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)