Los Primos Music and Cultural Exchanges

2002 "The Amadeo Roldan Big Band Project" Colin Caines - alto sax (15) –Halifax David Luther - trumpet (14)–Bridgewater Galen Pelley - drums (15)–Kentville Luke Norrad - guitar (15)–Sackville Neven Dunn - tenor sax (13)–Truro These five junior high students went to Havana with Paul Barrett, Jeff Goodspeed, Doris Mason and Dan Goodspeed to be part of a high school full of Cubans. With the success of the 2002 raffle, for the first time we were able to buy some instruments. The first priority was to get the instruments needed to start a big band at the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. Every BIG BAND needs a BARI sax and a BASS trombone. (a link on BARI and BASS)
Paul Barrett had worked with Cuban music students three times at Acadia Jazz Camp. Before the end of the first time he became known as Chico Loco. Now he would work in Cuba with five young musicians from different parts of Nova Scotia and 15 students of the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. Together they would make the pilot Big Band Project in a Cuban Music School. Our kids went to the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory for four days while the band was rehearsed. The final concert was presented in the Teatro Astral on Infanta and three bands from the National School of Music were invited to play. Then the Amadeo Big Band with Doris Mason and Jeff Goodspeed featured soloists.
"HavanaFax finds its voice”Jeff’s quest for a jazz sound with Cuban under currents came to life when HavanaFax 2002 was formed using two keyboard players." "Tony Rodrigues and Silvio Pupo were amazing together! They were reading each other’s mind." "Jorge Chicoy plays with passion in ever solo and lays it down with a style somewhere between John Scofield and Pat Methaney with a little Santana and Nova Scotia blues mixed in. I don’t know how he found that blues style in Havana but he is right at home with it." "Avi Garcia is an extraordinary bass player. Because his back ground is Cuban dance music, he often plays funky sideways…it works great!" "David Burton plays with just the right touch to leave room for all these players to sing in full voice." "Don Chapman records HavanaFax in Amherst. July 24, 2002 “Donny is the best guy to record a live performance." "The all new Amherst Regional High School has a beautiful theater and it was our third performance... that night was right on."