Combined Tiempo Libre Files July 7

Music Review | Tiempo Libre

Classical and Cuban Sounds in One Stop By BEN RATLIFF Published: July 1, 2009 It’s not surprising to see a Cuban timba band playing Bach. Timba is aggressive and full of ideas; its players shoulder Afro-Cuban grooves but add spaghetti junctions of ornament on top, including Bach quotations. And most of the best bands in timba come from the Cuban conservatory system, so Baroque music runs deep in their learning. Skip to next paragraph Enlarge This Image

Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times Tiempo Libre, a seven-member band originally from Cuba, playing above Columbus Circle. This is why Tiempo Libre’s new album, “Bach in Havana” (Sony Classical), doesn’t sound like a stunt. A little cute and eager to please, but not a stunt. The septet of Cuban musicians who have relocated to Miami — the group advertises itself as “the first authentic all-Cuban timba band in the United States” — makes its ambitions plain: it wants to spread timba to United States audiences who have no experience with it.

On Tuesday at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, where Tiempo Libre appeared for two sets as part of its summer tour of colleges and festivals like Tanglewood and Ravinia, the music was both classical and populist. The band circled around a guaguancó Minuet in G (in four-beat rhythm, not three); gave the opening lines of the Cello Suite No. 1 to the electric bassist Tebelio Fonte in “Baqueteo con Bajo” before breaking into a montuno; and folded Sonata in D minor into a cha-cha, in which the fugue part, played on keyboard by Jorge Gómez, worked in a call-and-response relationship to jazzlike horn-section arrangements. But Tiempo Libre also played “The Star-Spangled Banner” — part of the band’s song “Arroz con Mango,” about the double-consciousness of being grateful both to Cuba and the United States — and a version of “Guantanamera,” encouraging audience members to sing the refrain. Through the set, ghastly synthesizer tones spoke in the worldwide language of soft pop; brass counterpoint and the strong, serene groove of the drummer, Hilario Bell, were reminders that you were listening to something irreducibly Cuban. Above all Tiempo Libre wanted to engage the audience — make it sing and move and react. The band always points, at least, toward a dance music of sophistication and abandon, but playing that music to seated audiences who don’t know the cues doesn’t always create the desired effect. The group had to work a little bit harder. So the singer, Joaquín Díaz, came down from the stage with three other frontline members during the funk-timba “Manos Pa’rriba” (“Hands in the Air”) for synchronized dancing. And in “Tu Conga Bach,” the horn players started a dance line that threaded around the club. It took a while, but the room warmed up. Tiempo Libre will perform July 16 at the John H. Mulroy Civic Center in Syracuse, N.Y., with the Syracuse Symphony, and on Aug. 1 at the Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, Mass.; tiempolibremusic.com.

Jazz Listings By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: June 25, 2009

TIEMPO LIBRE (Tuesday) “Bach in Havana” (Sony Classical) is the accurately named new release by this Miami-based Latin band; it reflects the conservatory training experienced by all of the group’s members in Cuba. Here, led by the pianist Jorge Gómez, Tiempo Libre revisits that idea, outfitting recognizable pieces from the Bach repertory with son, danzon and guaguanco rhythm. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th Street and Broadway , (212) 258-9595, jalc.org; $30, plus a $10 minimum at the tables, $5 at the bar. (Chinen)

Cuban Band Tiempo Libre Adds ’Timba’ Twist to Bach Compositions Interview by Patrick Cole

June 30 (Bloomberg) -- If Bach were alive, he’d flip that periwig to hear one of his neat fugues reworked by the congas, fiery vocals and noisy brass section of a Latin band. Jorge Gomez, the leader of the Miami-based Cuban group Tiempo Libre, thinks Bach might even hit the dance floor on hearing the ensemble’s latest release, “Bach in Havana” (Sony Masterworks). The recording, a Cuban take on almost a dozen of the maestro’s works, was a way to combine the groups’ two musical loves, classical and Latin. “We started studying classical music 15 years ago, and Bach was the first composer that we learned,” Gomez, 38 and a Havana native, said in a recent interview at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters before leaving for a recording session with violinist Joshua Bell. “By day we play classical music, by night we play Afro-Cuban rhythms, so now we’re mixing both worlds.” Twice nominated for a Grammy, the group has been on a U.S. and Canadian tour since the record’s May release. The band makes a stop tonight at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Manhattan’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. The seven-man ensemble comprises: Gomez on piano, vocalist Joaquin (“El Kid”) Diaz, bassist Tebelio Fonte, Luis Beltran Castillo on saxophone and flute, Leandro Gonzalez handling the congas, Cristobal Ferrer Garcia on trumpet and Hilario Bell on drums. ‘Tu Conga Bach’ Tiempo Libre brings its mastery of timba, a mixture of Cuban music, salsa, jazz and rock, to the Bach compositions. “Tu Conga Bach,” a radical reworking of the C Minor Fugue from “The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1,” sounds like high-voltage salsa. The album also includes numbers inspired by the C Major and D Major preludes, the “Mass in B Minor” and other works by the 18th-century composer.

At Miami’s La Casa de Tula nightclub a few weeks ago, the band’s show became a minicarnival as the crowd danced and clapped to their songs. “When we play, we don’t want to just play music, we want to give energy and people receive that,” Gomez said. “People feel happy, so they stand up and sing with us.” Gomez learned music on an 80-year-old piano during his childhood in Havana. He performed in orchestras as a teenager, and then enrolled in Havana’s Escuela Nacional de Arte, where he and the other band members studied classical music. “If they caught you playing jazz or Cuban rhythms, they’d throw you out of the school,” he said. Miami Reunion At the time Gomez was studying, Cubans weren’t allowed to listen to U.S. music. To be in a freer musical environment, he moved to Guatemala and worked as a record producer and performer. He came to Miami in 2000 and reunited with Cuban friends and musicians to fulfill his dream of creating a timba band. “We were all playing with different artists like Celia Cruz,” he said, “but we said to ourselves we need to play timba music, so we started the band. Right now, this recording is our life.” Tiempo Libre performs tonight at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway and 60th Street in Manhattan at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Information: +1-212-258-9595 or http://www.jalc.org/dccc. The Tiempo Libre tour continues through mid-August with stops in Syracuse, New York; Lenox, Massachusetts; Minneapolis; Highland Park, Illinois; and Columbus, Ohio. (Patrick Cole is a reporter for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.) To contact the writer on this story: Patrick Cole in New York at [email protected]. Last Updated: June 30, 2009 00:01 EDT

Tiempo Libre reworks Bach and adds some funk to the fugue

Jorge Gomez (third from right) says that Tiempo Libre’s loves are classical music and Afro-Cuban rhythms. “We’re mixing both worlds,’’ he said. (Crackerfarm/Jag Entertainment via Bloomberg News) By Patrick Cole Bloomberg / July 1, 2009

If Bach were alive, he’d flip that periwig to hear one of his neat fugues reworked by the congas, fiery vocals, and noisy brass section of a Latin band. Jorge Gomez, the leader of the Miami-based Cuban group Tiempo Libre, thinks Bach might even hit the dance floor on hearing the ensemble’s latest release, “Bach in Havana’’ (Sony Masterworks). The recording, a Cuban take on almost a dozen of the maestro’s works, was a way to combine the groups’ two musical loves, classical and Latin. “We started studying classical music 15 years ago, and Bach was the first composer that we learned,’’ Gomez, 38 and a Havana native, said in a recent interview at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters before leaving for a recording session with violinist Joshua Bell. “By day we play classical music, by night we play Afro-Cuban rhythms, so now we’re mixing both worlds.’’

Twice nominated for a Grammy, the group has been on a US and Canadian tour since the record’s May release. The band made a stop last night at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Manhattan’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. The seven-man ensemble comprises Gomez on piano, vocalist Joaquin (“El Kid’’) Diaz, bassist Tebelio Fonte, Luis Beltran Castillo on saxophone and flute, Leandro Gonzalez handling the congas, Cristobal Ferrer Garcia on trumpet, and Hilario Bell on drums. Tiempo Libre brings its mastery of timba, a mixture of Cuban music, salsa, jazz, and rock, to the Bach compositions. “Tu Conga Bach,’’ a radical reworking of the C Minor Fugue from “The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1,’’ sounds like high-voltage salsa. The album also includes numbers inspired by the C Major and D Major preludes, the “Mass in B Minor’’ and other works by the 18th-century composer. At Miami’s La Casa de Tula nightclub a few weeks ago, the band’s show became a minicarnival as the crowd danced and clapped to their songs. “When we play, we don’t want to just play music, we want to give energy and people receive that,’’ Gomez said. “People feel happy, so they stand up and sing with us.’’ Gomez learned music on an 80-year-old piano during his childhood in Havana. He performed in orchestras as a teenager, and then enrolled in Havana’s Escuela Nacional de Arte, where he and the other band members studied classical music. “If they caught you playing jazz or Cuban rhythms, they’d throw you out of the school,’’ he said. At the time Gomez was studying, Cubans weren’t allowed to listen to US music. To be in a freer musical environment, he moved to Guatemala and worked as a record producer and performer. He came to Miami in 2000 and reunited with Cuban friends and musicians to fulfill his dream of creating a timba band. “We were all playing with different artists like Celia Cruz,’’ he said, “but we said to ourselves we need to play timba music, so we started the band. Right now, this recording is our life.’’ © Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

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CHICAGO TRIBUNE | TRAVEL | SECTION 10 | SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2009

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

CELEBRITY TRAVELER JORGE GÓMEZ

Antiquated Amtrak: Lost ticket is a lost ride

New York, Keys draw Cuban-born musician

Q

By Christopher Elliott TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

I’m trying to get a refund for lost train tickets,

and I need your help. I bought two Amtrak tickets for my sister and me to travel from Osceola, Iowa, to Denver recently. Then I discovered that my hus-

band, thinking that the envelope contained old

information from a recent Amtrak trip I’d taken to

By Anne Stein SPECIAL TO TRIBUNE NEWSPAPERS

The musicians in the two-time Grammynominated band Tiempo Libre were born, raised and classically trained at Cuban conservatories but now make their home in Miami. Focusing on timba, a sizzling combination of Latin jazz and Cuban sound, the group has been touring the U.S. to support its latest CD, “Bach in Havana.” We talked to pianist and music director Jorge Gómez, 37, about touring with the band.

Colorado, threw the tickets away. When I contacted Amtrak, I was told that “lost

tickets are lost money,” and I would have to pay the

conductor on the train for the lost tickets. If I found

the tickets within a year, I could have a cash refund

minus 10 percent or use them for future travel

within that year. Of course, I will not find those tickets because

they went out with the garbage. Is there any sug-

gestion that you could give me so that I do not have to pay twice for the same tickets? I’m really frustrated. —Diane Stephany, Des Moines

should be able to reissue your A Amtrak ticket without charging more. In fact, when I reviewed your letter, I thought this must be a simple misunderstanding. How could any travel company issue a paper ticket in 2009? Then again, we’re talking about Amtrak. Don’t get me wrong. I think passenger rail is the future of transportation. Light rail and high-speed trains are more efficient, greener alternatives to fossil-fuel consuming cars and trucks. I take the train whenever it’s an option. Unfortunately, it isn’t very often. Virtually all airline tickets are now electronic, meaning you don’t get a real ticket but a confirmation number. When you arrive at the airport, you check in and are issued a boarding pass by the airline. Amtrak should be able to implement a similar system. Still, Amtrak is clear about its ticket policy. “Your tickets have value,” it warns on its Web site. “Please safeguard your tickets as you would cash. Amtrak is not liable for lost, stolen, misplaced or destroyed tickets.” I checked into Amtrak’s refund rules.

When you lose a ticket, Amtrak requires the purchase of a replacement ticket. Some travelers who buy a more expensive ticket are eligible for a partial refund of the second fare by filling out a lost-ticket refund application, either online or through a station agent. But there’s a $75 service fee and a fivemonth waiting period to ensure that the original tickets were never used. Next time you travel by train, keep your tickets locked up somewhere safe with your passports and other valuables. Treat them as if they were cash. I hope Amtrak can find a better way of handling tickets in the future, but until it does, you have to work within the system. I contacted Amtrak on your behalf. As a one-time exception to this policy, it offered you and your sister a travel voucher for the total value of the original tickets that were accidentally thrown away. Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. Read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org or e-mail him at [email protected].

Q What is your favorite city to travel to? York City. It’s a crazy city, it’s A New cosmopolitan, and the food and the music are incredible. We like going to Times Square, to the Museum of Natural History for hours and hours, and Central Park. I also love the Florida Keys—they remind me of Cuba, with the fishing, people playing dominoes, the same weather.

Q What’s your favorite hotel? don’t like big, luxury hotels. I like The A IBlakely in Manhattan [blakely newyork.com] between 6th and 7th Avenue. The people are so nice; it’s a small hotel, not too crowded. The food and wine are incredible. And it’s in the middle of everything; you don’t need to take a taxi anywhere. In the Keys I love Casa Morada [casamorada.com] on Islamorada. It’s made up of bungalows, in the middle of the tropical scene in the Keys. You wake up every morning and see the sea—and deer walking around. When we first started touring seven years ago, everyone shared a room. Now it’s one person per room, but we all end up in one room anyway, playing music, playing dominoes, watching TV ... seven musicians and one sound engineer. It’s crazy. We all eat together, go to the pool together, to the bar. Everyone’s together, like mom, dad and the whole family.

Q like to find a jazz club with music and A Igood food. If they have a pool table, What do you seek out when you travel?

even better. That’s why I love New York; it’s easy to find a club with filet mignon and a pool table. I also like museums, something that’ll show me the history of the place. Philadelphia has history in every corner; it’s a beautiful place.

CRACKERFARM PHOTO

Tiempo Libre music director Jorge Gómez also likes Philadelphia: It “has history in every corner; it’s a beautiful place.”

Q What do you never travel without? iPhone—if I don’t take it with me, I A My die. In Cuba I didn’t have a phone for 25 years. It’s my music, it’s my e-mails, it’s my phone. It’s my communication with everyone, my wife and son. It’s everything.

Q Any travel horror stories? in a while our instruments don’t A Once make it. We were in Singapore—we went from Miami to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Singapore, 25 hours of travel. Our instruments and clothes didn’t make it, so we spent one day without anything. They showed up the next day. The best thing is when we don’t have to play the day we arrive. I play with two pianos, and I need both. I’ve gone to New York, and the pianos didn’t make it the same day, so I’ve had to call friends and track down pianos. It’s a good thing I have friends.

‘Roughing it’ while sipping 40-year old brandy in a luxury tent.

Getaway to Canada Escape from the everyday and discover extraordinary experiences at www.canada.travel

CD Review: Tiempo Libre's 'Bach in Havana'--Salsa to the classics June 26, 9:42 PM

To call Tiempo Libre's version of Bach's D Major Prelude from Well Tempered Klavier, Book 1 an interpretation would not do it justice. It is rather a reinvention of Bach’s melodies placed in the frame of Afro-Cuban Jazz. Bach is just the starting point, quickly the fusion of jazz rhythms and structures blend through the music. While this is Tiempo Libre's first album on the Sony label it is not their debut. Each of the members of the twotime Grammy nominated septet (Jorge Gomez, Joaquin "El Kid" Diaz, Leandro Gonzales, Tebeio "Tony" Fonte, Cristobal Ferrer Garcia, Hilario Bell, Luis "Rosca" Belran Castillo) were trained classically trained at La ENA, Cuba’s premiere conservatory and this severs them well. Their first piece, a conga inspired by The Well-Tempered Clavier’s C Minor Fugue, pulls all their energy together. The singer announces the album’s intent in praise to Bach.

Johann Sebastian, tremenda escuela

Johann Sebastian, great inspiration

Mas conocido por Bach

Better known simply as Bach

Elha dejado, un gran legado

Left us a great legacy

Y con mi conga te quiero contar

One I want to share with you through my conga

It is impossible to not tap or move to the beat of this piece. In "Clave in C Minor" (Based on Prelude No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847) the subtle flavor of the piano is joined by a trumpet that teases out the Bach motif as the piano shifts into high gear. The trumpets echo back the motif in a Guanguanco style (a type of rumba). In their very danceable "Gavotte", Tiempo Libre uses French suite no. 5 in G major as a jumping off point. The sassy trumpet sings out the melody in this Cuban song. It should be no surprise how successful this group is at reinventing Bach's melodies. In 2008 worked on James Galway's album O'Rielly Street, where they did a Latin Jazz version of Claude Bolling Jazz Suites including “Baroque and Blue”, as well as a timba take on Bach's “Badinerie”. The difference being this time around the music in much more danceable. While they are not the first to fuse classical music with dance music, who can forget "A Fifth of Beethoven" by Walter Murray and the Big Apple Band, Tiempo Libre has taken it to the next level. JANA: This CD of polite, intellectual and flirty dance music. "Tu Conga Bach" is more like a calling card and it introduces the album's intent, but it doesn't make my hips want to go into overdrive, but it's sort of a flirty number that's followed by the jazzy "Fuga." "Air on a G-String" is a catchy title, and I'm not fond of g-strings to begin with, but this is actually a romantic easy-listening tune. If you're Catholic and already have some issues regarding dancing and any sort of romantic transgressions you've done at, near or after dancing, "Kyrie" might send you straight to mass and confession. Not being Catholic, all that subtext is lost on me and "Kyrie" is a lovely piece mixing piano with brass. Listening to this CD makes me want to put my hair up and dress in a light, flirty, summery number with a skirt that rises and falls with every turn. Members of Tiempo Libre: Jorge Gomez, Joaquin "El Kid" Diaz, Leandro Gonzales, Tebeio "Tony" Fonte, Cristobal Ferrer Garcia, Hilario Bell, Luis "Rosca" Belran Castillo. For more information visit their web side http://www.tiempolibremusic.com, and you can buy "Bach in Havana" at Amazon.