KAKO — Tributo a Noro (review)

Album · 1965 · Afro-Cuban Jazz

4/5 · 2011-08-04
Matt

Number three on the album list for Kako Bastar with this one named, "Tributo A Noro Morales" and there are some slamming versions in honour of Noro Morales the great Cuban piano player, composer and band leader who had passed away the year before contained within. Kako was an old friend of Noro's and this tribute was only thought about a 12 hours before the recording got underway. Hence the name for the After Hours Orchestra with their time for preparation and notice although the band is basically The Alegre All Stars which Kako is one of the co-founders off with the piano wizard Charlie Palmieri and being Al Santiago's the owner of Alegre records liason man for artists with all that pull in the company he got everybody into the studio in quick smart time and cut this album. Chivrico Davilla does the vocals with his usual class and we have the great or legendary if you prefer, Cuban bass player Cachoa Lopez with the addition of Louie Ramirez playing some fantastic vibes throughout. We also have present in the band Osvaldo "Chihuahua" Martinez on guiro who is primarily a timbale player but since Kako has that job, guiro is his only contribution but all of these musicians that I have mentioned are band leaders as well. All up we have eighteen in the band including the two vocalists but rest assured they are all good and all know how to play great Cuban Jazz.

There are six tracks on the album with two stunning Descargas which are the closing tunes with number five being "Vitamina" and vitamins is what they must have been taking with the energy that the band always put into their descargas with one hell'va a solo from Louie Ramirez on vibes which for me is close to perfection and when Kako starts slamming hard his timbales it is Salsa Dura heaven and the next track to follow is "Ponce" being another driver of a descarga with Charlie's piano being the intro over the band with a bit of a quick flash added on piano but Louie Ramirez is back with another absolute scorcher of a solo on his vibes with most likely of the three trumpeters in the band William Matos solos superbly after and then the two masters appear with Cachoa bringing it in for what could be best described a duo in solo between bass and Charlie's piano with one slamming ending and Chvirico introducing all the band to lead us back to that beautiful slamming Cuban Jazz. These are the best two tracks on the album for me and the quality is amazing when it was just one session and most likely one take and when The Alegre All Stars recorded it was always fresh and so full of that spontaneous energy that emanated from the band. The album opens with a wonderful guajira with the bands usual stunning drive with the title, "Mi Guajra" which is is stating the obvious but the tune is wonderful with a lovely African style tenor saxophone solo from Jose "Chombo "Silva with Chivirico singing Son and the kick from the trumpets between verses is gripping as the solo from Cachoa Lopez is which follows another stunner from Louie on vibes and Charlie's piano but Cachoa's solo is the absolute highlight of all his solos contained in the album. The album though does run into a little trouble with the addition of the three boleros and yes Noro Morales played many a bolero and they would have been used as much in a records structure back in the forties and fifties but to put the three in a row. They are the Cuban Classic , "Perfume De Gardenia", "Desvelo De Amor" and "Malditos Celos" all are good and there are some lovely bits from the band added and the last one on the list I like the most due to the change of vocalist from Chivirico to Felo Brito bringing a little variety with Charlie's piano. I wish that one of the boleros had been dropped and another more up tempo tune had been placed in its stead but not all things are perfect.

If I had owned this one on record in my youth, Side B would have been nearly worn out as well as the first song on side A , with the other two almost new. All in all though you really want this one. It is The Alegre All Stars and even if two of the tunes are a little so,so it is the Guijira and the two Descargas that are worth an entire album in their quality and drive. The cover was done by none other than Latin cover supremo Izzy Sanabria with his usual distinct artistic flair.