Jazz April birthday celebrations continue on Jazz Caliente!
April 28: Saxophonist, trumpeter, composer and arranger Mario Bauza was a collaborator with Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo in the development of "Cu-bop," a blend of Afro-Cuban music and be-bop. Bauza was also well known for his work with Machito and his Afro-Cubans, a ground-breaking orchestra that also fused jazz and Afro-Cuban dance rhythms.
http://youtu.be/oq9Nl9hbfyc
April 29: A student of the great Hubert Laws, flutist Dave Valentin tells the story of taking up flute in order to impress a girl. The girl didn't stick around, but the flute became his instrument of choice. Aside from being a great performer and recording artist, he has taught Latin Jazz to inner city kids through an after-school program called Change Through Music. He was a full-time professor teaching Latin and music for several years. Dave at one time had 5 cats, named Mambo, Cha-Cha, Bomba, Plena and Bolero.
http://youtu.be/g6WvDMI6axc
