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 Ven Baila Conmigo! - The Latin Giants Of Jazz (Gigante Records)
The Latin Giants Of Jazz are back! If you thought their 2007 CD "A Trip To Mamboland" was kicking classic mambo-salsa then check this latest offering - its even better!
Latin Giants Of Jazz (LGOJ) are in essence an allstar band of many of Tito Puente's finest musicians from the 1960s to the 1990s plus a sprinkling of today's New York salsa stars. Former TP musicians include his musical director for many years and legendary percussionist Jose Madera, one of the top bongoseros of all time John "Dandy" Rodriguez, pianist Sonny Bravo, saxophonists Mitch Frohman and Bobby Porcelli and the trombone dream team - Sam Burtis, Reynaldo Jorge and Lewis Khan. The "younger generation" include former and current Libre and Spanish Harlem alumni like George Delgado, singer Frankie Vasquez, trumpeters Pete Nater and Richie Viruet and guest trombonist Jimmy Bosch.
Together they make one hell of a powerful unit playing proper mambo and salsa classica that pays homage to Tito, the Palladium, the 1960s and 70s but with a contemporary sound and production. The horns are simply awesome! How many orchestras today have ten to twelve brass? Answer is very few. When you hear the voicings and harmonies on the brass, they are so full and powerful, its a revelation. Now you get what all the fuss was about at the Palladium - those big bands could probably be heard all the way over to Jersey City!
The LGOJ have delivered a varied CD of salsa dance tracks, mambos, latin jazz and my favourite, an amazing fusion of guaguanco, rumba and cha cha cha, simply called Gua Cha Rumba. The ease which it switches from rumba to cha cha is breathtaking. Thats the beauty of this CD - you have great club tracks for salsa dancers alongside beautiful home listening tracks for latin jazz lovers. Something for everyone.
I recommend this CD for anyone wanting to hear the great Tito Puente/Palladium sound done properly in today's latin music scene. Latin Giants Of Jazz - yes, they definately are!
Lubi Jovanovic
(Fania Records CD compiler)
http://www.myspace.com/djlubi
This and other CD's available from www.mrbongosalsa.com
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