Latin Beat Music Update

Latin Beat Magazine, Nov, 1998 by Nelson Rodriguez

With the year winding down, we can definitely start to make choices about the best of 1998 and next month we'll do just that. In the meantime...

Johnny Blas' Mambo 2000 shows that the band has progressed with each release and has become a force to be reckoned with in Latin jazz. I enjoyed Picadillo (A Lo Blas), and Mambo 2000, Mambo To The Max (dedicated to our very own Max Salazar) and Como Así.

Cheo Feliciano's En Cuba is a live recording that includes the Palmieri classic Ritmo Alegre and Cheo's hits El Raton, Anacaona, Mi Triste Problema, Canta and more.

Will there be a Volume 2? The new Cubanismo, Reencarnación is a monster CD! From beginning to end, the recording rocks with various rhythms and the standouts are El Perico, El Platanal de Bartolo, Canta Al Monte and jamming In Nijmegen.

Descarga Boricua has a new CD, Somos Uno, that includes the bomba/calypso Pitorro; versions of the Maná hits Oye Mi Amor and Un Cachito as well as Serenata, a duet featuring Justo Betancourt and "El Topo" Antonio Cabán Valle. Trombonist J.P. Torres arranged the Colombian flavored Vaquita and vocals on the CD are provided by Jerry Medina, Willie Camacho and Carlos Camacho.

Los Premios Estrellas de la Música N.Y. have nominated Olga Tañon, Marc Anthony, Chichi Peralta, Fulanito, India and Elvis Crespo for three awards each. Kinito Méndez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Victor Manuelle, Servando y Florentino, Sergio Vargas, Tito Rojas, Toño Rosario and Oro Solido received two nominations each. The awards are held this month.

In case you remember what I wrote about Sergio George's live recording in New York, we now know a bit more information about the recording. Ex-Grupo Niche vocalist Charlie Cardona joined up with new Sir George vocalist Charlie Cruz to sing Una Aventura, a Niche classic. Tito Nieves performed I Like It Like That, while DLG's Huey Dumbar teamed with Sergio Vargas to do La Quiero A Morir. Lissette Meléndez teamed with Frankie Negrón to perform Juan Gabriel's Sí Tu Piensas En Volver. Victor Manuelle did his hit He Tratado, together with Gilberto Santa Rosa, and all the singers, along with some new talent that Sergio was showcasing, finished off with El Encuentro, written by Domingo Quiñones. Does this remind anyone of the Perfect Combination when George was a major player for RMM years ago?

Let's see if I can help the Chucho Valdés/Irakere fans with all the recent releases.

Chucho Valdés y Su Grupo Irakere's Yemayá presents Chucho's sister Mayra Caridad on the title track and also includes Mr. Bruce, and San Francisco. The CD is excellent. My favorite release is the band's Babalú Ayé, which is more dance oriented, and features Lazaro Ros on the final track.

Chucho Valdés' Invitación is mostly piano solos recorded in 1986 and released on CD in 1997. Perfect mood music.

Desafios is a CD featuring vocalist Omara Portuondo with Chucho Valdés. Chucho Valdés Presenta Lo Mejor De La Timba Cubana comes in two volumes. The first features mostly Mercedita Valdés on vocals but also includes pianist Rubén González on Almendra and Frank Emilio Flynn on Fefita with Richard Egües. The CD concludes with Descarga, which swings.

CD #2 features Irakere on the opening track and my favorite track Un Hombre Casado with guest vocalist Paulo F.G. (Paulito). Once again the CD ends with a huge jam session Descarga Festiva.

The Rojitas CD La Fiesta Del Caribe is not new but looks better in the repackage. Some of you may have missed this one the first time around.

Poncho Sánchez remains one of the west coast's premiere congueros on his new CD Afro-Cuban Fantasy with special guest jazz -vocalist Dianne Reeves on three tracks.

Bobby Martínez is a young saxophonist with a rich background that includes work with Willie Chirino, Julio Iglesias, Lissette, Sophy, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, Braulio, Emmanuel and three years with the Miami Sound Machine. Salsa Jazz has nice versions of Los Iracundos Tu Con El (a big Frankie Ruiz hit), and Luis Enrique's hits Comprendelo and Lo Que Pasó Entre Tu Y Yo... Pasó.

Bobby Vince Paunetto & The CTM Band recorded two historic CDs in the '70s, Commit To Memory in 1976 (released on June 77) was a hot follow-up to Paunettos Point from 1975-76. These CDs were well ahead of their time and are available on Tonga Records as a 2-CD set. Among the musicians and invited guests you can enjoy are Ronnie Cuber, Manny Oquendo, Frankie Malabe, Andy & Jerry González, Alfredo De La Fe, Eddie & Marió Rivera, Milton Cardona, Justo Almario, Ed Byrne and Johnny Rodríguez. Thanks to Jacques Hubert for this one.

A super hot CD, More And More, by Nueva Manteca's drummer, Lukas Van Merwijk & Cubop City of the Netherlands, is not quite available yet, but a must when it hits the States. The CD, a tribute to Benny Moré, was recorded by Lukas on his own label, Tam Tam Records.

Milan Latino has moved their N.Y. Promotion division to Los Angeles.

Caliente Records, formed in N.Y. in 1997 has signed Adalberto Alvarez and Panchito Amat to the label.

Look for a new Paquito D'Rivera CD before the year ends.