Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Vocalist Andy Bey Dies at 85
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
“It’s the friendships, the shared experiences and the rhythms and harmonies that tie us together across cultures,” says Rachel Therrien.
(Photo: Krystal Pagan)What constitutes a home? Is it a physical place, a space shared with loved ones? A feeling? Montreal/New York trumpeter Rachel Therrien’s eighth album is entitled Mi Hogar II, Spanish for “my home,” recorded with an expanded constellation of her longstanding Latin Jazz Project.
Her physical home is “a bit of a moving target,” with Therrien spending time between New York and Montreal, as well as on the road. For her, home is more about “community, connection and the people who inspire me,” she shared following the album’s Montreal launch, and “the musical and cultural roots that shape us.”
Born in Rimouski, Québec, Therrien is no longer flying under the radar. A trumpeter, composer and producer, she now has eight solo albums to her credit, and has been nominated for Juno and Grammy awards (for her 2020 recording VENA, and for her work on the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra’s Virtual Birdland). Having studied jazz in Canada and Afro-Cuban music in Havana, she has toured extensively across North and South America, Europe and Africa, and has performed with Ron Carter, Arturo O’Farrill, Roberto Fonseca, Jon Faddis and Tony Allen, among others.
Therrien immersed herself in the study of Latin music at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana, where she focused on classical trumpet, Cuban percussion, rhythmic phrasing and the deep connection between jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions. “Being there was a total immersion,” she said, “not just in the classroom, but in everyday life. I would go to jam sessions, play in the streets and learn directly from trumpeters, percussionists and other musicians, absorbing the culture firsthand.” That experience shaped the understanding of “how rhythm and melody interact in a way that you can’t fully grasp from the outside. It also taught me how to feel the music differently; it’s not just about notes and time signatures, but about storytelling, history and deep cultural roots.”
Self-produced and released on Lulaworld Records, Mi Hogar II blends contemporary jazz with Afro-Cuban, bolero, changüí and mambo. Launched in Havana, a celebration tour continued through the U.S. and Canada, ending at the Blue Note in New York.
Expounding on her 2023 release Mi Hogar, the new album showcases Therrien’s signature sound on both trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as her unique amalgamation of contemporary jazz with Afro-Caribbean rhythms, of tradition and innovation. Offering collaborations with a stellar ensemble of 21 musicians, the recording features bassist John Benítez, Puerto Rican saxophonist Iván Renta, Grammy-winning vocalist and violinist Mireya Ramos, trombonist Rafi Malkiel and several Cuban musicians — pianists Danae Olano and Manuel Valera, drummer Michel Medrano Brindis, percussionist Keisel Jiménez and others — all enriching the album’s soundscape.
The sold-out Montreal launch featured a fiery, percussion-forward sextet, consisting of mostly Montreal-based Cuban musicians: pianist Willy Soto Barreto, drummer Lazaro Martinez and percussionists Diomer Gonzales and Dayron Luis San Juan, as well as Montreal bassist Alex Bellegarde. Introducing the vibrant “Back Home,” one of her original compositions, she mentioned the significance of her collaboration with bassist and mentor John Benítez, who helped transmit the history of Latin jazz and the Latin influence on jazz since its inception.
Benítez contributed the album opener — the spirited “Fiestas Campesinas,” an evocative Changüí (one of the earliest styles of Cuban music), played live that night for the first time. “I met John years ago through the NYC Latin jazz scene,” she said, “and he has been a major influence. He has this deep, authentic understanding of the music, and working with him is always a lesson in groove, soul and storytelling.”
From his New York home, Benítez expressed his appreciation for the way Therrien feels the odd meters, and the clave. “And I love the way she has freedom in her music,” he said. “She likes to play with freedom, and very lyrical, very melodical.”
The set also included Therrien’s “Sueños de Cambios,” an emotive bolero featuring the Cuban-Canadian violin-and-percussion duo OKAN on the recording, and “Orun.” Harkening to the Afro-Cuban roots and Yoruban influences of this music, the intricate percussion and melodic call-and-response between instruments created what Therrien was striving for: “a deeply emotional yet uplifting atmosphere.” One of her oldest compositions, “Soucy,” written in 2008 during her studies in Havana and featuring intricate rhythmic patterns, highlights her deep affinity for Cuban percussion, Willy Soto Barreto offering a gorgeous piano solo. Returning for an encore, the band played “Mambo ‘Chucho’ Influenciado,” a potent arrangement “built through years of collaboration with incredible artists from different parts of the world,” she said. “It’s the friendships, the shared experiences and the rhythms and harmonies that tie us together across cultures. This musical community includes mentors, peers and collaborators I’ve met along the way … people who have welcomed me into their musical traditions and pushed me to grow as an artist.” DB
“It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”
Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
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