November 17 - Show #34

Theme song: Chin chon chow – Louie Ramírez

Song-Artist-Album-Label

It’s not what you say – Louie Ramírez – Louie’s Grooves-Latin Soul, Jazz & Boogaloo from Louie Ramírez – Vampisoul

Cookin’ with A&J – J. Rodríguez and A. René Orchestra – Louie’s Grooves-Latin Soul, Jazz & Boogaloo from Louie Ramírez – Vampisoul

The Oracle – Sabu Martínez & Louie Ramírez – Jazz Espagnole – Vampisoul

Rush hour in Hong Kong – Louie Ramírez – Louie’s Grooves-Latin Soul, Jazz & Boogaloo from Louie Ramírez – Vampisoul

Vitamina – Kako’s New York After Hour Orchestra – Louie’s Grooves-Latin Soul, Jazz & Boogaloo from Louie Ramírez – Vampisoul

Yeh!, Yeh! – Mongo Santamaría – From Latin to Jazz Dance Vol. 5 – Rare Groove Recordings

I’m on my way – Cándido – Beautiful – Blue Note

Grazing in the grass – Willie Bobo – Compilation Talkin’ Verve – Verve

Los desperados – Gato Barbieri – Caliente! – A&M Records

El arriero – Gato Barbieri – Fénix – Flying Dutchman/BMG France

Take me to Aruanda – Kristina –Offshore Echoes – Patois Records

Makes this city ours tonight – Sarah Vaughan with Milton Nascimento – Brazilian Romance – CBS

Samba de Orly – Miguel de León – Postcards from Rio – Self-produced: migueldeleon.net

Follow the moon – Thomas Clausen Brazilian Quartet – Stunt Records

Q.T.P. – Raynald Colom - #Sketches Of Groove# - Fresh Sound Records

El anillo (Chibulí) – Juan Peña el Lebrijano with Orquesta Andalusí de Tánger – Encuentros – Ariola

Sombras – Concha Buika y Chucho Valdés – El Último Trago – Warner Music Spain

Tangos del fuego – Chano Domínguez – NFS New Flamenco Sound – Verve/Universal

Esta gitana – Bernarda y Fernanda de Utrera – Ritmo En La Sangre – Hispavox -- In memory of Flamenco singer Bernarda de Utrera, passed away last week.


Highlights of the show:

You may have probably noticed the cool Latin Soul distinctive and catchy theme tune. Every Tuesday at nine and a few minutes pm, the piano ding-dang-dong stroke notes and the accompanying vibes open the show for a whole new musical adventure. Tonight, more tracks from the album containing “Chin chon chow”, the show theme, have been aired to learn more on Louie Ramírez's musician, arranger, and composer abilities.



“Louie's Grooves - Latin soul, jazz & boogaloo from Louie Ramírez” is a compilation released by the Madrid, Spain based label Vampisoul in 2005. It contains themes composed and arranged through Mr. Ramírez career and others where he takes part just as musician. Born in NY City, he had a gift for music and so he collaborated with everybody in the Latin musical scene since he started in late 50's with Joe Loco's band and from then on making his own spot and being appreciated as great vibraphonist and better composer and producer for the good of Latin jazz and soul musical scene in the US. Partnerships with Charlie Palmieri, Joe Cuba, and Sabu Martínez among many others until he died in 1993 at the age of 55. However, he didn't release many albums under his own name. So, this album here presented aims to cover that gap. The information from the CD sleeve shows some collaborations with Puerto Rican/NYC singer Jimmy Sabater that go from very soul like as in “Times are changin'” to more salsa inspired as in “La flauta” or “Yroco”. Tunes dealing with vibraphone instrumentation by Mr. Ramírez himself are found in tunes “Chin chon chow”, “Rush hour in Hong Kong”, “Sid's groove”, “Barrio nuevo”, and “I dig rhythm” where vibes in a steady pace a la minimalist turn those ones in hypnotic tunes. Great descargas are also found in the tracks signed with Charlie Palmieri like “Luisito Mozambique” and “Fat papa's descarga”. Among those great tunes are also remarkable the two signed with J. Rodríguez & A. René Orchestra, “Cookin' with A&J” and “Descarga A&J”, which lie in the descarga and latin soul territories. From Sabu's “Jazz Espagnole” album, we find the song “The oracle”, with Dizzie Gillespie's trumpet, and the production of Mr. Ramírez, so we learn he has played all positions in the field. A great album aiming to portrait some ten years (the 60's-70's era) of his four decade prolific career. Definitively an asset to get into Latin jazz and soul influences and just let be carried away and enjoy.