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Concert Preview
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New York Press, Concert Preview >>
-by Ernest Barteldes
Though raised in Florida, Chicago-born Jose Conde finds plenty of musical ideas in his Park Slope digs, where he’s been living for more than 10 years. “I am lucky to live here, I love the peace of the area, and the vibe that comes from Prospect Park,” he explains. “I’m inspired by the peace of my neighborhood. I love Manhattan, but I do like space; I am still very much a Floridian when it comes to that.”
On his new disc, Revolución, Conde seems eager to take salsa to the next level. The music he makes is definitely not the kind of commercial material pushed by the DJs of local dance clubs. Instead, he looks back into the tradition of the likes of the late Ray Barretto and the jazz/funk experimentalism of Irakere (which featured Paquito D’Rivera and Arturo Sandoval) back in 1970s Cuba but also with an ear toward the future.
While the essence of his sound lies in the Caribbean, Conde’s aware of other sonic elements around him—borrowing from funk, jam bands and even, however subtly, rock.
“The new disc takes a lot of chances that I think people are ready to hear,” he explains. “It’s not exactly fusion. I’m a first-generation son of immigrants, and I grew up in Miami, dividing my time growing up in a black/Latino neighborhood."
On a live setting, Conde and Ola Fresca deliver a high-energy set, as was evidenced at a recent concert at Joe’s Pub.
There are both electric and Latin elements, with electronic loops and distorted guitars paired with percussion and brass. The music is evidently meant to be danced to, but there is clearly a personal element to the sound that sets them apart from your average salsa band. Conde surrounds himself with highly competent musicians that do not necessarily come from a Latin background, and they seamlessly go into reggae, son, jazz-inflected mambo and Afro-Cuban funk.
Instead of the 10-piece band, Conde says he’ll have a different format at the Living Room, with a smaller band in more of a rock format. But don’t worry, that salsa rhythm will remain no matter what.
May 27, Living Room, 154 Ludlow St. (betw. Stanton & Rivington Sts.), 212-533-7235; 7, $5. 05/27/07 >> go there
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