Eddie Palmieri – The Sun of Latin Music (1973) 320kbs

EDDIE PALMIERI – The Sun of Latin Music (1973) 320kbs
with Lalo Rodriguez

1 Nada de Ti Palmieri 6:31
2 Deseo Salvaje Rodriguez 3:41
3 Una Rosa Española Palmieri 5:21

4 Nunca Contigo Palmieri 3:51

5 Un Dia Bonito Palmieri 14:52

6 Mi Cumbia Palmieri 3:18
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Credits: Arranged By – Rene Hernandez
Bass – Eddie “Gua-Gua” Rivera*
Bongos – Tommy Lopez
Congas – Eladio Perez
Coro – Jimmy Sabater , Willie Torres
Engineer – Dave Palmer (2) , Dave Wittman , Ralph Moss
French Horn – Peter Gordon
Lead Vocals – Lalo Rodriguez
Mastered By – Al Brown (5)
Piano – Eddie Palmieri
Producer – Harvey Averne
Saxophone [Baritone], Flute – Mario Rivera (2) , Ronnie Cuber
Timbales, Percussion – Nicky Marrero
Trombone – Jose Rodriguez (3)
Trombone, Tuba [Tenor] – Barry Rogers
Trumpet – Virgil Jones
Trumpet [Lead] – Vitin Paz
Tuba – Tony Price (2)
Violin – Alfredo De La Fe

This is original album, The Sun Of Latin Music, *not* the double-CD anthology released by the revamped Fania Records. Please don’t leave a comment if all you are going to do is ask for that anthology… The sound quality on this edition (on the label `Musical Productions`) is deplorable, and there are apparently are other CD pressings out there, on Charly and Sony records. But this is the one I have, so love it or leave it.

Now that I have given you the hard sell, let me tell you that this is an essential album. It won Palmieri the first of many Grammy awards, but that’s not why it’s essential. For a guy who was always pushing boundaries during this period, this record still stands out. One thing that will immediately grab your attention is the presence of a violin on the album – not an instrument sometimes heard on salsa records but which always sounds unique to me. Alfredo de la Fe will make you forget that’s the case, as he blends seamlessly with the ensemble while adding a unique tonal edge. All of the songs are winners here, but the stand-out centerpiece is the fifteen-minute Un Dia Bonito, which took up most of the second side of the original LP. It is everything that was great about Barretto during this period — beginning with moody, ‘out’ jazz explorations, laced with psychedelic fringes (this was recorded at Electric Lady, after all), it culminates in a smoking descarga jam that, well, leaves you rather short of air. The Sun of Latin music, indeed.

password: vibes

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