Ray Barretto - 1995 "My Summertime"

Ray Barretto (a master of the congas) has effectively fused together bop-oriented jazz with Latin rhythms to form a particularly viable version of Afro-Cuban jazz; he hates the term "Latin jazz." Rather than sounding like two forms of music, Barretto's group New World Spirit shows that Latin rhythms can uplift all types of jazz songs, even ballads such as "When You Wish Upon A Star." Barretto's sextet is quite strong with Michael Philip Mossman's trumpet recalling Freddie Hubbard at times, Adam Kolker showing versatility and hard-driving swing during his tenor and soprano solos and the leader constantly cooking in the rhythm section. Whether it be Duke Jordan's "No Problem," "While My Lady Sleeps" or "Summertime" (which has Barretto partly talking his way through a vocal), the music is both creative and easily accessible. Recommended.

"My Summertime" is one of the finest achievements of a career that spanned half a century and encompassed both the Salsa and Jazz Worlds. When it was released in France in 1995, it made Ray Barretto a star in that nation. It's not difficult to see why. Barretto took several well-known standards, beloved songs such as Autumn Leaves and When You Wish Upon a Star, and made them new, in a Latin jazz vein. Some would say in an Instrumental Salsa vein, because of the danceability of these versions and their adherence to the clave. But categories don't matter here. What's really important is that this is soulful, swinging, heartfelt music played by a great edition of Barretto's New World Spirit ensemble, which included Hector Martignon on piano, Michael Phillip Mossman on trumpet and Adam Kolker on sax. The jewel of the crown, however, is the track titled "Summertime (Guajira)", in which Barretto -who in his younger years played congas for jazz luminaries such as Red Garland, Gene Ammons, Wes Montgomery, Lou Donaldson and others- actually SINGS the lyrics to that tune, and then adds a few of his own, emphasizing the "strong common bond" of guajira and the blues, "the two worlds that I love". It's a beautiful, unique performance that grabs your heart and mind.
To most fans, Ray Barretto is known as one of the Fania All Stars, one of the brightest Salsa leaders whose Fania albums are now classics. But he also loved jazz, and when "hard salsa" went into a steep decline at the 1980s, he decided to pursue his jazz interests full-time. "My Summertime" was recorded after a couple of albums for Concord Picante and showcases New World Spirit at a very high musical point. Barretto made several good albums after this one (Contact, Portraits in Jazz and Clave, Trancedance, Homage to Art Blakey, Time Was Time Is and Standards Rican-Ditioned) all of which merit close inspection. But "My Summertime" was the album that inaugurated the last purple patch of this beloved musician's life. It deserves a place on every Latin- or Latin jazz-lover's record collection.

I have known about Ray Barretto since I was a kid. Title cut 'My Summertime' is a very rhytmic Guajida that wraps around a spoken dialogue about the musical form... 'from the people', and makes a comparison of field workers cutting sugar cane in South America, and the cotton workers in the Southern US, with very tasty punctuation and support from piano and percussions. Then the rest of the musicians are introduced for the real thing! 

Track Listings

  1. No Hay Problema (No Problem)
  2. In Your Own Sweet Way
  3. Brother Ray
  4. When You Wish Upon A Star
  5. Autumn Leaves
  6. While My Lady Sleeps
  7. Off Minor
  8. Fait Accompli
  9. Summertime-(Guajira)
  10. Worlds I Love

Personnel:

    Percussion - Ray Barretto
    Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Jairo Moreno (2)
    Congas, Mixed By, Edited By, Mastered By, Sequenced By – Ray Barretto
    Drums – Vince Cherico
    Guiro – Alfredo «Tito» Gonzalez* (tracks: 3, 9)
    Piano – Hector Martignon
    Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Adam Kolker
    Trumpet, Trombone, Flugelhorn – Michael Philip Mossman
    Vocals – Ray Barretto (tracks: 9)

Ray Barretto - 1973 [1993] "Carnaval"

One of the many budget-priced Fantasy mid-'70s repackages to get a '90s CD issue (rather than simply releasing the original LPs with their original titles and artwork), Ray Barretto's Carnaval combines two 1962 sessions, Pachanga With Barretto (his Milestone label debut as a leader) and Latino!. Both sets feature Barretto's first band, Charanga Moderna, with trumpeter El Negro Vivar and tenor saxophonist Jose Chombo Silva added to the front line for the latter LP. The first album (confusingly the latter on the CD reissue, comprising tracks nine-18) is very much a Latin jazz album of its time, with all ten tracks designed for dancing the briefly popular pachanga, a dance that was simply too manic and difficult to catch on widely. The pachanga-friendly tempos on these ten brief cuts (most under three minutes) make the album sound rushed and nervous to ears unfamiliar with the dance fad. The far-better Latino!, recorded in nearly the same session, is a good old-fashioned jam session, with more leisurely tempos and extended playing times that give all the soloists -- especially Vivar, Silva, and flutist Jose Canoura -- plenty of room to stretch out. These two albums are very different, but hearing both of them in proximity reveals much about the state of the New York City Latin jazz scene in the early '60s.

This album was recorded at Plaza Sound Studio in New York City on January 1 & 2, 1961 and September 20, 1962 and released that same year. The album was re-released in 1973 and is a latin jazz pachanga oriented masterpiece with some of the great 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) and Rudy Calzado (percussion). Cocinando Suave is an extraordinary and timeless arrangement and the album is a must for any library. Listen and you will not be disappointed with each and 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 in the early '60s. Carnaval comprises two of the best of these efforts: 1962’s Pachanga and 1963’s Latino!. As he'd prove in the years to come, Barretto had much more to offer than sleek jazz tunes played at a cocktail-lounge volume. But as is the case with comparable masters like Marvin Gaye or John Coltrane, the intricacies of Barretto’s early work often get overwritten in appraisals of his later accomplishments. The horn sections are less visceral on these early works, which lets the interplay between piano and percussion shine through. The addition of violin and flute also gives these performances a distinct and sometimes otherworldly texture. In a few years, Puerto Ricans would be expressing their heritage with a newfound militancy, but it’s impossible to hear “Pachanga Suavecito” and not feel that Barretto had already struck the ultimate pose of exquisite style and self-composure.

These two lp's from early in Barretto's career, are perhaphs the finest sessions he ever led. The sidemen all are on FIRE!!! These heated sessions feature mambos, cha cha's(or what we now call salsa). Whatever you want to call it Afro-Cuban jazz, salsa dancing music, or pachanga music, it is party music for dancing, as well as legit jazz for lsitening. exotic percussions by Barretto, and great jazz gorn solos. Entrancing, enhcanting, and fun music. ESSENTIAL salsa and Latin jazz.

While Ray Barretto's congas have graced more recording sessions than virtually any other conguero of his time, he has also led some refreshingly progressive Latin jazz bands over the decades. His records often have a more tense, more adventurously eclectic edge than those of most conventional salsa groups, unafraid to use electronics and novel instrumental or structural combinations, driven hard by his rocksteady, endlessly flexible percussion work. This no doubt reflects Barretto's wide range of musical interests and also the fact that he came to Latin music from jazz, rather than the usual vice versa route for Latin-descended musicians. Indeed, he has said that he learned how to play swing-style before he came to master Latin grooves. Puerto Rican by extraction, Barretto took up the congas while stationed in Germany during an Army hitch. He began working with American jazz musicians upon his return to New York, eventually replacing Mongo Santamaria in the Tito Puente band for four years, beginning in the late '50s. Barretto made his debut as a leader for Riverside in 1962 and scored a crossover hit (number 17 on the pop charts) the following year on Tico with "El Watusi" (in tandem with a dance craze of the time). He tried to modernize the charanga sound with injections of brass, covering rock and pop tunes of the time as several Latin artists did then. However, Barretto made his main mark in the '60s as a super session player, playing on albums by Gene Ammons, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson, Red Garland, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, Cal Tjader, and several other jazz and pop albums. In moving over to the Fania label in 1967, Barretto began to achieve recognition as one of the leading Latin jazz artists of the day, eventually becoming music director of the Fania All-Stars. In the '70s, he was incorporating rock and funk influences into his music -- with only limited success -- while recording for Atlantic, and in 1981, he made a highly regarded album for CTI La Cuna, with Puente, Joe Farrell, and Charlie Palmieri as guest players. He became music director of the Bravisimo television program and took part in the multi-idiom, all-star, anti-apartheid Sun City recording and video in 1985. In 1992, he unveiled a new Latin jazz sextet, New World Spirit, which made some absorbingly unpredictable albums for Concord Picante

This may be Ray Barrettos "obra maestra" (masterpiece). "Cocinando Suave", the version of "Summertime", and everything else on this CD transcends time and 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).

Ray Barretto - 1999 "Portraits In Jazz And Clave"

In this program of mainly Afro-Cubanized jazz standards, conga man Barretto assembled an all-star group of friends to complement his regular working New World Spirit band. The icons include longtime friend Kenny Burrell, whose guitar playing is a key component in the makeup of every selection. Bassist Eddie Gomez, tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and trombonist Steve Turre join such up-and-coming younger musicians as trumpeter John Bailey, saxophonist Adam Kolker and pianist John DiMartino. Second percussionist Bobby Sanabria is alongside, as is the oustanding trap drummer and longtime Barretto bandmate Vince Cherico.

The recording is bookended by Duke Ellington's music. It's front-loaded with "The Mooche," ignited by a simmering bass and left-hand piano ostinato plucked from Horace Silver's "Senor Blues." Conch-shell moans from Turre and punchy congas intro this classic, with Burrell's second melody lead and horns on the first and third. "Cotton Tail" is a good swinger with Latin underpinnings and loads of Burrell (refer to Burrell and Barretto on Burrell's classic Blue Note date Midnight Blue). At the end of the CD is the lesser-known "Oclupaca," taken as a steamy cha-cha. Also included is Billy Strayhorn's Johnny Come Lately," which has clave/mambo rhythms buoying echoed trumpet and tenor lines talking back and forth. The interplay of this counterpoint is stunning, again kicked off by the fuse of Burrell's guitar.

There's the fluttery horn intro and dueling tenors on John Coltrane's "Like Sonny," the slight tango-ish "Lamento Borincano" and its heavy dose of Latin Burrell, and the laid-back horns setting up demure-to-forceful piano by DiMartino on Wayne Shorter's "Go." Then there's Thelonious Monk's brisk and brusque "I Mean You," cooked by the unison horns to golden brown perfection with claves, montuno piano and a patented deft bass solo from the brilliant Gomez. A most Afro-Cuban "Cancion del Fuego Fatuo" is quite subtle, Burrell again the focal point with much to say beneath and above the surface. Of the many fine recordings Barretto has produced in the past 30 years as a leader, this ranks right up in the top three, due to the undeniable musicianship of his select guests, the innate ability of his own band, and the meticulous selection of jazz pieces whipped into tangy salsa. It's a winning, highly recommended combination.

Back in the day when Mario Bauz, Chico O’Farrill and Dizzy were striving to link up Afro Cuban son ‘n’ clave with Afro American swing and bop, they built their bridges on the backs of ex-Havana conguero masters like Chano Pozo and Mongo Santamaria. As the ’50s waned, the Latin jazz vanguard was led by Nuyorican timbalero Tito Puente and his conguero homeboy Ray Barretto. Well-schooled in Cuban guaguanco, Puerto Rican bomba/plena, veteran of bop jam sessions at Mintons, Barretto was the right cat at the right time.

First kicking off the Latin boogaloo craze with the 1963 R&B crossover smash “El Watusi,” by the end of the ’80s Barretto’s groundbreaking solo (Acid), Fania All-Stars and pop (Rolling Stones) recordings made him the most ubiquitous conguero of all. Since the early ’90s, the various editions of his New World Spirit ensemble have consistently dropped some of the deepest Latin jazz music on the planet.

 At a time when Latin jazz legends and newer jacks alike are content to place-and-show (see Tito and Arturo Sandoval), Mr. Hard Hands’ latest New World Spirit + 4 recording, Portraits in Jazz and Clave, finds him still in the lead, maxing mph. Cold chilling behind the wheel of a low-riding machine tweaked, torqued and souped by Steve Turre, Joe Lovano, Kenny Burrell, Eddie Gomez, John Bailey, Adam Kolker, John Di Martino and Bobby Sanabria (trombone/shells, tenor sax, guitar, bass, trumpet, tenor/soprano, piano, percussion, respectively), Barretto deftly up/downshifts his way through Turre’s sneaky/snaky jazz ‘n’ clave variations on Duke (“The Mooche”), Monk (“I Mean You”), Shorter (“Go”) and Hernandez (“Lamento Borincano”).

After some 50-odd years of fervid cross-cultural exchange, Portraits in Jazz and Clave is as much testimony to the continuing relevance of Latin jazz as it is to the artistic resilience of Ray Barretto.

This recording is dedicated to the memory of Ben Joubert, <>... He touched many with his love for life...

https://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=ray+barretto

Track listing:

1     The Mooche     6:55
2     Cotton Tail     5:31
3     Johnny Come Lately     5:27
4     Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo (From El Amor Brujo)     7:16
5     I Mean You     6:41
6     Go     7:58
7     Like Sonny     4:35
8     Lamento Borincano     7:17
9     Oclupaca (From Latin American Suite)     6:07

Personnel:

    Congas, Mixed By, Mastered By, Edited By, Producer, Liner Notes – Ray Barretto
    Drums – Vince Cherico
    Featuring [Bass] – Eddie Gomez
    Featuring [Guitar] – Kenny Burrell
    Featuring [Tenor Saxophone] – Joe Lovano
    Featuring [Trombone, Shells] – Steve Turre
    Piano – John Di Martino
    Producer – Jean-Jacques Pussiau
    Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Adam Kolker
    Trumpet – John Bailey (2)

Ray Barretto - 1979 "La Cuna"

Producer Creed Taylor has inspired everything from praise to anger among jazz fans. His work has been brilliant at times, detrimental at others (his worst flaw being a tendency to overproduce). Taylor plays a mostly positive role on La Cuna, a jazz-oriented effort uniting Ray Barretto with such first-class talent as Tito Puente (timbales) and the late Joe Farrell (tenor & soprano sax, flute). As slick as things get at times on La Cuna (originally released on vinyl by Taylor's CTI label and reissued on CD in 1995), Taylor wisely gives the players room to blow on everything from the haunting "Doloroso" and the driving "Cocinando" (a piece by Carlos Franzetti that shouldn't be confused with Barretto's major salsa/cha-cha hit) to a somewhat Gato Barbieri-ish take on Mussorgsky's "The Old Castle." Barretto successfully moves into soul territory on Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" (which rapper Coolio recast as his hit "Gangsta's Paradise" in 1994). Barretto may hate the term "Latin jazz," but make no mistake: La Cuna is one of his most memorable contributions to that genre. All Music

For those looking for Salsa this record will dissapoint. In fact Ray Barretto offers us a supreme effort by some of the finest musicians of the time and the result is in my opinion some of the best latin jazz funk ever recorded. In many ways this is more exciting and adventurous music than the salsa hits that Barretto can produce on a whim. Any wonder that "Pastime Paradise" and "The Old Castle" consistently make the most saught-after latin jazz and rare funk compilations and dj playlists? In fact these tunes boast white hot guitar by a brilliant John Tropea, Charlie Palmieri's tasty piano on "La Cuna" & "Pastime Paradise" Tito Puente swingin' on "Cocinando" and Joe Farell on sax reminiscent of Gato Barbieri, as exciting as it is melodic and passionate, just check out "The Old Castle". I'll ride this elevator any time!!!  By Michael Saltiel

I bought the vinyl album version when it first came out back in '81 (I think). I was overseas on a military base and with some friends, played latin music on our time off. When we got our hands on this at the BX, we went nuts as Barretto is one of the greatest congueros ever. The music on here is just incredible - it ranges from a soft, melancholy ballad, to an uptempo furious set that will leave you drenched in sweat. It also contains an excellent cover of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" with Willy Torres doing a nice job on vocals. "Cocinando" on the CD was not on the vinyl album - it's a bonus track - and what a bonus! A very uptempo and furious jam session - if you like to play congas or percussion in general, you will love this track - it will leave your hands raw. As another reviewer noted, this is not the same track as Ray's salsa song by the same name. For those of you looking for Salsa, this CD IS NOT IT! It's Latin Jazz - and excellent Latin Jazz at that with some of the best Jazz musicians around. With a lineup of Joe Farrell, Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri, Jeremy Wall, John Tropea, Steve Gadd, and others, this is a classic, period. Enjoy. By NYCSteeler  

An all star crew: Barretto (master conga player and true pioneer); Puente (the king of latin music, best timbalero ever and great musical conductor), Tropea (I always enjoyed his solos in Deodato's albums); Steve Gadd (a kick ass drummer, the white version of Lenny White); Joe Farrell (a fantastic flute and sax player; a classic studio musician who I enjoyed when playing with Corea); and, Charlie Palmieri (a tremendous piano player with identical genes of his brother Eddie). "La Cuna" - spanish for The Cradle. It figures... Great album. Que VIVA Barretto!.  By Alberto Rodriguez.

Track listing:

1     La Cuna     5:08
2     Doloroso     5:55
3     Mambotango     5:57
4     The Old Castle     8:40
5     Pastime Paradise     8:31

Personnel:

Ray Barretto (congas, percussion);
Willy Torres (vocals);
Joe Farrell (tenor & soprano saxophones, flute);
Carlos Franzetti (piano);
Charlie Palmieri (piano, percussion);
Jeremy Wall, Suzanne Ciani (synthesizers);
John Tropea (guitar);
Francisco Centeno (bass);
Steve Gadd, Mark Craney (drums);
Tito Puente (timbales). 

Ray Barretto - 2007 "Que Viva La Música"

Produced only a short time after his death, Ray Barretto's A Man and His Music tells the story of a young conguero who went from sitting in on New York's after-hours jam sessions to becoming a Latin music household name, the most influential conguero of his lifetime. It's a long story, spanning better than 45 years and quite a few records, and it's surprising that the Fania label could cram it into a two-disc set. Beginning in his boogaloo years, with famous cuts like "El Watusi" and "Soul Drummers," the collection demonstrates that Barretto's habits of rule-breaking and genre-fusing were obviously formed early. These tracks show a sophistication that the majority of the boogaloo genre did not share. Moving on to Barretto's salsa/Latin jazz experimentation, "Abidjan" and "The Other Road" are a testament to his ongoing creativity. There are, of course, a number of his indispensable hits included, like "Indestructible," "Vale Mas un Guaguanco," and "Guarare." The absence of any of Barretto's genuine jazz work is noticeable and curious, but considering the source of this collection (Fania), that is understandable, if somewhat disappointing. There are guaranteed to be more than a few collections put together immortalizing the late, great master conguero/bandleader. For those who favor his salsa side, A Man and His Music is sure to please.

Well-known in jazz circles for his early work as a ubiquitous sideman with the likes of Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson and Red Garland and for fronting his own world class Latin jazz ensemble during the final decades of his life, conguero Ray Barretto was equally important as one of the leading figures in the AfroCuban music commonly known as salsa. Affectionately known as "Hard Hands ("Manos Duras ), Barretto also had a sensitive finger on the pulse of the Puerto Rican community and his many albums for the Fania label during the '60s-70s were central to the soundtrack that accompanied the rising consciousness and pride of his people.

The two-CD set Que Viva La Musica chronicles Barretto's impressive artistry during that revolutionary era, with the first disc focusing primarily on his work melding Latin music with elements of AfroAmerican progressive pop and soul and the second documenting his popular advancements within the traditional Latin dance music genre. The first disc begins with several tracks of Barretto's pre-Fania work for Tico and UA Latino, starting with 1962's "El Watusi (the conguero's Billboard-charting Gold Record) and progressing through a history of his crossover hits, with lyrics in both Spanish and English. Reflecting the influences of James Brown, Sly Stone and Motown, the disc is a gumbo of dance party music that rocked the barrios of New York for more than a decade and although most of the songs on the set could be described as period pieces, many of them are ripe for reevaluation. The music on disc two, on the other hand, is timeless in every sense of the word; as relevant and innovative as when they were first recorded. Each of the program's 13 cuts ("El Hijo De Obatala , "Guarare and the title track, to name a few) is a classic featuring driving rhythms and socially powerful lyrics with soaring horn solos that should satisfy the most demanding of jazz listeners.

Barretto himself was an avid discophile who learned much observing jazz producers and engineers and his own productions were of the highest quality. Indestructible (1973) is one of his greatest albums, with pristine sound that allows one to hear the subtle intricacies of the Latin rhythm section. With wonderfully virile lead vocals by Tito Allen and coros from Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon (among others) the Spanish lyrics ring out with a power that even those who do not understand them can feel. The band—jazz soloists like Artie Webb and Manny Duran on flute and flugelhorn, pyrotechnical trumpeters Roberto Rodriguez and "Papy Roman and a smoking rhythm section with pianist Edy Martinez out front—is one of Barretto's strongest units. The music flows through an engaging sequence of songs whose varied forms and rhythms are well-explained in Bobby Sanabria's illuminating liner notes.

In addition to his work as a leader, Barretto was a founding member of the Fania All-Stars, the legendary Latin super group that traveled the world spreading the gospel of salsa in stadium concerts. Live at the Red Garter, Vol. 1 & 2 documents the band's 1968 inaugural performance at the intimate Greenwich Village club that would later become The Bottom Line. The band under the direction of flutist/percussionist Johnny Pacheco consisted of a revolving cast of characters that included pianist Larry Harlow and trombonist Willie Colon and also featured guest artists Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri. Barretto is heard throughout and his composition "Son Cuero Y Boogaloo kicks off the second volume, but the jam-session-like atmosphere and the less-than-perfect sound stand in contrast to the conguero's own excellently produced dates.

The late great Ray Barretto's recordings for the Tico and Fania labels represent an extremely important chapter in the history of Salsa and this compilation offers a fine (if incomplete) overview of his illustrious career. Hopefully, Emusica Records (Fania's new owner) will reissue all of Ray's Tico and Fania CDs. Most of his major hits and trademark tunes are here and no self-serving Barretto fan should be without this great compilation.

Track listing:

Disc 1
01     El Watusi    2:40    
02     El Bantu    2:18    
03     Senor 007    2:13    
04     Do You Dig It    2:29    
05     Soul Drummers    3:50    
06     Hard Hands    2:27    
07     Together    2:36    
08     Right On    2:45    
09     Acid    5:06    
10     Abidjan    4:50    
11     Power    6:09    
12     The Other Road    6:03        
13     Lucretia the Cat    5:35    
14     Cocinando    10:09
15     Arrepientete    5:15    
   
Disc 2
01     Que Viva La Musica    5:28    
02     La Pelota    4:17    
03     Indestructible    4:14    
04     El Hijo De Obatala    5:03    
05     Guarare    5:37    
06     Vale Mas Un Guaguanco    4:21    
07     Ya Vez    5:43    
08     Tu Propio Dolor    4:13    
09     Fuerza Gigante    4:41    
10     Rhythm of Life 6:37    
11     Manos Duras 5:12    
12     Prestame Tu Mujer 6:14    
13     Aguadilla 4:09 

Ray Barretto - 1994 "Taboo"

Ray Barretto's Taboo features a new, smaller version of his New World Spirit ensemble. Hector Martignon, who composes along with Barretto, is still here, as are Satoshi Takeishi, Ray Vega, and Jairo Moreno. Saxophonist Adam Kolker takes the sax chair vacated by Jay Rodriguez, and guitarist Alfredo Gonzales has not been replaced. The material is far jazzier on Taboo. Barretto explored the roots of Latin jazz as it transformed itself into the New York version of son and salsa on 2003's Hot Hands: Ancestral Messages, and Taboo serves as a guidebook to present and future tenses of Latin jazz. For starters, one can read between the lines that Ray Vega's charts have moved far a-field of the standard notions surrounding big band arrangements. Everything here feels fluid and relaxed; the playing leaves spontaneity in the air whether it is on a Barretto or a Martignon original, such as on "Bomba-Riquen," "99 MacDougal St," or something from the hard bop cannon by Nat Adderley and Oscar Brown, Jr., such as the classic "Work Song," or a modal tune like McCoy Tyner's "Effendi." What comes out is a steamy, emotionally moving, reworking of the soul-jazz ethic by Latin rhythmic and sophistication standards. One tune seamlessly moves into another and the trajectory of soloists against the rhythm section is linear; there is no attempt made by anyone here to play beyond the watermark the band sets, thereby keeping the entire process organic and unified. The counterpoint is engaging, the melodic intervention is groundbreaking, and the interplay of rhythm instruments -- hand percussion, drums, bass, and piano, is nothing less than brilliant and innovative. Taboo actually moves past Hot Hands: Ancestral Messages, and gives listeners a solid view of the shape of Latin jazz to come.

This CD exceeded my expectations.

Track Listing:

  1. Taboo
  2. Bomba-Riquen
  3. Work Song
  4. Cancion De'l Yungue (Song For The Rain Forest)
  5. Guaji-Rita
  6. 99 MacDougal St.
  7. Montuno Blue
  8. Brother Tom
  9. Lazy Afternoon
  10. Effendi

Personnel:

- Ray Barretto: Composer, Congas, Drums, Primary Artist, Quinto
- Alfredo González: Guitar
- Adam Kolker: Flute, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor).
- Hector Martignon: Arranger, Composer, Piano
- Jairo Moreno: Bass, Bass (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric).
- Satoshi Takeishi: Drums.
- Ray Vega: Arranger, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion.

Wes Montgomery - 1961 [1987] "So Much Guitar"

So Much Guitar is the sixth album by American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1961. It has been reissued by Original Jazz Classics.

One of Wes Montgomery's finest recordings, a Riverside date that showcases the influential guitarist in a quintet with pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Lex Humphries, and the congas of Ray Barretto. All eight performances are memorable in their own way, with "Cottontail," "I'm Just a Lucky So and So," and a brief unaccompanied "While We're Young" being high points.

Wes Montgomery's So Much Guitar! continues the latest round of re-releases/re-masters from the Concord Music Group, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Riverside Records. So Much Guitar! follows the re-releases of singer and trumpeter Chet Baker's Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe (OJC/Riverside, 1959/2013) and Mulligan Meets Monk (OJC/Riverside, 1957/2013) in the label's birthday celebration.

Montgomery enjoyed a productive stay at Riverside between 1958 and 1963, making many of his most memorable recordings. So Much Guitar! falls between the release of 1960's breakthrough recording The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery and 1961's Wes and Friends. In total, Montgomery would records a total of 18 long-playing albums for Riverside before moving to Verve in 1964.

The re-release of So Much Guitar! includes all of that original release plus all of the Montgomery Brother's 1961 Fantasy recording The Montgomery Brothers In Canada. The original tapes of the So Much Guitar! session were accidently erased, leaving no alternate takes to consider for inclusion. The decision to add the live material turns out to be a big plus, offering the listener the comparison of Montgomery with two vastly different rhythm sections.

So Much Guitar! pits Montgomery against a young, but accomplished Ron Carter on bass with pianist Hank Jones and percussionists Lex Humphries and Ray Barretto. The set features a well-behaved and swinging collections of standards and originals where Montgomery shows off his octave playing. Jones is perfectly tasteful while Carter reveals his perfect time that would guide Miles Davis's second great quintet just five years later. The inclusion of Barretto on congas adds a layer of rhythmic sophistication that fills out the musical background properly. The band is most effective on Montgomery's "Twisted Blues" and the minor- key blues "Something Like Bags."

The live material was recorded at The Cellar in Vancouver in the Spring of 1961. Montgomery is joined by brothers bassist Monk Montgomery and vibraphonist Buddy Montgomery. Paul Humphrey plays the drums. This is a quartet with the piano replaced by the vibes. The effect is an overall softening of the band's swing. Claude Thornhill's iconic "Snowfall" is given a post-modern treatment that remains true to the such textures of the original while exposing the piece's ribs. It is a showcase for Buddy Montgomery. The vibes-guitar axis proved to be an improvisatory playground for the brothers, who were tethered to the beat by another brother. On "Angel Eyes" the approach was most effective, as well as on "On Green Dolphin Street." The re-issued So Much Guitar! is a great set all around.

Track listing

    "Twisted Blues" (Wes Montgomery) – 5:31
    "Cotton Tail" (Duke Ellington) – 3:38
    "I Wish I Knew" (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) – 5:26
    "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So" (Ellington, Mack David) – 5:57
    "Repetition" (Neal Hefti) – 3:48
    "Somethin' Like Bags" (Montgomery) – 4:44
    "While We're Young" (Morty Palitz, Alec Wilder) – 2:12
    "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) – 7:38

Personnel

    Wes Montgomery – guitar
    Ron Carter – bass
    Lex Humphries – drums
    Ray Barretto – conga
    Hank Jones – piano

Kenny Burrell - 1967 [1999] "Midnight Blue"

Midnight Blue is a 1963 album by Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell featuring Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Major Holley on double bass, Bill English on drums and Ray Barretto on conga, and is one of Burrell's best-known works for Blue Note. Jazz Improv Magazine lists the album among its top five recommended recordings for Burrell, indicating that "[i]f you need to know 'the Blue Note sound', here it is". In 2005, NPR included the album in its "Basic Jazz Library", describing it as "one of the great jazzy blues records". The album has been re-issued by Blue Note and the French label Classics.

This album is one of guitarist Kenny Burrell's best-known sessions for the Blue Note label. Burrell is matched with tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, bassist Major Holley, drummer Bill English, and Ray Barretto on conga for a blues-oriented date highlighted by "Chitlins Con Carne," "Midnight Blue," "Saturday Night Blues," and the lone standard "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You." 

I have been searching for beautiful jazz guitar albums, and this is about as close to perfection as I have found. For an album recorded in 1963, it still sounds remarkably fresh today. Beautiful playing never goes out of style. How smooth can Jazz guitar get? Right here is the answer. Every song on this album is first rate and has some of the best guitar I've ever heard when it comes to Jazz. Five stars really isn't enough when it comes to this album. It should be the first stop when considering listening to Kenny Burrell.

In an era dominated by the glossy veneer of "Facebook blue," Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue sets the mood for a brief return to a bygone era when the deep indigo of the Yves Klein version was more common. Darker hues ruled the night, and the pale moonlight of a lovelorn skyline meant it was past last call and all that remained of the day was an overwhelming air of what could only be called the blues. "The blues," Duke Ellington wrote, "the blues ain't nothin' but a cold gray day, and all night long it stays that way…the blues is a one-way ticket from your love to nowhere; the blues ain't nothin' but a black crepe veil, ready to wear."

Leonard Feather begins his liner notes for Burrell's seminal album with this quote, invoking one of the consummate jazz guitarist's greatest influences, and one of his greatest champions. Now 81, Burrell even teaches a course on Ellington at UCLA. Part Lawrence Lucie, part Charlie Christian, he has a steely, cool-under-pressure sound on the guitar that dovetailed perfectly with Blue Note’s prevailing blues-infused character.
Few albums capture the aesthetic of Blue Note's golden era better than Midnight Blue—a consistent set of original minor grooves meant to be experienced in its entirety, rather than padding for one standout track—and it justifiably occupies a place in the jazz canon, a common entry on countless essential listening lists. Recorded 50 years ago at Van Gelder studio in Englewood Cliffs with Burrell's pianoless quintet, the album still holds up to critical scrutiny, or to a pairing with a half-empty bottle of Scotch. Undoubtedly, 1963 was a high-water mark for jazz, in New Jersey and elsewhere.

One of Burrell's most enduring achievements, the album plumbs the depths of the blues for its harmonic subtleties and lyricism in a manner that can be readily accessible on its face yet challenging enough to reward repeated visits. As always with Burrell, though, never mistake brevity for simplicity; the fathomless 12-bar mantra has no two identical choruses, and Burrell doesn't rely on reflexive facility, the blues equivalent of fool's gold.
A true master, Burrell has internalized the form, giving him the sense of repose and restraint that is the cornerstone of any bluesman worth his salt. On this outing, he is joined by like-minded players who create the illusion of a loose blowing session within a tight framework: tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, bassist Major Holley, drummer Billy Gene English, and conguero Ray Barretto, a highly regarded bandleader in his own right who injects a dash of Latin flavor into the mix.
Burrell got his start as a Detroit rhythm guitarist; as a result, his time is unerring and right in the pocket, he always spells out the chords and forecasts where he's going, but like a great bus driver, he doesn't draw attention to the underlying mechanics. The effect is a listener-friendly album with a tonally nuanced atmosphere easily shared between the jazz aficionado and the neophyte who just heard Kind of Blue for the first time; regardless of background, a smooth ride allows passengers to take in the scenic vistas.

The album opens with Burrell's classic minor blues, "Chitlins con Carne." Often covered by artists ranging from Horace Silver to Stevie Ray Vaughan, this is the low-key original that set the standard for this now standard Latin-tinged blues.  The eight-bar intro lays down a pulsing Latin clave, with Holley pedaling the bass as Barretto takes liberties on the congas. Turrentine's matter-of-fact statement of the melody establishes his by turns lugubrious and diaphanous sound.
Burrell's sparse comping sets the album's precedent for succinctness, one of his hallmarks. His deceptively clean guitar solo walks a tightrope between endless space and airtight rhythmic motifs; a devil-may-care attitude in the face of death that comes from having been down and out and having lived to tell about it. Turrentine plays foil, Captain Kirk to Burrell's Spock, singing the blues right out of the gate, but the two show their psychic connection when seamlessly trading not fours, but ones, until the blistering out chorus.

"Mule" recalls Howlin' Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin's feel and precision, a slow-marinating, soft blues that the band works over like a bomb squad that has seen it all. Unlike other jazz subgenres, the key to the blues is to never let the bomb go off, and the five demonstrate an unwavering focus, keenly aware of this urgent fact. Punctuated by Holley's downward bass slide riff and English's ambling hi-hat, Turrentine and Burrell stretch out on this quintessential slow jam.
Burrell keeps it mellow on the crepuscular "Soul Lament," a solo minor groove that departs from the blues form but nevertheless retains its spirit. Though under three minutes, this represents some of Burrell's most sensitive playing, replete with embellishments, a rhythmic elasticity, and complex inversions. The pace picks up abruptly on the title track, which reintroduces the rhythm section, but not Turrentine. Taking another departure from the 12-bar blues, Burrell shows his prodigious bebop chops here, cutting loose on some extended lines juxtaposed with subtler rhythm guitar, employing technique that carries his characteristic fullness despite its comparatively fewer notes.
Turrentine returns on "Wavy Gravy," a smoldering mid-tempo blues waltz that brings the minor groove to a new tension point. Holley establishes the groove with a well-articulated bass line, which Burrell glides over sparsely, until the saxophonist comes in to state the head in unison with the guitar. Turrentine’s and Burrell's solos are the epitome of cool, a relaxed but structured call-and-response that typifies the album's eponymous color.

"Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You," the album's sole non-original, is a lazy, schmaltz-free meditation on love. Burrell uses it as a springboard for his effortless, behind-the-beat bebop phrasing, playing off English's sultry brushwork. Burrell closes the album with "Saturday Night Blues," a driving nightcap to a bottomless evening that shifts the blues from minor to major. Turrentine simply wails; his style contrasts perfectly with Burrell's cavalier detachment. The two continue riffing over each other until it all starts to fade out—the blues are never finished, merely abandoned at dawn—as Saturday night palpably fades into Sunday morning.   

Track listing

Except where otherwise noted, all songs composed by Kenny Burrell.

    "Chitlins con Carne" – 5:30
    "Mule" (Burrell, Major Holley, Jr.) – 6:56
    "Soul Lament" – 2:43
    "Midnight Blue" – 4:02
    "Wavy Gravy" – 5:47
    "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" (Andy Razaf, Don Redman) – 4:25
    "Saturday Night Blues" – 6:16
    "Kenny's Sound" (reissue bonus track) – 4:43
    "K Twist" (reissue bonus track)– 3:36

Personnel:

    Kenny Burrell – guitar
    Stanley Turrentine – tenor saxophone
    Major Holley – bass
    Billy Gene English – drums
    Ray Barretto – conga

Various Artists - 1994 "Rock Instrumental Classics Vol. 4 Soul"

While the material on volume four of Rhino's rock instrumentals set chronologically preceded what was on the third volume, no soul, R&B, or even soul-jazz and funk fan should mind these 18 genuine classics, including two superb numbers from Booker T. and the MGs, seminal tracks by the Mar-Keys, Bar-Kays, and Cannonball Adderley, and great Latin tunes from Ray Barretto and Mongo Santamaria. There's absolutely no fluff, and the presence on CD of rare cuts like the Young Holt Trio's "Wack Wack" and Alvin Cash & the Crawlers' "Twine Time" is most welcome.

The most consistently enticing disc in the Rock Instrumental Classics series, this is both a great party and driving record and a window on the rhythms that powered soul music in the '60s (and early '70s, in two cases). In addition to some obvious choices (the four Booker T. & the MG's tracks, the Mar-Keys' "Last Night"), it also offers some left-field picks, such as the varied approaches to Latin music offered by Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, and El Chicano. The stock of virtuoso performances here is all but endless: the bass-and-drums breakdown on Cliff Nobles and Co.'s "The Horse," the glinting guitar solo on the Bar-Kays' "Soul Finger," Hugh Masekela's questing trumpet on "Grazing in the Grass."

Rock Instrumental Classics, Volume 4 not only met my expectations, but surpassed them. I have enjoyed these classics for over forty years, and its terrific to now have them on one compact disc. The CD was in mint condition as advertised; it obviously was treated well. It arrived in a very timely fashion and has gotten a lot of "air time" in my car's CD player. The cuts included bring back beautiful memories of a decade that included a cornucopia of unforgettable music.

As with the other albums in this series (1.-the 50's, 2.-the 60's 3.-the 70's and 5.-Surf) Vol.4-Soul is yet another solid collection from Rhino Records. Hey, there's four Booker T and the MG's songs on this one CD! That alone make it worth it. Personally, I have been looking for Twine time by Alvin Cash and the Crawlers for 40 years! (Yea, I know-Old Guy) The Transfer quality is very good considering that the available master tapes are more than 40 years old. Bottom line: if you are looking for Soul instrumentals, stop looking. Your'e there.

Various Artists - 1994 "Rock Instrumental Classics Vol.3 The Seventies":
https://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/2015/09/various-artists-1994-rock-instrumental.html

Track Listing:

  01. Green Onions - Booker T. and The Mg's
  02. Grazing In The Grass (Single Version) - Hugh Masekela
  03. The Horse (Single Version) - Cliff Nobles And Co.
  04. Soul Twist - King Curtis And The Noble Knights
  05. Last Night - Mar-Keys
  06. The "In" Crowd - Ramsey Lewis Trio
  07. Soul Finger - Bar-Kays
  08. Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango
  09. Twine Time (Single Version) - Alvin Cash and The Crawlers
  10. Soulful Strut (Single Version) - Young-Holt Unlimited
  11. Hang 'Em High - Booker T. and The Mg's
  12. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Cannonball Adderley
  13. El Watusi - Ray Barretto/Y Su Charanga Moderna
  14. Watermelon Man - Mongo Santamaria Band
  15. Viva Tirado, Pt. 1 - El Chicano
  16. Hip Hug-Her - Booker T. and The Mg's
  17. Wack Wack (Single Version) - The Young Holt Trio
  18. Time Is Tight - Booker T. and The Mg's

Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery - 1966 [1984] "The Dynamic Duo"

Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo is the first collaboration album by American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery and electric organist Jimmy Smith, released in 1966.

Creed Taylor matched two of his most famous artists, Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith, on this session (Montgomery's last for Verve), and the results are incendiary -- a near-ideal meeting of yin and yang. Smith comes at your throat with his big attacks and blues runs while Montgomery responds with rounder, smoother octaves and single notes that still convey much heat. They are an amazing pair, complementing each other, driving each other, using their bop and blues taproots to fuse together a sound. The romping, aggressive big band charts -- Oliver Nelson at his best -- on "Down by the Riverside" and "Night Train," and the pungently haunting chart for Gary McFarland's "13" (Death March)" still leave plenty of room for the soloists to stretch out. "James and Wes" and "Baby, It's Cold Outside" include drummer Grady Tate and conguero Ray Barretto, with Smith's own feet working the organ pedals. The Verve Master Edition reissue also includes an alternate take of "O.G.D." with Tate and Barretto, a track previously surfacing on a long-gone Encyclopedia of Jazz anthology LP from the '60s -- a neat bonus that makes this the preferred version.

I have been listening to this CD since it came out in 1966. Even though there is a lot of "sweetening" with big band and strings on a lot of this CD, this first cut, "James and Wes" is two giants taking the opportunity to just cook and, buddy, they get right to it! Grady Tate punctuates and acknowledges this glorious blues dialogue. The playing is spontaneous and simple yet highly sophisticated and organized. The comping is magnificent. There is much to get even after many hearings.
This cut could be the epitome of organ/guitar jazz trio blues cuts, certainly a good reason to own this CD.

Two virtuosos on their respective instruments. Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery lay down some smoking hot tracks. The combo is tight, and yet there is a chill groove throughout the album. I recommend this album for anyone who likes that Hammond sound or smooth, driving, full phrasing on a guitar. This one won't let you down!

Track listing

    "Down by the Riverside" (Traditional) – 10:02
    "Night Train" (Jimmy Forrest) – 6:46
    "James and Wes" (Jimmy Smith) – 8:13
    "13 (Death March)" (Gary McFarland) – 5:22
    "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Frank Loesser) – 6:05

Personnel:

Jimmy Smith – Hammond organ
Wes Montgomery – guitar
Grady Tate – drums
Ray Barretto – conga (tracks 3 - 5)

 Tracks 1, 2, 4 add:

Bob Ashton, Danny Bank, Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson, Phil Woods – reeds
Clark Terry – trumpet, flugelhorn
Ernie Royal, Jimmy Maxwell, Joe Newman – trumpet
Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Quentin Jackson – trombone
Tony Studd – bass trombone (tracks 1-2)
Dick Hixson – bass trombone (track 4)
Richard Davis – bass

Wes Montgomery - 1966 [1999] "Tequila"

Tequila is the seventeenth jazz album recorded by guitarist Wes Montgomery and released in 1966.

Tequila is a mixture of tracks using just a jazz quartet with Ron Carter, Grady Tate and Ray Barretto and the rest with a string section arranged by Claus Ogerman. It is mainly a Latin-flavored album, the first Montgomery recorded without a keyboardist.
It was reissued on CD in 1999 and 2008 with alternate takes that are listed below.

1. Tequila 3:23
2. Little Child (Daddy Dear) 2:30
3. What The World Needs Now Is Love 5:00...
4. The Big Hurt 4:34
5. Bumpin' On Sunset 4:52
6. Insensatez (How Insensitive) (Album Version) 3:47
7. The Thumb 4:51
8. Midnight Mood 5:36
9. Wives And Lovers 3:00
10. Tequila 2:41
11. The Big Hurt 3:30
12. Bumpin' On Sunset

Guitar – Wes Montgomery
Bass – Ron Carter
Cello – Abe Kessler, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Harvey Shapiro
Congas – Ray Barretto
Design [Cover] – Acy Lehman
Drums – Grady Tate
Engineer [Director] – Val Valentin
Engineer, Mastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Photography By [Cover] – Rudy Lequame
Producer – Creed Taylor
Vibraphone – George Devens
Violin – Arnold Eidus, Bernard Eichen, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, Julius Held, Paul Gershman

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, on March 17, 21, & May 18, 1966.

Wes Montgomery - 1968 [1988] "Down Here on the Ground"

Down Here on the Ground is an album by jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery that was released in 1968. It reached number one on the Billboard Jazz album chart and number 4 on the R&B chart. It also reached number 38 on the Billboard 200. Released just a month before Wes died, this 1968 LP was one of only two that the massively influential jazz guitarist landed in the pop Top 40.

Wes Montgomery acceded to the whims of producer Creed Taylor for this, one of the very first CTI productions that would, over the next decade, popularize jazz with string backdrops or rhythm & blues beats. Much to either the delight or chagrin of urban or traditional jazz fans, the music changed, and Montgomery was in the middle, though his delightful playing was essentially unchanged. On the plus side, the legendary guitarist was allowed to collaborate with great musicians like bassist Ron Carter, pianist Herbie Hancock, flutist Hubert Laws, and percussionist Ray Barretto. While the small orchestral trappings never dominate this session, the seeds for a more grandiose style of music had been planted with the release of this date in 1968.

The arrangements of Don Sebesky are for the most part pretty, unobtrusive, and pleasant but lack groove and soul in the main. "Wind Song" is exactly as its title suggests, a light funk loaded up with chords and woodwinds. The melody of "Georgia on My Mind" is barely stated although the strings are subtle; "I Say a Little Prayer" is a sappy tune made into Muzak; oboe and cello bring "When I Look Into Your Eyes" into an ultimately maudlin arena; and Lalo Schifrin's theme from "The Fox" has the same instrumental complement, more film noir, and parallel to Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Theme to the Eulipions" if you compare them side by side. The best material is the light funk of Montgomery's original "Up & at It" in a small ensemble, nice enough, and the roots of so-called "smooth" jazz. The bright samba "Know It All" best showcases the guitarist and Hancock's luminous piano, reflecting the classic "No More Blues," while "Goin' on to Detroit" is a typical Montgomery-styled, cool road song featuring Laws.

In may real and important ways, this is the beginning of the end for Montgomery as a jazz artist, and the inception of bachelor pad lounge/mood music that only lasted for a brief time. This recording, with no extra material, alternate takes, or bonus tracks, cannot compare to Charlie Parker with strings. It does fall in that category of recordings where the musicians chose to produce, rather than create their personal brand of jazz, and is at the very least an historical footnote.

This is an example of superb, cool guitar jazz! Wes Montgomery was introduced to me by a family friend many years ago,(back in the late 60s). By this gift she introduced me to a great jazz guitarist!: Wes Montgomery. This is one of the greatest gifts, given to me on vinyl, long playing record. I have this recording, still in playable condition as well as a cd copy purchased from the manufacturer. It is indeed a treasure in my musical collection!

The song "Down Here on the Ground" is Montgomery's version of the theme song from the movie Cool Hand Luke by Lalo Schifrin.

Track listing

    "Wind Song" (Herb Alpert, Nick Ceroli, Neil Larsen, John Pisano, Paul Francis Webster) – 2:22
    "Georgia on My Mind" (Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) – 2:46
    "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" (Tony Hatch, Jackie Trent) – 2:36
    "Down Here on the Ground" (Lalo Schifrin, Gale Garnett) – 3:42
    "Up and at It" (Wes Montgomery) – 4:15
    "Goin' on to Detroit" (Montgomery) – 3:38
    "I Say a Little Prayer for You" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 3:18
    "When I Look in Your Eyes" (Leslie Bricusse) – 3:11
    "Know It All (Quem Diz Que Sabe)" (João Donato, Paulo Valle) – 2:59
    "The Fox" (Lalo Schifrin) – 2:56

Personnel

    Wes Montgomery – guitar
    Herbie Hancock – piano
    Ron Carter – bass
    Grady Tate – drums
    Ray Barretto – percussion
    Hubert Laws – flute, oboe
    George Marge – flute, oboe
    Romeo Penque – flute, oboe
    Bobby Rosengarden – percussion
    Mike Mainieri – vibraphone
    Gene Orloff – violin
    Raoul Poliakin – violin
    George Ricci – cello
    Emanuel Vardi – viola

Deodato - 1972 [1987] "Prelude"

Eumir Deodato has participated as pianist/keyboardist, producer, or arranger in over 450 albums, and has won 16 platinum records. The list of top artists with whom he has collaborated is too extensive to cite, but includes Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jobim, Wes Montgomery, João Donato, Kool & the Gang (group with which he played between 1979 and 1983), Earth, Wind & Fire, and Michael Franks. He has also worked on the soundtracks of major films, like The Onion Field, The Exorcist, and many others. Artists who have recorded his compositions include Sarah Vaughan, Milt Jackson, Joe Pass, George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Perez Prado, and the Emotions.

Prelude is the eighth studio album by Brazilian keyboardist Eumir Deodato, released in 1973. With the signature track "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" (an arrangement of the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey), Prelude would become the most successful recording for Deodato and CTI Records.

The album features guitarist John Tropea on three tracks, bassists Ron Carter and Stanley Clarke, and Billy Cobham on drums. The funk-influenced version of the "Introduction" from Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra, entitled "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)", won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and went to number two in the pop charts in the US, number three in Canada, and number seven in the UK. In 1977, the album was re-released as briefly 2001.

Prior to Prelude, Eumir Deodato was primarily known, if at all, as a tasteful, lyrical, bossa nova-based sometime arranger for the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Wes Montgomery, and others. Enter Creed Taylor, who gave Deodato a chance to step out on his own as a pianist/leader, doing a few tunes of his own plus a healthy quota of CTI-patented jazz interpretations of classical pieces by Richard Strauss ("Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)"), Debussy ("Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun"), and bowdlerized Borodin ("Baubles, Bangles and Beads"). Well, "2001" -- a clever, up-tempo Latin-groove takeoff on the opening measures of Strauss' tone poem suddenly exploded and became an improbable hit single. In its wake, Prelude soared to number three on the pop LP charts, and Deodato was propelled out of the arranger-for-hire business. Though overshadowed by "2001," the other tracks also hold up well today, being mostly medium-tempo, sometimes lushly orchestrated, conga-accented affairs that provide velvety showcases for Deodato's lyrical electric piano solos. The record also made a temporary star out of John Tropea, whose electric guitar has a lot of rock & rolling zip and fire, and Hubert Laws, Stanley Clarke, and Marvin Stamm each get a little solo room too. This would be the biggest hit Deodato and CTI ever had, and though short on playing time (32 minutes), it still makes enjoyable listening.

A legendary album from the 70s funk scene – and one of the crowning achievements of keyboard maestro Eumir Deodato! Deodato got his start during the bossa years of the 60s – where his sophisticated charts were already enough to make his career a landmark – but in the following decade he picked up the Fender Rhodes, and really took off in a great new direction with classic records like this! The set's a wonderful blend of larger charts and jazzy soloing – with sublime Rhodes lines from the leader, plus a mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation in the best CTI mode – underscored by percussion from both Ray Barretto and Airto. The features Deodato's remake of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" into the funky "2001" – soaring with Fender Rhodes lines that set a new standard for the instrument, with a funky undercurrent that few would have expected for the tune. Other tracks are nice too – and include a great bossa-y version of "Baubles Bangles & Beads", plus "Spirit Of Summer", "September 13".

Track listing:

1 Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001) 9:00
2 Spirit Of Summer 4:04
3 Carly & Carole 3:38
4 Baubles, Bangles And Beads 5:20
5 Prelude To Afternoon Of A Faun 5:13
6 September 13 5:24

Personnel:

Eumir Deodato - piano, electric piano
Ron Carter - electric bass (solo on "Baubles, Bangles and Beads"), bass
Stanley Clarke - electric bass (solo on "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)")
Billy Cobham - drums
John Tropea - electric guitar (solo on "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)", "Baubles, Bangles and Beads", "September 13")
Jay Berliner - guitar (solo on "Spirit of Summer")
Airto Moreira - percussion
Ray Barretto - congas
Hubert Laws - flute (solo on "Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun")
John Frosk - trumpet
Marky Markowitz - trumpet
Joe Shepley - trumpet
Marvin Stamm - trumpet (Solo on "Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun")
Wayne Andre - trombone
Garnett Brown - trombone
Paul Faulise - trombone
George Strakey - trombone
Bill Watrous - trombone
Jim Buffington - french horn
Peter Gordon - french horn
Phil Bodner - flute
George Marge - flute
Romeo Penque - flute
Max Ellen - violin
Paul Gershman - violin
Emanuel Green - violin
Harry Lookofsky - violin
David Nadien - violin
Gene Orloff - violin
Eliot Rosoff - violin
Emanuel Vardi - viola
Al Brown - viola
Harvey Shapiro - cello
Seymore Barab - cello
Charles McKracken - cello

Wes Montgomery - 1966 [1997] "California Dreaming"

California Dreaming is the sixteenth jazz album recorded by guitarist Wes Montgomery and released in 1966. It reached number one on the Billboard Jazz album chart and number 4 on the R&B chart. It was reissued on CD in 2007 with an alternate take of "Sunny".

Wes Montgomery's last album for Verve (other than an exciting collaboration with Jimmy Smith) is a so-so orchestral date featuring arrangements by Don Sebesky. The material (which includes "Sunny" and "California Dreaming") is strictly pop fluff of the era and the great guitarist has little opportunity to do much other than state the melody in his trademark octaves. This record was perfect for AM radio of the period.

My step-father brought this home on 8-track in 1968 and to this day when I listen to it, I can go back to that place in time. Wes is on it, the arrangements are sharp, tasteful and evoke a mood that I will always cherish, even the cover fit to a tee. Wes was a unique artist, the likes of which we won't soon see again. Something about the early sixties...just makes me want to make a highball, throw a t-bone on the grill, light up a Kool Filter King, kick back and enjoy life...this is a great period piece.

Classic Jazz re-visited and enjoyed that's what this vintage music means to me and others who love it as well. I now own a classic piece of history (How sweet is that?) This was a vintage recording hard to attain and easy to enjoy Jazz America's only true original Art form...this album is sophisticated AND musical and in my opinion puts Wes' tone and imagination on display at their best ! I have a lot of Wes in my collection; this is my favorite ! (... the sidemen / arrangements are only spectacular !)

Although this the 'pop' Wes Montgomery, I think it show his remarkable guitar playing. He was a unique and wonderful artist. I highly recommend it

Track listing:

01 - "California Dreaming" (John Phillips, Michelle Phillips) – 3:08
02 - "Sun Down" (Wes Montgomery) – 6:03
03 - "Oh, You Crazy Moon" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) – 3:44
04 - "More, More, Amor" (Sol Lake) – 2:54
05 - "Without You" (Marino, Myers) – 3:05
06 - "Winds of Barcelona" (Lake) – 3:07
07 - "Sunny [alternate take]" (Bobby Hebb) – 3:07
08 - "Sunny" (Hebb) – 4:04
09 - "Green Peppers" (Lake) – 2:56
10 - "Mr. Walker" (Montgomery) – 3:39
11 - "South of the Border" (Jimmy Kennedy, Michael Carr) – 3:13

Personnel:

Wes Montgomery – guitar
Herbie Hancock – piano
Bucky Pizzarelli – guitar
Ray Barretto – percussion
Grady Tate – drums
Al Casamenti – guitar
Richard Davis – bass
Bernie Glow – trumpet
Mel Davis – trumpet
Jimmy Nottingham – trumpet
Wayne Andre – trombone
Johnny Messner – trombone
Bill Watrous – trombone
Stan Webb – clarinet, English Horn, saxophone
Raymond Beckenstein – flute, piccolo, saxophone
James Buffington – French Horn
Jack Jennings – castanets, scratching, vibraphone
Don Butterfield – tuba

Weather Report - 1974 [1985] "Mysterious Traveller"

Mysterious Traveller is the fourth studio album of Weather Report and was released in 1974. This album marked the end of bassist Miroslav Vitouš's tenure with the band. Vitouš was replaced by Alphonso Johnson. Another addition to the line-up is drummer Ishmael Wilburn. Greg Errico was the drummer for the tour between the previously released Sweetnighter and this album, but declined an invitation to be a permanent member of the band.

The record is the band's first that predominantly uses electric bass and incorporates liberal uses of funk, R&B grooves, and rock that would later be hallmarked as the band's "signature" sound. Also, the more restricted compositional format became evident on this album, replacing the more "open improvisation" formats used on the first three albums. It was voted as the album of the year by the readers of Down Beat for 1974, garnering their 2nd overall win in that category, also garnering a five-star review from that publication along the way.

Weather Report's fourth recording finds Wayne Shorter (on soprano and tenor) taking a lesser role as Joe Zawinul begins to really dominate the group's sound. Most selections also include bassist Alphonso Johnson and drummer Ishmael Wilburn although the personnel shifts from track to track. "Nubian Sundance" adds several vocalists while "Blackthorn Rose" is a Shorter-Zawinul duet. Overall the music is pretty stimulating and sometimes adventurous; high-quality fusion from 1974.

In 1974, three years after the band's inception, Weather Report became one of the world's most popular jazz groups due to their uncompromising originality and musicianship. This was the year that founding member Miroslav Vitous was replaced by Alphonso Johnson, who became a critical asset as both a fluid, creative bassist and a composer. Drummer Ishmael Wilburn and Brazilian percussionist Dom Um Romao, with a shifting cast of supporting players, laid the foundation for the band's most exciting incarnation yet. The overdue reissue of Mysterious Traveller is a welcome acknowledgement of this mid-period lineup's importance in the evolution of fusion.

This album contains some of the Report's most popular works, chiefly the long opener "Nubian Sundance." The sound of cheering crowds (apparently tacked on in the studio to simulate a live performance) still seems a bit presumptuous today, but the overall performance is certainly worth cheering. Zawinul's weirdly nonsensical vocals seem a precursor to Pat Metheny's wordless singing, and they add a witty flavor to the tune. "Cucumber Slumber" is another perennial favorite which gives Johnson the chance to work out the funk via slides and double-stops. The skulking title track brings much fun as well, with Shorter squeaking out alarums in the alley. The bass and sax take a coffee break on "Jungle Book," leaving Zawinul with two percussionists to carve out an inarguable masterpiece. His ability to program the synthesizers to suit his vision was always key to the WR sound, and this track was the ultimate realization of his artistry.

The disc is admittedly uneven at times, a risk run by any ensemble that chews at boundaries as much as the Report. "American Tango," for example, is rather inconsequential in the big picture despite its interesting textures. It's an ironic farewell for Vitous as his bandmates had bigger fish to fry. "Scarlet Woman" is disconcerting on the first few listens, as Shorter and Zawinul cough out sinuous lines sporadically over a net of near-silence. On the other hand, the sax/piano duet "Blackthorn Rose" is both gorgeous and rejuvenating as a change of pace from the electronic effluvium.

Zawinul's motto for the group was "We always solo, we never solo." The special combination of freedom and composition that Weather Report consistently achieved on record amply testifies to that philosophy, and Mysterious Traveller is a quintessential piece of evidence.

Mysterious Traveller was Weather Report's fourth studio album and the successor to Sweetnighter, I Sing The Body Electric and the eponymous first album (Live In Tokyo was only recently released in full outside Japan).

"Nubian Sundance" kicks in hard with two drummers and a percussionist, but there's a curious feeling of suspension, akin to watching Muybridge's horse forever galloping but never moving forward. On top of this, bass, a lot of Rhodes, synthesizers, crowd sounds and vocals create a wonderful impression of a neon-lit rainforest peopled by Rio carnival celebrants.

After the festival comes "American Tango"; a more reflective pace like wandering in the shadows of a Mediterranean sidestreet, the keyboard melody languorous as sleepy sex in morning sunlight. "Cucumber Slumber" (what great titles they had!) is all electric bass, sax, Rhodes and chugging drums.

"Mysterious Traveller" slips in spookily then revs up to a rhythmic workout that recalls Sweetnighter. After all the colour and wonderful grandstanding of the previous four tracks, the acoustic duet of "Blackthorn Rose" between Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul arrives like a welcome, meditative oasis.

"Scarlet Woman" steals in with a plangent sax call, muted desert drum and synthesized wind and slowly steals away again. The album closes with the reflective "Jungle Book", as if recalling the events of a long hot day after the sun has set.

On Mysterious Traveller Weather Report were clearly growing, employing a wider palette of sounds, conjuring different moods: the music is sunnier, more upbeat, colourful and funky than its predecessors.

Early copies of the album do not list "Cucumber Slumber" on the back cover or inner sleeve, and list "Jungle Book" as the final track of side one rather than side two. However, most known copies of the album include the seven tracks in the order listed above. One exception is the cassette release, with "Blackthorn Rose" as the second track of side one and "American Tango" as the second track of side two.

The Mastersound SBM edition of Mysterious Traveller includes a previously unreleased song, "Miroslav's Tune", as a bonus track at the end of the album.

The album peaked at #2 in the Billboard Jazz album chart, #31 in the R&B album chart, and #46 in the Billboard 200 chart.

Track listing:

1. "Nubian Sundance" (Zawinul) – 10:40
2. "American Tango" (Vitouš, Zawinul) – 3:40
3. "Cucumber Slumber" (Johnson, Zawinul) – 8:22
4. "Mysterious Traveller" (Shorter) – 7:21
5. "Blackthorn Rose" (Shorter) – 5:03
6. "Scarlet Woman" (Johnson, Shorter, Zawinul) – 5:46
7. "Jungle Book" (Zawinul) – 7:25

Personnel:

Josef Zawinul - Electric and acoustic piano, synthesizer, guitar, kalimba, organ, tamboura, clay drum, tack piano, melodica
Wayne Shorter - Soprano and tenor saxophone, tack piano
Miroslav Vitouš - Upright bass (track 2 only)
Alphonso Johnson - Bass guitar
Ishmael Wilburn - Drums
Skip Hadden - Drums (tracks 1 and 4 only)
Dom Um Romão - Percussion, drums

Guest musicians:

Ray Barretto - Percussion (track 3)
Meruga Booker aka Muruga Booker - Percussion (track 1)
Steve Little - Timpani (track 6)
Don Ashworth - Ocarinas and woodwinds (track 7)
Isacoff - Tabla, finger cymbals (track 7)
Edna Wright - Vocalists (track 1)
Marti McCall - Vocalists (track 1)
Jessica Smith - Vocalists (track 1)
James Gilstrap - Vocalists (track 1)
Billie Barnum - Vocalists (track 1)

Weather Report - 1974 [2002] "Mysterious Traveller"

Mysterious Traveller is the fourth studio album of Weather Report and was released in 1974. This album marked the end of bassist Miroslav Vitouš's tenure with the band. Vitouš was replaced by Alphonso Johnson. Another addition to the line-up is drummer Ishmael Wilburn. Greg Errico was the drummer for the tour between the previously released Sweetnighter and this album, but declined an invitation to be a permanent member of the band.

The record is the band's first that predominantly uses electric bass and incorporates liberal uses of funk, R&B grooves, and rock that would later be hallmarked as the band's "signature" sound. Also, the more restricted compositional format became evident on this album, replacing the more "open improvisation" formats used on the first three albums. It was voted as the album of the year by the readers of Down Beat for 1974, garnering their 2nd overall win in that category, also garnering a five-star review from that publication along the way.

Weather Report's fourth recording finds Wayne Shorter (on soprano and tenor) taking a lesser role as Joe Zawinul begins to really dominate the group's sound. Most selections also include bassist Alphonso Johnson and drummer Ishmael Wilburn although the personnel shifts from track to track. "Nubian Sundance" adds several vocalists while "Blackthorn Rose" is a Shorter-Zawinul duet. Overall the music is pretty stimulating and sometimes adventurous; high-quality fusion from 1974.

In 1974, three years after the band's inception, Weather Report became one of the world's most popular jazz groups due to their uncompromising originality and musicianship. This was the year that founding member Miroslav Vitous was replaced by Alphonso Johnson, who became a critical asset as both a fluid, creative bassist and a composer. Drummer Ishmael Wilburn and Brazilian percussionist Dom Um Romao, with a shifting cast of supporting players, laid the foundation for the band's most exciting incarnation yet. The overdue reissue of Mysterious Traveller is a welcome acknowledgement of this mid-period lineup's importance in the evolution of fusion.

This album contains some of the Report's most popular works, chiefly the long opener "Nubian Sundance." The sound of cheering crowds (apparently tacked on in the studio to simulate a live performance) still seems a bit presumptuous today, but the overall performance is certainly worth cheering. Zawinul's weirdly nonsensical vocals seem a precursor to Pat Metheny's wordless singing, and they add a witty flavor to the tune. "Cucumber Slumber" is another perennial favorite which gives Johnson the chance to work out the funk via slides and double-stops. The skulking title track brings much fun as well, with Shorter squeaking out alarums in the alley. The bass and sax take a coffee break on "Jungle Book," leaving Zawinul with two percussionists to carve out an inarguable masterpiece. His ability to program the synthesizers to suit his vision was always key to the WR sound, and this track was the ultimate realization of his artistry.

The disc is admittedly uneven at times, a risk run by any ensemble that chews at boundaries as much as the Report. "American Tango," for example, is rather inconsequential in the big picture despite its interesting textures. It's an ironic farewell for Vitous as his bandmates had bigger fish to fry. "Scarlet Woman" is disconcerting on the first few listens, as Shorter and Zawinul cough out sinuous lines sporadically over a net of near-silence. On the other hand, the sax/piano duet "Blackthorn Rose" is both gorgeous and rejuvenating as a change of pace from the electronic effluvium.

Zawinul's motto for the group was "We always solo, we never solo." The special combination of freedom and composition that Weather Report consistently achieved on record amply testifies to that philosophy, and Mysterious Traveller is a quintessential piece of evidence.

Mysterious Traveller was Weather Report's fourth studio album and the successor to Sweetnighter, I Sing The Body Electric and the eponymous first album (Live In Tokyo was only recently released in full outside Japan).

"Nubian Sundance" kicks in hard with two drummers and a percussionist, but there's a curious feeling of suspension, akin to watching Muybridge's horse forever galloping but never moving forward. On top of this, bass, a lot of Rhodes, synthesizers, crowd sounds and vocals create a wonderful impression of a neon-lit rainforest peopled by Rio carnival celebrants.

After the festival comes "American Tango"; a more reflective pace like wandering in the shadows of a Mediterranean sidestreet, the keyboard melody languorous as sleepy sex in morning sunlight. "Cucumber Slumber" (what great titles they had!) is all electric bass, sax, Rhodes and chugging drums.

"Mysterious Traveller" slips in spookily then revs up to a rhythmic workout that recalls Sweetnighter. After all the colour and wonderful grandstanding of the previous four tracks, the acoustic duet of "Blackthorn Rose" between Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul arrives like a welcome, meditative oasis.

"Scarlet Woman" steals in with a plangent sax call, muted desert drum and synthesized wind and slowly steals away again. The album closes with the reflective "Jungle Book", as if recalling the events of a long hot day after the sun has set.

On Mysterious Traveller Weather Report were clearly growing, employing a wider palette of sounds, conjuring different moods: the music is sunnier, more upbeat, colourful and funky than its predecessors.

Early copies of the album do not list "Cucumber Slumber" on the back cover or inner sleeve, and list "Jungle Book" as the final track of side one rather than side two. However, most known copies of the album include the seven tracks in the order listed above. One exception is the cassette release, with "Blackthorn Rose" as the second track of side one and "American Tango" as the second track of side two.

The Mastersound SBM edition of Mysterious Traveller includes a previously unreleased song, "Miroslav's Tune", as a bonus track at the end of the album.

The album peaked at #2 in the Billboard Jazz album chart, #31 in the R&B album chart, and #46 in the Billboard 200 chart.

Track listing:

1. "Nubian Sundance" (Zawinul) – 10:40
2. "American Tango" (Vitouš, Zawinul) – 3:40
3. "Cucumber Slumber" (Johnson, Zawinul) – 8:22
4. "Mysterious Traveller" (Shorter) – 7:21
5. "Blackthorn Rose" (Shorter) – 5:03
6. "Scarlet Woman" (Johnson, Shorter, Zawinul) – 5:46
7. "Jungle Book" (Zawinul) – 7:25

Personnel:

Josef Zawinul - Electric and acoustic piano, synthesizer, guitar, kalimba, organ, tamboura, clay drum, tack piano, melodica
Wayne Shorter - Soprano and tenor saxophone, tack piano
Miroslav Vitouš - Upright bass (track 2 only)
Alphonso Johnson - Bass guitar
Ishmael Wilburn - Drums
Skip Hadden - Drums (tracks 1 and 4 only)
Dom Um Romão - Percussion, drums

Guest musicians:

Ray Barretto - Percussion (track 3)
Meruga Booker aka Muruga Booker - Percussion (track 1)
Steve Little - Timpani (track 6)
Don Ashworth - Ocarinas and woodwinds (track 7)
Isacoff - Tabla, finger cymbals (track 7)
Edna Wright - Vocalists (track 1)
Marti McCall - Vocalists (track 1)
Jessica Smith - Vocalists (track 1)
James Gilstrap - Vocalists (track 1)
Billie Barnum - Vocalists (track 1)