| Disc: 1 |
| 1. Okiedoke - Machito |
| 2. Tanga Pts. 1 & 2 - Machito |
| 3. Mango Mangue - Machito |
| 4. No Noise, Pts. 1 & 2 - Machito |
| 5. Afro-Cuban Suite - Machito |
| 6. Cancion - Machito |
| 7. Mambo - Machito |
| 8. 6/8 - Machito |
| 9. Jazz - Machito |
| 10. Rhumba Abierta - Machito |
| Disc: 2 |
| 1. Jatap Mambo |
| 2. Havana Special - Chico O'Farrill |
| 3. Fiesta Time - Chico O'Farrill |
| 4. Cuban Blues - Chico O'Farrill |
| 5. Avocadoes - Chico O'Farrill |
| 6. Almendra - Chico O'Farrill |
| 7. Disappearance - Chico O'Farrill |
| 8. Carioca - Chico O'Farrill |
| 9. Manteca Suite - Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra |
| 10. Manteca Theme - Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra |
Afro-Cuban Jazz,Various Artists,Polygram Records,40's,50's,Afro-Cuban Jazz,Bop,Jazz,Latin Jazz,Latin Pop
Average customer rating:
|
Buena Vista Social Club
Ry Cooder , Ibrahim Ferrar , Ruben Gonzalez , Compay Segundo , and Omara Portuondo Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005J56 Release Date: 1997-09-16 |
Tracks:
- Chan Chan
- De Camino A La Vereda
- El Cuarto De Tula
- Pueblo Nuevo
- Dos Gardenias
- Y Tu Que Has Hecho
- Veinte Anos
- El Carretero
- Candela
- Amor De Loca Juventud
- Orgullecida
- Murmullo
- Buena Vista Social Club
- La Bayamesa
Amazon.com essential recording
Ry Cooder's name has helped bring attention to this session, but it's the veteran Cuban son musicians who make this album really special. Reminiscent of Ellington in its scope and sense of hushed romanticism, Buena Vista Social Club is that rare meld of quietude and intensity; while the players sound laid-back, they're putting forth very alive music, a reminder that aging doesn't mean taking to bed. Barbarito Torres's laoud solo on "El Cuarto de Tula" is both more blinding and more tasteful than any guitar showcase on any recent rock album; a quote from "Stormy Weather" and some very distinct parallels to Hawaiian styles remind us of why it's called "world music." --Rickey WrightCustomer Reviews:
Nice cuban music.......2007-03-15
I should add that I speak Spanish fairly well and therefore understand the lyrics, and am generally an enthusiast of Hispanic culture and music. The story of this worthy project and how this was recorded are interesting and I suspect some reviewers are moved more by sentiment than just on the merits of the music, some of which seems very middle-of-the-road to me, albeit pleasant enough for casual listening.
Cubano Revisited.......2007-02-12
Ry Cooder With All Star Cuban Band.......2007-02-02
Buena Vista Social Club Classic.......2007-01-16
For those of you who have never listened to this style of music, don't just listen to it once as you could compare it to the first 3 olives you have ever eaten.
The first one shocks your taste with a layered complexity that is both sharp and mellow, leaving you with a look on your face that says "what just happened?".
The second takes you back to the memory of your first taste, and enjoying re-living the sensation, you start looking for more.
The third confirms your interests and instils an infatuation with something unique, powerful, and good for the heart and soul, that will be played over and over again.
Absolutely fantastic!.......2007-01-11
Average customer rating:
|
Putumayo Presents: Latin Jazz
Various Artists Manufacturer: Putumayo World Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000P6R8F4 Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- Congo Mulence - Machito
- El Sabroson - Poncho Sanchez
- Rumdrum - Tomas R. Einarsson
- Cha Cha Cha - Tito Puente
- La Clave, Maraca Y Guiro - Chico Alvarez
- Summertime - Ray Barretto
- Steppin' With T.P. - Hilton Ruiz
- Cuando Se Acabara - Manny Oquendo & Libre
- Trompeta En Montuno - Chocolate Armenteros
- Guajira Dubois - The Bryan Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project
Album Description
A mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz style come together on Latin Jazz, a lively collection of songs by masters of the genre.The artists featured on Latin Jazz represent an honored cast of musicians ranging from early pioneers of the genre to those who have helped it remain a viable force for more than 60 years. Machito, a contemporary of Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, was a pioneering bandleader who helped deepen the bond between Afro-Cuban music and American jazz. His classic track "Congo Mulence" opens the album and features fellow jazz legend Cannonball Adderley. Other legendary figures on the album include Tito Puente, whose mastery of the timbales combined with old-fashioned showmanship kept his music fresh and relevant over the years, and Eddie Palmieri, whose piano techniques put him in the same league as jazz legends Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. He teams here with Brian Lynch on "Guajira Dubois," a game of musical tag between Palmieri's piano and Lynch's trumpet.
The driving rhythm behind most Latin jazz comes from its powerful percussion, and Latin Jazz showcases some of the finest in this field. Master conguero (congo player) Poncho Sanchez leads one of the most popular Latin jazz groups in the world. His seasoned ensemble contribute the cool energy of "El Sabroson", while Ray Barretto covers the classic "Summertime." Considered the "godfather of Latin jazz," Barretto was the first Latino to have a Latin hit on the American Billboard Charts.
Other luminaries on the album include Hilton Ruiz, a former child prodigy who appeared at Carnegie Hall at the age of 8, Chocolate Armenteros, the legendary Cuban trumpet player, and Manny Oquendo & Libre, who represent a multigenerational dynasty of Latin music. Icelandic double-bassist Tómas R. Einarsson, and New York icon Chico Alvarez round out the collection.
Customer Reviews:
Great compilation!.......2007-07-16
Average customer rating:
|
Raise Your Hand
Poncho Sanchez Manufacturer: Concord Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000PA9Q46 Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Tracks:
- Raise Your Hand
- Tropi Blue
- Shotgun
- El Agua De Belen
- Rosarito
- Maceo's House
- Donde Va Chichi?
- Gestation
- Amor Con Amor
- Knock On Wood
Amazon.com
On paper, the teaming of Latin-jazz veteran Poncho Sanchez with Stax legends Eddie Floyd, Booker T. Jones, and Steve Cropper on two Floyd classics may have looked like a nifty way to expand Sanchez's audience while promoting Concord's re-launch of the Stax and Volt labels. But the cover versions of "Knock on Wood" and the title track are little more than agreeable (Sanchez handles lead vocals, with Floyd in support). And if you're looking for a lively remake of the Motown classic "Shotgun," you're better off with jazz upstart Don Byron's recent version than the one here featuring onetimes James Brown saxist Maceo Parker. The rest of the album mainly sticks to the pop-influenced sound in which the conga-playing Sanchez has long specialized--a sound that in combining airy melodies and arrangements and tight grooves reflects both his California roots and his debt to New York greats including onetime labelmate Tito Puente. A solid guest vocal by salsa and salsatron star Andy Montanez might have been even better had he recorded with the band rather than back home in Puerto Rico. --Lloyd SachsCustomer Reviews:
Raise Your Hand.......2007-07-15
Great Groove.......2007-06-27
Average customer rating:
|
Rumba Palace
Arturo Sandoval Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000OQDX2M Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Tracks:
- A Gozar
- Guarachando
- El Huracan Del Caribe
- 21st Century
- Sexy Lady
- Peaceful
- Having Fun
- Arranca De Nuevo
- Rumba Palace
- Nouveau Cha Cha
Amazon.com
Sandoval, a Cuban ex-pat who was a founding member of Irakere, one of Havana's most legendary jazz bands, has so far won four Grammys, six Billboard Awards, and even an Emmy (for the soundtrack to For Love Of Country -- The Arturo Sandoval Story). His trumpet style, with its soaring improvisational pyrotechnics and sometimes blustery but always sonorous tone, has influenced an entire generation of young Latin players. Now a tenured professor at Florida International University and proud owner of Miami's Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club but still a working musician, he has performed with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Michel Legrand to Tony Bennett to Patti Labelle. The present album captures both his virtuosity and generosity toward other musicians, as he leads a hand-picked cadre of headliners through 12 delightful tracks, all recorded in robust, state-of-the-art sound. Felipe Lamoglia (sax), Antonio Perez (piano), Armando Gola (bass), Alexis "Pututi" Arce (drums) and Tomas Cruz (percussion), plus some very talented sidemen, toss themes around with playful or obsessed abandon, making some tunes into a mad scrimmage and others into a post-coital meditation. Even a new-comer to jazz and/or Latin music will be charmed and elated by the sonic brilliance and musical passion on tap here -- it's one of Sandoval's latter-day high points and that's saying a lot. --Christina RodenCustomer Reviews:
Rumba Palace.......2007-07-15
Absolutely AMAZING!!.......2007-06-13
This album is sophisticated and elegant, but also displays plenty of fire. I love that ten of the eleven songs are original compositions by Arturo himself, I think they really highlight his renowned Latin side.
His band also sounds incredible and really rounds out the whole album. The whole band sounds really excited to be a part of it and the songs just flows so smoothly.
It's high-powered and shows remarkable range, but at time is also moody and graceful, and it even showcases Sandoval singing!
I love it!
Rumba Palace....Not so much.......2007-06-01
Something is missing.........2007-05-23
Average customer rating:
|
Lágrimas Negras
Bebo & Cigala Manufacturer: RCA Victor ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0001EKZOQ Release Date: 2004-06-22 |
Tracks:
- Inolvidable
- Veinte anos
- Lagrimas Negras
- Nieblas del riachuelo
- Corazon loco
- Se me olvido que te olvide
- Vete de mi
- La Bien Paga
- Eu sei que vou te amar
Amazon.com
This album pairs one of the greatest flamenco singers of today, cantaor Diego El Cigala, with one of Cuba's finest Afro-Cuban pianists, Bebo Valdes. With Valdes (father of the great Chucho Valdes) born in 1918, there's a 40-year age difference between the pianist and the singer, but they do a fine job crossing generations and oceans to discover the commonalities between Caribbean and the Iberian music, coming up with a romantic marriage of the two cultures using rumbas, guajira, sons and boleros. All the songs are classics out of the Latin music tradition, using just a handful of players in support. Valdes's fingers are delicate and prone to dramatic flourishes; Cigala's voice is pure flamenco in its hoarse intonation, cadence and emotional outpourings. The two masters make the union work by focusing on the drama of the love songs--"Veinte Años," "Inolvidable" and the title track are just three amazing examples--as fuel for some of the most exquisitely passionate music to come out in ages. --Tad HendricksonAlbum Description
Winners of three PREMIOS DE LA MUSICA AWARDS (Spanish Academy of Musical Arts & Sciences) Lágrimas Negras, a collection of old standards performed by Cuban jazz pianist Bebo Valdes and Spanish flamenco vocalist Diego el Cigala.This was recorded at the suggestion of Hollywood Oscar® Award-winning director, Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque), which has become a phenomenon in Spain.
The result is a journey that discovers the essence of the Latino "love" song with connections to Cuba, Central and South America, and Spain.
Picked by New York Times critic Ben Rattcliff as "the best album of the year", Lágrimas Negras has had an impressive debut. The album has never been out of the top 30 since its release in Spain over nine months ago, achieving double Platinum sales status. It has won five Amigo Awards, one Premio Ondas, and three Premios de la Musica Awards (including Best Album).
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful synergy.......2007-06-08
Passionate!.......2007-05-15
A new interpretation for Latin Classics.......2007-03-09
Lagrimas Negras.......2007-02-12
A must have for your music library!.......2007-01-16
Average customer rating:
|
A Toda Cuba Le Gusta
Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005J54 Release Date: 1997-09-16 |
Tracks:
- Amor Verdadero
- Alto Songo
- Habana Del Este
- A Toda Cuba Le Gusta
- Fiesta De La Rumba
- Los Sitio' Asere
- Pio Mentiroso
- Maria Caracoles
- Clasiqueando Con Ruben
- Elube Chango
Amazon.com
A rousing ensemble recording, A Todo Cuba Le Gusta features a band made up largely of Cuban music elders. As a reflection of their collective experience playing multiple percussion instruments and brightly lit trumpets, the Afro-Cuban All Stars churn with high drama, even while playing music that's paced with extravagant patience. The time signatures overlay and run against each other in a casual trot while the trumpets blare with fat fullness. Add to that the impassioned group vocals and you've got a hard-to-beat Cuban traditional music session. --Andrew BartlettCustomer Reviews:
Top Notch.......2005-09-08
Needs more cowbell...............2005-08-03
MUST HAVE!.......2004-06-26
Food for your Soul !.......2004-04-13
If you aren't having the brightest of days it will lift you out of any kind of 'blue' mood you might be in.
Buyt it!
Recommended only if you're in one of these two categories..........2003-04-08
If you're one of those totally or mostly unfamiliar with Cuban jazz, you'll love this. It's a celebration of life, full of good humor and vigor. The excitement of the music is bound to get to you, and you'll wonder why you've never given it a chance before.
On the other hand, you might be quite familiar with this sound, with the vocals of veterans such as Ibrahim Ferrer, Pio Leyva, Manuel 'Puntillita Licea, Raul Planas, Jose Antonio 'Maceo' Rodriguez, and Felix Valoy, and with the full sound of trumpets, teombones, enhanced by sax, flute, and piano. If so, you'll find this the best you've heard, and will insist on its being in your collection.
If you're in neither group, well, what can I say?
Average customer rating:
|
Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945
Dizzy Gillespie , and Charlie Parker Manufacturer: Uptown Jazz ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0009Q0EQ0 Release Date: 2005-06-21 |
Tracks:
- Intro
- Bebop
- A Night In Tunisia
- Groovin' High
- Salt Peanuts
- Hot House
- Fifty Second Street Theme
Amazon.com
Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker first became aware of each other in 1940 when the former was playing in Cab Calloway's band and the latter with Jay McShann. Two years later they were both living in New York City and a real friendship developed. By 1945 they were recording and gigging together, culminating in this Town Hall concert on June 22, 1945. These recordings languished for sixty years as acetates that weren't even known to exist in their entirety. That this set captures these two formidable players in their ascendancy and with such clarity is a staggering find. Here, with host Symphony Sid announcing the songs (this would have been for his radio show, but apparently never ended up in his possessions), an important chapter in American music is now restored. By the end of the summer of '45 Gillespie and Parker went their separate ways, both emerging with their own bands and reaching new heights of commercial success. --David GreenbergerCustomer Reviews:
Where have you been??.......2006-05-20
According to jazz gospel, jazz's Anno Domini is November 1945, when Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie cut several sides including the incredible "Ko Ko". Before then, there was a recording ban that prevented the innovations of the Bebop musicians from being heard. (True, there were some Dizzy Gillespie-led sessions including Salt Peanuts, but they sold so badly that they don't count).
In this version of events, jazz music was totally turned on its head, and the New Testament era of jazz began. When Ko Ko came out in November of 1945, the technical brilliance of the new form of jazz blew everyone away, and the music was changed forever.
But in 2005, this version of events was slightly altered. Finding a complete, live performance of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespi, a full five months before the Ko Ko session, is an astonishing coup. The source of the recording is still rather hazy, with some indications that the anonymous person hoarding them may yet have more to release in years to come. At any rate, this is an astonishing discovery, perhaps even slightly more astonishing than the Monk-Coltrane discovery in the same year.
Dont forget, this is BEFORE the widespread use of tape to record sound (tape was invented in Nazi Germany, and is largely a postwar thing). Also, discs only lasted three minutes a side back in 1945. So you have to imagine some engineers lurking in the Town Hall, with a battery of recording lathes and a pile of fragile lacquer discs, furiously changing discs every three minutes. And yes, they got every note of the concert. Incredibly, the discs were not separated from each other, nor did any of them break over the years! There must have been about twelve or thirteen sides altogether.
Now at last we can hear bebop from before November 1945. The concert is astonishing. I still can't get over Parker's solo on Salt Peanuts, which is really filled with the fresh energy of a newly discovered art form. Another highlight is Night in Tunisia. Both Parker and Gillespie are in terrific form. The crowd seems very appreciative; although the liner notes include a contemporary review which says of Dizzy's music, in effect, "too many notes"! Also, Parker arrives late for the first tune, Bebop; I wonder exactly what he was doing out back?
The sound quality is fantastic. It was far better than I expected. The first few bars of "Bebop" are a bit muddy; but aside from that the sound is the equal of the Royal Roosts, perhaps even slightly better.
So I would heartily encourage anyone to get this disc; whether you are totally new to jazz, or a crusty veteran. The music is very accessible. Music this good, and a discovery that is this historically important, should be heard by everyone!!!
Dizzy Atmosphere.......2006-04-28
Don't Overlook This Underrated Gem!.......2006-04-14
Diz and Bird at Town Hall June 22, 1945; .......2006-03-03
However, these are good early beebop performances and the accompanying notes and copies of contemporary reviews support a better understanding of what's going on. In particular, there are some very interesting comments re perceptions of what was going on that day at Town Hall in Leonard Feather's July 1945 Metronome review, which is reproduced.
There are three Gillespie classics: Beebop, A Night in Tunisia and Salt Peanuts running about seven minutes each. These are the longest early recordings of these numbers that I have heard.
Perhaps even more interesting would be the as yet unapproved release of the second half of the Concert with a program by a very young Errol Garner and Don Byas.
Genius Overcome Technical Short Comings.......2006-02-25
Average customer rating:
|
Buena Vista Social Club Presents: Manuel Guajiro Mirabal
Manuel "El Guajiro" Mirabal Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0006SSNCI Release Date: 2005-01-04 |
Tracks:
- El rincon caliente
- Para bailar el montuno
- Deuda
- El roloj de Pastora
- Me bote de guano
- Mi Corazon no tiene quien lo llore
- Tengo que olvidarte
- Canta montero
- Chicarronero
- No vuelvo a Monon/Las tres Marias/Apurrunenme mujeres Medley
- Dombe Dombe
Amazon.com
For his first solo album, 71-year-old trumpeter Mirabal has created a tribute to the seminal bandleader Arsenio Rodriguez. The latter was a tres-wielding maverick who reveled in Cuba's African heritage and gave new opportunities to the piano and brass. With three trumpeters on board, it is not surprising that the tracks often explode into blaring, festive, sloppy--precise fanfares, but Papi Oviedo on tres and pianist Roberto Fonseca more than hold their own. The singers also get a workout, notably on Me Bote De Guano, with its humming opening chorus and robust tenor lead vocal. The late Rubén González, who was Rodriguez's original keyboard man, is heard on Dombe Dombe, a tune he suggested for the set list. The sessions were recorded in Havana at legendary Egrem Studios with a minimum of technical bells-and-whistles and if the sonic texture is somewhat rough and remote, it only adds to the studio-live atmosphere. --Christina RodenRecommended Similar Titles
Buena Vista Social Club |
BVSC Presents Omara Portuondo |
BVSC Presents Ibrahim Ferrer |
Introducing Ruben Gonzalez |
Mambo Sinuendo |
Cachaito |
Album Description
Cuban trumpeter Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabel was among the first musicians recruited by British producer Nick Gold for the now legendary sessions at Havana's Egrem Studio that yielded the multi-platinum Buena Vista Social Club album and Wim Wenders' groundbreaking concert documentary. But the veteran player already had enjoyed a rich musical history, having performed for more than 40 years in some of the most celebrated Cuban nightclub orchestras. With this lively set of '40s-era conjunto classics, he pays tribute to pioneering Cuban composer-bandleader Arsenio Rodriguez, whose trumpet arrangements inspired Mirabel as a boy.Customer Reviews:
Manuel Guarjiro Mirabal.......2006-03-05
Hot Latin Big Band.......2005-02-26
"debut solo for Manuel Guajiro Mirabal".......2005-02-02
Composer Rodgriguez sends our way "CANTA MONTERO", "EL RELOJ DE PASTORA", "EL RINCON CALIENTE", "ME BOTE DE GUANO", "MI CORAZON NO TIENE QUIEN LO LLORE", "PARA BAILAR EL MONTUNO", "TENGO QUE OLVIDARTE", creativity and innovation sends a modern salsa conjunto that will keep your head spinning...craving more of the same much like "Mambo Kings"..."DEUDA", composed by Luis Marquetti in 1945..."CHICHARRONERO", composer Louis "Lili" Martinez Grinan blends piano solo and brass to this rhythmic tune..."NO VUELVO A MORON LAS TRES MARIAS APJURRUNENME MUJERE MEDLEY", composers Otilio Del Portal and Arsenia Rodriguez favor us with a 5 minute medley of Cuba's finest offerings..."DOMBE DOMBE", beautiful opening trumpet solo, with haunting counter-melodies arranged and performed by Ruben Gonzalez, just the way it was back in the '40s...gotta love it!
Total Time: 46:36 on 11 Tracks ~ Nonesuch Records 79810 ~ (1/04/2005)
Another Gem From A Buena Vista Social Club Veteran.......2005-01-22
I highly recommend this album, along with all the albums of Buena Vista Social club members. Let's enjoy this music. This is the kind of music that you will not get tired listening at. Why? Because they are made by real musicians. All the sounds you hear are coming from real instruments all recorded live in the studio. If you are tired of listening to "manufactured" music, this kind of music will surely give you an entirely different experience.
Average customer rating:
|
Una Sangre (One Blood)
Lila Downs Manufacturer: Narada ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00023GFT0 Release Date: 2004-06-15 |
Tracks:
- Viborita
- Dignificada
- Cielo Rojo
- La Bamba
- One Blood
- Malinche
- Tiringini Tsitsiki
- La Cucaracha
- Mother Jones
- Paloma Negra
- Brown Paper People
- Una Sangre
- Yahahuari Nin
Amazon.com
There's no doubt that singer Lila Downs' profile is on the rise after her appearance in the film Frida and on the accompanying soundtrack, which led to a performance at the 2003 Academy Awards. The dividing lines between cultures and classes are major themes throughout the Mexican-American singer's decade-long career; but whereas 2001's Border is more angry about the disparities, One Blood: Una Sangre is more inclusive, if only for the hopeful note of unity sounded in the English-language version of the title cut (the album has two distinctly different readings of the song sung, respectively, in English and Spanish). While much of the cumbia-based, genre-breaking material here is original, Downs and her band completely revamp two covers: Ritchie Valens classic "La Bamba" features techno beats and African drumming; the folk song "La Cucaracha" opens with wailing guitar before settling into a gentle reggae groove. Stylistically restless and lyrically didactic, One Blood: Una Sangre is as ambitious as it is beautiful. --Tad HendricksonCustomer Reviews:
Endless talent, humor(!), peerless voice.......2006-02-04
All the other songs range from the great (Cjelo Rojo, Tirineni Tsitsiki) to the curious (Mother Jones) and to the original (covers of La Cucaracha and La Bamba), but Lila's Paloma Negra shines as the jewel and showpiece of this CD. If Chavela Vargas' version was the "classic", now it seems more like the pedestrian version to me. And don't get me wrong: I still think it was in itself an incredible performance. But if you want the overdrive, listen to the Lila Downs. Her's is so full of vioce and class, it will blow your mind away! Only in a song like this can it show, where the true genius of an artist really lies.
Let's hope there will be many more showpieces for Lila's endless talent and peerless voice to come!
A Superb Sound, Filled With Passion And Soul!.......2005-07-05
Lila Downs is a Mexican-American vocalist, with a Scottish-American father, and a Mixteca mother. She grew up in both the Mexican state of Oaxaca and in Minnesota, USA, bi-lingual and bi-cultural. Lila received formal voice training in Mexico and in the States, and performs her own compositions, as well as tapping into the rich indigenous music from the Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya, and Nahautl cultures. Her variegated sound is a real fusion of Mexican folk songs, rich American blues and jazz, along with some pop, mixed in with Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms. I occasionally hear some gospel in there also. It is really difficult to pigeonhole her music and interpretations into a genre. This is a good thing! She is totally original.
"Viborita (Little Snake)," leads off with a fantastic driving Afro-Latino beat sustained by a fleet bass drum, with call-and-response vocals. It is very reminiscent of coastal music from Mexico, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean - similar influences, right? The poignant "Dignificada," comes right afterward, and really gives the artist an opportunity to show-off her versatility with this slow sensual bolero. "Cielo Rojo," (Red Sky), is an excellent cut, one of my favorites - a sort of Mexican flamenco with 3 very different guitars at work here. It's gypsy-like, with soaring vocals and Lila, at times, trilling a falsetto high in the back of her throat.
"Bamba" is her take on the 200+ year-old song that Ritchie Valens made famous outside of Mexico, and her version of "La Cucaracha" is a fabulous 'cumbia', which some folks mistakenly call reggae. Reggae, which I really like, is totally different. The cumbia is a Colombian folk dance and music, which originated among African slave populations on the country's Atlantic coast. It is popular in areas of Mexico and Latin America. Extremely sensual, the music is often classified as "salsa, played in 4/4 time with a heavy beat one and accentuated beats three and four, giving a loping rolling rhythm similar to 'riding a horse.'" Anyway, this version of "Cucaracha," which usually has political lyrics, is certainly the most unusual I have heard.
"Tiringue Tsitsiki" (Flower of Marigold), is beautiful and sweet. Lila harmonizes with herself with minimal accompaniment here. While Malinche, with Downs' deep-toned voice and powerful delivery is bold, with lots of percussion - snare drums, maracas, and harp. "Paloma Negra" is traditional Mexican, with a fresh touch. "Mother Jones," performed in English, is pure blues. "One Blood," and "Brown Paper People" are also sung in English.
Lila's husband, Paul Cohen, is the musical director and saxophonist. He has brought together an excellent, international group of instrumentalists who come from the US, Mexico (string-multi-instrumentalist, Celso Duarte), Cuba (bassist, Junior Terry Cabrera), Chile (drummer/percussionist, Yayo), and Brazil (guitarist, Guilherme Monteiro). Mexican and American guitarists Ernesto Anaya and Marvin Sewell, make guest appearances, as does the renowned Japanese percussionist Satoshi Takeishi.
This is a wonderful CD! Lila Downs is a unique artist - simply superb! Highly recommended!
JANA
Another great offering.......2005-06-16
Lovely Lila!!!.......2005-01-31
From Latin standard to modern vocals.......2004-11-18
Downs' vocals have moved from Latin standard to modern in UNA SANGRE, without losing any power.
Average customer rating:
|
King of Kings: The Very Best of Tito Puente
Tito Puente Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006EXC9 Release Date: 2002-08-20 |
Tracks:
- Dance Mania (Mambo)
- Oye Me Guaguanco (Listen To The Guaguanco)
- El Cayuco (Son Montuno)
- Caonao
- Ti Mon Bo
- Dance Of The Headhunters
- Hong Kong Mambo
- Cuando Te Vea (Guaguanco)
- Baile Como Es (Mambo)
- Saca Tu Mujer (Guaguanco)
- Cuancona (Guaguanco)
- Mambo Gozon
- Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembe (Cha Cha Bembe)
- Elequana
- A Gozar Timbero
- Cual Es La Idea (What's The Idea)
- 3D Mambo (Mambo)
- Son De La Loma
- Llego Mijan (San Montuno)
- Yambeque (Mambo Yambu)
- Night Ritual
Customer Reviews:
when is it classic and when is it stale?.......2007-04-05
great compilation.......2006-11-08
Should be better known.......2006-06-16
A great first Tito Puente album.......2004-04-10
Smooth latin grooves are guaranteed on every track. Scary tribal rhythms shine through on Dance of the Headhunters. As one of my friends said, if you don't bob your head to Ti Mon Bo, you probably don't have a pulse. Night Ritual, Hong Kong Mambo, and El Cayuco would rank as some of my favorites if I had to choose, but thankfully I don't.
Informative liner notes give a good history lesson about Tito's roots, how he begun, and how he lasted and played amazing music even into his older years. Puente will certainly be remembered for one of the longest lasting, highest quality musicians the world has ever seen.
A great stepping stone for other Puente albums, this will give a brief introduction to many of the styles Puente cultivated over the years. I suggest Mambo Birdland: Dancemania, a live album from the late 1990s, as a wonderful chance to hear Puente and his full orchestra in rare form, playing a live show in the Palladium, decades after his playing originally sparkled there.
A high quality album all around, a great beginning to more Puente albums. Highly recommended to any newcomers to salsa who have interest. As the liner notes proclaim, El Rey esta meurte: long live the King!
Jazz Music:
- Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods
- All Night Session! Hampton Hawes Quartet, Vol. 2
- All Night Session!, Vol. 1
- All Night Session!, Vol. 3
- Arne Domnérus Sextet With Bengt Hallberg & Rolf Ericson
- At His Best
- Bean Stalkin'
- Bird Eyes, Vol. 19
- Bird Eyes, Vol. 9
- Bird: The Original Recordings of Charlie Parker