Ah, carnitas, I'm not sure I could think of a more Latin dish than that. It's one of my go-to's anytime I visit a new Mexican/Latin restaurant. You can tell a lot about a place by how good their carnitas are. It might be an inexpensive dish to make, but the right combination of spices, flavors, and time are what make it perfect.
If they can't get that right, there is a good chance the rest of the food is going to be sub par as well. The places that do get it right though are absolute magic. Despite the opening photo and the one I am going to share later, this post is not about food. It's about music. More specifically, Latin Jazz music.
The theme this week for #threetunetuesday sponsored by @ablaze is inspired by @dbooster's deep dive into Japanese Jazz that he has been taking lately.
To be honest, for most of my life, Latin Jazz wasn't even on my radar. Sure, I heard it in passing or as background music when I was eating at the local Mexican restaurant, but I never really paid too much attention to it. That all changed one day not so many years ago thanks to a friend of mine on Facebook.
I was introduced to Buena Vista Social Club by my brother in law's brother in law. He is a professional musician and has been in a couple of bands that have seen some mild mainstream success. In fact, his most recent album was in contention to be nominated for a Grammy, but was ultimately passed up.
Anyway, he had posted on Facebook some of the stuff he had been listening to lately. His previous recommendation of Leon Bridges album Coming Home hit perfectly for me, so I started paying attention to everything he posted.
When he mentioned the 1997 self titled album from Buena Vista Social Club, I figured I would give it a listen and I fell in love. "Tiene Sabor" isn't on that album, but it is one of their most famous songs. It's also one that comes across my Spotify playlist quite frequently.
Funny story... I picked up a BVSC LP album from a Record Store Day special. I opened it up and placed it on my record player to play it. It was a full sized album, so I didn't think about it too much, but when I started playing it, it just didn't sound right.
It took me a good half hour to figure out that I had neglected to change the speed of my turntable to accommodate the record. Even though it looked to be the right size, it was recorded at a different speed. Flipping the switch produced the crisp clear BVSC sound I was expecting.
I'm an idiot sometimes!
I'm sharing this next one more because of the song instead of the artist, but if you are a fan of 90's alternative music, there is a good chance you have heard the song Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps by the band Cake. It might not surprise you to find that song is actually a take on this song "Quizas Quizas Quizas"
The song dates all the way back to 1947 when it was written by Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farres. The original English version was recorded a year later (thanks for that Wikipedia!). This is a pretty iconic song as far as I am concerned and the rendition I shared above is one of the most fun I have seen in a while.
In the Tiny Desk style, the Alfredo Rodriquez Band did this song really well. Although I had never heard of them before, there is a mighty fine chance they are going to find their way to one or two of my Spotify playlists.
Finally, while probably not technically "Jazz" music, I felt it would be remiss not to include a Spanish Guitar style song in this post. Bucking the trend, Jesse Cook isn't even Latin, he is Canadian. I guess it's possible he has some Latin roots, but I don't plan on digging into it that much.
One of my favorite playlists for relaxing and focusing in my office is a Spanish Guitar Instrumental playlist. "Mario Takes a Walk" is the first song on that playlist and since I don't often use the random button for this type of music, it is the first song I hear whenever I play it.
Obviously, they try to make the live version a bit more energetic in the video above. I don't think the roto toms are quite as pronounced in the album version that I typically listen to. I've always been impressed by the Spanish style of playing guitar. There is something so technical and almost magical about it.
I feel like you have to possess some unnatural skill to be able to play like that. It fascinates me. Don't believe me? Fast forward to about the 2:30 mark and be prepared to pick your jaw up off the floor.
I'd totally go see this guy in concert if he ever came to a venue close to me. Unfortunately, it looks like the bulk of his shows in the future are across the pond. He's at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on May 17th if you wanted to snag some tickets @steevc! After that, Netherlands, and a couple shows in Poland.
Just saying...
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