January 25 - Show #71

Theme: Chin chon chow – Louie Ramírez

Song-Artist-Album-Label

Bella cosa – Mambo Zombies – MZ3 – Self-produced album: www.MamboZombies.com

Gospelanza – Irakere – Cuba Libre – Far Out Recordings

Namesake – Ray Mantilla – Good Vibrations – Savant Records

La escuela – Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – To Hear From There – Patois Records

Perdido – Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – To Hear From There – Patois Records

Pan Wisdom – Phil Hawkins and his ensemble – Sugarcaine Suite – P. Note Music

Paco & Dave – The Caribbean Jazz Project – The Caribbean Jazz Project – Heads Up
International Ltd.

Métisse – Omar Sosa – Live à FIP – Otá Records

Manteca – Michel Camilo – Thru My Eyes – RMM Records

Alfonsina y el mar – Diego el Cigala – Cigala & Tango – Gran Vía Musical de
Ediciones S.L.

Dos gardenias – Diego el Cigala – Cigala & Tango – Gran Vía Musical de Ediciones S.L.

Ojos verdes – Martirio & Chano Domínguez – Acoplados – RTVE Música

Pasa la vida – Pata Negra – Blues de la Frontera – Nuevos Medios

Arabesque – Nicola Conte – Bossa Per Due – Eighteenth Street Lounge Music

This is what you are – Mario Biondi – Handful of Soul – Schema Records


Highlights of the show:

Two tracks from the latest album by the Latin jazz sensation from the West Coast area has been aired tonight as the official release of ‘To Hear From There’ in the North-East Texas airwaves.



Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet 2011 album ‘To Hear From There’ has been another musical asset as expected from the artistically high standards by Wayne Wallace. Released in his own label, Patois Records, this new album is a flow from his previous and acclaimed work ‘¡Bien! ¡Bien!’ So, it is very likely that good things (awards, recognition…) are in store for this album. Putting together an ensemble well known in his career, as Paul van Wageningen at drums or Michael Spiro at percussion, the tunes show a well-done job by musicians who know well what terrains they are passing across. More than half of the eleven tracks are composed by Wayne Wallace, making renditions to Tito Puente or Gilberto Valdés compositions, and covering the Cuban classic ‘The peanut vendor’. All the themes keep an overall homogeneous flow of rhythm and quality making the whole piece stands by itself. Wayne Wallace and his ensemble know well the Latin jazz language which is the first feeling one has at listening. He remarkably approaches the Cuban tradition in ‘The peanut vendor’ rendition, or the Afro Cuban of ‘Ogguere’. This album lets more Cuban related topics in than previous works by Wayne Wallace. ‘¡Bebo ya llegó!’ is a tribute to Bebo Valdés, keeping up the spirit of Bebo´s style. In general terms, here we have another great piece of Latin jazz, which definitively stands up to what Wayne Wallace have accustomed us along his years in the musical scene, making the San Francisco Bay Area a reference for contemporary Latin jazz.

January 18, 2011 - Show #70

After Christmas holiday break, Latin Soul starts off new and fresh in 2011! Here you may have the first playlist and album review for the new year. Enjoy, and thanks for listening!


Theme: Chin chon chow – Louie Ramírez

Song-Artist-Album-Label

The oracle – Louie Ramírez – Latin Soul, Jazz & Boogaloo from Louie Ramírez – Vampi Soul

Andalucía – Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica – The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel – Self-produced album: www.orchestrotica.com

Mini Skirt – Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica – The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel –
Self-produced album: www.orchestrotica.com

Squeech me – Mambo Zombies – MZ3 – Self-produced album: MamboZombies.com

Descarga en blue – Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – To Here From There – Patois
Records

If I only had a brain – Kermit Ruffins – Happy Talk – Basin Street Records

Fiesta – Gato Barbieri – Caliente! – A&M Records

Watermelon man – Poncho Sánchez – Latin Soul – Concord Picante

Corcovado – Vince Guaraldi – The Latin Side of Vince Guaraldi – Fantasy Records

Summer samba – Walter Wanderley – Los Años Maravillosos del Brasil – Music Records/eMIN/WEA

Água de beber/Mais que nada – Carmen Lamarque – Live in Lima – Self-produced album: www.carmenlamarque.com

Voce e linda – Caetano Veloso – Los Años Maravillosos del Brasil – Music Records/eMIN/WEA

De que vale ter tudo na vida – Jose Augusto – Música Contemporánea en Portugués
Intérpretes Brasileros – Rhino Records

O qué será – Chico Buarque – Los Años Maravillosos del Brasil – Music Records/eMIN/WEA

A felicidade – Tom Jobim – Los Años Maravillosos del Brasil – Music Records/eMIN/WEA

Garota de Ipanema – Nara Lead – Los Años Maravillosos del Brasil – Music Records/eMIN/WEA

Sancochao – Richie Zellón – Landología – Songosaurus Music

El norte – Gabriel Alegría – Wayruro – Rhino Records

Cántelo usted – Yuri Juárez – Afroperuano – Saponegro Records

Ánimo y aliento – Los hijos del sol: Álex Acuña & Eva Ayllón – To y Country – Nido Enterteinment, LLC



Highlights of the show:

Latin Soul has aired a new release tonight: Mr. Ho´s Orchestrotica The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel. Two tracks have been played as it could have been the whole album, as so cool it is!




'The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel' is an album released at the end of 2010. It is an 11 track album by the intriguing name of Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica devoted to versions of compositions by the Mexican conductor and composer Juan García Esquivel. Esquivel, as he was known in the music business, was sometimes called “The King of Space Age Pop”, as he was the most representative musicians who explored the possibilities of the easy listening or instrumental pop of late 50´s and early 60´s know as the “Space Age bachelor pad music”. Today, that style lives a renaissance with the so called “lounge music”. At the time, the stereophonic system was invented, making Esquivel a curious explorer of the possibilities of the system, as he recorded tunes with two different orchestras, remixing later as to have the stereo sound effect noticeable in the listening. His glamourous and sophisticated orchestrations shaped the music of an era. Today, a number of compilations may be found, as well as his original recordings, among which “Latin-Esque”, “Infinity in Sound, vol. 1 and vol. 2”, or “Cabaret Tragico” are remarkable.

Under the pseudonym of Mr. Ho, the Boston-based musician, percussionist and vibraphonist Brian O'Neill has put together the Orchestrotica to honor renditions to classics of Esquivel. The result is so good that if you aren´t familiar with Esquivel´s music, you would believe these tunes are originals by the so called Mr. Ho. The arrangements, the musicianship, the overall quality of sound is exquisite, really bringing you to the times of Space Age pop music. Especially interesting the tracks Andalucía and Mini Skirt. Frenesí or the in-crescendo Dancing in the Dark are also highlights from this album. Sumarizing, an exquisite jewel revering old-time “exotica”, or nowadays “lounge”. The artwork of the album is another little gem honoring the aesthetics of Space Age.