Que Sensación!

Lucas van Merwijk & his Cubop City Big Band

Que Sensación!

This album is a bigband tribute to some of the many great pioneers of Afro Cuban Jazz. 

Grupo Afro Cuba, one of my primary major inspirations in this genre, was a leading force in the 1980-ies. This groups virtuose drummer, Oscarito Valdés was the first and foremost to draw my attention to this great ensemble. Composer and flute player Oriente Lopez and bassplayer Omar Hernández were a few to contribute strongly in this bands groundbreaking repertoire of which we recorded three compositions; Que Sensación!, Ya Puede Empezar La Dicha De Los Dos and Si Preguntan Por Mi, Dile Que Vuelvo.

The great Cuban sax player Paquito De Rivera is honored on this record in an original composition, written in Paquito's style by our bands pianist and arranger Marc Bischoff, entitled Pa' Quito. 

Para Yemaya is an adaptment of an arrangement by Nueva Manteca's pianist and leader, Jan Hartong. This version of praise song to Yemayá, the Orisha of the sea, was originally recorded for Nueva Manteca's Afro Cuban Sanctus album and now re-arranged for bigband by trombonist Ilja Reijngoud.

The late Emiliano Salvador, genius pianist and composer, did immense work in pushing forward the barries of latin-jazz and cuban piano playing. 

A Puerto Padre, Salvadors place of birth in Cuba and Para Luego Es Tarde are two of the pieces we chose out of his tremendous repertoire.