Patato in da hood...

One of the great things about Willie's Steakhouse, was that here it sits in the middle of the neighborhood, totally accessible to all. You just never knew who was going to show up on any given Wednesday night; Latin Jazz night. Here we have Joe Santiago on bass, Edsel Gomez on keys, Patato on congas and "Chocolate" Armenteros sitting in on trumpet. If anyone can identify the saxophonist please let us know so that we can give him his props. Listen to them swing through this guajira on that night in '97.

Andrea Brachfeld at Willie's Steakhouse

Those of you who have been around for a little while may remember Andrea as the flautist for Charanga 76. She has been in the fore front of the Latin Jazz movement in NYC for quite some time now. Here she presents her quintet at Willie's featuring Bob Quaranta on keyboards.

Wendy Ryan's Mambo Combo featuring Jimmy Sabater

This is another video from the 7/25/01 performance at Willie's Steakhouse. Beside Jimmy, Wendy assembled quite an ensemble for the date. Jose Madera, Victor Venegas, Al Acosta and Walter are on the gig. Here is their rendition of the classic "Pare Cochero."

Patato @ Willie's Steakhouse

El gran Carlos "Patato" Valdez, live and in person at Willie's Steakhouse. Joe Santiago is on bass, Edsel Gomez on piano, and "?" on sax. The late great Patato, el mejor quintero de Cuba, may he rest in peace.

Sonido Isleno at Willie's Steak House

One of the groups to emerge in the 90's in NY is Sonido Isleno. The creation of Ben Lapidus, their guitarist, Sonido Isleno has a very unusual sound. Incorporating elements of both Jazz, Funk and the Folkloric music of several cultures, Sonido continues to surprise us with their offerings. This tune, played on a particularly boisterous night at Willie's is an example of some of the humor they often bring to their music.

Willie Rodriguez and Friends

Willie Rodriguez brings Nicky Marrero, Joe Santiago, Angel Rodriguez and "Chocolate" Armenteros to the original Willie's Steak House, probably around 1998 (?). I had to present the video in two parts because of space constraints. However it's worth watching both parts. The video is not slowing down...it's a feature on the camera called "flash" in case you were wondering.

Willie Rodriguez and Friends pt.2

Willie's Steak House, a cultural institution

Following is a glimpse into the past of Willie's Steak House, one of several local clubs that provided Latin Jazz musicians and lovers with an opportunity to stay in the hood and play and enjoy high quality music and food. Willie's has been going strong for well over a decade. After the videos and still shots I wrote a brief history of how Willie's became the WILLIE'S. The vid you are about to see features three giants in the field of Latin Music, Eddy Martinez, Victor Venegas and Nicky Marrero.

Willie Rodriguez and Friends at Willie's Steak House 12/2/98

Willie's becomes WILLIE'S

In the mid 90's Willie's Steak House was located just off of the corner of St. Lawrence Ave. and Westchester Ave. It had been purchased by a gentlemen named Kenny Giordano who in his wisdom had kept the well established name of Willie's. Nelson Sanchez, a piano player with a stint as keyboardist for Ernie Agosto's "Conspiracion" and staff arranger for Fania approached Kenny about starting a Wednesday night Latin Jazz evening featuring La Banda Chez. Chez consisted of myself on tumbas, Victor Montanez on tims, Al Acosta on woodwinds, Danny Hinton on bass and of course Nelson on piano. It became a vehicle for Nelson to play his original compositions for the public and a steady gig for the band. Chez played the first 8 Weds. and established a good following. Soon after, other bands were added to the rotation and Willie's fame grew week by week. Tito Puente, who frequented the restaurant part of Willie's (the food was very good) would begin to sit in with various bands. Visiting Cuban musicians would come by such as Bobby Carcasses and Changuito, as well as locals (who are still going on a regular basis) like Dave Valentin and Nicky Marrero. Willie's eventually moved a few blocks away to a space formerly occupied by Tapestry, a club that was jumping during the 80's and 90's. Kenny eventually sold the club to Mr. Daniel Ortiz. The Weds. night Latin Jazz series is still going strong thanks to Nelson's vision, Kenny's cooperation, Daniel's love of the music and the public's continued support of this cultural institution.