Produced by Neil Leonard and Philip Blackburn © Juan Blanco (SGAE). All Rights Reserved, 2013.

innova® Recordings is the label of the American Composers Forum.

www.innova.mu

1. Cirkus Toccata - 12:47 Tata Güines, congas Guillermo Barreto, timbales2. Música para Danza - 5:283. Ella – 15:404. Loops - 9:285. Espacios V -11:41 Neil Leonard, soprano and tenor saxophone6. Galaxia M-50 - 9:02

— 64:25 —

Juan Blanco (1919-2008): Cuba’s Electroacoustic Pioneer

innova 248juan blanco nuestro tiem

po / our time

Throughout the 20th century, the small island of Cuba

nurtured a disproportionate number of highly influential modern artists. The work

of painter Wifredo Lam, writer Alejo Carpentier, composer Amadeo Roldan and percussionist Chano

Pozo (who along with Dizzy Gillespie and George Russell) developed new works that helped define the international

avant-garde. No one epitomizes Cuban musical innovation better than Juan Blanco, who melded Afro-Cuban roots with electronic

instruments, improvisation, and experimental composition. Though Blanco toured extensively, was in residence Pompidou Center in

Paris, and given the keys to the city of Bourges, his music has not been widely available, until now.

Blanco composed over 160 works, which have been premiered by seminal Cuban musicians and ensembles from Irakere, Mercedi-tas Valdes, Tata Guines, Paquito D’Rivera to Leo Brower and the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. In 1942 he drew up the blueprint for the first sampling keyboard comprising a one-

octave keyboard with each key coupled to a separate wire recorder. A similar instrument, the Mellotron,

was built using magnetic tape 20 years later and popularized by King Crimson, the

Moody Blues and Yes.

Juan Blanco with Che Guevara

BLEED

5.547” 5.547”

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Item #D1003 Title Digipak®-Style Packaging - 4 Panel - Tube Pocket on Left - Tray on RightFlat Size 10.61”x11.406” - Folded Size 5.594”x.25”x4.938” Bleed 3/16“ (.188” )All Around - Size with Bleed 10.235”x11.781”

.75”

Outside Back Cover Glue Tab

Outside Front Cover

Tray/Disc placement is approximate