Given the breadth and depth of his experience, which includes studies at the National School of Arts in Havana, it was inevitable that Little would develop music projects focusing on Cuban themes and rhythms. When Seven Steps to Havana debuted three years ago, it was nothing short of nuclear fission.

Viviana Pintado may be familiar to patrons of Babalu in the Minneapolis warehouse district. Her vocals are rich and powerful, and her keyboard comping and soloing reveal a dynamic and emotional range often missing in the heavy percussive style of modern Cuban piano. Bill Simenson has performed with the Wolverines Classic Jazz Orchestra, Latin Sounds Orchestra, and at Mixed Blood and Guthrie Theaters, as well as with other groups and his own ensembles. He’s currently on the West Bank School of Music faculty. Wisconsin native, trombonist Mark Miller is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and former cohort of Doug Little with the Motion Poets. Based in New York since 1999, he’s toured with Swing and Moving Out. Ethiopian-born bassist Yohannes Tona studied at Berkelee in Boston before moving to the Twin Cities, where he is involved in gospel as well as jazz. His soul/fusion band performed at the 2005 and 2006 Hot Summer Jazz Festivals with its own brand of Afro-Funk. Brazilian conguero/ percussionist Eliezer Freitas Santos grew up in Brasil’s Bahia region, the son of folkloric priests. After living in Buenos Aires for 14 years, he moved to Minneapolis where he has wowed audiences with his fast hands and dynamic pacesetting. With Little and Pintado, he plays in the trio Tres Mundos. Rounding out the septet is drummer Rey Rivera, who has worked in jazz, Latin and R&B as with his own band, ZAFRA. In addition to studies at the Eastman School of Music, Rey has studied percussion in Cuba and has toured with off-Broadway shows.

And it is Doug Little’s band, although he is a very generous leader who caters to the talents of his colleagues. Playing tenor, alto, flute, and bass clarinet, as well as some hand percussion, he covers the full range of whatever horn, from lyrical to playful to aggressive, seamlessly sliding from comp to solo and back; his bass clarinet is elegantly mournful and haunting.

Seven Steps on Record

Seven Steps to Havana (Tesca Records) is as diverse as its musicians, featuring a pair of originals from Doug Little that open and close the set—the high spirited “Indestructible” and the dark tango, “Reminiscence;” the horn-heavy “Proclamation” from Eau Claire favorite son Geoff Keezer; American drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith’s big band sound of “Salsa Blue;” a fusion of Thelonious Monk (“Green Chimneys”) and Israel Lopez’s “Cachao”); and a half dozen tracks written by Cuban composers. The first track features an ensemble of Twin Cities players, only two of whom (trombonist Jeff Rinear and drummer Kevin Washington) have had any tenure with Little and Seven Steps; the remaining ten tracks feature Little’s ongoing septet. (Bill Simenson has since taken over trumpet duties for Greg Paulus, who has settled in New York.)

Little uses his full arsenal of tenor, flute and bass clarinet, the latter in the spotlight on “Reminiscence” while his wiley tenor shines on “Indestructible,” “Green Chimneys/Cachao” and “Tumbao Pa Mi Timbal;” his flute flows sweetly on “Adios a Cuba,” “Fonseca” and the brief solo,“Los Tres Golpes.” Percussion is of course the core of Cuban rhythm, and throughout, the team of Freites-Santos and Rivera are on fire, with particular heat generated on “Indestructible,” “Salsa Blue” and “Fonseca.” Young Greg Paulus—still in college when this was recorded—proves that Latin might be his forte with stellar solos on “Proclamation” and “Salsa Blue;” he trades confidently with veteran trombone master Mark Miller on “Fonseca” while Miller also takes the spotlight with a sinewy turn on “Proclamation” and “Vereda Tropical.” Together the three horns yield darkly harmonious interplay on “Proclamation” and on the opening cadenza to “Adios a Cuba.”

Yohannes Tona sets the pulse vividly throughout, most notably on “Proclamation” and “Green Chimneys”/“Cachao.” Viviana Pintado is alternately lyrical and lilting (“Adios a Cuba,” “Fonseca”) and powerful (“Green Chimneys/Cachao”) on keyboards, hauntingly beautiful on vocals (“Contigo Aprendi”).

Live at the Dakota

The individual credentials and talents notwithstanding, it is the ensemble as a whole that sparks their recording, and it is the ensemble that will ignite the stage at the Dakota this weekend. These musicians merge their efforts to create a highly energetic, creative and joyful big band sound with only seven voices. From mambo to cha-cha, Seven Steps to Havana will take your ears from Minnesota to Cuba, proving that seven is indeed a very lucky number.

For more information about Doug Little, see www.douglittlemusic.com. The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis; reservations recommended at 612-332-1010.