Cuban pianist Ruben Gonzalez dies

[robviti]

Just saw this on the net:

RUBEN GONZALEZ DIES AT 84

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HAVANA, Dec. 8 — Cuban pianist Ruben Gonzalez, who found new fame in the mid-1990s playing with Compay Segundo’s Buena Vista Social Club band, died Monday. He was 84.

THE CUBAN MUSIC Institute confirmed that Gonzalez died in the capital, Havana, but did not provide a cause of death.

Gonzalez’s keyboard gymnastics provided the heartbeat of the Buena Vista Social Club’s string of traditional Cuban “son” music albums beginning in 1997.

The smallish man with grizzled hair gained worldwide attention as the pianist on the opening album of the series, the Grammy-winning “Buena Vista Social Club.”

The best-known “Buena Vista” figure, guitarist and lead singer Compay Segundo, died at age 95 in July.

He also played on subsequent Buena Vista albums produced on the World Circuit/Nonesuch label that featured fellow older artists Ibrahim Ferrer, in 1999, and Omara Portuondo, in 2000.

But most of his individual fame came with his solo “Introducing ... Ruben Gonzalez” in 1997, and an additional solo album, “Chanchullo,” three years later.

Born in the central province of Santa Clara in 1919, Gonzalez had originally wanted to be a doctor but enjoyed music so much he began studying piano at a conservatory in eastern city of Cienfuegos in 1934.

He moved to Havana to become a full-time musician in 1941, first recording with Arsenio Rodriguez, a pioneer in Cuban-rhythm orchestras of the time, then joining the Orquestra de Los Hermanos.

Gonzalez later traveled and worked in Panama and Argentina, finally returning to Havana and playing in clubs including the famed Tropicana night club.

He joined forces with pianist Enrique Jorrin’s band in the early 1960s, and they played together until Jorrin’s death in the mid-1980s. Gonzalez took over the band for a time, but later retired.

Gonzalez in 1996 met up in Havana with Ry Cooder, who produced the “Buena Vista Social Club” records, and his career was reborn.

Funeral services for Gonzalez were scheduled for Tuesday.

[king ubu]

HOLY SHIT! This is SAAAD news!

And I post in the KD and Dolphy threads before even seing this!

Gonzalez was a great musician. And a great human being, as could be seen in the Buena Vista Social Club film of Wim Wenders (I just watched that sunday night on tv!).

They're dropping like flies... no wonder, considering their age, but still very, very sad!

Check out "Introducing Ruben Gonzalez" (on World Circuit), his first of two records made after the success of Buena Vista Social Club. Some great GREAT piano playing.

ubu

edited to add cover of his "Introducing" album.

Edited December 9, 2003 by king ubu

[king ubu]

a nice recent picture of Don Ruben:

[Man with the Golden Arm]

truly sad news and all that ubu expressed.

just listen to the first cluster from his second disc "Chanchullo" and try not to move something.

[chris olivarez]

Great piano player this is a sad day.

[mikeweil]

R.I.P. Ruben and thanks for your playing and personality.

As much as I like him, to put him in a league with Monk (a Cuban Monk, as Ry Cooder put it) does not show a deep knowledge of either Monk or Cuban music, and to call him the greatest Son pianist, is with all due respect, a little exaggerated. You have to put these names before him, and he would have been the first to admit this:

Peruchín (Pedro Justíz)

Luís Martinez (Lily Martinez, his predecessor in the Arsenio Rodriguez conjunto)

There is another one whose name escapes me right now.

These masters of Cuban music were late discoveries to the rest of the world, their "discovery" was overdue, and there are still more, dead and alive. That movie only scratched the surface, and only of Son, not even mentioning the other musical styles of Cuba - this is my main complaint about "Buena Vista Social Club".

[Soulstation1]

i listened to both of ruben's cds today at work.

the way he goes up and down the piano is amazing.

3/4 people asked who i was listening to.

rip senor ruben gonzalez

ss1