HECTOR LAVOE - La Voz (1975-2010) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The title of this album surely says it all. Anyone unfamiliar with this "Cantante de los Cantantes" will be left spellbound with the melted-butter quality of his voice. In the first track, "En Todopoderoso," within his first verse Héctor Lavoe sets himself far apart from all contemporaries by virtue of his angelic timbre, only to later outdo himself as he effortlessly soars over the coro. La Voz being Lavoe's first of nine solo records for the Fania label, he turned to labelmate and longtime collaborator Willie Colón to produce and arrange. From the graceful, sophisticated horn intro on "En Todopoderoso" to the blazing mambo section in "Paraiso de Dulzura," Colón's mark as arranger is indelible. Unlike fellow Fania artists like Rubén Blades and Colón (both of whom sing coro on this album), Lavoe keeps this record quite vocal-centric, omitting the fiery horn or percussion solos and long dance sections that became so characteristic of the genre. Though these elements are missed, Lavoe certainly keeps interest. In the final track, "Mi Gente," asserts himself as a master sonero. His own improvisational abilities went a long way to establishing his reputation in the first place, and he does not shy away from using them on this project. The experience created by La Voz is a warmth and refinement only achievable by the combination of two factors. The Fania label in its prime, and perhaps New York salsa's most distinctive voice to date. by Evan C. Gutierrez  
Tracklist :
1     El Todopoderoso 4:22
Willie Colón / Héctor Lavoe
2     Emborrachame de Amor 3:00
Mario Cavagnaro
3     Paraíso de Dulzura 4:35
Héctor Lavoe
4     Un Amor de la Calle 3:23
Orlando Brito
5     Rompe Saragüey 6:30
Virgilio González
6     Mucho Amor 2:11
Roberto García
7     Tus Ojos 3:35
José Luis Delgado Perez
8     Mi Gente 5:26
Johnny Pacheco
Credits :
Arranged By – Jose Febles (faixas: 3, 5), Louie Ramirez (faixas: 4, 7), Willie Colon
Bass – Eddie Rivera
Bongos – José Mangual Jr.
Chorus – Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Willie Garcia
Congas – Milton Cardona
Piano – Mark Dimond
Producer – Willie Colon
Timbales – Nicky Marrero
Trombone – Tom Malone
Trumpet – Hector Zarzuela, Jose Rodriguez

HECTOR LAVOE - De Ti Depende (It's Up to You) (1976-2010) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As much a classic of Héctor Lavoe's career -- and salsa music in total -- as La Voz, his solo debut from one year earlier, 1976's De Ti Depende (It's Up to You) includes everything that made La Voz a classic. Produced and with three of its spotlight tracks arranged by Willie Colón, it features much the same group (with Rubén Blades in the chorus) and hits the same heights with its material -- but that's not to say it's the same album. This one has more ballads, and more of a reflective, often downcast feel to the material; even the hit, "Periodico de Ayer," has a dark theme, comparing love to yesterday's news, and the slick, string-filled "Tanto Como Ayer" is even more fatalistic. "Hacha y Machete" is a beacon of up-tempo salsa goodness in the vast melancholy wasteland. by John Bush
Tracklist :
1     Vamos a Reir un Poco 7:35
Perucho Torcat
2     De Ti Depende 4:35
Miguel Angel Amadeo
3     Periódico de Ayer 6:49
C. Alonso Curet
4     Consejo de Oro 2:43
Arquimedes Arcidiacono
5     Tanto Como Ayer 3:44
D.R.   
6     Hacha y Machete 5:33
Enildo Padrón
7     Felices Horas 6:06
Luis A. Pérez
8     Mentira 6:42
D.R.S.
Credits :
Arranged By – Edwin Rodriguez (faixas: 6), Jose Febles (faixas: 2), Louie Ramirez (faixas: 4), Louie Ortiz (faixas: 5, 7), Willie Colon (faixas: 1, 3, 8)
Bass – Santi Gonzalez
Bongos – Jose Mangual Jr.
Chorus – Jose Mangual Jr., Milton Cardona, Ruben Blades, Willie Colon
Congas – Milton Cardona
Executive-Producer – Jerry Masucci
Guitar – Yomo Toro
Lead Vocals, Maracas – Hector Lavoe
Percussion – Jose Mangual Jr., Milton Cardona
Piano – Joe Torres
Producer – Willie Colon
Trombone – Harry de Aguiar, Angel Vasquez
Trumpet – Ray Feliciano 

HECTOR LAVOE - Comedia (1978-2011) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Héctor Lavoe's third solo release benefited from Willie Colón's production, Rubén Blades agreeing to give his new composition "El Cantante" to him (Lavoe promptly made it his own), and the varied arrangements of Colón and Luis "Perico" Ortíz. But setting all that firepower aside, it's still true that nobody could make a song sing quite like Héctor Lavoe (there was a reason they called him "La Voz"), and his commanding air over this record made it his third straight classic. As on the previous two, Lavoe and company strive for stylistic range more than anything else, adding a heavy syrup of strings to "El Cantante" for an elegant touch, getting streetwise for "Bandolera," and finishing the album with a surging montuno titled "Songoro Cosongo." by John Bush
Tracklist :
1     El Cantante 10:26
Rubén Blades
2     Comedia 3:31
José A. Espinosa
3     La Verdad 5:33
Freddy Molina
4     Tiempos Pasados 4:28
D.R.       
5     Bandolera 9:34
Victor Cavalli
6     Por Qué Te Conocí? 4:49
D.R.   
7     Songoro Cosongo 7:50
Eliseo Grenet / Nicolas Guillen
Credits :
Arranged By – Edwin Rodriguez (faixas: 7), Jose Febles (faixas: 4, 5, 6), Luis Ortiz (faixas: 2), Willie Colón (faixas: 1, 3)
Bass – Salvador Cuevas
Coro – Eddie Natal, Milton Cardona
Piano – Gilberto Colón
Producer, Coro – Willie Colón
Vocals, Coro – Hector Lavoe    

WILLIE COLÓN & HECTOR LAVOE - Vigilante (1982-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 1983 Vigilante, the last recording Colon made with his longtime singer Lavoe, has three substantial cuts with the classic Colon sound. The title song, sung by Colon, is more experimental and a less successful one. The title track also includes both rock and jazz soloing. by John Storm Roberts
Tracklist :
1     Triste y Vacia 6:11
Luis Lopez Caban
2     Vigilante 12:26
Lead Vocals – Willie Colon
Written-By – Willie Colón
3     Juanito Alimaña 7:36
C. Alonso Curet
4     Pasé La Noche Fumando 11:44
Lead Vocals – Willie Colon
Lyrics By – Curet Alonso
Music By – Willie Colón
Credits :
Choir/Chorus, Congas, Coro – Milton Cardona     
Choir/Chorus, Coro – Graciela Carriqui, Doris Eugenio,
Choir/Chorus, Composer, Coro, Mixing, Producer, Trombone, Vocals – Willie Colón
Bass – Sal Cuevas
Bongos – Jimmy Delgado
Sax (Soprano) – Morris Goldberg
Guiro, Maracas – Jorge Maldonado
Percussion, Trombone – Lewis Kahn
Strings – Harold Kohon
Performer, Vocals – Héctor Lavoe
Percussion – Luis Lopez
Trombone – Luis Antonio Lopez "El Mimoso"
Executive Producer – Jerry Masucci
Percussion, Trombone – Leopoldo Pineda
Cuatro – Yomo Toro
Piano – Prof. Joe Torres
Guitar  – George Wodenius 

HECTOR LAVOE - Strikes Back (1987-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

LaVoe and Willie Colon came blazing out of the bugalu era and wrote a new script for New York salsa during the late '60s and early '70s: a script that included Puerto Rican and Panamanian graftings on the basic Cuban scion, and a tough lyricism that spoke of "barrio" problems to a "barrio audience". Then the pair split, and eventually Ruben Blades filled LaVoe's place in the Colon band's developing persona. Now -- for this album at least -- LaVoe and Colon are back together with that fat, macho trombone sound and the old width of reference (including a splendid plena, "En el Fiando.") by John Storm Roberts
Tracklist :
1     Loco 5:25    
Tommy Sánchez   
2     Ponce 6:15
Tommy Sánchez   
3     Taxi 3:43
Public Domain
4     Como No Voy a Llorar 6:43
Ricardo Nuñez
5     Ella Mintió 4:46
Graciela Carballo / Amanda Miguel / Diego Verdaguer
6     En el Fiando 5:24
Johnny Ortiz
7     Escarchas 6:32
Johnny Ortiz
8     Plato de Segunda Mesa 4:42
C. Alonso Curet
Credits :
Arranged By – Isidro Infante (faixas: 6), Javier Vazquez (faixas: 3), Louie Ramirez (faixas: 5), Louie Cruz (faixas: 2, 4), Marty Sheller (faixas: 1, 7, 8)
Bass – Oscar Cartaya
Bongos – Raymond Colon
Chorus – Justo Betancourt, Milton Cardona, Tito Allen, Willie Colon
Congas – Bobby Allende
Keyboards – Jose Arturo Ortiz
Percussion – Marc Quinonez
Producer – Willie Colon
Timbales – Marc Quinonez
Trombone – Leopoldo Pineda, Lewis Kahn
Héctor Lavoe – Vocals 

MACHITO - El Padrino (2001) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Machito led one of the two or three finest mambo orchestras during the classic period (the late '40s and early '50s), and his innovations only continued during the '50s and '60s, when he recorded the sides heard on this Fania compilation. Almost perfectly divided between music from the late '50s and the '60s, El Padrino may lack all of his early mambos (the heart of his legend), but nonetheless, it includes plenty of great material, none better than his torrid 1965 number “Tanga,” which leads off this compilation, and while it's been collected numerous times in numerous contexts, it doesn't drag at all. Machito's exploration of all manner of Afro-Cuban rhythms and forms during these years is best heard on his classic (and focused) Latin LPs like Asia Minor and Kenya, but for the listener who wants all of it now, El Padrino is the place to find the most. by John Bush
Tracklist :
1     Tanga 3:35
Mario Bauzá
2     Wild Jungle 2:46
Mario Bauzá / René Hernández
3     Bimbi Si 2:36
Eduardo Davidson
Featuring [With] – Graciela   
4     Guantanamera 3:25
Ramon Espigul
Featuring [With] – Graciela
5     El Abanico 2:26
Baserva Soler
6     Ebony 2:25
Mario Bauzá
7     Oyeme Mamá 3:07
Facundo Rivera
Featuring [With] – Graciela
8     Carabunta 3:45
Herbie Mann
9     Volcán 3:32
Charles Abreu
Featuring [With] – Graciela
10     Barbarabae 2:54
Justi Barreto
11     Beeree Bee Cum Bee 3:10
Antar Daly
Featuring [With] – Graciela
12     Quimbombo 2:47
Luis Martinez Griñan
13     Tennessee Waltz 2:53
Pee Wee King / Redd Stewart
14     El Guaria con el Tolete 3:04
Remberto Becker
15     Cannonology 2:30
A.K. Salim
16     Azulito 4:11
Ray Santos
17     El Santo en Nueva York 3:21
Justi Barreto
18     Cooking Cooking 3:18
Ray Santos
19     No Down Payment 2:49
M. Discant
20     How Deep Is the Ocean How High Is the Sky 3:36
Irving Berlin
21     Relax and Mambo 3:10
Mario Bauzá / Frank Grillo / René Hernández
22     Ay José 3:13
Rafael Blanco Suazo
Featuring [With] – Graciela
23     Au Revoir 2:59
Mario Bauzá / Frank Grillo / Mario Grillo
Tracklist 2 :
1     Ahora Sí 4:59
Joey Pastrana
Featuring [With] – Graciela
2     Latin Cornbread 2:30
Mario Bauzá
3     Doug's Room 4:43
Mario Bauzá
4     Brazilian Soft Shoe 2:22
Herbie Mann
5     Sí-Sí, No-No 3:31
Rafael Blanco Suazo
Featuring [With] – Graciela
6     Lloriqueando 2:28
Elias Randall
7     Song of Lisbon 3:18
Aníbal Nazaré / Carlos Rocha
8     Remember Me [Recordare Tu Boca] 3:07
Tania Castellanos
9     Coisa Nova 2:13
Mario Bauzá
10     Cuba 2:43
Irving Berlin
11     Yo Soy la Rumba 3:36
Marcelino Guerra
12     Rumba Ace 2:47
Silvestre Méndez
13     Mambo a la Savoy 2:54
Gil Fuller / Machito
14     El Bejuco 2:53
Luciano "Chano" Pozo
15     In Havana [Pa'lla Pa'ca] 2:32
Mario Bauzá
16     I Care 3:32
Sarney Norman Simmons
17     Bananas 2:51
B. Benjamin
Featuring [With] – Graciela
18     Love Chant 3:14
Herbie Mann
19     Congo Mulence 3:00
A.K. Salim
20     One Note Samba 3:15
Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
21     Jammin' with Machito 5:16
Mario Bauzá / Frank Grillo 

RAY BARRETO - Acid (1968-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ray Barretto's Latin/soul crossover record of 1968, Acid includes a few tracks of his ebullient, instrumental salsa, but also plays off the boogaloo craze of the past few years with a few Latin soul numbers. The crossovers "A Deeper Shade of Soul," "Soul Drummers," and "Teacher of Love" (all written by Barretto himself) are a lot of fun, but the (relatively) straight-ahead salsa of "El Nuevo Barretto" and the title track easily edge out the competition. It's nowhere near as psychedelic as the title would indicate, but Acid holds up nevertheless as a great document of the late-'60s confluence of Latin, funk, and soul. by John Bush
Tracklist
1 El Nuevo Barretto 5:50
Ray Barretto
2 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy 2:44
Ray Barretto
3 Acid 5:05
Ray Barretto
4 A Deeper Shade Of Soul 2:46
Ray Barretto
5 The Soul Drummers 3:48
Ray Barretto
6 Sola Te Dejare 3:49
Ray Barretto / Gilbert Lopez
7 Teacher Of Love 2:27
Ray Barretto
8 Espiritu Libre 8:27
Ray Barretto
Credits
Bass – Big Daddy
Congas – Ray Barretto
Design – Izzy Sanabria
Piano – Luis Cruz
Producer – Harvey Averne, Jerry Masucci
Timbales – Orestes Vilato
Trumpet – Rene Lopez, Roberto Rodriguez
Vocals, Cowbell [Bell] – Adalberto Santiago
Vocals, Guiro – Pete Bonet

RAY BARRETTO - The Other Road (1973) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Percussionist Ray Barretto has long been a legend in both the jazz and salsa communities, performing and recording with Tito Puente, Oliver Nelson, and Herbie Mann. THE OTHER ROAD, originally released in 1973, highlights the jazz side of Barretto’s musical personality while still maintaining roots in Afro-Cuban and Latin sounds. A set of originals, save for a cover of the Thelonious Monk classic “’Round (About) Midnight,” ROAD features smooth, classy ensemble playing and inspired soloing from the likes of Art Webb, Manny Duran (who also contributed arrangements), and Roberto Rodriguez. Barretto gives the Monk tune a bolero rhythm, putting an unexpected Latin spin on a well-known ballad. by Mark Keresman
Tracklist :
1. The Other Road 6:00
Written-By – Eddy Martinez
2. Round About Midnight 6:16
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
3. Lucretia The Cat 5:34
Written-By – Manny Duran
4. Oracion (The Prayer) 8:06
Written-By – Manny Duran
5. Little Ting 5:49
Written-By – Luis Cruz, Ray Barretto
6. Abidjan Revisited 4:16
Written-By – Ray Barretto
Credits :
Bongos – Tony Fuentes
Congas, Talking Drum, Bell Tree [Chinese],
Liner Notes, Producer – Ray Barretto
Drums – Billy Cobham
Electric Bass – Guillermo Edghill
Flute – Arthur Webb
Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Eddy Martinez
Timbales – Ray Romero
Trumpet – Joseph Roman, Roberto Rodriguez
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Manny Duran 

CELIA CRUZ • TITO PUENTE - Cuba y Puerto Rico Son ... (1966-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although they'd appeared together several times, this was the first time that Celia Cruz and Tito Puente had been featured together on an LP, and fortunately not the last. Cuba y Puerto Rico Son… has firepower like no listener could have expected, despite the fact that two of Latin music's most explosive artists were headlining an LP. All of the major Cuban and Puerto Rican forms are heard, from the opening mambo ("La Guarachera," with no holds barred) to bomba (the equally frenetic "La Plena Bomba Me Llama"), and a softer detour into bolero for "Desencanto." (Celia even sang a sultry pop number for "Mi Desesperacion.") Puente's orchestra is in prime form, and he provides all the arrangements, while Cruz ably matches the band for energy. An outing remarkably free of salsa, Cuba y Puerto Rico Son… covers nearly every popular Latin rhythm and remains one of the high points in each artist's nearly incomparable discographies. by John Bush
Tracklist :
1     La Guarachera 2:44
Rafael DaVila
2     Mi Desesperación 3:15
Roberto Cole
3     La Plena Bomba Me Llama 2:47
Rafael DaVila
4     Descencanto 4:10
Luis Amadori / Enrique Santos Discépolo
5     Cumbiando 2:33
Henry Castro
6     Tinicue 3:05
Eduardo Angulo
7     No Hay Amigos 2:54
Eliseo Grenet
8     Me Acuerdo de Ti 4:03
Gustavo Seclen
9     No Juegue con el Diablo 2:45
Pablo Chorot
10     Herencia Gitana 3:11
Mostazo / R. Perello / S. Cantabrana     
11     La Rueda 2:03
Victor Manuel Mato Argumendo
12     Salve Pa'ti 2:12
Rafael DaVila
Credits :
Saxophone – Al Abreu, Jesus Caunedo, Milt Hisler, Shepp Pullman  
Choir/Chorus – Santos Colon, Felo Brito, Willie Torres,       
Vocal, Choir/Chorus – Celia Cruz
Congas – Frankie Malable
Bongos, Cencerro – Jimmy Centeno, Jose Mangual Jr.,
Piano – Gilbert Lopez
Arranger, Choir/Chorus, Conductor, Drums, Musical Direction, Timbales, Vibraphone – Tito Puente
Bass (Acoustic) – Bobby Rodriguez
Trombone – Mark Weinstein, Sonny Russo, Barry Rogers, Jose Rodriguez,
Trumpet  – Pat Russo, Victor Paz, Pedro "Puchi" Boulong, Jimmy Frisaura,   

MONGO SANTAMARIA - Sofrito (1976-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The June 2003 reissue of late Mongo Santamaria's 1976 album Sofrito -- he died in February 2003 -- by Vaya brings many questions to the fore. While the record was greeted by somewhat lukewarm press reviews at the time of its release given its preoccupation with groove-jazz-oriented sonics and production, and was considered a minor work by many. But on compact disc and with the new look at the era's recordings by virtually everyone, from Willie Bobo, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, and other jazzmen of the time, such as Deodato, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Herbie Hancock, Sofrito is, perhaps, a timeless Latin soul-jazz classic. Recorded in New York by Jon Fausty with a killer band of salsa and jazz musicians, Sofrito is a wonderfully mixed bag of laid-back Latin-flavored jazz tunes such as "Cruzan," drenched in a beautiful baritone solo by Roger Rosenberg, with Armen Donelian's electric piano and beautiful timbales and traps by Steve Berrios, and Santamaria's congas. On "O Mi Shango," the lone traditional song on the set, killer bata drums by Angel "Cachete" Maldonado work well in juxtaposition to the modern synthesizer and funk backdrops. The gorgeous son rhythms on "Spring Song," lend it a timeless, Nuyorican Soul-feel as an Afro-Cuban orchestra is playing it on a Harlem street corner. Simmering, shimmering, soul-jazz harmony with gorgeous Latin percussion informed by age-old Cuban melodies and funky basslines make this one of the most beautiful tunes on the set. In all, there are no weak tracks on Sofrito, and it offers a near-perfect view of the seamless kind of transcultural music-making that was happening at the time that so informed virtually everything in both genres now.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Iberia 4:38
Armen Donelian
2     Cruzan 7:40
Armen Donelian
3     Spring Song 7:09
Armen Donelian
4     Sofrito O Mi Shango 6:06
Neal Creque
5     O Mi Shango 4:24
Mongo Santamaria
6     Five on the Color Side 5:48
William Allen
7     Secret Admirer 4:28
William Allen
8     Olive Eye 3:31
Marty Sheller
9     Princess 5:05
Marty Sheller
Credits :
Arranged By – Armen Donelian (faixas: A1 to A3), Marty Sheller (faixas: A4, B4 to B5), William Allen (faixas: B1 to B3)
Bass Clarinet – Roger Rosenberg (faixas: 6)
Bass Guitar – Eddie ("Gua Gua") Rivera, William Allen (faixas: 5 to 7)
Bata – "Cachete" (Angel Maldonado) (faixas: 5, 7), Julito Collazo (faixas: 5, 7)
Bongos, Cowbell, Congas, Percussion – "Peachy" (Greg Jarmon)
Congas – Mongo Santamaria
Coro – Marcelino Guerra (faixas: 8), Marcelino Valdez (faixas: 8), Mario Munoz (faixas: 8)
Drums [Traps] – Bernard Purdie (faixas: 7)
Drums [Traps], Timbales, Bata, Percussion – Steve Berrios
Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic], Synthesizer [Arp String Ensemble], Clavinet – Armen Donelian
Executive-Producer – Jerry Masucci
Flugelhorn – Mike DiMartino ("Coco") (faixas: 73)
Flute [Solo] – Gonzalo Fernandez (faixas: 7)
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Roger Rosenberg
Tenor Saxophone, Flute [Soprano & Alto] – Al Williams
Trumpet – Mike DiMartino ("Coco")
Vocals – Edna Holt (faixas: 6)

EDDIE PALMIERI / CAL TJADER - Bamboleate (1967-2007) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The second album pairing Palmieri and Tjader, Bamboleate moves beyond El Sonido Nuevo into the respective territories of each artist. "Bamboleate" is the dark Latin cooker ones expects from Palmieri --that persona was all but absent from the more subdued El Sonido Nuevo. "Semejanza" is an equally affecting jazz lilt led by Tjader. Framed by a melody that could have come straight off the Vince Guaraldi Trio's Charlie Brown Christmas album, it has an equally indelible, locomotive rhythm. Tjader's samba, "Samba de Los Suenho," is a welcome departure from the relative rigidity of El Sonido Nuevo. Also vital are the vocal tracks (Palmieri's), but the blatant channel-switching in "Guajira Candela" is an abuse of stereo separation. "Pancho's Seis por Ocho" is typical of the deep, midtempo Afro rhythm of Bamboleate and El Sonido Nuevo. Trombonist Mark Weinstein contributes the closing "Ven y Recibelo (Come an' Get It)," a mod/soul cooker on par with the best of Verve all-stars Tjader, Ogerman, Winding, and Schifrin. Finally, the album was reissued in 1977 as Tico LPS-88806 and distributed by Fania. The reissue at least features illustrations of Tjader and Palmieri by Jose Vargas. by Tony Wilds  
Tracklist :
1     Bamboleate 3:25
Eddie Palmieri
2     We've Loved Before 2:30
Jay Livingston / Henry Mancini
3     Resemblance 5:39
Eddie Palmieri
4     Mi Montuno 5:23
Eddie Palmieri / José Papo Rodríguez
5     Samba Do Sueno 3:53
Cal Tjader
6     Guajira Candela 3:48
Eddie Palmieri
7     Pancho's Seis por Ocho 5:37
Eddie Palmieri
8     Come and Get It 3:02
Mark Weinstein
Credits :
Piano [Uncredited] – Eddie Palmieri
Vibraphone [Uncredited] – Cal Tjader

EDDIE PALMIERI - Vamonos Pa'l Monte [1971] FANIA / FLAC / 2006

Eddie Palmieri's 1971 LP Vamonos Pa'l Monte moves easily from the nearly avant-garde trumpet-battle opener "Revolt/La Libertad Logico" into the new-era-meets-old "Caminando," complete with an excellent electric-piano solo by Palmieri himself. He also takes the lead on the seven-minute title-track jam, this time with organ (backed by brother Charlie), backed by a strong vocal chorus (Justo Betancourt, Santos Colon, Yayo el Indio) and the rugged timbales playing of Nick Marrero. Above and beyond the irresistible arrangements and intricate playing, Vamonos Pa'l Monte benefits from one of the best recording jobs of any early-'70s salsa record, each section -- and practically each musician -- vigorously separated with clear stereo. Though many fans consider it a transition record toward the compositional brilliance of The Sun of Latin Music, it's actually a much better record for fans of traditional salsa. by John Bush
Тracklist:
1. Revolt/La Libertad Logico (5:24)
2. Caminando (3:53)
3. Vamonos Pa'l Monte (7:07)
4. Viejo Socarron (6:10)
5. Yo No Se (4:14)
6. Comparsa de los Locos (7:24)
Credits:
Eddie Palmieri - band leader
Ismael Quintana - vocals
Bob Vianco - guitar
Jose Rodriguez - trombone
Alfredo Armentereos, Victor Paz, Charles Camilleri - trumpets
Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
Pere Yellin - tenor saxophone
Nick Marrero - timbales, bongo
Eladio Perez Perez - conga
Arturo Franquiz - clave, coro
Monchito Munoz - bombo
Chorus:
Santos Colon, Justo Betancourt, Marcelino Guerra, Vayo El Indio, Elliot Ramero, Mario Munoz (Papaito)

EDDIE PALMIERI
Vamonos Pa'l Monte [1971] FANIA
FLAC / 2006

O Púbis da Rosa

WILLIE COLON & RUBEN BLADES - Siembra [1978] FANIA / FLAC

The high point of Willie Colón's ongoing collaboration with Rubén Blades (and close to a career peak for both artists), Siembra exploded on the salsa scene in 1978 and has never been forgotten by fans. Beginning with a minute of playfully deceptive quasi-disco arrangements, Colón and his band slip into a devastating salsa groove for the opener, "Plástico," on which Blades first criticizes America's throwaway society and then brings all of Latin America together with a call to unity. Blades wrote all but one of the songs on Siembra, and shines on all of them; his extended high-tenor salsa scatting lifts "Buscando Guayaba," his tender side comes across on the love song "Dime," and he outlines a devastating life-in-el-Barrio exposé with "Pedro Navaja" (Peter the Knife). For the latter, Colón and Luis Ortiz's tight arrangement adds immeasurably to the song, using street noise and sirens, breaking into an ironic "I like to live in America!," and punching the statement home with a four-trombone line. Reflecting the tough times but optimistic attitude of el Barrio during the late '70s, Siembra joined Cosa Nuestra as one of Willie Colón's career landmarks.  by John Bush  
Traclist
1. Plastico 6:37
2. Buscando Guayaba 5:43
3. Pedro Navaja 7:21
4. María Lionza 5:27
5. Ojos 4:50
6. Dime 6:59
7. Siembra 5:21
Personnel:
Rubén Blades - lead vocals, chorus ensemble
Willie Colón - trombone, chorus ensemble
José Torres - piano, Fender Rhodes, electric piano
José Mangual Jr. - bongos, maracas, chorus ensemble
Jimmy Delgado - timbal
Adalberto Santiago - percussion, chorus ensemble
Eddie Montalvo - tumbadora, Percussion
Bryan Brake - drums
Salvador Cuevas - bass
Eddie Rivera - bass

WILLIE COLON & RUBEN BLADES
Siembra [1978] FANIA / FLAC

O Púbis da Rosa