A lynchpin and crowd favorite of the Bitter End, the oldest rock ‘n roll club in NYC, is undoubtedly Salcedo Latin Soul. Founder and leader of the band Steven Salcedo is not only a formidable tenor saxophonist, he is a great entertainer.
On November 22, this eight-piece band of incredible musicians absolutely were the alpha dominators that smoked this Greenwich Village crowd. Every musician on that stage was great, from the trombonist to guitarist, bassist, three percussionists, and the keyboard player.
This is no standard salsa or soul band; it is so much more. No doubt, their tight horns and grooves bring to mind a sound of early 70’s funk, reminiscent of the Ohio Players and Tower of Power. But their musical versatility takes this band further.
What I’ve loved most about Salcedo’s Latin Soul is how they could go from straight salsa to a pop tune, then break into wild and funky explorations of jazz fusion. Every time I’ve seen SLS, the crowd has been mostly up on their feet the entire set. Once again on this night, the band absolutely ignited the crowd and left everyone wanting more.
Salcedo Brings Amazing Guests to the Stage
After ripping through several addicting funky soul tunes, Salcedo gave his players a temporary rest. He called up a guest musician who was visiting from Nashville named Paul Loren. The slower song the band played was Tell It Like It Is, written by the team of George Davis and Lee Diamond. It was covered and popularized by the great Aaron Neville in 1966 and by Heart in 1980.
Immediately I thought to myself about Loren “What a voice!” The band played the song very elegantly as he sang this classic with an infectious and incredibly soulful vibe and tone.
Following Loren’s performance, Salcedo told the crowd he had a special announcement. He was now ready to call “John Lennon” to the stage. Suddenly, a slender young man wearing a white T-shirt, with bleached blonde hair and oval glasses emerged, and the band kicked into this groovy funky and soulful version of Lennon’s circa 1964 Beatles pop classic You Can’t Do That. Zach Jones, leader of the Tricky Bits and once a drummer for Sting, remained on the stage, providing excellent backing vocals.
Jones and Salcedo have been collaborators in the past, with Salcedo first playing sax on the Tricky Bits debut full album Plastic Soul. Besides sharing a fun tongue-in-cheek moment with the audience, it only felt natural for Salcedo to call Jones to the stage, where his version of Lennon sounded quite close to the original.
Later when Salcedo broke into his own raucous rompin’ and rockin’ solo, followed by the trombone player doing his thing, everyone in the crowd was “shaking ‘em hips!”
Steven Salcedo as a Music Educator
When Salcedo isn’t performing with his own band or as a touring sideman for well-established acts, he is a music educator serving on the faculty of his own childhood music school, Lagond Music School in Westchester. In 2021, Salcedo designed and implemented a curriculum for The Mosaic Project, an after school music program for kids on behalf of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College.
On October 26, 2024, in the Louis Armstrong House Museum Jazz Room, tenor saxophonist Salcedo presented Armstrong Now which was the culmination of his artist residency. Inspired by the Louis Armstrong archives, this performance highlighted Salcedo’s joyful and energetic approach to music-making, blending past and present. Through Salcedo’s vibrant compositions, he provided a contemporary reflection on Armstrong’s enduring legacy.
Salcedo Latin Soul performance dates: instagram.com/salcedomusic/
The Bitter End—The Oldest Rock Club in NYC
The Bitter End is known for different bands performing different musical styles on any night. The club has been around since the 1960s and has survived well beyond many of the other “Village rock clubs.” It’s outlasted its most popular neighbors, the now long defunct Rock ‘n Roll Café, Kenny’s Castaways, and the Back Fence.
The Bitter End is a true survivor. Many famous performers have played here. Over the years, even gentrification has not even got to it. The Bitter End, which prides itself as being “New York City’s Oldest Rock Club” continues to be a beacon of light in Greenwich Village for emerging talent.
Read this article where I originally wrote it in The Village View:
Salcedo Latin Soul: Making ‘Em Shake Those Hips at the Bitter End!
Kaju Roberto is an accomplished musician, singer/ songwriter, journalist, and an award-winning producer. He is the artist Rad Jet on Spotify.