Latin Beat Music Update

Latin Beat Magazine, April, 2000 by Nelson Rodriguez

One of the best things to keep in mind in 2000 is the amount of great old music that is being reissued that has an incredible flavor and sound for the virtually new cars of the current generation. One reissue which is proof of that is Willie Rosario's El Bravo De Siempre on the Inca label. What a gem! Willie has a young Meñique on the vocals while Troy Long does the English lyrics on Black Magic (That Old Black Magic) and By The Time I Get To Phoenix, a hip bolero-chachachá. Willie was a master of the guaguancó, son montuno, guaracha and an occasional Latin jazz track. That seems to be where we are heading into the year 2001. A mix! It'll be the best thing for our music. I'd love to see the Bobby Valentíns, Willie Rosarios, Tito Puentes, Eddie Palmieris, etc. do what they do best and get more recognition. These are the real pioneers.

Check out the new Ray Barretto and New World Spirit jazz-oriented Portraits In Jazz Clave with his quintet format and the addition of percussionist Bobby Sanabria, and guests guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Eddie Gómez, trombonist Steve Turre and saxophonist Joe Lovano. Barretto selected compositions by Duke Ellington, his alumni Billy Strayhorn, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and a Rafael Hernández classic, Lamento Borincano. Portraits is another great release by Mr. Hard Hands and an excellent expression of his love for jazz.

One of the hottest CDs of the new year has to be Raulín Rosendo's Donde Me Coja La Noche, produced by Nelson Hernández and Isidro Infante, who provided Raulín with a swinging scorcher from beginning to end. Commercial radio should play more of this music. The standouts include the title track Momposina, Salsa y Merengue and Mujer De Bar.

An oldie but goodie is Frankie Dante and his Orchestra Flamboyan's Los Salseros De Acero, with the unique use of steel drums and Charlie Palmieri producing. Check out the steel solo on Ciencia Politica. My favorite cutis Chupa El Piruli! What a swing!

What's great about our music is that every day you learn about new artists, unheralded musicians and recordings, legends, and rare music both classic and underrated.

One such act is clarinet player Al Castellanos, who performed during the late '40s and '50s. If you want a good introduction to his sound check out Speak Up, originally recorded in 1956 on the Mardi Gras label.

I finally got my hands on Oakland's Jesús Díaz y Su Qba's debut Caramelo, a very fine release for the seasoned percussionist who has collaborated with such acts as Changuito, Andy Narrell, Conjunto Céspedes, Santana, Dizzy Gillespie, Giovanni Hidalgo, Rebeca Mauleon- Santana and more. The recording is hip and a good launching pad for Díaz.

The re-issue of Elektra's The Mambo Kings has a new cover and new versions of Ran Kan Kan, re-mixed by Pablo Flores with Olga Tañon on vocals, and a new duet version of Beautiful Maria Of My Soul featuring actor Antonio Banderas and Compay Segundo of the Buena Vista Social Club.

Celia Cruz has signed an exclusive contract with Sony Music International with her first production being handled by Oscar López and Emilio Estefan. Plans are also in motion to record Celia with Gloria Estefan.

Cuban vocalist Paulito F.G. has a new project on Nueva Fania scheduled to premiere soon. Also new will be La Nueva Patrulla 15 and I hope the music is outstanding to makeup for the loss of Jossie Esteban. In the east coast and Puerto Rico the group is working their first single, Por Amarte Asi.

This month, Tony Vega is releasing his hippest and coolest product in years, Hablando Del Amor. Don't let the title fool you. After the first single, Carita De Sol (dedicated to his daughter), the CD really kicks in with the refreshing sound Tony excelled at when he was with Willie Rosario, Louie Ramírez and Tito Puente's #100.

J&N Records has taken on two new recordings by veteran salseros Raphy Leavitt y La Selecta with their original vocalist Sammy Marrero, and Tommy Olivencia, featuring the vocalists Lalo Rodríguez and Héctor Tricoche. Expect more of these legendary match-ups in the coming years.

One of the hottest trombonists in the '90s was Angel "Papo" Vázquez who last year had one of the best Latin jazz recordings of the year, At The Point Vol. I with his group Pirates and Troubadours. The guests on his new release At The Point Vol. II include Michael Breaker and Dave Valentín, backed by a band that includes Arturo O'Farrill, Richie Flores, Andy González & Horacio Hernández. This one is a must in order to appreciate Papo's multi-faceted jazz-trombone tinge.

One of the first hot new artists of the year is Cuban vocalist Vanessa (Formell) and her debut Una Nueva Illusión, that features her and her brother Yanko on the bolero Una Nueva Illusión. Besides her current hit Si Llego A Ser Adivina, Vanessa's own composition Soy Caramelo (Tierra, Mar y Cielo) swings.

Puerto Rican salsero Tito Gómez's ¿Quien Nos Iba A Decir? features Tito Rojas on the title track duet with two salsa compositions by merenguero José Peña Suazo.