Eddie Palmieri – Unfinished Masterpiece Vinyl rip in 24-bit/192 kHz | FLAC | 300 dpi scans | Salsa, Latin Jazz 1975 Coco Records CLP 120 Titling an album “Unfinished Masterpiece” sort of confirms my suspicious… Eddie Palmieri – Unfinished Masterpiece (1975) (Coco Records CLP 120)
Mambos, cha chas, son montunos, pachangas, Latin jazz… Tito Puente played all of those, and he apparently never liked the catch-all term “salsa” (and he stayed out of Fania Records’ orbit, for the most part). And he has a point – each of the sub-genres and rhythms (and there are many more than those listed here) have their own backstory and sensibility….
Airto – Fingers
Vinyl rip in 24-bit/192 kHz | FLAC | Art scans at 300 dpi
1.4GB (24/192) | 865 MB (24/96)
CTI Records 6028| Genre: Fusion, Latin Jazz, Jazz Rock
This post was intended to go up over the weekend as a commemoration to wrap up the Festas Juninas. “Fingers” is really is a masterpiece from Airto Moreira, one of the progenitors of jazz fusion, with lots of help from future members of the Uruguayan group Opa and, of course, his wife Flora Purim. It is less “out” than his solo records up to this point but still retains enough traces of his wild urges toward surprise and experimentation to keep things interesting. The compositions, about half of which are contributed by Opa members, are accessible enough to instantly grab your attention but are always offering new nuances on repeated listens. How many edgy Latin-Jazz-Fusion albums actually contain EARWORMS in their grooves? This album has tunes you will be whistling to yourself for weeks afterward, in particular the track “Parana.” (more below)Airto – Fingers (1973) (CTI Records 6028)
Angel Canales – El Diferente
1982 Senelac Records LP 8881
Salsa / Latin-Jazz / Fusion
Well Brazil has jumped the shark, so I’m going to devote some musical energy to other places for a while. The U.S. still has a chance of climbing back out of the rabbit hole it’s gone down. And that is in no small part due to the ever-evolving demographic changes that terrify the White Nationalists so much. So, here’s an album from the great Ángel Canales, born in Santurce, PR, but raised in New York. His recording career began on Alegre Records with a record featuring a sexy but somewhat bizarre album cover and a hit in “Lejos De Ti”. By the 1980s, he was putting out records on his own label, SENALAC. This one features a blistering-hot band, with amazing baritone sax blowing by Pete Miranda, and charismatic Canales leading the proceedings. While “El Diferente” is still firmly rooted in salsa, bomba, and plena traditions, there is also a fusion edge to the band’s versatility and ability to surprise with their arrangements (done by no less than six different people). Angel Canales – El Diferente (1981) (Senelac Records LP8881)
Hilton Ruiz El Camino (The Road) 1988 Novus 3024-1-N A1 West Side Blues 6:42 A2 Come Dance With Me 8:25 A3 Sometimes I 6:26 B1 El Camino (The Road) 6:19 B2 Message From The Chief… Hilton Ruiz – El Camino (1987) (featuring Dick Griffin and Sam Rivers)
Horace Silver In Pursuit Of The 27th Man Original Blue Note release: 1972 (Germany) BST 84 433 K 1973 (USA) BN-LA054-F This pressing, 2012 (Japan) TOCJ-50505 1 Liberated Brother … Horace Silver – In Pursuit of the 27th Man (1972)