By Tanith Balaban
Arizona Daily Wildcat
March 26, 1998

Havana Ball

Put Afro-Cuban music, politics and jazz together and what do you get?

Toronto native soprano saxophonist/flautist Jane Bunnett and her band, The Spirits of Havana (from Cuba) have put out a new album, Chamalongo, to answer that question. "Chamalongo," in Cuban dialect, refers to a divination ceremony.

The album features singing by the Cuban Folkloric All-Stars, with Bunnett's playing often getting pushed to the back while the singers or the large percussion section takes the spotlight.

Some of the music, like the song "Descarga a la Hindemith," is a trip through minor scales on all the instruments, with the drums incessantly beating in the background, keeping things in tempo. Without the drums, you'd get lost in the complexity of the solos. "San Lazaro" is reminiscent of a spicy big band song. The lines are simpler, but are overlaid with call and response vocals.

Bunnett's melodic performances, which are often obscured behind vocals or other players, are fast and explore the range of her instruments. Her playing is very modern, with screeches and cracking notes that only the modern jazz lover can truly appreciate. When she plays her solos, a volley of sound comes out of nowhere and fills the air with Cuban riffs.

About a month ago, she performed a benefit concert at which she raised money for instrument repair at the music conservatory in Havana. She has also endured problems, along with her Cuban musicians, due to the Helms-Burton Bill, which tightened the embargo on Cuba and penalizes countries that continue to trade with the island. Her Canadian/American tour in '96-'97 (called "Come Helms or High Water") was plagued with problems after this bill passed: bomb threats and canceled dates beset the tour and Sony dropped negotiations for a recording deal. Bunnett's adoration of Cuba keeps her going, a love which started in 1984 when she and her husband took a trip to the island. When she stepped off the plane and heard the music, she was hooked for life.

Besides Chamalongo she has also recorded other albums, including In Dew Time, New York Duets, Spirits of Havana Live at Sweet Basil and The Water is Wide. These works include collaborations with Don Pullen, Dewey Redman, Vincent Chancey and Billy Hart.

Bunnett will be playing in Tucson at the Arizona State School For The Deaf and Blind March 28 as part of the 18th Annual Primavera Concert Series. Showtime is 8 p.m., and tickets are $20 for non-members. With her will be Hilario Duran and Frank Emilio on piano, Tata Guines, Pancho Quinto and the Cuban Folkloric All-Stars on percussion. For more information, call the Tucson Jazz Society hotline at 743-3399.