Grupo Niche - 20 Exitos Originales


Released 2005
Sony Discos

Available from Amazon and many other vendors

I'm not completely sure every song was written by Jairo Varela, who wrote pretty much all of the Grupo Niche songs by the 1990 album Cielo De Tambores.

1. La Canoa Ranchaa 4:40
2. Culebra 4:25
3. Cielo De Tambores 3:48
4. Han Cogido La Cosa 4:42
5. Duele Mas 3:43
6. Busca Por Dentro 3:02
7. Hagamos Lo Que Diga El Corazon 3:18
8. Mi Machete 5:29
9. Una Aventura 3:17
10. Sin Sentimientos 4:22
11. Etnia 4:33
12. Mi Pueblo 3:53
13. La Negra No Quiere 3:12
14. Cali Aji 3:14
15. La Gallinita De Los Huevos De Oro 3:17
16. Ana Mile 5:00
17. Gotas De Lluvia 3:27
18. Un Alto En El Camino 4:49
19. Se Parecio Tanto A Ti 3:49
20. Cali Pachanguero 3:19

Every song in this compilation with possible exception of Un Alto En El Camino is truncated; some of the songs cut by nearly 2 minutes from the original. These same shorter versions of the songs were used in some other Grupo Niche compilation CDs.

Nine songs (Culebra, Cielo De Tambores, Duele Mas, Una Aventura, Sin Sentimientos, Etnia, Cali Aji, Gotas De Lluvia, Un Alto En El Camino) are included in the salsanewyork.com list.

Track 20 from No Hay Quinto Malo (1984)
Track 16 from Se Paso (1985)
Tracks 3,6,9,10,14,19 from Cielo De Tambores (1990)
Tracks 7,12 from Llegando Al 100% (1991)
Tracks 5,15,18 from Un Alto En El Camino (1992)
Track 17 from Huellas Del Pasado (1995)
Tracks 1,11 from Etnia (1996)
Track 6 from A Prueba De Fuego (1997)
Track 4 from A Golpe De Folklore (1999)
Tracks 2,8 from Imaginacion (2004)
Track 13 - original album unknown to me but it certainly was released before 1993 and probably before 1988.

Latin Giants of Jazz - Trip To Mamboland


Released 2007

Gigante Records

Produced by John Rodriguez Jr and Jose Madera

Orchestrations by Jose Madera

Available at Descarga, Amazon, etc.

1. Cuero Na' Ma 5:21 (comp. Tito Puente. arr. Jose Madera)
2. Mientras Yo Viva 4:21 (comp. Marcellino Guerra. arr. Jose Madera)
3. No Me Molesto 5:56 (comp. Jorge Zamora. arr. Sonny Bravo)
4. Trip To Mamboland 4:47 (comp. Nick Jimenez. arr. Jose Madera)
5. Chao Chao 5:30 (comp. Rosendo Ruiz Jr. arr. Harold Wegbreit)
6. Mambo Is Here To Stay (comp. Gil Fuller & Frank Grillo. arr. Oscar Hernandez)
7. My Best Friends 5:32 (comp. Mitchell Frohman. arr. Joe Manozzi)
8. Everything Happens To Me 6:37 (comp. Matt Dennis & Tom Adair. arr. Marty Sheller)
9. Guaguanco Del Pueblo Nuevo 4:22 (comp. Horacio de la Lastra. arr. Tito Puente)
10. Flamenco Mood 5:29 (comp. & arr. Ray Santos)
11. Alex Mambo 5:36 (comp. & arr. Rene Hernandez)
12. En Francia 4:27 (comp. Justi Barretto. arr. Frank Colon)
13. Michito's Boogaloo 5:55 (comp. Mitchell Frohman. arr. Jose Madera)

Latin Giants of Jazz is made up of late Tito Puente's band and is headed by Jose Madera. With 4 trumpets, 4 trombones and 5 saxophones, what you get is a real big band sound. Considered one of the best albums of 2007, there's a lot to choose from here. With some caveats (speed of some of the songs primarily), I would consider playing songs like Cuero Na' Ma, Trip To Mamboland, Mambo Is Here To Stay, Guaguanco Del Pueblo Nuevo, Flamenco Mood and Alex Mambo (and possibly En Francia) - which is essentially half the album!

Musicians

Raul Agraz / Trumpet
John Walsh / Trumpet
Pete Nater / Trumpet
Richie Viruet / Trumpet
Sam Burtis / Trombone
Reynaldo Jorge / Trombone
Joe Fiedler / Trombone
Noah Bless / Trombone
Bobby Porcelli / Saxophone
Todd Bashore / Saxophone
Mitch Frohman / Saxophone
Peter Brainin / Saxophone
Pete Miranda / Saxophone
Sonny Bravo / Piano
Gerardo Madera / Bass
George Delgado / Conga
John Rodriguez Jr. / Bongos & Percussion
Jose Madera / Timbales, Musical Director & Conductor
Frankie Vazquez / Lead Vocals
Cita Rodriguez, Willie Ruiz & Willie Martinez / Chorus
Willie Torres / Chorus (replacing Willie Martinez in tracks 1, 9, 12)
Tom Harrell / Flugelhorn (track 7)
Bobby Porcelli / Alto Sax (track 8)
Randy Brecker / Trumpet (track 11)
Mario Rivera / Soprano Sax (track 10)
Kevin Bryan / Trumpet (track 10)

Willie Colon - El Juicio


Produced by Willie Colon & Jerry Masucci
Recording Director: Johnny Pacheco
Arrangements by Willie Colon

Released 1972

Re-mastered Fania E-Musica 2006

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc

1. Ah-Ah/O-No 3:47 (Willie Colon)
2. Pirana 5:16 (C. Curet Alonso)
3. Seguire Sin Ti 2:56 (D.R.)
4. Timbalero 8:17 (Willie Colon)
5. Aguanile 6:09 (Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe)
6. Sonando Despierto 4:03 (Rafael Angel Ramos, Juan Juse Quiros Rosado)
7. Pan Y Agua (Bread & Water) 5:16 (Willie Colon)

Willie Colon’s seventh album. Ah-Ah/O-No, Pirana, Timbalero and Aguanile are all fairly well known although I don’t think any of them are obvious slam dunk dance tracks.

Musicians

Willie Colon / Nose Flute
Hector Lavoe / Lead Vocals
Jose Mangual / Bongos
Santi Gonzalez / Bass
Louis Romero / Timbales
Joe “Professor” Torres / Piano
Eric Matos / Trombone
Milton Cardona / Conga
Gene Golden / Percussion
Justo Betancourt, Johnny Pacheco / Chorus

Willie Colon – Crime Pays


Released 1972

Re-mastered Fania / E-Musica 2006

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc




1. Che Che Cole 3:29 (Willie Colon)
2. El Malo 4:00 (Willie Colon)
3. Guisando 3:59 (Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe)
4. Jazzy 4:04 (Willie Colon)
5. Juana Pena 5:36 (Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe)
6. Guajiron 5:56 (Mark Dimond)
7. El Titan 5:20 (Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe)
8. Que Lio 4:35 (Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, Joe Cuba)
9. Eso Se Baila Asi 5:18 (Willie Colon)

This very first compilation album released by the Fania label is also the first compilation album for Willie Colon. The songs were taken from Willie Colon’s first four albums – El Malo (1967 represented by El Malo and Jazzy), The Hustler (1968 represented by Guajiron, Que Lio, Eso Se Baila Asi), Guisando (1969 represented by Guisando and El Titan), and Cosa Nuestra (1970 represented by Che Che Cole and Juana Pena). Juana Pena made salsanewyork.com list recently.

Musicians (incomplete)

El Malo

Dwight Brewster / Piano
James Taylor / Bass

The Hustler

Mark Dimond / Piano

Guisando

Mark Dimond / Piano
Charlie Cotto / Timbales
Santi Gonzalez / Bass
Chucky Lopez / Bongos
Barry Rogers / Trombone
Gilbert ? / Conga
Justo Betancounrt, Johnny Pacheco / Chorus

All albums

Willie Colon / Trombone
Hector Lavoe / Lead Vocals

Lebron Brothers - Criollo


Produced by Angel Lebron

Cotique 1982

Re-mastered Fania / E-Musica 2007

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc

1. Yo Te Cante (Jose Lebron) 4:07
2. Siempre Sera (Jose Lebron) 5:07
3. Voy A Caminar (Jose Lebron) 4:05
4. Esposa Y Querida (Angel Lebron) 5:07
5. Madre (Angel Lebron) 3:34
6. Son Diez Lagrimas (Angel Lebron) 5:09
7. Sabor A Mi (Alvaro Carillo) 3:14
8. Sin Negro No Hay Guaguanco (Angel Lebron, Aura M. De Velazquez) 3:33
9. Abran Camino (Angel Lebron) 4:18

This album (their 16th) was released after Pablo's stroke in 1981, which led to his retirement and a fairly long lull in new album releases for the band thereafter. I mention this because I originally thought the band stopped recording because their last few albums were no good. This is far from true because Criollo might be the best Lebron Brothers album for Salsa. The classics are Sin Negro No Hay Guaguanco and Diez Lagrimas. Esposa Y Querida is pretty good too.

Musicians

Angel Lebron / Bass and chorus
Jose Lebron / Piano and chorus
Carlos Lebron / Bongos and chorus
Frankie Lebron / Conga
Ruben Lebron / Trombone
Joseph Trapaneses / Trumpet
Willie Rodriguez / Trumpet
Edwin Acevado / Timbales
Osvaldo Acevado / Percussion
Louie Cruz / Percussion
Pablo Lebron / Lead Vocals

Lebron Brothers - Salsa Y Control


Released 1971
Cotique 1049

Remastered Fania / E-Musica 2006

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc


1. Tu Llegaste A Mi Vida (Pablo Lebron) 2:56
2. Salsa Y Control (Jose Lebron) 3:47
3. Que Pana (Jose Lebron) 3:22
4. Regresa A Mi (Jimmy Webb) 3:32
5. Piensalo Bien (Jose Lebron) 3:46
6. Bongo Loco (Angel Lebron) 3:00
7. Estoy Loco (Javier Vazquez) 4:46
8. Sabor Tipico (Angel Lebron) 2:02

The best-selling album by Lebron Brothers. The best-known hit is Salsa Y Control, which has been re-recorded by many other artists. Another good song for Salsa dancing is Bongo Loco. This album marks the debut of Frankie Lebron.

Musicians

Angel Lebron / Bass and chorus
Pablo Lebron / Lead Vocals and chorus
Jose Lebron / Piano and chorus
Carlos Lebron / Bongos and percussion
Frankie Lebron / Conga
Gabe Gill / Alto Saxophone
Herman Sandana / Tenor Saxophone
Louis Maldonado / 1st Trumpet
Pete Maldonado / 2nd Trumpet
Tito Ocasio / Timbales

Lebron Brothers - Psychedelic Goes Latin / The Brooklyn Bums


Psychedelic Goes Latin 1967
Cotique 1008
The Brooklyn Bums 1969
Cotique 1015

Produced by Barry Goldiner

Re-mastered by Nascente

Out of print - best bet is to hope for Fania / E-Musica to reissue the two albums individually

Psychedelic Goes Latin

1. Summertime Blues (Lebron) 4:41
2. Suena (Lebron) 5:51
3. Tall Tale (Lebron) 4:24
4. Mi Mambo (Rivera) 5:01
5. Mary Mary (Lebron) 4:25
6. My Cool Boogaloo (Lebron) 3:54
7. Mala Suerte (Lebron) 3:08
8. Descarga Lebron (Lebron) 5:21

The Brooklyn Bums

9. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (Mann/Weil/Spector) 3:57
10. The Village Chant (Rivera) 3:15
11. Boogaloo Pa Mi San Juan (Lebron) 2:59
12. Vacilon (Lebron) 3:189
13. Let's Get Stoned (Lebron) 2:49
14. Apurate (Lebron) 5:13
15. Son Sabroson (Lebron) 4:24
16. El Cantante (Lebron) 3:29
17. Money Can't Buy Love (Lebron) 2:02

Lebron Brothers originated as Angel Lebron and Orchestra back in 1965 when Angel was 15 with brothers Pablo (then age 29?), Jose (age 17?), and Carlos (age 13?). Nascente does a very sensible job of offering their first two albums in a single CD. These albums are mostly boogaloo with a few tracks good for Salsa dancing such as Descarga Lebron and Vacilon. Descarga Lebron in fact is included in salsanewyork.com list.

Musicians include

Pablo Lebron / Lead Vocals
Jose Lebron / Piano and chorus
Carlos Lebron / Bongos and chorus
Angel Lebron / Bass and chorus
others