SAN JOSÉ JAZZ FESTIVAL SATURDAY NIGHT

AUGUST 9, 2014 -- © PHOTOS BY TOM EHRLICH 2014

Second installment of my report on this years festival.  My report for Saturday includes: the Soul Rebels from New Orleans, Chappottín y Sus Estrellas, Orchesta Con Sabor (lead by Calixto Oviedo), and Jerry González and the Fort Apache Band.

SOUL REBELS

These young guys from New Orleans playing modern versions of traditional NO music included two drummers (one played a timbale set and a bass drum), two trumpets, two trombones, a sax and a tuba.  They are defintiely a party band.

CHAPPOTTÍN Y SUS ESTRELLAS

This band is one of the premier son bands in the world and has been in existance since the 1940s started by the legendary Arseño Rodrîguez. They played twice at the festival once on the main stage and once on the salsa stage.  This ws part of their first US tour.

José Lussón Rivera

Omar Jesús Hernández conga and Joaquin "El Pulpo" Pozo

Jesús "El Niño" Chappottín

Agustin Someillan

Eduardo Sandoval

 Ramon Nuñez, Eloy Abreau, Agustin Someillan

Victor Agustin Linen

Left Eduardo Sandoval, Miguelito Cuni,José Lussón Rivera

Joaquin Pozo

Armando Fuentes

Eloy Abreau

Victor Agustin Linen

Joaquin Pozo

Jesús "El Niño" Chappottín

Joaquin Pozo

Miguelito Cuni

Augustin Someillan and Ramon Nuñez

Armando Fuentes

Efrain Cuesta Marloica

Right José Lussón Rivera, Miguelito Cuni, Eduardo Sandoval

Omar Jesús Hernández,  José Lussón Rivera, Ramon Nuñez

Left Eduardo Sandoval and Miguelito Cuni

ORQUESTA CON SABOR

This group is lead by Calixto Oviedo, with his wife Lily Oviedo providing the vocals.  I have known Calixto for quite some time, but this was the first time I got to meet and see Lily perform.  She's an incredible talent with great stage presence and strong voice.  This version of the band included Bay Area standouts Carlos Caro, Marco Diaz, George Balmaseda, El Niche Romero and Roberto Morris and from LA the talented bassist Yosmel Montejo.  This strong timba group created a lot of excitement.  Most of the members of this band are alumni of top Cuban timba bands.

Arturo "Mr. Latin Jazz" Riera introducing the band

Yosmel Montejo

Lily Oviedo

Calixto Oviedo and Roberto Morris trumpet

Yosmel's hat

Lily

Calixto

Carlos Caro

George Balmaseda and Lily Oviedo

Roberto Morris and Niche Romero

Yosmel Montejo

Marco Díaz

Carlos Caro

JERRY GONZÁLEZ AND THE FORT APACHE BAND

The Fort Apache Band has been in existence since around 1980 which has always included top flight Afro-Caribbean and jazz musicians creating their unique form of Afro-Caribbean jazz.  This band has a special place in my heart since for many years they have been one of my favorite bands and photographing them at the San Jose Jazz Festival in 1995 started me on my path to becoming a jazz/Afro-Caribbean music photographer.

At the festival, the band consisted of Jerry Gonzalez on congas and trumpet, Larry Willis on piano, Joe Ford on sax, Alex Blake on bass and Jeff Tain Watts on the drum set.  Everyone one of these kats are virtuosos and have played with many top jazz bands.

Fort Apache played twice and I photographed both performances.  Firts performance was in the California Theatre.

Jeff Tain Watts

Jerry González

Jerry González

Alex Blake bass and Jerry

Alex Blake

Jeff Tain Watts

Larry Willis piano and Jerry

Joe Ford

Jerry and Alex Blake

Joe Ford sax and Jeff Tain Watts

The second performance was at a great venue in San Pedro Square.

Jeff Tain Watts

Alex Blake

Joe Ford

Alex Blake

Jeff Tain Watts

Larry Willis

Jerry

Jeff Tain Watts