Tommy Olivencia - Si Estas Herido
When Tommy Olivencia decided to record the legendary salsa album
"Plante Bandera" he knew what he was doing. There is a reason it is a
classic and part of that is the cast he used. With most songs on this
cd being classics in their own right, there is something special about
the tune 'Si Estas Herido'. The arrangement was put together by
mastermind Jose Febles while Chamaco Ramirez put the vocals down giving
listeners a down to earth and genuine feel with his street savvy
lyrics. Bottom line, it is a feel good / dance good song... swinging
all the way till the end.
Hector Rivera - Amalia Los Invita
This cooker comes from Hector Rivera's "The Return". I have found that
when this album comes up in discussion, the favorites are 'Guaguanco
pa' los Pollitos' followed by 'La Lenguetera'. After playing the cd
straight through, my personal favorite ended up being Amalia Los
Invita. If you are not familiar with Rivera's work, just check out his
arrangements for Joe Cuba or his solo albums which are quite popular
among dancers. If you like blaring trumpets, this is your cup of tea.
Spanish Harlem Orchestra - Danzon For My Father You probably cant dance to this one although it does progress to a
cha cha but there is something emotional about this piece. It is off
Spanish Harlem's third CD and is my favorite tune on the album. Grammy
winning pianist Oscar Hernandez does an outstanding job with his
extended piano solo. I chose this one for listeners to appreciate the
musicianship.
La Sonora Ponceña - La Pobreza y Yo A lot of people ask "what is a son montuno?" This is your answer.
Who better than to illustrate the art than legendary pianist of La
Sonora Ponceña's Papo Lucca. This comes from the classic album 'Algo
De Locura' with Luigi Texidor on vocals. Just check it out and your
questions will be answered.
Hector Lavoe - Alejate I figured I would add a Lavoe classic to my first playlist... why
not? Well my choice is Alejate and if you know the tune, you
definitely know why. If not, I am here to convince you ;) Lavoe's
passionate voice, Willy Colon's genius production, Jose Febles'
arrangement (remember the genius from Olivencia's 'Si Estas Herido'),
and Gilberto "Pulpo" Colon's killer piano solo... all the ingredients
of a great recipe. I think the treat on this jam is the violin that
comes in over the end of Pulpo's solo, an addition that Colon made
against Febles' wishes. DJs, you better follow this one up with a Cha
Cha cause I am always drenched after dancing this one!
