Latin Beat Music Update

Latin Beat Magazine, April, 2001 by Nelson Rodríguez

It's always great to let music fans know about upcoming releases that are really worthwhile. Sometimes a less than thorough approach to promotion and publicity by major labels and indies results in poor exposure and I consider it my unofficial duty to hunt down those lost musical souls and share my findings.

Popular Puerto Rican percussionist Anthony Carrillo made his CD debut a year ago with My Roots, a project dedicated to the origins of rumba, bomba and plena. This year he will be releasing his first solo Latin jazz effort.

Ex-Irakere saxophonist/flutist Carlos Averhoff has a solo CD due out this year. Can you imagine a reunion with Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D'Rivera for a special project? Wow!

Típica Novel, a legendary seventies outfit of the charanga scene of New York City has a new CD due to be released soon.

There's a New York buzz on a new band, United Latin for Salsa, with the hit La Llorona. No word yet on a full album project from them.

The Caribbean Jazz Project is one of the most innovative Latin jazz bands to

emerge in the nineties, first for their eclectic combination of instruments (reefs, steel drums, pans, marimbas and vibes) and second, for their visionary execution. The original members of the project were Paquito D'Rivera, Dave Samuels and Andy Narell. The new Caribbean Jazz Project features Dave Samuels with flutist Dave Valentín and guitarist Steve Khan. Check out their latest production on the Concord label titled Paradise.

Orquesta Melodías Del 40 has released Sonando a Melodias on the Envidia label with the young José Salazar Jr. on timbal, replacing his dad who passed away prior to the recording.

On the Connector label, following the J.P. Torres, Patato Valdés and Rudy Calzado releases in 2000, is the Julio Barreto Cuban Quartet's Iyabo. This CD has a diversity of sounds such as folkloric, straight-ahead jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms, giving the production its uniqueness.

Legendary Cuban vocalist Tito Gómez, who passed away on October 14, 2000, is heard on his last recording, La Ultima Descarga, in a joint effort with Orestes Macias.

Charanga Cubana has made a name for themselves on the West Coast throughout the years and are back with ah expressive album, De Nuevo Sigue la Añoranza, on their own label. Check out the merengue version of Beethoven's 5th.

Timba Productions has two dynamite releases: Tiburón Morales (co-founder of the group Son 14) and his solo debut La Voz Del Son (produced by Juan Formell of Los Van Van) and De La Timba a Pogolotti, by one of my favorite musicians, César Pedroso, pianist for Los Van Van. Joining Pedroso on this recording are Changuito, vocalist Raúl Planas, Pio Leyva, Angel Bonne, Tiburón Morales and Miguel Rapsal.

Discoteca is a compilation by DJ Martin Morales comprised of Latino house, funk, techno and disco. This CD from the United Kingdom has some interesting music and Morales chose the Fania All-Stars classic Juan Pachanga, selections from Charanga 76, and Yambu's Hippopotamus for the Latin flavor. It's an import on the Ocho label.

Coming soon are new productions from the groups Bamboleo and Arte Mixto, both with a new dance twist to them.

Desde Nueva Orleans is the debut CD by Fred y Omar y su Banda with the hot track Mambo 504.

Vinyl junkies should know that old classic records, and in particular Latin spiced jazz LPs, can still be found in many record shops that carry vinyl. I'm always finding rare material in good shape. Two I recently found for $10 were Hubert Laws' 1966 Flute By Laws on Atlantic Records, and Charles Mingus' Cumbia & Jazz Fusion, also on Atlantic from 1977/78.

In 1973, a group called La Crema De Nueva York recorded the album El Party, with an all star lineup of musicians: Louie Ramírez, Andy González, Steve Berrios, Mauricio Smith, Chico Mendoza, Mike Collazo, Frankie Malabe and Paquito Pastor among others. The cover artwork features a great photo of the band. This one is a keeper!

LP's Martin Cohen released three volumes of Drum Solos in 1978. These albums explored the drumming techniques of the conga, bongó and timbal. First the listener hears four tracks with solos and then without them, so that one can play along with the recording. The musicians on the recording are Charlie Santiago, Eddie Montalvo, Gil Colón, Sal Cuevas and Joe Santiago. Good stuff! They are now available as CDs.

Charlie D'Cali y Los Del Barrio is an ensemble of musicians front-lined by vocalists Cali Alemán, José Mangual Jr., Bebo Moré, Camilo Azuquita, Chino Espinosa and Carlos Bustamante. D'Cali is the producer of their CD titled Rumba Grande, A Gozar.

Luis "Perico" Ortiz's Jamming includes the veterans Papo Lucca, Bobby Valentín, Endel Dueño, Cachete Maldonado, Sammy Garcia, Rafi Torres, Sammy Pagán and Domingo Quiñones. The guys jam on Como Vivo Yo, Perico Te Invita, and Mensajero de La Salsa. What a great reunion for Perico and Domingo Quiñones! The CD is on the AJ Records label out of Puerto Rico, as is the new Humberto Ramírez recording, Paradise: Humberto Ramírez Jazz Orchestra. Look for the tracks Cohesion, El Ministro, Babarabatiri, To The King and Bluessette to do well at the radio level.