... CD

31 track compilation. CD

... CD

Two rare albums from this great pianist – back to back on a single CD! First up is Jazz Argentino – key work from Ruben Lopez Furst, a wonderful pianist from the Argentine scene of the 60s – heard here on one of his greatest albums ever! Despite the local placement in the title, the set's got a really universal appeal – a quality that easily puts Baby Lopez Furst in the company of Bill Evans, Hampton Hawes, or a rare few imaginative pianists from up north! Furst's sense of color and timing are wonderful – ringing out fluidly, yet always with a sense of surprise that keeps us hanging on each new note – nothing that's ever hokey or heard-before – handled here with a vibrancy that's simply stunning. Many numbers are trio tracks, but the set also features guest trumpet and tenor on two tracks – and titles include "Israel", "Un Abajea Duriente", "Los Viejos", "Al Este Del Sol", "Sometime Ago", and "Cartas De Amor". Next is Jazz En La Universidad – one of the real highlights of the Argentine jazz scene of the 60s – a seminal album from pianist Ruben "Baby" Lopez – easily one of that country's greatest jazz musicians in the decade! Ruben's got a sound that opens up with the lyrical sense of space and tone first introduced by Bill Evans, but he's also more note-full at other moments – playing with a command of the piano that would have made him huge, had he recorded on the American or European scenes of the time! There's a warm balance between his instrument, the bass of Jorge Gonzalez, and drums of Nestor Astratta – one that goes past conventional piano trio modes, and which really reminds us of our favorite Saba/MPS sessions of the period. Titles include "Un Poco Alegre", "Hombre Amaestrado", "En Tu Dulce Modo", "Hermosoa Amor", and "Necesitare Alguien Mas". CD

A contemporary legend in Latin music – one that was done in collaboration with the film of the same name – organized by Ry Cooder, directed by Wim Wenders, and put forth as a reminder to America that Cuban culture was still going strong, even decades after we turned our backs on the nation! The "social club" in the title is well-put – as there's a relaxed, easygoing approach to the music here – warmly collaborative efforts from some of the greats of the scene in Havana – many of whom were able to enjoy renewed global attention, thanks to the efforts of the record and film. The lineup features Ruben Gonzalez on piano, Eliades Ochoa on guitar, Cachaito on bass, and Guajiro on trumpet – plus famous vocal contributions from Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, and Omara Portuondo. Titles include "Chan Chan", "Dos Gardenias", "El Carretero", "Candela", "Viente Anos", "El Cuarto De Tula", "De Camino A La Vereda", "Murmullo", and "Orgullecida". CD

Wonderful early live work from Gato Barbieri – heard here both before his important American records on Impulse, and his earlier emergence in the global avant garde – already blowing with a really wonderful tone on tenor, in a hip quartet that features the great Ruben Baby Lopez Furst on piano! The set's a wonderful illustration of the way that modern modes showed up on the Argentine scene and very quickly made it one of the hippest in South America – a move that's signaled especially as Gato takes on two key Coltrane compositions amidst well-done versions of familiar numbers. Most tracks are nice and long, overflowing with strong tenor and piano solos – and the group features bass from Jorge Negro Gonzalez and drums from Antonio Tony Harris – on titles that include "Village Blues", "Impressions", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Round Midnight", and "You Say You Care". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary legend in Latin music – one that was done in collaboration with the film of the same name – organized by Ry Cooder, directed by Wim Wenders, and put forth as a reminder to America that Cuban culture was still going strong, even decades after we turned our backs on the nation! The "social club" in the title is well-put – as there's a relaxed, easygoing approach to the music here – warmly collaborative efforts from some of the greats of the scene in Havana – many of whom were able to enjoy renewed global attention, thanks to the efforts of the record and film. The lineup features Ruben Gonzalez on piano, Eliades Ochoa on guitar, Cachaito on bass, and Guajiro on trumpet – plus famous vocal contributions from Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, and Omara Portuondo. Titles include "Chan Chan", "Dos Gardenias", "El Carretero", "Candela", "Viente Anos", "El Cuarto De Tula", "De Camino A La Vereda", "Murmullo", and "Orgullecida". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Omara Portuondo is one of those Cuban music greats from years back – and one of a handful who were finally given some larger exposure to the American market during the Buena Vista Social Club project of the late 90s! It's not as if Omara had stopped performing – but because of the embargo on Cuban goods in the US for decades, which also led to an embargo on culture as well, Portuondo hadn't seen a standard release on our shores for many years – something that's nicely corrected by this set, which has Omara stepping away from the larger Buena Vista ensemble, and working in a nicely intimate mode, with work from Ruben Gonzalez on piano, Guajiro Mirabal on trumpet, and Cachaito on bass. Titles include "No Me Vayas A Enganar", "Ella Y Yo", "Canta Lo Sentimental", "Donde Estabas Tu", "La Sitiera", "He Perdido Contigo", and "El Hombre Que Y Ame". CD