Cachao y su Ritmo Caliente – Cuban Jam Sessions In Miniature: Descargas
Vinyl transfer in 24-bit 192 khz |FLAC | Cover scans at 300 dpi
1961 Panart | Reissue 1983 Panart LP-2092 (Grey Label U.S. reissue)
Israel “Cachao” Lopez, the godfather of the tumbao acoustic bass style, lead this ensemble of absolutely top-flight players through a short portrait of a very special time in music history. For a variety of reasons, I did this vimyl transfer 3 or 4 times before I was satisfied with it.
This album is notable enough that it is part of the National Rec
ording Registry at the Library of Congress. It’s contribution fits that often overused term “seminal”, as it brought the feeling of the loose jamming that Afro-Cuban Latin jazz had on the stage but heretofore had only hinted at on records.
And, somehow, it does this with twelve compositions all clocking in under 5 minutes. The resequenced album from 1961 has all the songs that are credited compositions played first, followed by jams that were not credited to any one individual. If you like Cuban son montuno, and you aren’t familiar with this banger of a record, now is your chance. And if you only know Buena Vista Social Club, then here is your incentive to dig deeper.
The Egrem CD version (shared here many, many moons ago) is the same track sequence of the original 1957 Cuban release. The vinyl reissues beginning in 1961 had a different track sequence. The needledrop featured here is undated, but based on the runout etching and other information on the pressing practices of the Miami Tape company who issued it, it is likely from 1983.
You will also notice that the program material has been treated with noise reduction — not by me, heaven forbid! – but presumably by the Miami Tape mastering service (still in business, by the way). It doesn’t bother me nor is it especially noticeable except during some of the intro sections where there is just a piano or a trumpet, before the full band kicks in. The album has plenty of dynamic range and the instruments all have a ton of clarity and separation. There was as Craft Records reissue of the complete sessions that nobody seems happy with. I haven’t gone back to compare but I remember not being impressed with the sound. The aforementioned CD pressing on EGREM (Cuban state record label) in the 90’s that sounds like the master was several generations removed. The history of the Panart label, which was in full flower when the Revolution happened and the label owners left for the U.S., seems so complex that it will probably take an academic study of it to uncover what actually happened to the master tapes of their catalog, if there’s even any clear documentation out there. Please leave a comment if you know of any good articles or books that talk about Panart.
Tracklist
A1 – Trombon Criollo (03:06)
A2 – Controversia De Metales (03:11)
A3 – Estudio En Trompeta (02:17)
A4 – Guajeo De Saxos (02:19)
A5 – Oye Mi Tres Montuno (02:39)
A6 – Malanga Amarilla (03:17)
B1 – Cogele El Golpe (02:39)
B2 – Pamparana (02:34)
B3 – Descarga Cubana (03:01)
B4 – Goza Mi Trompeta (02:55)
B5 – A Gozar Timpero (02:57)
B6 – Sorpresa De Flauta (02:51)
LINEAGE:
Panart LP-2092 (Grey labels, probably 1983);
Pro-Ject RM-5SE with Audio Tecnica Signet TK7E cartridge;
AT-618 Disc Stabilizer weight;
Pro-Ject Tube Box S2 preamp with Philips NOS ECC83 tubes powered by Accu-box battery PSU;
Audioquest Black Mamba and Pangea Premier interconnect cables;
RME Babyface Pro interface;
Adobe Audition at 32-bit float 192khz; most clicks and pops removed manually in Audition; intros and some outros treated with Click Repair run in fully manual mode with output monitored in real time;
resampled, dithered, converted to FLAC using iZotope RX Advanced.
Tags done with Foobar 2000 and Tag and Rename.
Record cleaned on Music Hall WCS-3 machine with homebrew fluid.
Password: vibes
Giorno!
KPM 1004 – Heinz Kiessling – Coloured Strings (1966) FLAC
KPM 1004 – Heinz Kiessling • Werner Tautz– Coloured Strings (1966) FLAC
Cachao
Mais um baita trabalho de digitalização. Flabber, você possui a edição em LP do álbum “Luiz Eça, Piano e Cordas – Volume 02”, de 1970? Um abraço.
Hey Flabber,
Missed you for awhile. Always very much appreciate your posts (oft times already have and enjoy the discs you present). Your blog is great and the accompanying writing is always very much enjoyed too. Hope life treating you well these days.
The author Judy Cantor-Navas seems to have done a lot of work tracking the Panart history and she has a Substack behind a paywall that seemingly digs deep, although I haven’t ponied up to read it. I did come across this article she wrote some years ago though, which is a very good interview with the founder’s life partner https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/when-cuba-sang-6361011/
Did see Cachao close to the end of his life at the Blue Note in NYC and it was a little sad, but hey life is long (if you’re lucky) and there are things you’re able to express at different times. The standout in the gig was the percussionist conguero/bonguero Anthony Carrillo who absolutely blew my mind, playing like, yeah, I’m onstage with Cachao and it means a whole fucking lot. Probably like Cachao felt in 1957.
best,
Mogo in Prague
Pure gold.
What an record!! And the dynamics… wow 👌🏻 great work Flabber.
I can’t thank you enough…
Very happy to catch these 2 recent posts in a short period of time,
Thank you again! Peace.
Thanks as always Mr Flabbergast. What a great record.