| Latin Jazz |
Music and Latin jazz are among the most intricate of art forms, and it is rare to encounter a production of such caliber, one that bridges two cultures with such authority. This time, we are given an impressive roster of artists deeply rooted in this tradition. A brief announcement says it all: San Diego, California, pianist, composer, and arranger Irving Flores, a critic’s darling, has released his most ambitious project to date, Armando Mi Conga. The only omission is the album’s immediate spellbinding effect.
Composed in Mexico, the title track is dedicated to Flores’s friend and legendary conguero Armando “Pinaca” Espinosa. With pride and a palpable sense of joy, Flores sought to craft an original work that would honor Pinaca’s international acclaim. A big band version, with Pinaca on congas, was recorded, and Flores was elated to include Giovanni Hidalgo, one of his idols and a lifelong inspiration, who contributes a dazzling rhythmic introduction, a tribute to his father, José “Mañengue” Hidalgo.
“The composition I wrote in 1994 was now in the hands of the world’s greatest percussionist,” Flores recalls. “It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life. To be in New York—the city that never sleeps, recording with these giants of music was an unforgettable experience. It was an explosion of talent and joy.”
Yet as luminous and flourishing as the percussion may be, the brass arrangements are no less complex, rooted in a different lineage, another form of mastery. To understand Flores’s universe, one must look to his origins. Born in Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico, he grew up steeped in Afro-Cuban rhythms. Dancing in the kitchen with his grandmother to danzón records, he absorbed the atmosphere of Cuban music as naturally as breathing. His father, founder of the Tampico Orchestra and leader of his own big band, toured widely across the United States, Central America, and South America. The young Flores played not with toys, but with the instruments, scores, and music books his father brought home.
In that tropical setting, his first instrument was the organ. Later, he took up alto saxophone, performing with his father’s ensemble, the Irving Flores Super Combo. By age sixteen, he left for Mexico City, setting in motion a musical journey that would ultimately carry him to the United States.
In Mexico, he studied at the Conservatory of Music, trained under master teachers, and performed in celebrated venues such as the Salon Colonia and the Teatro Bellas Artes, before embarking on international tours. Now based in San Diego, Flores continues to expand the horizons of jazz, bringing innovation to the form through collaborations with noted trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos and reaching wider audiences through concerts and recordings.
What unites Latin American musicians with their European counterparts is a shared foundation in classical music, an influence that becomes clear in the structures and arrangements throughout Flores’s work. Nowhere is this more evident than in the bonus track, With Amanda in Favignana (Solo Piano).
“During the entire recording session, I had at my side the love of my life, Amanda,” Flores notes. “She suggested adding a bonus track, a solo piano version of the song.” Whether Flores’s love of music shaped his love for Amanda, or the other way around, remains an open question. What is certain, however, is that this album is, at its core, a love story.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, September 20th 2025
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Musicians :
Brian Lynch – trumpet
Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez – drums
Giovanny Hildago – congas
Norbert Stachel – saxophone, flute, clarinet
John Benitez – bass
Track Listing :
Armando Mi Conga
Gary En Nanchital
With Amanda In Favignana
Tramonto A Massa Lubrense
Music En La Calle
Samba Con Sabor
Recuerdos
Dana Point
With Amanda In Favignana Solo Piano