Biography
Los Hombres Calientes was a New Orleans-based jazz group founded in 1998 by trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and percussionist Bill Summers, with drummer Jason Marsalis as a co-leader. Despite a thirty-year age difference between Mayfield and Summers, the two formed an unlikely but creatively powerful partnership, debuting as a one-night stand at Snug Harbor in New Orleans on February 7, 1998. The positive response was so overwhelming that the group quickly signed with Basin Street Records just three months later and released their self-titled debut album, which was praised by the New Orleans Times-Picayune and established them as a significant force in contemporary jazz.
The group's musical mission was rooted in exploring the African diaspora through various musical traditions, creating what they called "volumes" of field research rather than conventional albums. Each album represented a geographical and cultural journey: their debut drew from Afro-Cuban and jazz traditions in New Orleans; Volume 2 (1999) explored Cuban music; Volume 3: New Congo Square (2000) was recorded across New Orleans, Havana, Santo Domingo, and Bahia to incorporate rumba, merengue, bossa nova, reggae, and funk; Volume 4: Vodou Dance (2003) focused on Haitian traditions and was recorded across Haiti, Trinidad, Cuba, Jamaica, and New Orleans. The core ensemble included pianist Victor "Red" Atkins (the remaining original member), bassist Edwin Livingston, and various rotating musicians who contributed to their evolving sound.
Los Hombres Calientes achieved significant recognition within the jazz community, earning five wins in the OffBeat Best of the Beat competition including Best New Latin Band and Best Contemporary Jazz Album, along with Grammy nomination consideration for best Latin-jazz album with Volume 3. Their high-energy, New Orleans-style dance-party format attracted both jazz purists and mainstream audiences, and they performed internationally in France, England, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic by 2000. Mayfield and Summers viewed the group not as a traditional band but as an ever-evolving project, maintaining a commitment to never break up despite their stylistic differences, which they resolved through daily musical dialogue and nonverbal communication developed through years of collaboration.
Fun Facts
- Los Hombres Calientes recorded their album 'Vodou Dance' in primitive conditions, including capturing approximately 40 steel-pan players with 100 drums in a shed in a Trinidadian rainforest, requiring Summers and Mayfield to rely on nonverbal communication and instinctive musical understanding.
- Despite a thirty-year age gap between founding members Irvin Mayfield and Bill Summers, the two made a commitment to never break up after recording their first album in 1998, viewing their opposite personalities and musical approaches as complementary rather than conflicting.
- Bill Summers had a successful solo career before joining Los Hombres Calientes, with his 1981 MCA hit song 'Call It What You Want' reaching number 16 on the top 20 jazz chart, and he was previously a member of Herbie Hancock's acclaimed Headhunters band.
- The group's name 'Voodoo' in their album title 'Vodou Dance' carries spiritual significance—Summers learned from a Haitian gentleman that the word 'voodoo' simply means 'God,' reflecting the group's deeper cultural mission to connect African diaspora traditions.
Members
- Irvin Mayfield (from 1998)
- Bill Summers (from 1998)
- Jason Marsalis (until 2000)
- Victor Atkins
Original Members
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Jeff "Tain" Watts - Rhythmic and drumming influence on Jason Marsalis (General drumming style and approach) [1990s onwards]
- Herbie Hancock's Headhunters - Bill Summers was a member and influenced by the band's Afro-funk fusion approach (Headhunters recordings) [1970s-1980s]
Key Collaborators
- Jason Marsalis - Co-leader and drummer, founding member (Los Hombres Calientes Vol. 1-2) [1998-1999]
- Victor "Red" Atkins - Pianist, original core member (All Los Hombres Calientes albums) [1998-2005]
- Edwin Livingston - Bassist, core ensemble member (Los Hombres Calientes Vol. 2-5) [1999-2005]
- Yvette Bostic-Summers - Vocalist and percussionist, ensemble member (Los Hombres Calientes albums) [1998-2005]
- Louisiana Philharmonic String Quartet - String arrangements and orchestration (Los Hombres Calientes Volume 2)
- Leon "Kid Chocolate" Brown - Trumpeter, horn section member (Later Los Hombres Calientes recordings) [2000s]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 5: Carnival | 2005 | Album |
| Vol. 3: New Congo Square | 2001-04-17 | Album |
| Los Hombres Calientes | 1998-06-30 | Album |
| Vol. 4: Vodou Dance | 2003-03-25 | Album |
| Vol. 2 | 1999-11-09 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Mardi Gras Second Line (feat. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Kermit Ruffins, Rebirth Brass Band, John Boutté) (A Love Letter to New Orleans)
- New Second Line - Mardi Gras 2001 (feat. Kermit Ruffins) (Vol. 3: New Congo Square)
- El Barrio (feat. Cyril Neville, Gaynielle Housey-Neville, And Phillip Manuel) (Los Hombres Calientes)
- The Mardi Gras Second Line (feat. Kermit Ruffins, Rebirth Brass Band, & Trombone Shorty) (Vol. 5: Carnival)
- Cubacajun Carnival (Vol. 5: Carnival)
- Foforo fo Firi (feat. Issac Delgado) (Vol. 3: New Congo Square)
- James Booker (feat. Carlos Henriquez) (A Love Letter to New Orleans)
- James Booker (Vol. 5: Carnival)
- The Mardi Gras Second Line - with Kermit Ruffins, Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty (Nothing But A Party: Basin Street Records' New Orleans Mardi Gras Collection)
- Latin Tinge II (A Love Letter to New Orleans)
External Links
Tags: #jazz
References
Heard on WWOZ
los hombres calientes has been played 15 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.