Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Charlie Haden has released Land Of The Sun (Verve), a Latin jazz album drawing on the music of Mexico.
Haden reassembled the band from his 2001 Grammy winner, Nocturne: pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and drummer Ignacio Berroa. The three were joined by a host of guest artists, including Joe Lovano, Miguel Zenon, Michael Rodriguez, Oriente Lopez and Larry Koonse.
The album concept began when the daughter of Mexican composer Jose Sabre Marroquin, Patricia Mendes, met with Haden after a 2003 performance in Austin, Texas. He had recorded her father’s “Nocturnal” on Nocturne, and she thanked him with a folder of Marroquin’s charts. Rubalcaba and Haden turned some of the traditional arrangements into something fit for improvisational jazz.
In addition to songs from Marroquin, Land Of The Sun features other melodic Mexican music from composers Armando Manzanero and Agustin Lara, as well as an original from Rubalcaba.
“The Latin music people in the United States are exposed to is usually uptempo,” Haden said. “People don’t know about the beautiful ballads that come from Latin America. They don’t hear the love songs. That’s why I want to bring them to the rest of the world.”
For more information, visit www.vervemusicgroup.com
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
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