Chembo Corniel

Chembo Corniel is not only a master musician who plays Latin percussion (congas, bata, bongos, etc.) but also an incredibly approachable and likable person. I first saw him play live with trombonist Chris Washburne at a dance party. Washburne had named his band Mambo, Inc. for the occasion. Very few people danced. I didn't dance. I was there just to listen. That night I spoke with him briefly at the door, just a simple "Oh, you are playing, great!." I had a chance to talk a bit more with Steve Glusband, the trumpet player, at the bar during the break and Susie Hansen, the violinist from California, who sat in, was thrilled when I told her I had recognized her citation of the Cortijo song, "Severa" during her solo. I saw Chembo again at the restaurant Kavehaz, after it moved from SOHO to 23rd or 26th street, when he was playing with Ray Vega. His first CD had just come out and during the break I approached him and asked to buy a copy if he had one. Not only did he go out and came back with a copy of the CD but he sat at my table and talked to me as if we had known each other forever. That was special. I brought him to Schenectady in 2007 to play with the Beyond Standards Ensemble, co-led by Flutist Andrea Brachfeld, and he will be back in Albany to play with his group Chaworo on August 29. I can't wait.