music: October 2008 Archives
and here's why: Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, who turned 90 on October 9th, is performing a series of duets with his son, Chucho, also a pianist, who turned 67 that same day. Since the two live half a world apart, it's a rare and special event. It's part of a wonderful, sprawling 40th-edition of the Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival, which runs through November 29th (the type of musical celebration American producers should take notes at).
Here's an L.A. Times piece forwarded to me by my good friend Ned Sublette, who, damm him, is probably listening to a Valdés duet performance as I write.
And below is a piece I wrote about Bebo three years ago for The Wall Street Journal, wherein I mention the only such duet I experienced, alas only onscreen, in the wonderful documentary Calle 54.
Continue reading wish i were in barcelona....
