Ray Barretto – Soy Dichoso

Released 1992

Produced by Ray Barretto

Fania / E-Musica Remastered 2006

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc

Arrangements by Angel Fernandez (2,4,6,8), Ricky Gonzalez (1,7), Hector Martignon (5), Barry Olsen (3)

1. Soy Dichoso 4:50 (Hugo Gonzalez)
2. Lo Que Me Paso En La Guagua 5:05 (Mercelino Guerra)
3. Los Ejes De Mi Carreta 5:16 (Atahualpa Yupanqui, Romildo Risso)
4. En Entierro Del Feo 4:53 (D.R.)
5. Tal Vez 4:14 (D.R)
6. Café Con Leche 4:41 (D.R.)
7. Flor De Los Lindos Campos 4:42 (C. Curet Alonso)
8. Diganme La Hora 4:46 (Ray Barretto)

Ray Barretto's final Salsa album. Four songs (Soy Dichoso, Los Ejes De Mi Carreta, En Entierro Del Feo, Flor De Los Lindos Campos) made salsanewyork.com list, which makes the album appear better than it is. It's a solid album, but I wouldn't call it a standout.

Musicians

Ray Barretto / Leader, Conga
Tito Gonzalez / Maracas, Guiro
Ricky Gonzalez / Piano
Hector Zarzuela / Trumpet
Angel Fernandez / Trumpet
Steve Gluzband / Trumpet
Jimmy Delgado / Timbales
Carlitos Soto / Bongos
Jimmy Bosch / Trombone
Adalberto Santiago, Tito Allen, Tito Gonzalez, Felo Barrios, Saba / Chorus

Other players in (2,3,5)

Hector Martignon / Piano
Jose Jerez / Trumpet
Christ Anderson / Trumpet
Tim Ouimette / Trumpet
Jeffery Lopez / Timbales
Jorge Gonzalez / Bongos
Jaime Moreno / Bass
Barry Olsen / Trombone

Ray Barretto – Rican / Struction

Released 1979

Produced by Ray Barretto

Fania / E-musica Remastered 2006

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc

Arrangements by Oscar Hernandez (1,2,7), Eddie Martinez (3,4), Gil Lopez (5), Dick “Taco” Mesa (6)

1. Al Ver Sus Campos 5:36 (Johnny Ortiz)
2. Un Dia Sere Feliz 5:27 (D.R.)
3. Piensa En Mi 4:43 (Agustin Lara)
4. Ya Vez 5:38 (D.R.)
5. Adelante Siempre Voy 6:01 (C. Curet Alonso)
6. Algo Nuevo 6:53 (Dick Mesa)
7. Tumbao Africano 7:10 (Ray Barretto)

A Grammy winner. Some consider it more experimental or avant garde. To me it sounds fairly conventional Ray Barretto. Two songs (Al Ver Sus Campos, Adelante Siempre Voy) made salsanewyork.com list.

Musicians

Jose Jerez, Puchi Boulong, Hector “Bomberito” Zarzuela, Jose Febles / Trumpet
Papo Vazquez / Trombone
Todd Anderson / Tenor and Soprano Saxophone, Flute
Oscar Hernandez / Piano
Sal Cuevas / Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass
Jose Fajardo / Flute solo (6)
“Little Ray” Romero / Lya Bata drum (7)
Eddie Rodriguez / Ltotele Bata drum (7)
Luis Gonzalez / Bongos and Cencerro and Chorus
Ralph Irrizary / Timbales, Snare drum, Floor tom-tom, Bass drum, Cymbals set up
Tito Allen / Chorus (2,3,4,7)
Ray De La Paz / Chorus (1,5,6)
Adalberto Santiago / Lead Vocals and Chorus
Ray Barretto / Conga

Ray Barretto – Indestructible

Released 1973

Produced by Ray Barretto

Fania / E-Musica Remastered 2006

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc

Arrangements by Louie Cruz (1,2,6,7), Eddie Martnez (3,5,8), Louie Ramirez (4)

1. El Hijo De Obatala 5:02 (C. Curet Alonso)
2. El Diablo 5:21 (Bienvenido Julian Guetirrez)
3. Yo Tengo Un Amor 5:03 (Rafael Hernandez)
4. La Familia 3:49 (Julia Gunda Merced)
5. La Orquesta 4:32 (Roberto Rodriguez)
6. Llanto De Cocodrilo 3:54 (D.R.)
7. Ay No 6:06 (D.R.)
8. Indestructible 4:11 (Ray Barretto, Joseph Roman)

This arguably is one of the more popular Ray Barretto album for a rather large number of Salsa dancers. The best known song is Indestructible - perhaps best played slowed down. Next is El Hijo De Obatala - also arguably better played slowed down. The one song that did make salsanewyork.com list is La Familia.

[note added March 7, 2008 - The composer credit for La Familia is a little strange in my opinion. I have a Jose Curbelo CD which gives the composer credit to Jose Curbelo Sr. In any case, La Familia was one of big hits for Jose Curbelow in the early 50s.]

Musicians

Ray Barretto / Conga, Clave, Musical Director
“Little” Ray Romero / Timbales
Tony Fuentes / Bongso and Cencerro
Edy Martinez / Piano
Julio Romero / Baby Bass
Art “Artie” Webb / Flute
Roberto Rodriguez / Lead Trumpet
Joseph “Papy” Roman / Second Trumpet
Manuel “Manny” Duran / Third Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez / possibly Maracas
Felo Barrio / Guiro (3,5)
Menique (2,3,4,6,7,8), Hector Lavoe (1,2,3,4,6,7,8), Roberto Rodriguez (5), Felo Barrio (5), Willie Colon (1) / Chorus
Tito Allen / Lead Vocals

Ray Barretto – Carnaval

Released as double-album in 1973
Original albums released 1961 and 1962

Produced and engineered by Ray Fowler

Fantasy

Available at Amazon, Descarga, etc

Selections 1-8 originally released as Latino! (Recorded Sep 20, 1962). Selections 9-18 originally released as Pachanga With Barretto (Recorded Jun 1 and 2, 1961)

1. Manha De Carnaval 4:25 (Bonfa-Peretti-Creatore-Weiss)
2. Sugar’s Delight 3:23 (Ray Barretto)
3. Exodus 5:20 (Ernest Gold)
4. Descarga La Moderna 4:26 (Gil Lopez)
5. Summertime 2:57 (Gershwin-Heyward)
6. El Negro Y Ray 5:54 (Barretto)
7. Mira Que Linda 2:31 (Pedro Calzado)
8. Cocinando Suave 6:01 (Barretto)
9. Pachanga Oriental 2;42 (Hector Rivera)
10. Barretto En La Tumbadora 3:04 (Hector Rivera)
11. Cumbamba 2:47 (Hector Rivera)
12. El Paso 2:49 (Hector Rivera)
13. Linda Mulata 3:03 (Hector Rivera)
14. Oye Heck 2:44 (Hector Rivera)
15. Los Cueros 3:07 (Hector Rivera)
16. Pachanga Suavecito 3:38 (Hector Rivera)
17. Ponte Dura 3:59 (Hector Rivera)
18. Pachanga Para Bailar 2:55 (Hector Rivera)

I had this album for quite some time yet I had only a few listening for the second half of the album, which is Ray Barretto's debut album as a leader and is all Pachanga and Charanga and has a distinctive sound. From the second album (or the first half of this album), two Salsa (Descarga La Moderna, El Negro Y Ray) and two Cha Cha (Summertime, Cocinando Suave) made salsanewyork.com list.

Musicians

Ray Barretto / Conga, Bongos (2), Timbales (6)
“El Negro” Vivar / Trumpet
“Chombo” Silva / Tenor Saxophone (1-8)
Frank Mercado / Tenor Saxophone (9-18)
Jose Canoura / Flute
Mike Stancerone / Violin
Alfredito Valdez Jr / Piano
Ricky Jackson / Bass
Ray Mantilla / Timbales
Wito Kortwright / Guiro
Willie Rodriguez / Percussion
Rudy Calzado / Percussion

Celia-Ray-Adalberto – Tremendo Trio

Produced and Directed by Ray Barretto
Arrangements by Oscar Hernandez & Luis Cruz

Released 1983 Fania

Fania / E-Musica 2007
ASIN B000MM1FA0

1. Nadie Se Salva De La Rumba 5:45 (Ciro Rodriguez, A. Delachaux)
2. Debes Callar 5:03 (Ramon Luis Rodriguez Morales)
3. Margie 5:04 (Pedro Flores)
4. Ya No Puede Ser 5:15 (C. Curet Alonso)
5. De Repente 5:30 (Aldemaro Romero)
6. Caminando 4:58 (Ruben Blades)
7. Asi Empezo El Son Montuno 5:04 (Luis Cruz)
8. La Cana Y La Plantacion 5:24 (C. Curet Alonso)

Two songs (Nadie Se Salva De La Rumba, Ya No Puede Ser) made salsanewyork.com honor list. Notable among the musicians is a young Oscar Hernandez, who now leads the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Musicians

Oscar Hernandez / Piano
Ralph Irizarry / Timbales
Carlos Soto / Bongos
Ray Martinez / Bass
Joe De Jesus / Trombone
Ken Fradley / Trumpet
Charlie Hernandez / Trumpet
Ray Gonzalez / Trumpet
Tony Barrero / Trumpet
Ray Barretto / Conga
Celia Cruz, Adalberto Santiago / Lead Vocals
Adalberto Santiago, Felo Barrio / Chorus