Archive for the CD Reviews Category

CR Review: Johnny Colon And His Orchestra - The Best

2009-Sep-Tue by admin.

On2で踊りたいお薦めサルサ/On2 Lovers’ Choice：
Johnny Colon And His Orchestra: The Best

NYマンボダンサーの喜ぶナンバーをたっぷり詰め込んだ１枚。④Merecumbeは誰もが知っている曲だが、迫力ある演奏で聴かせる。また、レトロな感じがいい⑤、ピアノソロが光る⑥、哀愁と高揚感が絶妙にミックスされた⑨もダンサーに好評。古き良きNY正統派のトランペットとトロンボーンにシビれる、という人にぜひお薦めしたい。

（このレビューはビエント・ラティーノCDカタログへの寄稿として書いたものです。翻訳：杉本優）

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This is a superb collection of songs that should appeal to the New York mambo crowd. The song which most people will be familiar with is ‘Merecumbe’, which rumbles away here magnificently. Other songs which I have played from this cd and which have worked on the dancefloor are ‘Echala Pa Ca’, which rolls along very nicely in a retro fashion, ‘Entre Compay y Comay’, with a wonderful piano solo which the rest of the band give plenty space to, and ‘Dejame En Paz’, which manages to be both mournful and uplifting at the same time. If you dig old school NY trumpet and trombone, this cd is for you.

(This review was originally written for Viento Latino’s CD catalogue)

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CD Review: Dave Santiago & Latin Affair - Rumbeando En El Solar

2009-Sep-Tue by admin.

新譜/New Release：

Dave Santiago & Latin Affair: Rumbeando En El Solar

デビューアルバムから約7年、ついに待望の２枚目登場。待った甲斐あって前作以上の出来だ。タイトル曲③はPete Paganの素晴しいボーカルとグルーブ感でフロアの定番になる予感。Willie Rodriguez のジャジーなベースも効いている。④⑤⑥も花丸。収録曲リストに⑧El Cuarto De Tulaを見つけた時は正直「散々カバーされているこの曲をなぜ？」と思ったが、いや素晴らしい。名バージョン誕生に拍手。

（このレビューはビエント・ラティーノCDカタログへの寄稿として書いたものです。翻訳：杉本優）

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Dave Santiago & Latin Affair have kept us waiting a long time for this, their second cd. It is around 7 years since they released their first cd. But the wait is definitely worth it, as this cd is even better than their first. I predict that the title track, ‘Rumbeando En El Solar’, will become a dancefloor favorite, with its relaxed groove and terrific vocals by Pete Pagan. The song also has nice jazzy bass lines from Willie Rodriguez. Other highlights of this great cd include the sunny, tres and flute-led ‘La Rojita’, the laidback ‘La Sazon’, and the chunky, cheerful ‘Mi Guaracha’. When I saw ‘El Cuarto De Tula’ listed on the CD sleeve, my first thought was, “do we really need another cover of this song?” But when you hear the band’s wonderful version of the song, you will be glad that they did include it.

(This review was originally written for Viento Latino’s CD catalogue)

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CD Review: Johnny Ray Salsa Con Clase - El De La Rumba Soy Yo

2009-Sep-Tue by admin.

新譜/New Release：

Johnny Ray Salsa Con Clase: El De La Rumba Soy Yo

サルサ界随一の洗練サウンドが際立つジョニー・レイのバンドが送る磨きぬかれた1枚。アップビートなタイトル曲①はフロア受け間違いなし。他にも⑥⑦等お薦め揃いだが、中でもハイライトはスイング感溢れる⑤。ミュージシャンの実力の高さはピカイチで、Sammy Gonzalez Jr.、Isidro Infante、Ruben Rodriguez、Luisito Quintero、Tito Allen等そうそうたる顔ぶれ。まさにSalsa Con Clase（品格あるサルサ）の名に違わない。

（このレビューはビエント・ラティーノCDカタログへの寄稿として書いたものです。翻訳：杉本優）

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Johnny Ray and his band are one of the slickest outfits on the salsa scene and this cd is typically smooth and polished. The first song, ‘El De La Rumba Soy Yo’, gets things off to a flying start, an upbeat dancefloor friendly track that is followed by other good songs such as ‘Llegaste Tarde’, ‘El Malquerido’, and what is probably the highlight of this set, the swinging midtempo ‘Reconciliacion’. The caliber of the musicians and singers involved in this cd is top notch and includes Sammy Gonzalez Jr., Isidro Infante, Ruben Rodriguez, Luisito Quintero, and Tito Allen, amongst others. This certainly is ‘salsa con clase’.

(This review was originally written for Viento Latino’s CD catalogue)

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