Tito Rodriguez Jr with Jose Alberto “El Canario” – Curious?

Released 1978 TR

Re-issued 2006 Pimienta

Produced by Tito Rodriguez Jr

Available at Descarga, CDBaby, Amazon, etc


1. Borinquen To Hijo Te Canta 4:00 (Mayo Flores)
2. Cantando Voy 5:42 (Johnny Ortiz)
3. Oye Mi Son 5:15 (Ruben Blades)
4. Cancel 5:06 (Johnny Ortiz)
5. Sabor Criollo 5:32 (Johnny Ortiz)
6. Ya No Llores 4:39 (Mayo Flores)
7. Santerita 5:02 (Johnny Ortiz)
8. Se Comienza Por El Uno 4:20 (Ruben Blades)

Arrangements by Marty Sheller and Willie Mullings.

Sabor Criollo made salsanewyork.com list. Descarga.com reviewer likes Oye Mi Son. Neither is exactly the easiest song to dance to - not to say that they are not good.

Musicians:

Tito Rodriguez Jr / Leader, Timbales
Gilberto Colon / Piano
Sal Culvas / Bass
Cachete / Conga
Ruben Figueroa / Bongos
Larry Spencer / Trumpet
Richie Fernandez / Trumpet
John Kelly / Trombone
Charles Lagond / Tenor Sax, Flute
John Purcell / Baritone Sax, Alto Sax, Flute
Adalberto Santiago, Ruben Blades / Chorus
Jose Alberto “El Canario” / Lead Vocals

Jimmy Sabater – El Hijo De Teresa

Released 1970 Tico

Re-mastered 2008
Fania/E-Musica

Produced by Miguel Estivil

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc

1. La Flauta 4:25 (Marcelino Guerra)
2. Now That You’ve Gone (Ahora Que Te Has Ido) 4:26 (Nick Jimenez)
3. Por Primera Vez 2:26 (Marcelino Guerra)
4. Kool It (Here Comes The Fuzz) 3:13 (G. Redd, G. Brown, R. Westfield, R. Mickens, Ronald Bell, Robert Bell, W. Sparrow, D. Thomas – a.k.a. Kool And The Gang)
5. La Peleona 3:12 (Marcelino Guerra)
6. Dona Teresa 3:19 (Louie Ramirez)
7. Vida 2:56 (Louie Ramirez)
8. Wichita Lineman 3:37 (Jim Webb)
9. Yroco 2:49 (Justi Barretto)
10. El Albanil 3:18 (Marcelino Guerra)
11. Sufre Como Yo Sufri 2:59 (Mildred Sabater)

Arrangements by Louie Ramirez (1,3,5,6,7,9,10,11) & Martin Sheller (2,4,8).

This is a half Latin and half funk/R&B record.

Por Primera Vez made salsanewyork.com list. La Flauta and Vida sound pretty good too and are of nice pace for dancing.

Musicians:

Jimmy Sabater / Lead Vocals, Timbales
others?

my guesses include
Nick Jimenez / Piano
Louie Ramirez / Percussion

Johnny Pacheco with “El Conde” – Tres De Cafe Y Dos De Azucar

Released 1973 Fania

Re-mastered 2007
Fania/E-Musica

Produced by Jerry Masucci & Johnny Pacheco

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc

1. Primoroso Cantar 5:39 (C. Curet Alonso)
2. Cositas Buenas 5:09 (D. R.)
3. Ponle Punto 3:19 (Johnny Pacheco)
4. La Gloria Eres Tu 3:18 (Jose Antonio Mendez)
5. Los Diablitos 3:07 (Johnny Pacheco)
6. El Piro De Farra 5:05 (Hugo Gonzalez)
7. Son Labori (Caminante Y Labore) 5:32 (Arsenio Rodriguez)
8. Harina Con Boniato 3:46 (D. R.)
9. Bajo El Viejo Cristal 2:44 (D. R.)
10. Viralo Al Reves 5:33 (Johnny Pacheco)

Primoroso Cantar made salsanewyork.com list.

Musicians:

Johnny Pacheco / Leader, Percussion, Flute, Lead Vocals for track 5
Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez / Percussion, Lead Vocals
Hector “Bomberito” Zarzuela / Lead Trumpet
Victor Venegas / Bass
Charlie Rodriguez “Tribilin” / Tres
Luis Mangual / Bongos
Ray Castro / Conga
Ray Maldonado / Trumpet
Ray Castro, Johnny Pacheco / Chorus

Africando – Vol. 2 Tierra Tradicional

Released 1994
Stern’s Music

Produced by Ibrahima Sylla


Available at Descarga, Amazon, etc


1. Ken Moussoul Guis Li ("El Carretero") 4:31 (Guillermo Portabales)
2. Tierra Tradicional ("Cienfuegos") 4:09 (Beny More)
3. Yay Boy 3:59 (Ismael Rivera?)
4. Sama Rew 4:17
5. Xale Bile 5:33
6. Sama Thiel ("Moliendo Cafe") 4:35 (Hugo Blanco)
7. Sabador (“La Bamba”) 3:02 (Traditional)
8. Ndiabaane 7:04
9. Tierra Tradicional (Remix) 4:09 (Beny More)

Arrangements and musical direction by Boncana Maiga.

Three Senegalese singers (Pape Seck, Medounne Diallo, Nicolas Menheim) work with New York-based musicians to take Salsa back to its African roots. The songs are supposedly Latin classics (e.g. Moliendo Cafe with well-known version by Cortijo Y Su Combo) sung in mix of Wolof and Spanish with new lyrics by the singers.

It's not a consistently great (remix of title song is rather superfluous), but it does have three high quality songs making salsanewyork.com list including Ken Moussoul Guis Li (El Carretero by Guillermo Portabales - here Medounne Diallo joined by Ronnie Baro in lead vocals and with a great tenor Saxophone accompanyment by Chombo Silva), Yay Boy and Sama Thiel (Moliendo Cafe written by Hugo Blanco supposedly with over 800 recorded versions of the song worldwide).

Musicians:

Felix Farrar / Violin & Violin solo
Patmore Lewis / Violin
Lloyd Carter / Violin
Sergio George / Piano
Jose Garcia / Tres
Johnny Torres / Bass
Papo Penin / Conga
Bobby Allende / Bongos
Pablo “El Chino” Nunez / Timbales
Pete Gomez / Guiro
Eddy Zervignon / Flute
Ite Jerez / Trumpet
Hector “Bomberito” Zarzuela / Trumpet
Leopoldo Pineda / Trombone
Jose “Chombo” Silva / Tenor Sax
Mario Rivera / Tenor & Baritone Sax
Adalberto Santiago, Yayo El Indio / Chorus
Pape Seck / Lead Vocals (3,6)
Medoune Diallo / Lead Vocals (1,4,8)
Nicolas Menheim / Lead Vocals (2,4,7,9)
Ronnie Baro / Chorus, Lead Vocals (1)

Africando – Mandali

Released 2000
Stern’s Africa

Produced by Ibrahima Sylla


Available at Descarga, Amazon, etc.


1. Mandali 5:06 (Super Eagles)
2. Miye Na We 4:38 (Lokua Kanza)
3. Ntoman 5:01 (Salif Keita)
4. Hwomevonon 5:12 (Gnonnas Pedro, Boncana Maiga)
5. Mopao 4:32 (Koffi Olomide, Boncana Maiga)
6. Pepita 5:03 (Boncana Maiga)
7. Sey 5:17 (Thione Seck)
8. Betece 5:03 (Amadou Balake, Boncana Maiga)
9. Carpintero 4:48 (Ronnie Baro, Boncana Maiga)
10. Scandalo 5;01 (Lord, Pinard)
11. Son Fo 4:49 (Skouba Bambino, Boncana Maiga)
12. Doni Doni 8:19 (Bembeya Jazz)

Arrangements and musical direction by Boncana Maiga.

My impression is that Mandali is the most popular Africando album, which is saying something considering Africando is probably the most universally liked Salsa band these days around here. Certainly there are detractors (e.g. "I don't understand what they are singing about" or "I've heard them too much times" or such), but it works out as a fine compromise choice to be acceptable to pretty much all.

Three songs (Miye Na We, Ntoman, Betece) made salsanewyork.com list. Mandali and Sey also seem to get fair bit of play in my local scene.

Musicians:

Oscar Hernandez / Piano
Edwin Sanchez / Piano
Ruben Rodriguez / Bass
Ray Martinez / Bass
Pablo “El Chino” Nunez / Timbales
Papo Pepin / Conga
George Delgado / Conga
Bobby Allende / Bongos, Maracas, Guiro
Pete Gomez / Maracas, Guiro
Luis Rodriguez / Tres
Ozzie Melendez / Trombone
Luis Bonilla / Trombone
Raul Agraz / Trumpet
Ite Jerez / Trumpet
Irvain Years / Violin
Raimundo Penaforte / Violin
Lewis Kahn / Violin
Enrique Orengo / Cello
Mario Rivera / Soprano & Baritone Sax
Nelson Hernandez / Baritone Sax
Eddy Zervigon / Flute
Phillipe Guez / Keyboards (xylophone, marimba) & demo preparation
Adalberto Santiago, Luis Daniel, Hector Casanova, Ronnie Baro / Chorus
Medoune Diallo / Lead Vocals (1,12)
Gnonnas Pedro / Lead Vocals (4,12)
Ronnie Baro / Lead Vocals (9,12)
Sekouba ‘Bambino” / Lead Vocals (11,12)
Roger “ Shoubou” Eugene / Lead Vocals (10)
Amadou Balake / Lead Vocals (8,12)
Lokua Kanza / Lead Vocals (2)
Salif Keita / Lead Vocals (3)
Koffi Olomide / Lead Vocals (5)
Hector Casanova / Lead Vocals (6)
Thione Seck / Lead Vocals (7)
Adalberto Santiago / Co-Lead Vocals (12)