Blending Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian percussion rhythms with harp, guitar, violin, piano and bass and vocals.

10 MP3 Songs in this album (60:52) !
Related styles: LATIN: Brazilian Jazz, LATIN: Afro-Cuban



Details:
Annette A. Aguilar:
Concert and recording artist, arranger, and producer Annette A. Aguilar is a versatile percussionist and composer. Born in San Francisco, CA, the daughter of Nicaraguan immigrants, Annette A Aguilar began playing music at the age of 11. Growing up in S.F.'s Noe Valley and Mission District where she listened to boleros and tangos on the radio as well as Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead (with whom she would one day perform) and where Santana developed the "West Coast Latin Beat", it was no surprise that she soon gravitated towards drumming.

StringBeans:
String instruments, congas and frijoles (beans, habichuelas) might seem like a strange mixture of ingredients, but in the hands of percussionist Annette A. Aguilar & StringBeans, her Latin Brasilian Jazz band, they become a musical feast. This exquisite ensemble blends Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brasilian rhythms with harp, guitar, violin, piano and bass creating the unique StringBeans string and percussion sound. This extraordinary group of outstanding musicians performs under the direction of concert and recording artist Aguilar, who leads, arranges and writes some of the groupâs compositions.

Musicians - No Cheap Dates:
Annette A. Aguilar Leader, Conga, Djembe, Bongos, Marimba,
Pandeiro, Repinique, Tamborim, Surdo,
Cajon, Snare, Percussion
Eddie Bobe Vocal 1, 3 (quinto1)
Freddie Bryant Guitar, 12 String (all solos, intro on 6)
Vince Cherico Drums
Jane Getter Guitar 4, 5, solo on 6
Glenn Jude Healy Surdo, Tamborim, Shakers 1, 7, 8, 10
Lewis Kahn Violin
Scott Kettner Surdo, Alfaia, Pandeiro, Tamborim, Caxixi, Cowbells
Cliff Korman Piano 2, 3, 8, 9
Enrique Orengo Cello 2, 3, 5, 7
Victor Rendon Timbales 2, 5, Drums 1, Percussion 8
Harvie S Bass
Steve Sandberg Piano 4, 5, 6, 7
Rob Thomas Violin (all solos)
Ellen Uryevick-Adams Concert Harp/Percussion 1, 4, 8

Eagles Seeks Salmon Productions
Produced by Annette A. Aguilar
Co-Produced by Vivian Stoll
Executive Producer Annette A. Aguilar

Why the name No Cheap Dates?
Everyday is a present that we receive. What we do in our past and present and future does have an effect on our lives, whether with our families or people that we love.

The photo is a photo taken of my family (1952, Managua, Nicaragua) which is my grandmother and her daughters (including my mother) and their children. Itâs a time right before most of them came to live in San Francisco, California (in the 1950âs). Some stayed. Others went back to their country.

The decisions they made impact three generations and we all learned from their struggle and perseverance at a time when women were looked at as second-class citizens.

We all have our own meaning of what âNo Cheap Datesâ can mean. Being able to play and study the music of Afro-Cuban and Brasilian jazz, and music in general, is a gift that the players on this recording dedicate a majority of their lives to. This takes a true commitment in all aspects of our lives, which is not a cheap date.

Annette Argentina Aguilar
October 2005






"Annette's music has the remarkable quality of sounding fresh while at the same time being deeply rooted in la tradición. That's a make of an artist."

Frank Dorritie
2-time Producer of Grammy award winning recordings;
1980 â Cal Tjader La Onda va Bien for Best Latin Recording
1984 â Art Blakely New York Scene for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance,
Art Blakely & the Jazz Messengers


***Editors Pick. "Wow - what a nearly overwhelmingly impressive project. Powerhouse percussionist Annette Aguilar steps into the ring, on a grand scale, to offer No Cheap Dates, her intoxicating debut release that is packed with equal parts beauty and substance. Power and integrity don't necessarily come together, but on this project they do. Whether it's the vocal finesse of Eddie Bobe (who also offers his equally adept quinto services) on the momentum building Ignacio Piñiero composition "Mayeya No Juegues Con Los Santos," or the intensity and color of the violin work of Lewis Kahn and Rob Thomas on "Spain" (Chick Corea) or the unfolding of Aguilar's own percussive virtuosity throughout. On No Cheap Dates she goes from congas to djembe to bongos, pandeiro, repinique, tamborim, surdo, cajon, and, finally, she displays her dazzling mastery of the marimba on Puente's "Picadillo." Listen to Victor Rendon rock his timbales on this track.

There's an emotional depth on No Cheap Dates that is the product of choice: the intelligent choice of songs, the choice of equally smart arrangements, and finally, the choice of clearly top-notch musicians who give us soulful and masterful performances. It's a brilliant Latin jazz project that should not be missed - it has quickly become a default favorite around here. And that's saying a lot.

Very Highly Recommended." (BP)
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