Jazz Caliente

Contact: Lee Waterman

# of musicians to perform at LJS: 5? 6?

Genre: Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Jazz

likely instrumentation: electric guitar, tenor sax, vibes, electric bass, drums, percussion(?)

Inquiry date: 5/31/2025

links to recordings: https://leewatermanproductions.com/tunes/olhos.mp3, https://leewatermanproductions.com/tunes/rainfall.mp3

My observations: Their recordings sound pretty good.  And they have some good players like David Rokeach, Tommy Kesecker, etc. BUT they are too big -- honestly, we can't fit vibes on our stage (especially in the context of a 6-piece band).  Not to mention paying them! Also, Lee has a propensity to over-hype stuff. I know, 'cause I worked a steady gig with him at the No-Name Bar in Sausalito ~45 years ago(!). He's a super-aggressive gig-hound -- bugging me several times over the past four years. He was emailing me about their Livemore Library a few weeks ago, and then afterward, to let me know what a BIG HIT they were! This is probably the end of the story unless anyone objects... Big group is the killer.  Some bandleaders would come back saying they have a smaller configuration, but with this band, it's obvious that it's nothing without the vibes, so Q.E.D.