My apologies in not posting any album recommendations recently, but here is one that most serious Salsa collectors/connoisseurs can not do without...It's the 1976 Conjunto Libre release titled, " Libre, Con Salsa... Con Ritmo."

And what an album it is! On this gem we have a few of Eddie Palmieri's defected musicians from Palmieri's "La Perfecta" days which include: Manny Oquendo (Leader & Timbales, he has a slower paced style, similar to the older Cuban style of playing the timbales, I'd say the opposite of Tito Puente's stylistic tendencies of playing faster), Andy Gonzalez (Co-Leader & Bass), Jose Rodrigues (Trombone) Barry Rogers (my personal favorite trombonist in salsa's history ever), & Jerry Gonzalez (Conga & Chekere). So you know that their sound is going to be somewhat similar to "La Perfecta's", i.e. a big fat trombone sound up front (a staple in the 70's salsa style), with a powerful rhythm section behind it...


Other musicians include: Angel "Papo" Vasquez on Trombone, Oscar Hernandez on piano (of Spanish Harlem Orchestra fame lately, & who cites Eddie Palmieri as one of his influences), Hector "Tempo" Alomar on vocals on the songs "Lamento Borincano" ( an interesting take on the Raphael Hernandez original), "Risque" and "No Critiques"(clearly the main reason to buy this album, interesting & provocative lyrics, great rhythm, definitely danceable, what a sound!!!), Tony "Pupy" Torres on vocals on the other outstanding tracks "Saoco" & "Bamboleate,"which are the other outstanding tracks on this album.(this particular track, "Bamboleate" was originally done by Eddie Palmieri with Cal Tjader, which is the version I enjoy more, but boy does Conjunto Libre really create a comparable alternative take on it). Felo Barrio, Nestor Sanchez on Coros, & Vicente George on Guiro.


Track Listing:

1. Lamento Borincano
2. Risque
3. Saoco
4. Afterthought
5. No Critiques (Classic 70's Salsa sound)
6. Donna Lee/ A Gozar Y Bailar
7. Bamboleate
   

This album could be a little difficult to find, although I do know that they re-issued it in 1998. You can definitely find it at www.Edenmusicalrecords.com

The descargas of the Cesta All-Stars...

Aaahh.... Now this is definitely an album to purchase... Its the Cesta All-Stars (a.k.a the Alegre All Stars, & apparently several other names due to record Label changes). This is the first Volume they made under this specific name. The credits read like a who's who of the best Latin Musicians playing from the 1960's-1970's...they are on vocals:Cheo Feliciano, Joe Quijano, Yayo El Indio, Jimmy Sabater, Victor Velazquez, Chaguito Montalvo, Willie Torres, Dioris Valladares. On Trumpets:Victor Paz, Pedro "Puchi" Boulong, Roy Roman. On Saxes: Jose "Chombo" Silva, Mario Rivera. On the Piano none other than Charlie Palmieri. On the Bass: Bobby Rodriguez. The great Timbalero Kako. On Vibes: Louie Ramirez. Conga/Bongo: Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez. Timbales/Bongo:Willie Rosario. On Trombone: Barry Rodgers (arguably the best Trombone player in Latin Music). Timbales: Orlando Marin. On Conga:Frankie Malabe & Pedro Perdomo. On Trombone: Joe Wohletz and Joe Rodriguez.... Damn that is a lot of Musicians in one album!!! Upon listening to this album one gets the sense that these musicians had lots of fun improvising with the music, its very free, with tons of room for instrumental jazz-like solos... This type of sound is called a "Descarga."

As John Storm Roberts explains in his book, "The Latin Tinge," The word Descarga means discharge and is a Latin musicians's slang term for a jam session. Descargas occupy a position midway between salsa and Latin-Jazz, since they tend to preserve the Cuban structures yet contain far more jazz soloing than does salsa.

Track 3, "Sonero En Una Cesta" is worth buying the whole album alone. Do your ears some justice, get the album, get a bottle of some good quality aged tequila or rum, and listen to the opening improvised vocal exchange between Cheo Feliciano & Jimmy Sabater where they list all the musicians on the album with mucho "Swing y Sabor", Doing Roll Call never sounded better... Songs on the album are:

1. No Hace Falta Papel
2. Si A Tu Lado No Estoy
3. Sonero En Una Cesta
4. Jala, Jala Con Aguardiente
5. Echame A Mi La Culpa
6. El Rinconcito- (Descarga Con Tres)
   

The Cuban Sonero with a distinct voice...

In this posting, I will be writing about one of Cuba's greatest, if not the greatest sonero they ever produced, Abelardo Barroso. He was born in Havana on September 21, 1905, and from an early age showed a prodigious talent for singing (according to author Pablo Emilio Delvalle Arroyo in his encyclopedic-sized book, "Arsenio Rodriguez, Padre de la Salsa" ) . His voice sounds a bit raspy, nasal, and the phrasing or pace of his lyrics would be best described as being laid back. Abelardo joined the Charanga group, Orquesta Sensacion back in 1955.
The album of his that I'm suggesting for collectors here would be "Orquesta Sensacion, Cumbancha En Cha." There are 18 tracks in total, they are:

1. La Reina Del Guaguanco
2. Bombon Cha
3. La Cumbancha
4. Rico Vacilon
5. Los Carnavales Del Oriente
6. Elube Chango
7. Caumbia
8. Aprendiendo El Chachacha
9. A La Pelota Con Carlota (Aaagghh!!! This song is damn-near genius! Just listening to the first 30 seconds gets you moving. And if you would just get this album for this track & track 15 alone it would still be worth it! It would later be covered by the Puerto-Rican Conguero Ray Barretto)
   
10. Cero Codazos, Cero Cabezazos
11. Seven Voy
12. Arinanara
13. El Manisero (check out Barroso's effortless take on this standard in Afro-Cuban music)
    
14. En Vano
15. El Huerfanito (Classic must have-Barroso song about being an orphan, later covered by Henry Fiol)
    
16. El Panquelero
17. Hagan Juego
18. Salud, Dinero Y Amor

Hopefully you can find this specific album, as most of Abelardo Barroso's albums are impossible to find in most mega-chain stores. Check out www.edenmusicalrecords.com for it as I know that the owner there carries a large selection of Abelardo Barroso material.

Tommy Olivencia's Musical Sensacion in 1967...

For this post, I'm recommending the 1967 album release by orchestra leader & trumpeter Tommy Olivencia. The title of this underrated classic is "Tommy Olivencia Y Su Orquesta, La Nueva Sensacion Musical De Puerto Rico." The two lead singers on this are the forgetten sonero Chamaco Ramirez (who in my humble opinion gives Hector Lavoe & Ismael Rivera some tough competition in improvising lyrics) & Paquito Guzman (who would later in the 80's make a comeback with a more romantic style of Salsa). There are 11 tracks in total, all of which are excellent to very good (ok with the exception of two so-so tracks, # 2 & 11 ). The songs are:

1. Sabroso (Guaguanco)
2. Este Rencor (Bolero)
3. Adios (Guaguanco)
4. Oye Mi Consejo (Guajira)
5. Mi Puerto Rico (Guaguanco)
6. Como Te Canto Yo (Guaguanco)
7. Trucutu (Guaguanco), quite arguably an eternal classic in the Salsa Genre.
   
8. Este Guaguanco (Guaguanco)
9. La Vecinita Del Lado (Guaguanco)
10. Casabe Con Longaniza (Guaguanco)
11. La Comay (Peregrina)

I can't praise this album enough, it is an essential piece of Salsa's history. Especially in regards to recognizing who were the important bands playing in Puerto Rico during the 60s & 70s. The classic on this album of course is the song "Trucutu," (most dancers/collectors who actually remember this song, have heard the later version remade by Tommy Olivencia from his other classic album "Plante Bandera".) The earlier version of "Trucutu" on this album here, is as Hiram Guadalupe Perez, (author of "Historia De La Salsa.") wrote, the original version made in 1962 with the Tioly music label which was never released when it was initially made.
From the moment you hear the first track ("Sabroso") with Chamaco's voice soaring over the trumpets & rhythm section one realizes that this band had swing! It also helps to have an up & coming timbalero by the name of Endel Dueno ( one of the best timbal players to come from Puerto Rico since Tito Puente)on this obscure classic album. You might be able to find this album at a Latin-music store that specializes in afro-cuban & carribean music, one source that I would recommend would be www.edenmusicalrecords.com

The highly forgotten Father of Salsa music, Arsenio Rodriguez.

For this first post on "The Obscure Afro-Cuban & Carribean Music Collector" Blog, I though it would be most appropriate to start off with the Blind Tresero from Cuba, Arsenio Rodriguez. As Jan Fairley commented in "World Music Vol.2", Arsenio brought a musical revolution in Cuban Son by adding piano, trumpets and congas to the classic septet. The album that is reviewed here in particular is titled simply "Primitivo," which was released in 1968. Although according to Pablo Emilio Delvalle Arroyo (author of "Arsenio Rodriguez, Padre de La Salsa.")it was originally recorded as early as 1958 in New York City. The musicians on this must-have album are the following: Ramon Quian Sardinas (aka Monguito) as lead vocal, Davy Gonzalez as another lead vocal, Candido Antomattei as second vocal, Israel Berrios as second vocal & guitar, Agustin Caraballoso on trumpet, Johnny Malcom on trumpet, Arsenio Rodriguez on tres & overall musical director, Abelardo Chacon on timbal, and Israel Travieso Scull on the tumbadora (Arroyo). There are a total of 12 tracks on this album. They are:

1. La Pasion
2. Me Enganastes Juana
3. Lo Que Dice Justi (the only track not written by Arsenio, this one is by Justi Barreto)
   
4. Rumba Guajira
5. Coplas De Espana
6. Que Mala Suerte
7. Fiesta En El Solar
8. Me Equivoque Contigo
9. A Gozar Mujeres
10. No Lo Niegues
    
11. El Lema Del Guaguanco
12. Guaguanco De Puerta De Tierra

Standout tracks are #2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 & 11 (yes the album is damn near perfect!). All one has to do is listen to Coplas De Espana (track 5) where he leaves room for extended instrumental solos on his tres & you'll see why he is aptly named "El Ciego Maravilloso." Usually collectors can find one or two of his albums in a decent mega chain music store, though this particular album could be one of the harder albums to come by there. I would definitely recommend going to a local mom & pop Latin music shop in some barrio nearby that has a large Latino community, thereby increasing your chances of finding this excellent CD. Of Course there is the other option of looking online, but I always preferred supporting the small family-owned Latin-music shops which were so prominent back in the 70s -80s. So how about a family-owned Latin-music store that also sells online?, Check out www.edenmusicalrecords.com ( based out of Clifton, NJ.) for records of Arsenio Rodriguez (& any other Latin musician), & even if you don't see what your looking for, the owner, Ernesto will gladly get it for you. How is that for Service?!