Sure, he can act a bit, but I doubt that anyone in the overflowing Catalina’s came to see Andy Garcia deliver lines from Ocean’s Eleven or The Untouchables. No, the crowd wanted to sing and dance, and Garcia gave a full 2 hour show that got everyone up on their feet and recreating a hot night in Havana.
Garcia and the Cineson All Stars celebrate the earthy music of legendary bassist Cachao, including many of his songs passionately delivered by the vocal team of Iris Sandra Cepeda, Nelson Marquez, Lazaro Gallaraga and guitarist San Miguel Perez, driven by the rhythm section of Garcia on bongas and (more) cowbell, Carlos Puerto Jr/b, Inocente Alvarez/timb and Richard Marquez/cong and accentuated by a horn section including Art Velasco/tb, Luis Eric Gonzales/tp, Justo Almario/ts-cl, David Urquidi/ts-fl and guest Arturo Sandoval as well as the swinging violin of Dayren Santamaria, all under the direction of pianist Alberto Salas.
The mood was set from the first note as Garcia sizzled with the rhythm team and mixed singing and banter with the front line on a festive “Mango Bajito”. From there big and bold solos from tenorist Almario and trombonist Velasco seared over the percolating congas and timbales on “Tienen Sabor” before Santamaria jumped out for a soaring violin solo on “ Ahora Si”. Entering stage right was Arturo Sandoval, piping red hot trumpet in his hands to join in on a sauntering “Lagrimas Negras” that featured Cepeda and Gallaraga in bel canto fashion, bubbling over in passion like a smouldering volcano.
Garcia led a fun singalong with the audience on the jam session’d feel of “Descarga “A” while his cowbell ricochet’d off the rest of the avalanche of rhythm on the torrential “Cachao Popurri”. Cepeda belted out pathos and joy alongside Perez’s folksy tres on “bamboo Colara” before the band took off for a bit to allow Garcia and Puerto Jr to jam with Almario’s warm and smooth clarinet on a festive and traditional “Guanjira Sine Son”.
After that, the full band returned and the butanes just kept getting kicked up, with Sandoval cracking the ozone layer on “Pa Que Gozen”, Cepeda oozing out the l yrics to “Angels Cried”, and Garcia leading the way on “Estrellas Cineson” and “Siento Un Bambo”. By the end of the concert, it was hard to tell who was more exhausted, the musicians from playing or the audience from doing the cha cha. Either way, both parties were better off for it, as the evening smouldered like a Romeo et Juliette.
Music was created to take the listener somewhere, maybe to God, maybe to romance or thoughtful dreams. Garcia and company brought the audience to Miami’s Calle Ocho and Havana’s “Calle Obisopo” where flavors as sweet as flan and arroz con leche filled Catalina’s with a savory aroma.
Upcoming shows at Catalina’s include Dayren Santamaria 02/20 Steve Tyrell 02/14-15, Tony Danza 02/22-24 and Jimmy Webb 03/01-02