Nueva Manteca: ‘Art’
Ben van den Dungen saxophone, Oscar Cordero trumpet, Marc Bischoff piano, Samuel Ruiz double bass, Enrique Firpi drums, Nils Fischer percussion
‘Jazz has to be danceable and it must have the blues’, Art Blakey once said. In this spirit, latin jazz sensation Nueva Manteca created the album ART. With this release, the six-piece pays tribute to the legendary drummer Blakey and his band The Jazz Messengers. Nueva Manteca plays spectacular latin versions of songs from the album Moanin’ from 1958, one of the best-selling jazz records ever, alongside lesser known pieces. At the same time, ART is an ode to Nueva Manteca’s founder Laurens Jan Hartong.
Nueva Manteca is celebrated world-wide and has released its music on the renowned Blue Note label. The ensemble has a long rich, history, and it currently has a new, fresh international line-up featuring musicians from The Netherlands, Venezuela, Germany, and Uruguay. Nueva Manteca has made its mark at the most important international festivals from North Sea Jazz to Puerto Rico, and has collaborated with latin giants such as Paquito D’Rivera, Michel Camilo, Armando Peraza, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Claudio Roditi.