrow is another day (King Pleasure)

Since there are over 30 musicians involved (not to mention several engineers), we are not going to do the usual credits roster.  Pablo Menéndez produced.