BRAZOS ABIERTOS (John Santos) Arr. Santos/Calloway

NO CANTO A TUS OJOS (John Santos) Arr. John Calloway

MI PLENA DE LIBERTÁD (John Santos) Arr. Santos/Calloway

BUSCANDO LA PAZ (Ron Stallings) Arr. Stallings/Wallace/Santos

APETEGBÍ (John Santos) Arr. Santos/Calloway

BOMBON (Orlando Torriente) Arr. John Calloway

DALE LA MANO (John Santos) Arr. John Calloway

MARTINICA (John Santos) Arr. Wallace/Santos

HERBS (Traditional Afro-Cuban) Arr. Santos/Wallace

GOING HOME TOMORROW (John Santos) Arr. John Santos

Recorded at Bay Records, Berkeley, CA, 2002-2003
Engineer: Jeff Cressman, second engineer: Jim Ruzicka
and at: Cressman Studios, S.F. CA, 2003
Engineer: Jeff Cressman

Mixed by John Santos and Jeff Cressman except Track 9 mixed by John Santos and Jon Herbst.

(c) 2003 Machete Records

Since our inception in 1985, we’ve been fortunate to find open arms and warm welcomes in places as diverse as Wisconsin, Havana, New York, Vermont, and California. Through the music, we attempt to express our gratitude to our audiences and to honor the pioneers and traditions of honest, creative music anchored by improvisation. These traditions and pioneers have honed a fraternal legacy of musicians, composers, poets, dancers, teachers, students, presenters, programmers, patrons, fans, and other appreciators. Your link in this chain is of the utmost importance.

Brazos Abiertos  is a celebration of the diverse artistry, the deep respect, the quest for justice, the love, and the adventurous spirit created, developed, and left for us by our forebears. In acknowledging their gift, the difficulties of maintaining a 10-piece Latin band not withstanding, we accept the responsibility to uphold the music’s integrity, and its message of unity. Our premise of presenting both danceable and not-necessarily danceable compositions and arrangements is also a way of honoring the multi-faceted legacy of Afro-Caribbean-based Jazz.

(From the liner notes)