Sunday, April 2, 2017

Vinyl of the Month - "Ray Barretto: La Cuna"

Vinyl of the Month
Ray Barretto: "La Cuna" (CTI/Speakers Corner) 1980/2017
Rating: ***** (musical performance & sonic quality)

100% Pure Analog Mastering
Audiophile 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl
Pressed at Pallas Germany

Produced by Creed Taylor
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder @ Van Gelder Studio (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), August 1979
Mixed by Neil Dorfsman @ Power Station (New York, NY)
Cover Photo: Creed Taylor
Album Design: Jonathan Andrews

Arranged by Jeremy Wall and Carlos Franzetti
Featuring: Ray Barretto (congas), Carlos Franzetti and Charlie Palmieri (acoustic piano), Tito Puente (timbales), Joe Farrell (flute, soprano sax & tenor sax), John Tropea (electric guitar), Steve Gadd and Mark Craney (drums), Jeremy Wall (synths), Suzanne Ciani (synthesizer programming), Francisco Centeno (electric bass), Willy Torres (vocals on "Pastime Paradise")

Ray Barretto disliked his music being labelled 'latin jazz', yet the album "La Cuna" is one of the most memorable of this genre, since it amalgamates the diverse moods of both Americas. In this CTI album, recorded in 1979 and originally released in 1981, the expertise of the legendary producer Creed Taylor is combined with an all-star ensemble and the supreme musicality of the skilful jazz percussionist Barretto to create a tightly-knit performance. Now it's reissued on a 180 gram vinyl mastered & pressed by Pallas Group (in Germany) for the Speakers Corner audiophile label.

The opening title cut sails along merrily with a salsa swing, but then the soaring flute melodies and the powerful piano improvisations cool down the Caribbean rhythms. How the players mingle driving patterns with delicate melodies to form beautiful song is demonstrated best in "Doloroso" and also in my favorite track, Carlos Franzetti's signature tune "Mambotango," whereby the latter exudes controlled coolness in the somewhat electric fusion mood.

John Tropea leans seemingly intentionally towards Santana and his art of guitar-playing, and this is further enhanced by the late Joe Farrell's phenomenal performance, specially on Jeremy Wall's frenetic adaptation of Modeste Mussourgsky's "The Old Castle." A further tribute is paid to one of the greatest musicians ever to combine various styles and trends with a speeded-up version of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" that became a dancefloor hit. To conclude: if not Latin Jazz, then definitely Latin AND Jazz.

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