Cuban jazz greats Chucho and Bebo Valdes reunited
February 23, 2009 9:27 AM   Subscribe

Estranged father and son Chucho and Bebo Valdés, both pioneers of Cuban jazz, sat down and immediately played a duet after years of being apart. This recording of their reunion beautifully captures the range of emotions that could only be expressed without words.
posted by roaring beast (12 comments total) 17 users marked this as a favorite
 
Beautiful.
posted by Mr. Crowley at 9:38 AM on February 23, 2009


That was great, Bebo's concert with with Javier Colina was one of my few music purchases of last year. I should get into some of Chucho's work.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 9:42 AM on February 23, 2009


Thanks for posting this. Nothing like smiling with a tear in one's eye.
posted by elwoodwiles at 9:45 AM on February 23, 2009


Well I call shenanigans on how improvised it was, but that was one damn fine duet nonetheless. Good post.
posted by elendil71 at 9:54 AM on February 23, 2009


Beautiful. Beautiful.
posted by ardgedee at 10:05 AM on February 23, 2009


As a general rule, single link posts to youtube are not worthy of Metafilter. Almost always context is important and missing.





But this.... this is great and does not need any more.
posted by dios at 10:42 AM on February 23, 2009


That was wonderful. Thanks very much for posting it.
posted by languagehat at 11:16 AM on February 23, 2009


Elendil71, they are playing La Comparsa, by Lecuona (it says so in the titles of the video).

So, it's not like they are improvising the music whole cloth. They are improvising this particular performance of that song.

(I know nothing about music. Someone who knows something about perfromance, please weigh in.)
posted by oddman at 11:31 AM on February 23, 2009


(I know nothing about music. Someone who knows something about perfromance, please weigh in.)

Here's a big old "who cares how improvised it is" from a guitarist who lives thousands of miles away from his own guitarist dad, and doesn't get to jam with him nearly often enough. I need to call him tonight just to say hi. I teared right the hell up watching this, smiling the whole time.
posted by jake at 11:45 AM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]


They are improvising this particular performance of that song.

Well, it's jazz. The basic tune is only two minutes long. Bebo provides the intro, and then plays the base tune while Chucho improvises around his own chords, providing subtle emphasis and coloring to the piece. At around 4:05 they change key and switch roles, and Bebo's version is old-style flash with lighting scales and arpeggios from note to note. Then they slow it down and Chucho provides the outro, a moody and contemplative coda.

So at least one thing that stands out to me is the way that father and son have different approaches to the piece, which is something you don't get to see that often because mixed combos are much more common than piano duets.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 12:44 PM on February 23, 2009



I have no idea who either of these guys are but that's as fine a thing as man can make. Thanks.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:49 PM on February 23, 2009


Wow. So beautiful. This is why music exists. I would have known that this was some sort of reunion between two men who are very close had the video been cut so that it was only the portion where they're actually playing. This is not a testament to my perceptive abilities; it is a testament to the power of their connection and their incredible talent and dexterity.

I am humbled, happy, and touched. Thank you.
posted by nosila at 3:09 PM on February 23, 2009


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