LARRY HARLOW — Salsa (review)

Album · 1974 · Afro-Cuban Jazz

5/5 · 2011-04-02
Matt

One of the top Latin albums of all time which still sounds just as fresh today as it was when recorded in just two sessions on the 26th and the 27th of November in 1973. This is the album with "La Cartera" one of the all time latin hits and one Larry still plays today because simply it is that good. What about the other tracks? You need not worry as the title for the album is "Salsa" with some of the best interpretations ever recorded of two Arsenio Rodriguez songs, "La Catera" being one and the other is the son groover based on a Santeria chant "Popo Pa' Mi" but the others all have that wonderful magic that keep the standard at the highest level even the closer "Silencio" with its Yoruba intro will have you gripped when the son just keeps building intensity. Larry Harlow who is the pianist leads this crack band and production with Johnny Pacheco doing flute and the addition of Bata drums played by Milton Cardona and Gene Goldman. The lead vocalist is Junior Gonzalez who was still learning the correct style to sing son and charanga at the time when the rehearsals were done for the album but by the time of recording it was mission accomplished. He also plays maracas and guiro with the percussion line up as well being Pablito Rosario tapping bongos, paila and rubbing the guiro, Anthony "Tony" Jimenez on tumbadara ( congas) and Edwin Colon playing timbales.Three trumpeters are used in the brass with Charlie Miller playing flugelhorn and flute as well. There are two trombones but it is one if the them Lewis Kahn who also does the violins and gives the album that beautiful charanga addition to Larrys salsa. The violins and tres were actually overdubbed but the rest of the music was recorded as a band. The violins and flute are such an essential part of the music giving the album its own distinct style. Although this is salsa with superb instrumentals all taken from classic repertoire it rocks but still remains pure Cuban influenced, it is the way the intensity builds throughout various tunes with all that driving percussion underpinning the lot. Eddie "Guagua" Rivera is on bass and Harry Vigiano is adding tres and guitar with the addition of the superb coros of Yayo El Indio, Marcelino Guerra and Adalberto Santiago.

"No Quiero" is the first of the eight compositions contained within the album with the brass coming straight in and the percussion providing its own counterpoint on this straight up son montuno sung having a beautiful Cuban style feel with the tres of Harry and Charlies flute bringing to the song its great sound but the next one is "La Cartera" with the piano solo from Larry that garnered him the nickname "Judio Maravilloso" (Marvellous Jew) when Junior commented with Adalberto at the session. The drive is there from begining to end with this number with brass constantly kicking in the with violin addition all driven by the coros montuno and we have just arrived at the superb piano solo played by Larry with a great percussive approach with trumpet, trombone next and violin to follow and the vocals are still just gaining intensity to this absolute masterpice of Latin music created by Larry. What is amazing this song still does not overpower the album because the other songs are all distinct with their own charm. The follower "Popo Pa Mi" is more Cuban chant to the santeria but son and more son with montuno. The bass from Eddie Rivera gets a work out with in tumboa mode with Larry providing just a little tinkle underneath till the brass arrive and montuno is the way to the end with trumpet everywhere and is another Arsenio Rodriguez composition transformed."No Hay Amigo" is more up tempo salsa with plenty of drive, great percussion and of course stunning within the montuno from the coros. We do get a straight charanga being "El Paso De Encarnacion" with flute and violin being the lead but the trumpet is putting those licks in with the vocalists on this groover which just keeps intensifying throughout which seems to be the approach everywhere within the albums songs. The the album finsher is no exception and this is where you hear those bata drums in all their glory in another great intensified son monster.

You gotta have it, there is no other choice if you are into Afro Cuban music. Salsa is what this is all about but there is plenty of Jazz and although it is predominately straight Cuban compositions done Son/Salsa as I mentioned before it has this rock feel as well, due to the intensity in which the songs were recorded. My favourite Larry Harlow album hands down !