Calixto Oviedo & Cuban Jazz Train

"Drummer/percussionist Calixto Oviedo and his Cuban Jazz Train, a creative group of musicians who provide a masterful job of interpreting the Latin sound, deliver an excellent release of Latin jazz material on their new "Como Suena," complete with exciting new and vibrant compositions that gyrate all over. This album is a percussive delight guaranteed to generate more than a passing interest from lovers of the genre, well done!"

Edward Blanco All About Jazz and Host of "Jazz Café," at WDNA, 88.9FM, Miami, Fl - Edward Blanco

This is exactly how you would expect Afro-Cuban music to sound in this day and age; romantic but without an ounce of sentimentality, which, sadly, is the road that many Latin American artists go down. Either that or they try and reinvent the idiom, both of which seem to dilute the tradition to the extent that it turns into something not remotely like what it was intended to sound like. There is, however, nothing wrong with making the music danceable, but when the musicians (and I shall not name names) get too cute.The rhythm of the cha-cha-cha, the guaguancó and the danzón is ever present in this record which swings in clave and vice-versa. One has only to imbibe the music of “Manteca” to feel this uniqueness, this rhythmic crossover and bask in the ingenuity of this production that is shared between the men who make it happen, primarily Calixto Oviedo and Yosmel Montejo. This is an intelligent re-imagining of a song which brilliant rhythms were invented by the great Chano Pozo and realised by the ingenuity of Dizzy Gillespie. However this version by the Cuban Jazz Train, although leaning heavily on the original infuses it with funky rhythms.

That, of course, is not the only reason for the album. The repertoire is smartly laid out so that the energy of the record winds up like a coiled spring when the first beats are sounded and continues until the penultimate “Descarga,” that proverbial Cuban Jam that made its first appearance under the watchful eye of Cachao. Here these young musicians, mentored by the experienced Calixto Oviedo turn out the music of their lives. And what spectacular music it is. I would be remiss if I did not also mention that the ballad with Lily Hernández on vocals is played and sung with balletic grace; a perfect song to temper the heat of the rest of the music of this beautiful record. - Raul Da Gama

Growing up in Havana, drummer Calixto Oviedo studied classical music at a conservatory. He was entranced by various forms of Cuban music, especially the interplay of flute and violin in the celebrated group Orquesta Aragón. A fascination with American jazz soon followed.
"I was always pestering touring musicians to bring back cassettes of Miles Davis or Elvin Jones," he said in an interview. "I would stay up late to listen to an 11 p.m. jazz show on the radio." On Tuesday night, Mr. Oviedo will lead a quintet at Jazz Standard for the first installment of "A Cuban Drum Series with Calixto Oviedo," an outgrowth of the club's "New Dimensions in Latin Jazz."

If American jazz has long influenced Cuban musicians, so too have the pulses of Afro-Cuban drumming long coursed through New York's jazz scene. The bond here predates Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo's celebrated collaboration with Dizzy Gillespie in the 1940s, and it endures in elemental ways: Conga drums were front and center last week at the Blue Note, as played by Jerry Gonzalez (who also plays trumpet) in his Fort Apache Band—more than 30 years on, still a cutting-edge blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and hard-bop jazz, reflecting also the essential contributions to Latin jazz by musicians of Puerto Rican descent. In June, drummer Milford Graves opened the avant-garde Vision Festival by playing Afro-Cuban grooves on timbales, alongside musicians from Cuba and Puerto Rico. And when the Cuban pianist David Virelles made his debut as a leader at the Village Vanguard recently, his music centered on the interplay between drummer Andrew Cyrille's trap set and Cuban percussionist Roman Díaz's congas. - Larry Blumenfeld

The repertory of Havana’: It’s what you can hear tonight at Salsa Under the Stars
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Master Cuban drummer Calixto Oviedo brings a plate full of rhythms from his native country to Albuquerque.

Oviedo is known for helping to create the modern Cuban groove known as timba when he was with the Cuban group NG La Banda.

But his own band’s concerts cover a wider range of music.

“It will be the repertory of Havana,” he said in a phone interview from his home in Los Angeles, Calif. “We’re playing son, guaracha, Cuban salsa, Cuban jazz and timba Cubana.” - David Steinberg

Drawing on rich musical roots, personal instinct and a healthy dose of soul, new Latin artist Calixto Oviedo & Cuban Jazz Train brings a style all their own- and fans of their new single ‘Descarga’ all across the world are loving it.
Hailing from Chino Hills, California, Calixto Oviedo & Cuban Jazz Train has been balancing life responsibilities with their creative drive for years, but has recently found their musical interests evolving and expanding. This evolution, it turns out, has been the conduit for an exhilarating journey to the threshold of worldwide recognition. Calixto Oviedo & Cuban Jazz Train's award-winning work recently had this to say about the rising star: ‘To say these people are proficient with the Latin jazz idiom is not enough - listen to tracks like 'Descarga' to witness the instrumental mayhem that issues when experts sidestep the cadence to conjure a watch-synchronized polyrhythmic intrigue.’ Added to these honors, their debut radio single ‘Descarga’ is rapidly ascending the international charts. Reporter Andrew Edwards recently caught up with Calixto Oviedo & Cuban Jazz Train to learn more about this intriguing Latin group, their unique musical vision and plans for the future.


ANDREW: When did you first get that feeling that your music career was gaining momentum?
CALIXTO OVIEDO & CUBAN JAZZ TRAIN: I saw that my career gained momentum after years of effort, acrifice and studio daily dedication to improve and grow.

ANDREW: Your song ’Descarga’ is receiving a positive listener response on radio. What was your initial reaction when you first heard your song playing on radio?
CALIXTO OVIEDO & CUBAN JAZZ TRAIN: My reaction was like a baby that gets a desired Christmas gift. My biggest desire was that the album and the song could have the audience that it is getting.

ANDREW: What was the inspiration behind your debut radio single?
CALIXTO OVIEDO & CUBAN JAZZ TRAIN: Working hard every day.

ANDREW: It is often said that great art arises from difficult experience. Is there something in your life experience thus far that you would describe as the ‘catalyst’ or ‘fuel’ for your desire to create music?
CALIXTO OVIEDO & CUBAN JAZZ TRAIN: My long career has had very difficult moments with little work but nothing made me stop fighting every day and I will continue doing so.

ANDREW: How would you characterize yourself as an artist/musician? (Ex. Down-to-earth, serious, fun-loving, complicated…)
CALIXTO OVIEDO & CUBAN JAZZ TRAIN: I'm a dreamer, very demanding. I like sport but above all my children, wife and my job, my music and my drums. I know what I want and never stop trying. - Andrew