Forget It, from Orquesta Dee Jay is the re-relaese of the year. Forget about all the others, Orchestra Dee Jay has it all..... from Smokin' Dance floor numbers to a sweet Latin soul ballad.
Orquesta Dee Jay was formed in the last years of the sixties by Bass player and Band leader George De Jesus. They derived their name from De Jesus' nickname in the army. His compañeros in the military could not pronounce his last name and referred to him as Dee Jay.
In 1970 they recorded their debut release for MGM Latino entitled "Pa'Alante con Orquesta Dee Jay" and in 1971 they recorded this classic piece of vinyl. Long sought after by collectors of rare latin music it is available for the first time on CD.
Andres Padua of Latin Soul Records has done an outstanding job bringing this gem back. From the original art work, to the awesome remastering, this package has it all. The inside liner notes are insightful into the history of the band and are compiled by both Padua and original trombonist Jerry Hernández.
The music on this disc is 100% smoker. The opening track, "Mi Son," is a reminder of the classic Salsa sound of New York in the 70's. It is a slow burner; sure to be a hit again on the dance floors for people who love Salsa Dura sounds. Other tracks pick up the pace from there. "Calunga "starts off as a slow burner and then rips it to a full fledged barn burner. Hernendez's and José Rivera's horns are always present throughout the track.
"Maniatica," "Yemaya y Obatala," "Doña Paula" and "Buena Suete," all continue with Dee Jay's distinct trombone sound. Mario Marrero's piano also features strongly on these tracks. With "Yemaya y Obatala" you get to see the strength of Rafael De Jesus's vocals. Backed by a the strong coros of Yayo el Indio, Adalberto Santiago and Elio Romero, De Jesus shows us on this recording that he is a classic sonero.
Forget It has two slower numbers in the soul track: "Forget It," sung by Jose Rivera and "Dile Que Vuelva." They are great numbers with mucho sabor and feeling, but I find these tracks break the flow of the disc. By the end of "Dile Que Vuelva" I am ready to return to the horn driven sounds of "Doña Paula."
Sound Clips
Track 1 - Mi Son
Track 4 - Maniatica
Track 5 - Yemaya y Obatala
{mp3}orqdeejay_05{/mp3} Track 7 - Dona Paula
{mp3}orqdeejay_07{/mp3}
