Mike Freeman ZonaVibe - Venetian Blinds (2018)

Venetian Blinds is the latest in a line of clave-infused recordings Mike has produced over the past 18 years. Following Blue Tjade, his tribute to Cal Tjader, Venetian Blinds is a tip of the hat to Tito Puente and Bobby Hutcherson. When Tito Puente rolled his vibes in during the early days of the Palladium, people would say, “Here comes Tito with those venetian blinds!”— referring to the strung-together bars of the instrument. Four of the tracks on this recording were written for Tito Puente: “Those Venetian Blinds,” “Mambo Kings,” “Night Crawlers,” and “Qué Tal Tío” (What’s Up Uncle). Another three go out to the late vibraphonist and Jazz Master Bobby Hutcherson: “Clutch the Hutch,” “Bobby Land,” and “House of Vibes.”

The all-new lineup for this outing features stalwarts of the New York Latin music scene: trumpeter Guido Gonzalez and conga master Roberto Quintero, along with up-and-coming players Ian Stewart on bass and Joel Mateo on drums.