¡Queso Blanco! is a band that must be seen to be heard. With their unique stage presence and energy while performing, they have Vancouver audiences swinging and grooving to their delicious blend of vintage Cuban music and surf guitar. Far from being easily definable, the band's approach comes from mixing a driving Cuban salsa rhythm section with a raunchy surf and blues guitar front-line.
The band recently recorded their first CD, due out in the Spring of 2009. Far from being a traditional jazz album, the disc effectively captures the bands wild stage style and rock energy. Featuring a diverse array of compositional styles, from blues, to tango, to tumbao, the full length album of all original material, composed by all four of the bands members, fuses the excitement of Latin jazz with the raunchiness of Dick Dale - creating a frenetic energy like that of a steam train running out of control down its tracks. The disc is guaranteed to appeal to traditional jazz lovers, Latin music aficionados, and rock and rollers alike.
Formed in 2005, ¡Queso Blanco! began when a Gastown restaurant approached the musicians to play as their house band. The engagement only lasted one gig, as the restaurant was shut down for its illicit dealings, but the band was an instant success and quickly began a Monday night gig at Commercial Drive's Libra Room. They were a hit, regularly packing the house with jazz lovers who wanted to cut loose and were soon moved to Saturday nights, where they have been regularly entertaining the East Side's audiences every week for two years.
The bands musicians come from diverse musical backgrounds: guitarist Noah Walker grew up listening to old school blues, 50's rock and roll, tiki-lounge, Tom Waits, and surf guitar. He studied jazz for years in college but finally found his voice upon revisiting the passion and grit of his early influences. An emotive live performer, he rarely leaves the stage without being drenched in sweat, and has been known to play until he bleeds and then some. Drummer Michael Simpson studied Afro-Cuban rhythms on the timbales for many years but never forgot his roots as a long haired rocker. Also a killer guitar player, Simpson has penned some of the band’s biggest hits. Double bassist Michael Rush - a true jazz musician of the old school - learned to play on the bandstand. By the age of 18 he was the house bass player at the Cellar Jazz Club's Sunday night jam and continues to establish himself as one of Vancouver’s top bass players, leading his own jazz ensembles. Recently, the band has also added Hammond B3 organist Tyson Naylor to its lineup, and also frequently collaborates with such percussionists as Paul Bray, Raphael Geronimo, Myles Bigelow and Gilberto “Gilberton” Moreaux.
¡Queso Blanco! continues to evolve and alter their style. From their guttural cries of exaltation to their calypso covers to their Hawaiian lounge style and humor, the band is ever unpredictable and guarantees that anyone who sees them will leave the show with a song stuck in their heads.
too right it's about time! too many years i wasted listening to substandard myspace favourites. the real McCoy! that's what i needed. i need more queso blanco straight to my veins! woot woot, y'all!
