A bite from the Apple

Latin Beat Magazine, August, 1997 by Nelson Rodriguez

It is August and the place to be is New York City on the 30th for the Salsa Festival celebrating RMM's 10th Anniversary with the label's all-star lineup of Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Oscar D'Leon, Marc Anthony, India, Manny Manuel, Tony Vega, Tito Nieves, José Alberto, Cheo Feliciano, Domingo Quiñones, Johnny Rivera, Ray Sepúlveda, Guianko, Michael Stuart, Miles Peña, Corrine, Celines, Limi-T XXI, Isidro Infante, Yorman, Ravel, Johnny Almendra and Jillian of Los Jovenes del Barrio, Jerry Galante, Tres Equis, Cesar Flores, 3-2 Get Funky, Giovanni Hidalgo, Dave Valentín, Hilton Ruiz, Humberto Ramírez, Jesús Enriquez, Grupo Heavy and the RMM Orchestra. The event will be filmed and recorded live.

Bobby Concepción was a featured vocalist with the Willie Rosario Orchestra of the '70s and is attempting a comeback with a CD produced by pianist Willie Sotelo. Bobby has also added to the project ex-Sonora Ponceña vocalists Yolanda Rivera and Luigi Texidor. Expect this to be a hot release.

Another super release comes from Los Nemus del Pacifico, titled Tiene un huracan with the hot son montunos El hombre misterioso, El palito de la alcancia, Los abuelos and Hay que darles gusto. The group formed in 1988 by vocalist Brigido Chaverra, known to fans and friends as Macondo, chose Morist Jiménez as musical director for this recording which is their best to date.

Grupo Heavy is a hot new merengue group from the island of Puerto Rico that promises to be a new sensation, especially with the youth. The leaders of this youth movement are currently Grupomania, Manny Manuel and Limi-T XXI.

Salsa Pleneros con Cache is an 18-piece concept CD due out soon from Puerto Rico.

A Bronx-Lebanon Hispanic Heritage Concert featuring Eddie Palmieri, Chucho Valdés and Friends plus Johnny Almendra and Los Jovenes del Barrio has been recorded and is being reviewed to be released hopefully later on this year. Eddie Palmieri's 57-minute performance included Palo pa Rumba, Palmas, Doña Tere, Camagueyanas y Habaneros and Slowvisor. Trumpeter Juancito Torres always stands out as does the percussion tandem of Anthony Carillo, José Clausell and Paoli Mejias Ramos. Herman Olivera handles the lead vocals and Candi Sosa is also on chorus.

The Johnny Almendra and Los Jovenes del Barrio set featured Jillian on Telephone and Every Day I Have the Blues, while guest flutist Joaquin Oliveros Gavilán and pianist Oriente López added the flavor needed for the jams to be complete. Oriente López is also a very talented composer and arranger who is rapidly gaining popularity.

The highlight of this series is the recording of Chucho Valdés with an all-star ensemble that included vocalists Francisco Fellove and Bobby Carcasses, pianist Hilton Ruiz and flutist Joaquin Oliveros Gavilán. The band also included some of today's best: Nicky Marrero, Mauricio Smith, Papo Vásquez, Anthony Carillo, Manuel Valera and Joe Santiago. This series can easily be a three-volume set.

The Bobby Cruz CD Cuando era niño has been doing well with the tunes Don Fulano, Medley (of Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz hits), Trece años and Una rosa standing out at clubs and radio stations.

Many old-school vocalists are coming out of retirement to give it a go, which is cool. But there are many old-schoolers who are still quite active yet not getting the plugs they need on the radio. Andy Montañez, El Gran Combo, Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez, Joe Cuba and La Sonora Ponceña are just a few examples. We saw La Ponceña recently and the band should really record soon. They sounded great!

Son 14 was my favorite Cuban band of the late '70s and early '80s. Led by Adalberto Alvarez, Lazaro Rosabal and El Tiburón Eduardo Morales, the band specialized in the modern-day son with its hip brass style. When Adalberto left, trombonist Rosabal took over and El Tiburon kept the lyrics swinging. On their first CD in years, Cubania, the band cooks the spicy sounds on tunes like Que mala corriente and El domingo de la Rumba.

NG La Banda made its debut on the east coast at Avery Fischer Hall on July 22nd. This is the first time the band comes into the United States and I'm sure they will travel to other parts of the country.

The Battery Park City Authority presents Sounds on the Hudson at the Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park every Tuesday evening. Yomo Toro y su Combo headlines August 26th and Ralph Irizarry and Timbalayé will be there on September 9th. As part of the Hispanic Heritage Month, the series presents Las Tres Flautas when they reunite José Fajardo, Johnny Pacheco and Pupi Legarreta. The band will be Pacheco's Tumbao featuring Hector Casanova, Herman Olivera and pianist Javier Vazquez. Bring a blanket or beach chair to enjoy the free sounds.

I met Wayne Gorbea in the late '60s as a teenager when he led his Conjunto Salsa with my schoolmate Arturo Parilla on bass. Wayne was always a strong salsero and his new CD Cógele el gusto continues with the heavy salsa that dancers love to groove to. Radio programmers may ignore this CD, but you should not. It will do great at the college, NPR and club levels. Trombonist Rick Davies cooks on the track Strut and Wayne has not lost his piano skills, as shown on this CD.