JOHNNY PACHECO — Pacheco Y Su Charanga (aka Que Suene la Flauta Vol.3) (review)

JOHNNY PACHECO — Pacheco Y Su Charanga (aka Que Suene la Flauta Vol.3) album cover

Album · 1961 · Afro-Cuban Jazz

5/5 · 2011-04-13
Matt

What would have become of Latin music without this album which was released in 1961 on Al Santiago's Alegre label.This was the album that gave Johnny Pacheco his break and also kicked off Alegre Records being the labels first LP release. They had been only releasing 78 rpm singles, 44 to be exact with Tito Puente being one of the artists but when Al Santiago was approached to see a new charanga band that was playing by Mike Collazo who was a vocalist but worked at Al's record shop, "Cassalegre", off Al went to the "Triton" Club to see Johnny Pacheco Y Su Charanga. Al loved them and offered a contract to Johnny and with a little haggling from Johnny over conditions Latin music's destiny was shaped. "Johnny Pacheco Y Su Charanga" sold 100,000 copies which was nothing to be sneezed at for the time putting Alegre Records and Johnny Pacheco on the map with Johnny doing another four albums to follow with the label before he formed his new conjunto and with Jerry Masucci created Fania Records and latin music history.

The band is charanga all the way with Johnny Pacheco on flute who had been playing with Charlie Palmeri in Charanga Duboney but although friends Johnny wanted to do things his way and formed "Pacheco Y Su Charanga" and with the help of a young Louie Ramirez's arranging skills cut a demo " El Guiro De Macorina" and managed to get it air play and the clamour was heard the next day, "Where do you get it". Elliot Romero was lead vocalist and he went on to play with Alegre All Stars, Willie Colon, Orlando Marin and Orchestra Broadway.Three violins being Carlos Piantini, Jose " Chombo" Silva with Daniel Gonzalez and Hector Pellot on piano. The bass is Victor David Perez with Manny Oquendo, John Palomo, and Julian Cabrera on percussion and Pedro Manuel Calzado is the lone coro.The majority of these musicians played in many other productions with Alegre and Fania.The cover for the album which is another classic, is by none other than Israel Sanabria (Izzy) who created so many outstanding covers over the years for various latin labels.

The sound of Johnny's flute is the first thing you hear on the opening "La Melodia" with the coro stating "Pacheco" throughout and Johnny of course plays one great solo with assistance from the violins and percussion giving great drive to the tune."Soy De Batabano" which is more traditional with its approach has Elliot on vocals more to the front and not just providing coros as the first tune over this great little pachanga beat with the coros and Johnny's flute darting between each other.The charanga keeps coming with "Sue Fue Para La Luna" with its Cha Cha rythmn and a return to the more up tempo drive on "Oyeme Mulata". "El Agua Del Claveito" was the second single from the album and with the tunes piano and violin intro which quickly turns back to that pachanga groove that just keeps coming with a great piano contribution from Hector Pellot with Johnny's flute.The hit which kicked everthing off is "El Guiro De Macorina" with its violin pluck intro and the coros coming in together and Johnny's flute is right over the pachanga beat with one great chorus to the song that just makes the tune even catchier and it is no surprise that everbody loved it as they grooved with Johnny's solo. A descarga is the album closer and is the longest piece in the album going for just over five minutes which was written by Johnny Pacheco as three other tunes on the album were and pachanga or charanga if you prefer is the only groove with the coros introducing after their verses Jose "Chombo" Silva who lays down one little cracker of a violin solo with the band complimenting over it. Johnny takes his turn and with the vocalists and band interjections all over the rtyhmn with the coros it is a tremendous closer and you'll be singing "Pacheco" with them over the beat throughout Johnny's solo.

Pachanga was the name of the new style and one the Latins embraced, thankfully for us all, because if this album had flopped and Johnny Pacheco never had his luck as well as heaps of talent we may never had Fania or for that matter, would Alegre Records have survived? Latin music history in the making and they did not even know it at the time back in 1961 when this masterpiece was released with a young Louie Ramirez throwing in arrangements. Al Santiago from Alegre of course was the producer.