The Estrada Brothers
celebrate the release of their
recording “Two For The Road” on Cougar Records this Saturday night! Since the
1950's, The Estrada Brothers have been catering to the diverse musical needs and
tastes of audiences, something they have thoroughly enjoyed. Inspired by their
father, who was also a musician, five of the seven brothers have either
played
or have been part of the band at one time or another. In the late 1950's, after
listening to the recordings of vibists Lionel Hampton, Tito Puente and most
importantly Cal Tjader, the band brought in a set of vibes [vibraharp], an
instrument that would figure prominently in the Estrada Brothers sound. In 1985,
while performing at a music festival and sharing the stage with the legendary
jazz saxophonist, Stan Getz, the band took on a different musical attitude. "Up
until that concert", says Ruben Estrada, "We were doing lots of casuals,
weddings and just about any musical job that came up. But when we got to do our
thing, which was to play Latin jazz, we decided right then and there to
concentrate more towards that direction. In 1989, the band recorded their first
project, simply entitled, "The Estrada Brothers". Jazz music critic, Josef
Woodard, in his review of the recording wrote, "If the late vibist [Cal] Tjader
popularized the merger of Latin and jazz temperaments, the Estrada Brothers
carry the torch of that tradition proudly". This recording was re-issued on
Rumba Jazz Records in 1998. In 1993, The Estrada Brothers released their second
recording entitled, "Another Side of The Estrada Brothers", that featured the
band performing Latin standards. In May of 1995, their third recording "About
Time" was recorded and released on Rumba Jazz Records. This Latin jazz recording
led to the band's signing onto the legendary jazz label, Milestone Records. In
March of 1996, the band recorded "Get Out Of My Way" at Fantasy Studios in
Berkeley, CA and the recording was released in October of 1996. In June of 1999,
the Rumba Jazz Records web site was launched. The Internet home of the Estrada
Brothers Latin Jazz Sextet is located at www.estradabrothers.com. The Estrada
Brothers continue to perform at major jazz festivals, concerts and jazz clubs.
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