Virtuosic Bassist Carlos Henriquez pays tribute to the South Bronx on The South Bronx Story, His Revelatory New Album due out August 27th, 2021 via Tiger Turn
“The most important Latin jazz artist in New York City today, the heir to the legacy of Tito Puente.” New York Latin Culture
Tiger Turn is delighted to announce the release of The South Bronx Story, a bold multi-movement work by celebrated bassist and composer Carlos Henriquez. Due out on August 27, 2021, this career-defining release is a retrospective of the social history of the South Bronx, and draws from Henriquez’s personal Puerto Rican heritage. For the occasion Henriquez has enlisted an elite ensemble of musicians for the date in trombonist Marshall Gilkes, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, pianist Robert Rodriguez, drummer Obed Calvaire, trumpeters Michael Rodriguez and Terell Stafford, and percussionist Anthony Almonte as well as the multifaceted Jeremy Bosch on flutes and vocals.
Carlos Henquriez is one of the preeminent bassists of his generation. A member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for over two decades, Henriquez is one of the first truly bilingual musicians, in that he is a master of both jazz and Afro-Latin traditions. His upbringing in the South Bronx, a rich musical hub that boasts local legends such as Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, played a major role in the virtuoso’s musical and personal development. On The South Bronx Story, which is Henriquez’s third release as a leader and a follow up to his 2018 tribute to Dizzy Gillespie, Dizzy Con Clave, the bassist and composer takes listeners on a wide-ranging musical journey through his stomping grounds. This project first premiered in 2018 at Jazz at Lincoln Center to wide acclaim.
“[On The South Bronx Story], I am using my music, experience, and heritage as a Puerto Rican growing up in the Bronx to tell a story that looks back and forward,” says Henriquez. “Jazz is American, born out of the melting pot of our Afro-American experience. And in the American spirit, jazz has adapted with different cultures, cities, people, and places and become an expression of one’s identity. This project represents just that–the tragedy, violence, and history isn’t over, but there is hope in the future. Music, dance, and the arts can bring that all together and transcend to showcase a common humanity.”
On The South Bronx Story, Henriquez takes inspiration from personal experience and history. Movements like “Soy Humano” (I Am Human) speaks to the obstacles Henriquez and family faced dealing with the housing system and financial turmoils growing up, while “Guajeo De Papi” is a testament to fatherhood in honor of his father, Jorge Henriquez, who provided for his family even during tough times. “My dad is loved by many and a pure example of how a man can be defined. I am so proud of him and truly honored to have written this tune for him,” Henriquez shares. Another standout, the salsa-tinged “Hydrants Love All”, was written with Henriquez’s brother in mind, and the summer days they shared together playing amongst the fire hydrants on the hot Bronx streets.
Other tracks ingeniously reference significant people as well as events that created the diverse culture of New York’s South Bronx. Movements include “Black Benji”, a piece inspired by Cornell Benjamin, who is credited for promoting peace among the gangs in the Bronx; “Mama Lorraine” about the life and work of activist Lorraine Montenegro who, along with Evelin Lopez Antonetty, founded the United Bronx Parents but tragically died in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria; “Borough of Fire” for the devastating burnings of low income buildings during the 1970s; and “Moses and the Cross” about the divisive legacy of Robert Moses and the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway.
The album features many moments of inspired soloing. On “Black Benji”, Melissa Aldana gets plenty of room to stretch, showing absolute command of the horn. Marshall Gilkes and Terell Stafford trade colorful phrases over the form in “Guajeo de Papi”, while Michael Rodriguez spins many beautiful lines with a gorgeous Flugelhorn tone on “Mama Lorraine”. Throughout, the versatile Jeremy Bosch (widely known as one of the lead singers in the GRAMMY winning ensemble Spanish Harlem Orchestra) pivots between burning on the flute and singing; particularly his soneo on the mambo section of “Moses on the Cross” recalls the great singers of the Fania era.
This seamless blend of lineages into a cohesive whole underscores the massive impact of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the music and culture of the borough, reminding listeners that Latino culture cannot possibly be separated from New York culture, and Bronx culture cannot be separated from Jazz. “Being a born breaded Bronxnite, I have seen first hand the values and instincts which allowed me to understand the family of my community. Integration, which was the key growing up for me, was a cultural aspect that made me appreciate those I grew up playing with. As we listen to the different songs on this project you will see how influential the streets have proven to be for me.”
1. The South Bronx
Featuring Melissa Aldana [Tenor Sax], Terell Stafford [Trumpet], Anthony Almonte [Congas], Obed Calvaire [Drums]
The first song, The South Bronx expresses the soul of the place. Saxophonist Melissa Aldana plays melodies that encompass the grit, the glory, and the groove of my childhood journey.
2. Hydrants Love All
Featuring Jeremy Bosch [Vocals], Michael Rodriguez [Trumpet] & Terell Stafford [Trumpet]
I wrote Hydrants Love All in remembrance of the many days of joy my brother and I experienced playing in the water from open hydrants. When the heat of summer was most overbearing, those hydrants brought the neighborhood together. We played a competitive game with Goya bean cans with both bottom and top cut out. Whoever could funnel the most water was crowned king of the hydrants. Something so simple provided so much fun…there was never a single problem or fight when we were under those waters; we felt the love that surrounded us. And even though the structural challenges that made life so much harder in The South Bronx are still the norm, these experiences gave me the insight, optimism, and energy to reach higher.
3. Boro of Fire
Featuring Marshall Gilkes [Trombone], Michael Rodriguez [Trumpet], Anthony Almonte [Congas], Obed Calvaire [Drums]
Boro Of Fire is my take on an important event that gave The South Bronx its nickname, “The Burning Boro”. Greedy landlords and corrupt political insiders aided and abetted the burning of buildings, and the fire department had no choice but to let them burn. However, amidst all of this corruption and destruction, there was always a glimmer of hope….the people. They continued fighting to make life as beautiful and hopeful as it could possibly be. I enlisted the horns of Terrell Stafford, Marshall Gilkes, Jeremy Bosch, Melisa Aldana, and Michael Rodriguez to create the discordant sounds of fire trucks, police sirens, and general pandemonium. They each play improvised solos and written parts that reflect the chaos and resolve, evoking characteristic sounds of the streets.
4. Moses on the Cross
Featuring Melissa Aldana [Tenor Sax], Jeremy Bosch [Vocals], Terell Stafford [Trumpet]
Moses On The Cross is a perspective on The Cross Bronx Expressway and its creator Robert Moses. Like many urban renewal programs of that time, The Cross Bronx “unified” New York by destroying ethnic neighborhoods and deepening the racial and economic divide between citizens. As a result, property values on the north side of the highway soared and those on the south side declined. In my ‘hood, we all hated this freeway because it destroyed culture, undermined working-class people, and created greater inequality….and it still does. May Robert Moses live on in infamy for this civic crime.
5. Momma Lorraine
Featuring Michael Rodriguez [Flugel Horn], Robert Rodriguez [Piano]
Mama Lorraine is inspired by Lorraine Montenegro. She was the daughter of Evelina Antonetty, who was the founder of “The United Bronx Parents.” This organization advocated for quality social services and helped single mothers by providing drug rehabilitation and childcare. Her daughter Lorraine became a fighter for all the people of The South Bronx. Lorraine’s name on the streets was “La Americana.” Even gang leaders listened when she spoke. In the documentary “Rabble King” from the 1970s, she discussed neighborhood issues with gang members. Watching it reminded me of how much I loved her, and of how much she and her mother assisted members of the community through dire times.
In researching for this piece, I discovered that Lorraine is the mother of my hero and South Bronx poster child, Joe Canzo, Jr. He is a well-respected firefighter and photographer who documented the South Bronx through the ’70-’80s. His father, Joe Sr. was Tito Puente’s right-hand man and was a staple of our culture. Joe Sr. is a true historian of Afro Cuban and Afro Puerto-Rican music as well as a guiding light for anyone wanting to understand the Mambo Era in NYC. Joe Jr. was inspired by his dad to love the Arts and Hip Hop.
In 2017, we lost Lorraine due to hurricane Maria which devastated Puerto Rico. Her quick action and love for The South Bronx communities will last forever. I’ve composed a lyrical ballad for her which is played majestically by Michael Rodriguez & Robert Rodriguez. This story would be incomplete without a proper testament to her. (Thank you, Lorraine.)
6. Soy Humano
Featuring Jeremy Bosch [Vocals], Michael Rodriguez [Trumpet]
Soy Humano (I am Human) is about the obstacles my family faced dealing with the twin turmoil of not enough money and a broken housing system that gave greater support to families with absent fathers. We lied to survive and were “fatherless on paper.” I came to realize that the system was designed to reward families for being broken and that there were many strange forms of ‘assistance’ designed to reinforce the feeling that we were inferior. Over time, the negative effects of these efficient systems took a crucial toll on us. I can still vividly recall waiting with my dad in long lines to pick up a box of government cheese. Luckily, with a father who served in Vietnam, a mother who was an O.T.C teacher, and a brother who danced his tail off, I was given a strong belief in myself and in the human value we all have. That feeling is in every note of this suite.
7. Black (Benji)
Featuring Melissa Aldana [Tenor Sax], Carlos Henriquez [Spoken Word]
Black ( Benji ) The South Bronx Story remembers Cornell Benjamin, a member of the street gang, The Ghetto Brothers. “Black Benji” was his nickname. Amongst the gangs, he was the sole peacemaker who would call for some sort of unity when things got out of hand. On December 21, 1971, while attempting to bring peace with a rival gang, Cornell was murdered. This caused a chain reaction of vengeance across all of the gangs. His death would eventually lead to a major meeting of gang leaders at the Boys and Girls club on Hoe Avenue. That night, a groundbreaking truce was struck. We began to see a profound unity between Latinos and Blacks on our streets.
Tenor saxophonist Melisa Aldana plays a hopeful melody to evoke the feeling of unity and resolve. It reflects the resilience of South Bronx natives during a time of uncertainty.
8. Guajeo De Papi
Featuring Carlos Henriquez [Bass], Jeremy Bosch [Flute], Terell Stafford [Trumpet], Marshall Gilkes [Trombone], Robert Rodriguez [Piano]
El Guajeo De Papi is another testament to fatherhood. My father, Jorge Henriquez, taught me what it means to provide when times are rough. He walked those tough lines that a father is sometimes forced to walk. He was a pure example of manhood and was loved by many. His extreme cool during tight times for our family showed me how to face pressure with grace. I am so proud of him and truly honored to have written this for him. He was one of those rare dads who consistently figured out a way to provide in spite of relentless uphill battles.
9. Fort Apache
Featuring Michael Rodriguez [Trumpet], Melissa Aldana [Tenor Sax], Robert Rodriguez [Piano], Anthony Almonte [Congas], Obed Calvaire [Drums]
Fort Apache was written to honor the Gonzalez Brothers, Jerry, and Andy. Both made enormous contributions to the worlds of Jazz and Latin Jazz. My musical concept on this entire recording is an extension of their musical innovations. Jerry and Andy each set a path for many young musicians of all backgrounds who continue to search for that very essence that I am reaching for. This album and all of my music will forever have some percentage of their musical DNA.
10. Hip Hop Con Clave
Featuring Jeremy Bosch [Vocals], Robert Rodriguez [Piano], Anthony Almonte [Congas], Obed Calvaire [Drums]
Last but not least, Hip Hop Con Clave, was written to acknowledge a form of expression that was born in the ’70s In the Black and Latino communities of The South Bronx…..Hip Hop. My lyrics and music are in the spirit of the original Hip Hop culture (before it took over mainstream American popular music). In those early days, block parties all over The South Bronx with Latinos and Blacks provided an opportunity for different subcultures to come together. Though violence and discord got all the attention, in real life, people expressed values of unity, freedom, and righteousness through love, family, and the community at these parties.
On this tune, we hear Jeremy Bosch express his Pregones about the subjects at hand. We also get to hear the vibrant rhythms of Obed Calvaire and Anthony Almonte, as they support the iconic Hip Hop Basslines and melodic statements that shook the ’70s in The South Bronx (and will continue to echo for years to come).
This suite of pieces is incredibly personal to me and it represents only the beginning of the building blocks of my musical journey. I am so proud to be from The South Bronx!
These songs were first performed live at the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 16 and 17, 2018. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Jazz at Lincoln Center for supporting me in my career as a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and especially for commissioning this composition.´
