Who could imagine Bob Neuwirth in Cuba? Over the years he appears as a creative partner to artists from Janis Joplin (»Mercedes Benz«) to Bob Dylan (Don't Look Back, the Rolling Thunder Revue), John Cale, T Bone Burnett and many others. Painter, poet and »instigator,« with a 40-year creative trail stretching from Paris to San Francisco, Neuwirth has been described by England's Mojo magazine as »arguably the most underrated singer/songwriter of the last ten years.« But who would have thought he'd create one of the best albums of the current Cuban music explosion?

Neuwirth was inspired to explore Cuban music by visiting Cuban groups at a Lincoln Center concert. As Neuwirth's interest in that country's music grew, a mutual friend introduced him to the great Cuban composer/arranger/pianist Jose Maria Vitier, whose work includes the score for the Oscar-nominated film Fresa y Chocolate (Strawberries and Chocolate).

Havana Midnight is the outcome of the resultant collaboration between Neuwirth and Vitier. It is neither an audio verite snapshot of Neuwirth's 1999 recording trip to Cuba, nor a collection on which Neuwirth tries to sing Cuban music, nor an album of Cuban musicians trying to play his folk/blues-influenced songs. It is a true picture of artists from very different traditions finding, or creating, a common ground.

»This album is a crossing of paths,« Neuwirth explains. »It started as an experiment, an attempt to see if cross-cultural art could be successful.« Vitier, whose parents are noted Cuban poets, responded to Neuwirth's lyrics, while Neuwirth found a kinship with Cuba's »nueva trova« movement, a folk-style, politically aware form of music that swept Latin America in the '60s. Vitier suggested a collaboration, and his country's Institute of Music invited Neuwirth to Havana for a »fully-hosted« cultural visit.

The recordings with arranger Vitier and a small core of top Cuban musicians only lasted a week, but yielded nine lovely, low-key songs -- all Neuwirth originals -- that reflect his journey and surroundings, including the calm, seductive »Havana Midnight,« the stark ballad »The Call,« and »Don Quixote,« Bob's ode to the changes Cuba is undergoing. The instrumental accompaniment is wonderfully subtle and understated without losing its distinctively Cuban flavor.

Previously available only in Europe and on-line, Havana Midnight is a masterwork of both individuality and collaboration, the hallmarks of Neuwirth's fascinating career.

What the critics say about Bob Neuwirth's Havana Midnight:


"His best, most unified work yet, an evocative stroll through Cuba's capital
in late evening when the bars are still thriving and the old men's tales are
tallest. Arranged by the conservatory-trained Jose Maria Vitier, the album is
a more accessible stepping stone into straight Cuban music than even Buena
Vista Social Club, with Neuwirth's songs his strongest batch yet, an album of
the year."
- Sid Griffin, Mojo

"An album that genuinely (and beautifully) fuses different cultures and
styles. Neuwirth's eloquent and plangent songs are subtly and gorgeously
drenched in a fully realized, multi-timbral finery that never jars or
detracts."
- Ross Fortune, Time Out

"A sly, understated nine-track journey that finds the veteran folk/rock/blues
tunesmith pairing his weathered voice and incisive lyrics with the
arrangements and melodies of Cuban composer Jose Maria Vitier."
- Kerry Dexter, barnesandnoble.com
"Havana Midnight is not the kind of record that grabs you by the throat and
changes your perceptions with some loud musical statement. But one listen is
enough for its subtle charm to creep under your skin and work its magic in
mysterious ways."
- Ernesto Lechner, Pulse

"What began as a musical lark resulted in nine elegant, elliptical,
jazz-inflected performances that share little with the Buena Vista cottage
industry, but frequently recall the classic nueva trova recordings of Pablo
Milanes or Silvio Rodriguez."
- Roy Kasten, No Depression

"Neuwirth's music is given a grace and elegance that on the surface ought to
be constricting, but instead is entirely liberating."
-Steve Stolder, Amazon.com

"Vitier's graceful, uncluttered arrangements and eloquent piano here are not
only exquisitely tailored to Neuwirth's lovely country-folk songs, they help
make this one of those albums that can transport you to another time and
place."
- Parry Gettelman, The Orlando Sentinel