LOS DUKES

Nothing but the blues - Los Dukes

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It don't mean a thing - Los Dukes

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Gabriela Anders: Los Dukes...a Latina’s tribute to the music of Duke Ellington

Los Dukes is a new band arranged and directed by Gabriela Anders featuring songs from the Duke Ellington’s catalog done in wildly distinctive Latin American styles

Los Dukes is an explosive, artistic, riotously fun post-macho latin-jazz experience featuring New York

City's baddest gauchos

Los Dukes rocks the groove

from all corners of Latin

America from North to South

and beyond

Who's in the band?

The great Bobby Sanabria: 7 times Grammy nominated artist: drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, recording artist, producer, conductor, educator, activist, multi-cultural warrior. He has played and recorded with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera, Charles McPherson, Mongo Santamaría, Ray Barretto, Arturo Sandoval, Chico O'Farrill, Candido and the Godfather of Afro-Cuban Jazz, Mario Bauzá. In 2006 Mr. Sanabria was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame, having a permanent street named after him on the Bronx's famed Grand Concourse in recognition of his contributions to music and the arts. Bobby has been awarded the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award by KOSA for his outstanding accomplishments in jazz and Latin music both as a performer and educator, and the 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Mentor Award was presented to him by the Manhattan Country School for his work in the world of jazz. In 2011, the Jazz Journalist Association named him Percussionist of the Year. His recent release, “Multiverse,” was nominated in two categories for the 2014 Grammys.

Oreste Abrantes on percussion: Originally from Cuba, Oreste has performed with Tito Puente, Eddie Montalvo, Jose Madera, Larry Harlow, Bobby Sanabria and 4-time Grammy Award winning artist Willy Torres. He proudly sits in the conga chair of the Salsa Group, “Zon del Barrio.”

Edward Perez on bass: Hailed by Jazz Times magazine for his “great dexterity,” bassist and composer Edward Perez has performed with jazz greats such as Paquito D’Rivera, Ignacio Berroa, Arturo O’Farrill, Lee Konitz, Kenny Werner, Mark Turner, Lionel Loueke and the renowned Peruvian singer, Eva Ayllón. One of his compositions, “The Latina 6/8 Suite,” has been performed by Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble.

Matthew Jondrell on Trumpet: Born in Australia, Mat Jodrell is one of the leading voices on the trumpet today. He is currently on faculty at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City and regularly performs with Miguel Zenon, Ron Carter, Paul Anka, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Branford Marsalis, the Birdland Big Band and Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans project.

Gabriela Anders is one of the most accomplished and appealing contemporary vocalists creating today. Her debut album on Warner Jazz, "Wanting,” enjoyed much success and critical praise. Her stellar performance with George Duke at the Montreux Jazz Festival was followed by concert performances and recordings in Europe, the US and Asia.

Her new band, Los Dukes, pays loving tribute to the elegant GENIUS of Duke Ellington and includes some of the best Latin Jazz players on the New York scene.

Alex Brown on piano: Alex has performed at some of the worlds top jazz venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, Dizzy’s Coca Cola, Birdland and the Blue note in New York and Tokyo. His festival appearances include the Heineken Jazz Festival, Israel Red Sea Festival, The Panama Jazz Festival. He studied with Danilo Perez and Charlie Banacos. He won the Young Jazz Composer Award from ASCAP in 2003 and 2004 and was named ‘Best Jazz Soloist’ in Downbeat Magazine. He plays presently with Paquito D’ Rivera. Alex is one of the most promising Latin Jazz piano players on the scene today.

Chris Washburne on trombone: Chris has performed on over 150 recordings, including three Grammy winning and four Grammy nominated releases. He has been hailed as "One of the best trombonists in salsa..." by The New York Times and “one of the most important trombonist performing today” by JazzChicago magazine. He has recorded and performed with Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Ruben Blades, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Justin Timberlake, Bjork, They Might Be Giants, Marc Anthony, Roscoe Mitchell, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Danilo Caymmi, Arturo Sandoval, Hilton Ruíz, Lawrence “Butch” Morris, Eddie Henderson, Anthony Braxton, Candido, Freddie Cole, Maria Schneider Big Band and Chico O’Farrill. His latest release, “Low Ridin’,” received rave reviews. Chris Washburne is Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology at Columbia University and the founder and Director of Columbia’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program

Photos by Jennifer Calais Smith

The Great Bobby Sanabria

Oreste Abrantes

Matt Jondrell

Chris Washburne

Mood Indigo - Los Dukes

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Edward Perez

LosDukes

A Train - Los Dukes

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Do nothing til you hear - Los Dukes

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Alex Brown

Gabriela

Songs recorded by Jim Gatery at Avatar Studios NYC and mixed by Fernando Martinez at Moma estudios Buenos Aires.

Los Dukes: a salsa, merengue, tango, baion, cha cha, bolero tribute to the great Duke Ellington.

Contact email address: gabriela.anders@gmail.com

Our Story

How did Los Dukes start?

“Scott Ellard, owner of the 55 bar in New York, asked if I was interested in doing a Latin Jazz night at the club. I put a band together and we started doing standards, “Quimbara,” “Toro Mata,” boleros, cha chas. It sounded good. After the first show I was in a taxi coming back to the East Village and “Ain’t Got Nothing But The Blues” was playing on the radio. I guess because I had all those latin rhythms floating in my head I started to hear the song with a Latin beat. As soon as I got home I did an acapella arrangement in protools. I later transcribed my vocal parts for the band’s instrumentation with Sibelius, a software completely new to me. I brought that first arrangement to the next rehearsal and was surprised that it sounded good! I started sifting through all the Ellington I could find in my collection and on youtube, thinking of how to present those great songs with all these Latin rhythms I was considering. I kept writing arrangements and as the months went by the gigs continued and we started to have a sound.”

Is it difficult for a woman musician to lead an all-male band?

“I was a bit insecure at first as an arranger - not really from a gender perspective but from lack of experience - but I soon accepted that there would be a period of try, try, learn, then try some more. Each arrangement got better and better. It was thrilling! The guys were super supportive.

There aren’t many role models out there right now other than Maria Schneider, but I started in the business when I was quite young and I’ve always been something of a ‘woman in a man’s world’ as many of us have. I’m comfortable with it.”

What kind of rhythms do you explore in Los Dukes?

“As many rhythms from Latin America as we can; the idea is that each song represents a tribute from a specific Latin American culture to the genius of Ellington. “It Don’t Mean A Thing” is a Cuban salsa, “A Train” is a Jamaican reggae, “Caravan,” an Argentinian tango and so forth. We do “Ain’t Got Nothing But The Blues” as a Puerto Rican cha cha! All these rhythms are so very different from each other. It’s a really, really fun band. I love this music.”

What’s next for Los Dukes?

“We just recorded 4 songs at Avatar in NYC and have some shows coming up. Basically, I’d just like for more people to hear about what we’re doing. The band has great energy, it’s a fun thing, the songs are classic, the soloists wonderful, the rhythm section is on fire. It translates really well to the audience. We want to find more opportunities to play!”