For You Lot Ray Barretto - 1973 [1993] Carnaval

One of the many budget-priced Fantasy mid-'70s repackages to acquire a '90s CD number (rather than merely releasing the original LPs alongside their original titles together with artwork), Ray Barretto's Carnaval combines 2 1962 sessions, Pachanga With Barretto (his Milestone label debut equally a leader) together with Latino!. Both sets characteristic Barretto's firstly band, Charanga Moderna, alongside trumpeter El Negro Vivar together with tenor saxophonist Jose Chombo Silva added to the front end trouble for the latter LP. The firstly album (confusingly the latter on the CD reissue, comprising tracks nine-18) is really much a Latin jazz album of its time, alongside all 10 tracks designed for dancing the briefly pop pachanga, a trip the lite fantastic that was merely also manic together with hard to pick out handle of on widely. The pachanga-friendly tempos on these 10 brief cuts (most nether iii minutes) brand the album audio rushed together with nervous to ears unfamiliar alongside the trip the lite fantastic fad. The far-better Latino!, recorded inwards nearly the same session, is a proficient old-fashioned jam session, alongside to a greater extent than leisurely tempos together with extended playing times that give all the soloists -- peculiarly Vivar, Silva, together with flutist Jose Canoura -- enough of room to stretch out. These 2 albums are really different, but hearing both of them inwards proximity reveals much virtually the nation of the New York City Latin jazz scene inwards the early on '60s.

This album was recorded at Plaza Sound Studio inwards New York City on Jan 1 & 2, 1961 together with September 20, 1962 together with released that same year. The album was re-released inwards 1973 together with is a latin jazz pachanga oriented masterpiece alongside around of the nifty musicians of the day. The personnel Barretto (bongos, congas, timbales) included were Mike Stancerone (violin); Frank Mercado, "Chombo" Silva (tenor saxophone); Jose Canoura (flute); "El Negro" Vivar (trumpet); Alfredito Valdez, Jr. (piano); Ricky Jackson (bass); Wito Kortwright (guiro); Ray Mantilla (timbales); Willie Rodriguez (piano) together with Rudy Calzado (percussion). Cocinando Suave is an extraordinary together with timeless scheme together with the album is a must for whatever library. Listen together with y'all volition non endure disappointed alongside each together with every arrangement. 

Before he became the fiendishly energetic leader of the early-'70s Nuyorican movement, Ray Barretto made a slew of comparatively buttoned-up but highly sensual Latin jazz albums inwards the early on '60s. Carnaval comprises 2 of the best of these efforts: 1962’s Pachanga together with 1963’s Latino!. As he'd essay inwards the years to come, Barretto had much to a greater extent than to offering than sleek jazz tunes played at a cocktail-lounge volume. But equally is the illustration alongside comparable masters similar Marvin Gaye or John Coltrane, the intricacies of Barretto’s early on travel frequently acquire overwritten inwards appraisals of his after accomplishments. The horn sections are less visceral on these early on works, which lets the interplay betwixt pianoforte together with percussion smoothen through. The add-on of violin together with flute also gives these performances a distinct together with sometimes otherworldly texture. In a few years, Puerto Ricans would endure expressing their heritage alongside a newfound militancy, but it’s impossible to ask heed “Pachanga Suavecito” together with non experience that Barretto had already struck the ultimate pose of exquisite trend together with self-composure.

These 2 lp's from early on inwards Barretto's career, are perhaphs the finest sessions he e'er led. The sidemen all are on FIRE!!! These heated sessions characteristic mambos, cha cha's(or what nosotros similar a shot telephone telephone salsa). Whatever y'all desire to telephone telephone it Afro-Cuban jazz, salsa dancing music, or pachanga music, it is political party music for dancing, equally good equally legit jazz for lsitening. exotic percussions past times Barretto, together with nifty jazz gorn solos. Entrancing, enhcanting, together with fun music. ESSENTIAL salsa together with Latin jazz.

While Ray Barretto's congas accept graced to a greater extent than recording sessions than virtually whatever other conguero of his time, he has also led around refreshingly progressive Latin jazz bands over the decades. His records frequently accept a to a greater extent than tense, to a greater extent than adventurously eclectic border than those of most conventional salsa groups, unafraid to purpose electronics together with novel instrumental or structural combinations, driven hard past times his rocksteady, endlessly flexible percussion work. This no uncertainty reflects Barretto's broad arrive at of musical interests together with also the fact that he came to Latin music from jazz, rather than the green vice versa road for Latin-descended musicians. Indeed, he has said that he learned how to play swing-style earlier he came to master copy Latin grooves. Puerto Rican past times extraction, Barretto took upwards the congas patch stationed inwards Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany during an Army hitch. He began working alongside American jazz musicians upon his furnish to New York, eventually replacing Mongo Santamaria inwards the Tito Puente band for iv years, commencement inwards the piece of cake '50s. Barretto made his debut equally a leader for Riverside inwards 1962 together with scored a crossover hitting (number 17 on the pop charts) the next yr on Tico alongside "El Watusi" (in tandem alongside a trip the lite fantastic craze of the time). He tried to modernize the charanga audio alongside injections of brass, roofing stone together with pop tunes of the fourth dimension equally several Latin artists did then. However, Barretto made his primary grade inwards the '60s equally a super session player, playing on albums past times Gene Ammons, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson, Red Garland, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, Cal Tjader, together with several other jazz together with pop albums. In moving over to the Fania label inwards 1967, Barretto began to accomplish recognition equally i of the leading Latin jazz artists of the day, eventually becoming music manager of the Fania All-Stars. In the '70s, he was incorporating stone together with funk influences into his music -- alongside solely limited success -- patch recording for Atlantic, together with inwards 1981, he made a highly regarded album for CTI La Cuna, alongside Puente, Joe Farrell, together with Charlie Palmieri equally invitee players. He became music manager of the Bravisimo boob tube plan together with took business office inwards the multi-idiom, all-star, anti-apartheid Dominicus City recording together with video inwards 1985. In 1992, he unveiled a novel Latin jazz sextet, New World Spirit, which made around absorbingly unpredictable albums for Concord Picante

This may endure Ray Barrettos "obra maestra" (masterpiece). "Cocinando Suave", the version of "Summertime", together with everything else on this CD transcends fourth dimension together with genre.

Tracklist:

1. Manha De Carnaval
2. Sugar's Delight
3. Exodus
4. Descarga La Moderna
5. Summertime
6. El Negro Y Ray
7. Mira Que Linda
8. Cocinando Suave
9. Pachanga Oriental
10. Barretto En La Tumbadora
11. Cumbamba
12. El Paso
13. Linda Mulata
14. Oye Heck
15. Los Cueros
16. Pachanga Suavecito
17. Ponte Dura
18. Pachanga Para Bailar

Personnel:

Ray Barretto (congas, bongos, timbales);
Mike Stancerone (violin);
Jose Canoura (flute);
Frank Mercado, Chombo Silva, Jose Silva (tenor saxophone);
El Negro Vivar (trumpet);
Alfredito Valdez, Jr. (piano);
Ray Mantilla (timbales);
Rudy Calzado, Willie Rodriguez (percussion).