Chucho Valdes & The Afro-Cuban Messengers
Chucho’s Steps
Four Quarters Records
www.fourquartersent.com
By George W. Harris

It’s been far too long hearing legendary pianist Chucho Valdez in a band setting. Usually recording solo, duo or in trio format, Valdes teams up with the assertive Cuban Messengers (Juan Carlos Rojas Castro/dr, Lazaro Rivero Alarcon/b, Yaroldy Abreu Robles/perc, Carlos Manuel Miyares Hernandez/ts, Reinaldo Melian Alvarez/tp) for an exciting disc that gives tribute to the leader’s musical influences.

Exciting tilts of the cap to Weather Report (“Zawinul’s Mambo”), Coltrane (“Chucho’s Steps”) and the Marsalis Family (“New Orleans”) successfully and enthusiastically. The mix of Crescent City polyphony with Cuban rhythms on “NO” is wondrously intoxicating, while Hernandez and Alvarez contribute solos during the bluesly “Julian” that are both playful and expressive. Valdez himself is stellar, going into percussive punctuations on “Danzon” to a thrill a minute roller coaster ride on the 11 minute Latinized reading of “Giant Steps.” He’s touring America as well-don’t miss this one!