Rubber City Review

Let’s revisit a couple of albums that had a big impact on yours truly, Brother James and Nephew Dan – basically, the vast majority of RCR’s global workforce.

Marc Ribot (pronounced ree-bow) is one of those wonderfully eclectic guitarists who can’t be pinned down by any simple category. Descriptions based on genres seem useless, since he’s dedicated most of his career to blurring the lines between them. With Ribot, I usually resort to adjectives – urgent, edgy, soulful, searching, honest…

He draws from a rich musical background – taught by Haitian classical guitarist and composer Frantz Casseus and schooled as a sideman for American icons including Chuck Berry, Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke and Memphis’ first family of soul, Rufus and Carla Thomas. You can hear Ribot play fairly conventional chitlin’ circuit guitar on Burke’s classic album “Soul Alive!” (recorded live in D.C. in ’83), then defy virtually every convention on 2005’s “Spiritual Unity,” a tribute to free jazz pioneer Albert Ayler. Much like his old friend and musical soulmate, the late Robert Quine, Ribot is a restless spirit who always seems to raise the temperature of any project he embraces.

“Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos” was no exception. As the name suggests (prosthetic, or “fake,” Cubans), the project started out as a bit of a lark. But even though Ribot is often associated with New York City’s highly ironic downtown music scene, he’s probably incapable of playing anything that one could describe as jokey or insincere. In short order, the group’s eponymous debut (released in 1998 on Atlantic Records) became a heartfelt tribute to the great Cuban composer and tres player Arsenio Rodriguez.

The timing was right, given renewed interest in all things Cuban following the huge success of “Buena Vista Social Club,” which was released the previous year. But Ribot’s album seemed like the flip side to the Buena Vista coin – far less stately and mannered than Ry Cooder’s Grammy-winning project. One reviewer described Los Cubanos Postizos as Cuban music for the post-punk crowd. Although I don’t really buy that tag, Ribot’s band clearly approaches the Cuban tradition – and Rodriguez’s music in particular – with a far more visceral and contemporary sound than that heard in Buena Vista.

But first, a little background on the project’s inspiration, Rodriguez… Born in Cuba’s Matanzas Province, Rodriguez was blinded as a youth when a horse kicked him in the head. But that didn’t stop him from becoming a virtuoso on the tres and, eventually, one of Cuba’s most popular composers and bandleaders.

Street scene in the town of Julio Reyes, Matanzas Province (photo by James Quine).

You could argue that Rodriguez was one of the great genre-benders of all time, combining traditional Cuban music and African rhythms to create the son montuno – the backbone of modern Latin music. Consider that the driving rhythms of son begat mambo which begat salsa and all the related forms that followed, and you start to get a sense of what many contemporary Latin artists owe Rodriguez and his musical innovations.

A year ago, we used a great song by Rodriguez to add a little extra spice to one of James’ photo essays of Cuba. Here’s a departure from the traditional, trumpet-heavy “conjunto” sound that influenced Rodriguez and much of the island’s music in the previous century. Released in 1963 on Epic Records, “Quindembo Afro-Magic/La Magia de Arsenio Rodriguez” features a sax player and especially strong African rhythms. The album later was released under the title “Legends” and has long been out of print. If you can find it, pick it up… it’s a remarkable outing from this essential artist: Compay Cimarron/Arsenio Rodriguez

Back to Ribot… On “Los Cubanos Postizos,” he and his core band – Brad Jones on bass, EJ Rodriguez on percussion and Robert J. Rodriguez on drums and percussion (both unrelated to Arsenio) – tackle seven songs written or recorded by the Cuban master from the 1930s until his death in 1972. But this isn’t an exercise in faithfully recreating the original versions. The band stakes out its own turf with stark, insistent rhythms and playful accents on organ and mellotron provided by special guests John Medeski and Anthony Coleman. And the main voice throughout is Ribot, either caressing or thrashing his razor-sharp electric guitar. Not your standard tribute album, but I doubt Arsenio would’ve objected… Postizo

Actually, things are fairly sedate up to that point. The first tune is a slow, minor-key rumba that builds beautifully with Ribot’s lyrical guitar. And the second number, with its loping, mid-tempo beat, doesn’t sound like it would be out of place on an album by War – if the band had hired jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell as a guest artist: Aqui Como Alla

Ribot being Ribot, the album isn’t without a few oddball flourishes. You almost have to be a fan to appreciate the way he wraps some spoken wordplay around this fiery solo: La Vida Es un Sueno

Los Cubanos Postizos released a second album in 1980, and I’d argue it’s even better than the first (word has it the band was signed by Atlantic after playing only three gigs together). “Muy Divertido! (Very Entertaining!)” gets off to a strong start with Dame Un Cachito Pa’Huele, another composition by Rodriguez. This one includes a fine vocal by Eszter Balint as well as Steve Nieve on organ: Dame Un Chachito Pa’Huele

Ribot throws three originals into the mix, including another spoken-word number. This one extolls the virtues of New Jersey’s verdant, rolling hills. In a recent NPR Fresh Air interview, Ribot said he’d been listening to a lot of classic Cuban records, and “there’s a lot about distance and exile and wanting to return home – the lost home… Well, I’ll write a ‘long-lost home song’ about not being able to go back to New Jersey for some mysterious reason.” So what does the Jersey native write about? A neighborhood near the Holland Tunnel that sits on top of a former garbage dump. Maybe the post-punk label works just fine: Las Lomas de New Jersey

This next instrumental is one of a handful of songs that take me to a specific place – in this case, the beach… any beach. Sun beating down, sailboats on the horizon, hot woman to my left (wife, of course), cold beer on my right… The song’s title is appropriate given my fair complexion – not to mention the slow burn that Ribot and band create with this one: El Gaucho Rojo

But the strongest number on the album isn’t penned by either Ribot or Rodriguez. It’s a composition by Pedro Flores, a Puerto Rican bandleader in the 1930s and early ‘40s. And once again, Ribot and band do the unexpected – turning Flores’ bolero into a quirky carnival funhouse that would make Tom Waits proud: Obsesion

With the two Cuban-influenced albums under his belt, Ribot quickly moved on to other projects – including the Ayler tribute and, most recently, “Silent Movies,” in which Ribot re-imagines himself as a musical accompanist at a theater that only features long-lost classics.

He also remains a very in-demand session guitarist. Over the years, he’s recorded with a long and diverse list of artists that include Waits, Alan Toussaint, Medeski Martin & Wood, McCoy Tyner, Marianne Faithful, T-Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello, Madeline Peyroux… and The Black Keys. Largely based on Dan’s enthusiasm for the two “Cubanos” albums, the Keys brought Ribot in to play on their 2008 release, “Attack & Release.” As you can tell from Ribot’s searing solo on this next cut, Dan’s instincts were right on the money (nasty tone on this one… and Dan isn’t divulging any trade secrets): So He Won’t Break/The Black Keys

Virtually everything Ribot has recorded demands my respect, but I keep going back to those two records of convoluted Cuban music – and it’s nice to know he hasn’t completely abandoned the concept. Here’s a video of Ribot performing with a new lineup of Cubanos Postizos last year at The Oval in Stuyvesant Town, New York City. Muy divertido de veras!

Brother James returns with more photographs taken during several visits to Cuba over the past decade.  He provides his usual commentary under each photo, and I’ve decided to weigh in with a few of my favorite Cuban songs.

Life in Cuba remains harsh for many who live there – but obviously not nearly as hellish as conditions in Haiti.  Fortunately, the same technology that enables us to share the most mundane details of our daily lives has made it easier than ever to give.  So if you’re not a heartless prick like Rush Limbaugh, text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the relief effort.  Or give more by going here.

J.Q.: I took this photo in Habana Vieja – Old Havana… just a group of kids coming home from school on a rainy day.  I was trying to take a picture of this interesting-looking street corner, and the kids came into the frame, playing for the camera.  The red-spotted car turning the corner added another nice element at the last second.

T.Q.: Originally from Santa Clara, pianist Ruben Gonzalez moved to Havana in 1940 and soon became a fixture in the city’s rich music scene.  He retired in 1980 but later returned to playing and recording when Ry Cooder recruited him in 1996 to take part in the Buena Vista Social Club project.  I love the timeless vibe of his solo recordings from the same period – and especially this cut from the slyly titled “Introducing… Ruben Gonzalez.”  He continued to live and perform in Havana until he passed away in 2003 at the age of 84. Mandinga/Ruben Gonzalez

J.Q.: This bar in central Havana opens out onto the street, where I took the picture using a tripod and a touch of flash.  Luckily, no one paid any attention to me.  Everyone seemed alone and lost in their own thoughts.  La Metropolitana has since received a facelift – it’s not nearly as cool today as when I took this shot.

J.Q.: I think this is a bridesmaid with her father and brother, getting ready for a wedding.  Looks like the boy is the ring-bearer – either that or just helping out.  It’s sort of a custom in Cuba for the bridal party to leave the ceremony in an immaculately restored ‘50s car to show off a little bit.  And, as you can tell, they have a great one for the occasion.

T.Q.: In “Cuba, Direct,” James noted that these restored American cars reminded him of the popular Havana band Los Zafiros.  Their sound was a unique mix of doo wop and the surf-influenced guitar of Manuel Galban.  In 2003, Galban won a Grammy for “Mambo Sinuendo,” a collaboration with Ry Cooder that sounds a little more unhinged than you might think.  It’s a playful mix of Latin rhythms and cocktail-lounge exotica, perfect for the bubbling Wurlitzer.  Here’s a tune by mambo king Perez Prado that Link Wray toyed with back in 1958. Patricia/Manuel Galban and Ry Cooder

J.Q.: This is a line of people waiting to get into a store – a common occurrence in Holguin, which is in the northeastern part of Cuba.  They’re trying to get into sort of a Cuban version of the Dollar Store… but with a lot less merchandise.  Customers line up early to get a chance at actually buying something before there’s nothing left to buy.  Cubans who are able to visit the states are always a little overwhelmed by places like Wal-Mart and Best Buy.

T.Q.: Holguin is the birthplace of the late composer and tres player Faustino Oramas, also known as “El Guayabero” (the name of his most famous song).  He was considered the last of the traditional trovadors – Cuban singer-songwriters who primarily played guitar or tres.  Oramas performed until he was 94… He died the next year, in 2007.  One of his compositions, Candela, is a highlight of Buena Vista Social Club.  Here’s another song by Oramas, performed by Social Club member Ibrahim Ferrer and Teresita Garcia Caturia: Marieta/Ibrahim Ferrer

J.Q.: I found these two well-dressed young ladies on the streets of Pinar del Rio, in the western part of Cuba.

J.Q.: This guy’s name is Tony King.  He claimed to be a conga player on some classic Cuban recording sessions.  To prove it, he started drumming on the table along with the music on the jukebox.  I actually was more interested in the guys conversing intently behind him – kind of odd and mysterious… and why are they wearing the same hats?  I took this shot in a bar in Central Havana that doesn’t exactly cater to tourists… I probably wouldn’t have gone in there but the mural caught my eye.

T.Q.: Ti Mon Bo… shorthand for three master percussionists:  Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo.  Only one was from Cuba – conguero Mongo (Tito and Willie grew up in Spanish Harlem).  All three were heavily influenced by the island’s rhythms.  This is simply Latin percussion at its best, from Tito’s 1957 album “Top Percussion”: Ti Mon Bo/Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo

J.Q.: This is a Cuban flamingo group, entertaining at a social function in Baracoa, which is on the far eastern end of Cuba.  They were performing at a despedida, or goodbye party, for our small group of Cuban and American photographers.  We had come together for “Shared Vision” – basically, a cross-cultural photography project documenting life in Baracoa.  I was captivated by the colors and the movement of the skirts.  A bit later, a Cuban woman scolded me for never putting away my camera.

T.Q.: “Cuba, Direct” also featured a cut by bassist/composer Israel “Cachao” Lopez – a formal “danzon” that you’d typically hear at official functions or parties.  Cachao’s nephew, Orlando “Cachaito” (Little Chachao) Lopez, made his mark playing in influential Cuban bands like the Riverside Orchestra and Irakere.  He was another member of Buena Vista Social Club who went on to record under his own name following BVSC’s huge success.  All of these solo projects have their merits, but Cachaito’s is my favorite – more experimental and far-ranging than the rest.  This one gets a reggae-dub treatment and features the legendary Hugh Masekela on flugelhorn.  Cachaito died last year – the sixth original member of BVSC to pass away since its ’96 release. Tumbanga/Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez

J.Q. I caught these guys clowning around with their machetes at a sugar mill near Jovellanos, located in Cuba’s western Matanzas Province.  Basically, the sugar cane goes up a conveyor belt into a machine that strips off the husks, pieces of which are raining down on them.  This debris, called bagazo, is gathered up and burned in big piles to get rid of it.  You can barely see the smoke from one of those burning piles in the background.

T.Q.: One of Cuba’s greatest musical innovators, Arsenio Rodriguez, was from Matanzas Province.  His main instrument was the Cuban tres guitar, which is used to play bass patterns as well as melodic lead lines.  Rodriguez is credited with bringing a stronger African influence to Cuban music – adding congas to give the traditional “son” form a more driving, propulsive rhythm.  He’s also considered the originator of son montuno… Think of a great vocalist like Celia Cruz improvising between the repeated choruses of her backup singers – then throw in hot solos by first-rate musicians on trumpet, piano, percussion, etc.  That’s basically son montuno… which means that a lot of modern salsa and Latin music can be traced back directly to Rodriguez.  Here’s one of his classic recordings: Para Bailar El Montuno/Arsenio Rodriguez

J.Q.: This guy was leading his horses to shore after washing them in Rio Miel in Baracoa.  I had to get into the river to take the shot.  Local legend has it that once you bathe in Rio Miel, you always come back to Baracoa.  I’ve been back twice since.

J.Q.: This is a family of cocoteros – workers who climb trees to harvest coconuts, husk them and then sell the good stuff to the state.  They live near Baracoa… very nice family that I’ve gone back to visit several times.  They always treat me like royalty.  As you can see, they’re just happy to get their photo taken together.  One daughter is hugging the father, and another apparently decided that he shouldn’t have his hat on for the photo.  They’re probably part Taino – Indians who lived in Cuba when Columbus arrived.  It’s said that “son” – the basis of many forms of Latin music, including salsa – originated in this part of the country.

T.Q.: In 2001, Rhino Records released “El Son No Ha Muerto” (The Son Has Not Died), a fine collection of songs featuring the trademark Cuban rhythm.  Here’s one by Cuba’s favorite sonero, Beny More.  It’s a great example of the driving, big band sound that ruled the island in the Fifties. Me Gusta Mas El Son/Beny More

J.Q.: Seems like a good photo to end with… This is the bridge to Boca de Miel – a little fishing town at the mouth of Rio Miel.  I saw this old man walking across the bridge.  Just as I got my camera ready he stopped and looked back over his shoulder.  I think he just wanted to see what I was taking a picture of.

T.Q.: And here’s a good tune to close with – by Eliades Ochoa who, thankfully, is still alive. La Comparsa/Eliades Ochoa

Eliades Ochoa and James Quine,
Santiago de Cuba

Brother James is a fine-art photographer based in St. Augustine, FL.  Since 1999, he has had unusual access to the people and places of Cuba.  Often riding in the sidecar of an old Russian motorcycle driven by his friend and fellow photographer, José (Pepe) Martí, James has documented Cuban life in small towns and rural areas few Americans get to visit.  Photos from a trip to Baracoa in 2004 appeared in “Shared Vision,” a cross-cultural project partially funded through the National Endowment for the Arts.  Two of those photos appear in this post, along with others that have appeared in art galleries and traveling exhibits in the U.S. and Cuba.  James provides some context with a little commentary under each image – as well as a few well-placed audio clips, of course.

J.Q.: This photo appeared in the traveling exhibition “Viajeros: North American Artist/Photographers Working in Cuba,” sponsored by Lehigh University.  I took this photo at the only gas station in Baracoa, on the far eastern end of Cuba… sort of a community center/restaurant/local hangout, and one of the few modern buildings in town.

Baracoa is the oldest city in Cuba – Christopher Columbus landed here on his first voyage west – and its remote location helps keep the tourists away.  This is the Catedral Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion, which houses the Cruz de la Parra, a cross that Columbus supposedly brought with him.  Local men hang out on the steps of the cathedral all day, every day, just to shoot the shit.

The eastern part of Cuba gave birth to nengon, a rural style of music and the first form of Cuban “son,” which is the foundation of modern salsa music.  Nengon originally featured the tres – a three-string Cuban guitar used to play drum-like rhythms – as well as the tingotalango, which is sort of a primitive bass.  Here’s a modern version of nengon by Madera Limpia, a band of young musicians from Guantanamo that’s firmly rooted in the Cuban tradition: Nengon/Madera Limpia

I came across this very stylish couple, Wilky and Adelaida, in a bar in Old Havana.  They’re a salsa-dancing duo, well known in Havana for the shows they put on at local clubs.  And they’re always dressed to the nines, even when they’re not performing.  Adelaida is the granddaughter of the great Cuban conguero Chano Pozo, who toured and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie until 1948, when he was killed in a Harlem bar fight at the young age of 33.  Pozo co-wrote Manteca – one of many Latin-based tunes Dizzy recorded over the years: Manteca/Dizzy Gillespie

These two guys are planting tobacco in the province of Pinar del Rio on the western part of the island, the center of tobacco production.  The plants are cultivated in seed beds and then transplanted into the fields by these workers.  This is the high-quality stuff used to make the finest Cuban cigars.  Makes me want to hear the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, sing the praises of Pinar del Rio… Me Voy A Pinar Del Rio/Celia Cruz

Here’s a well-known Santeria priestess in Jovellanos, located in Cuba’s Matanzas Province.  Jovellanos is a center of African culture and religion.  You can see a few African decorations in the priestess’ home.  Her granddaughter faces the pass-through to the kitchen, and a bag of herbs (probably for religious purposes) sits on the chair.  I like the different shades of pink in this shot.

The African influence in Cuba gave birth to rumba, another foundation of modern Latin music.  Rumba is all about percussion and rhythm, as you can hear on this cut from Bara-Rumba, an Afro-Cuban percussionist/dance troupe from Baracoa… Rumba Del Solar/Bara-Rumba

This Santeria priest cleansed me with a live chicken.  He rubbed it all over me and then killed it – supposedly to get rid of bad spirits.  I definitely felt better afterward.  That’s a beautiful piece of folk art in the background.

These two photos show the kind of cars that you typically see in Cuba – usually American models from the Fifties, caked with bondo and multiple layers of paint.  Cubans are very adept at keeping these cars in good working order and will cast parts from scratch if they need to.  The green car was photographed in Baracoa, and I found the red one in Old Havana… There’s no way to tell what the second car was to begin with, because it’s clearly morphed into something closer to a sculpture over the years.  I wanted a picture of the car, but I also wanted the human element, so I waited for someone to enter the frame.  I like how the woman’s pants complement the car.  Can’t find any good Cuban car songs, but here’s a Sixties band from Havana that was heavily influenced by American doo wop and surf guitar – Los Zafiros. Bossa Cubana/Los Zafiros

I took this photo at a bailable, or ball, in Matanzas Province during a festival.  The locals get all dressed up to dance to the danzon, a very formal and orchestrated form of Cuban music that was popular many years ago.  I like the expression on the woman’s face – very dignified… really something from another era.  Here’s an example of a danzon by the great Cuban composer and bassist, Israel “Cachao” Lopez… Isora Club/Israel “Cachao” Lopez

Most ordinary Cubans can’t afford to go into music clubs, so it’s not uncommon for folks to gather outside to listen to the music.  Here’s a mother and son, watching a trovador (Cuban singer-songwriter, or troubadour) playing in a Havana club.  I’ll close with this beautiful clip from a modern-day trovador, Pedro Luis Ferrer… Mariposa/Pedro Luis Ferrer