Cubanismo!
Founded by trumpet player Jesús Alemañy -- who came to fame as a brilliant 15-year-old prodigy for the iconic Cuban son group Sierra Maestra -- Cubanismo! delivers sizzling dance tunes full of swaggering horn charts and wild Cuban polyrhythms. Recalling the vintage big-band son sound, traditional rumba, cha-cha and lesser known danzon rhythms arranged in the descarga (jam) tradition developed by Cuban jazz players of the ‘40s, the all-star ensemble first came together two decades ago as a recording project for Rykodisc’s Hannibal label.
The group's debut album was recorded in Havana with British producer Joe Boyd in 1995, just before the seminal Buena Vista Social Club album and documentary took the world by storm. The effort proceeded to break sales records in Europe and the US, becoming a sizable Latin crossover hit. Alemañy and company would release two follow-up efforts including 2000's Mardi Gras Mambo: Cubanismo! in New Orleans that explored the connections between Cuban music and the Big Easy with a variety of guest artists.
While the group has not issued a new effort since the live document Cubanismo! en Vivo en Europa four years ago, the band is sure to draw a big crowd primed to enjoy their uniquely fiery dancefloor grooves when they play Yoshi's Sunday night.
Cubanismo!
Sunday, July 26, 7 p.m. $29-$59
Yoshi's