NEWSLETTER #128
Ethnic & World Music
Xavier Cugat -> Various Artists
| CUBA | XAVIER CUGAT | Columbia 85341 | The Original Latin Dance King | ● CD $11.98 |
| 26 track reissues of sides from the 40s adn 50s from the
first star of Latin music in the USA. Includes his original verson of the
Latin music standard Bablu. |
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| CAJUN | THE HACKBERRY RAMBLERS | Arhoolie 7050 | Early Recordings, 1935-1950 | ● CD $12.98 |
| 26 tracks, 72 mins, essential. A joy from start to finish
featuring the top Cajun string band of the 1930's, the Hackleberry Ramblers,
led by fiddler Luderin Darbonne who is still leading the group at the age of
90! Eschewing the previously popular accordian sound and influenced by
blues, Western swing and hillbilly string bands, Luderin and his
singer/guitarists, Lennis Sonnier, Floyd and Lonnie Rainwater, and Edwin
Duhon created an infectious, danceable sound that was extremely popular.
These recordings, cut between 1936 and 1950 mix old time country and blues
tunes like On Top of the World/ Just Got To To Hi-De-Hi and Neath
the Weeping Willow (a fabulous performance with some lovely steel
guitar), with Cajun numbers like Jolie Blonde/ J'ai Passe Devonde Ta
Porte/ J'ai Pas Bien Fey,
and Jolie Fille.
They always had a bluesy, but
buoyant style that was in great demand and this great collection makes it
clear why. Other tracks include Just Once More/ Mermentau Stomp/ Vinton High
Society/ Wondering/ J'ai Pres Parley/ Drifting Along/ One Step De L'Amour/
Fair Pas Ca (their great version of "Trouble in Mind") and others. Sound is
generally excellent though a few cuts are from worn 78s. Booklet has
informative notes by Ben Sandmel. Wonderful stuff (JM/FS) |
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| CUBA | MACHITO & HIS AFRO-CUBAN ORCHESTRA | Columbia 62097 | Mambo Mucho Mambo - The Complete Columbia Masters | ● CD $11.98 |
| 20 track collection of sides from the 50s by this great
Afro-Cuban jazz pioneer with his long time partner Mario Bauza. Includes
notes from Machito's friend and Latin music expert Joe Conzo. |
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| AFRICA-MISCELLANEOUS | OLATUNJI | Columbia 66011 | Drums Of Passion | ● CD $11.98 |
| Reissue of 1960 album featuring African percussionist
Babatunde Olatunji - one of the first albums of authentic African music
recorded in the West. This CD includes a previously unissued track, rare
photos, a commentary by Olatunji and new notes. |
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| CUBA | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Charly SNAP 090 | Our Cuba | ● CD $13.98 |
| 20 track collection of Cuban classics recorded in the 50s
and early 60s - mostly for the New York based Seeco Records. Includes Celia
Cruz, The Cuban All Stars, Orquesta Riverside, Arsenio Rodriguez, Septeto
Nacional, Miguelito Valdes, Perez Prado, Alfredito Valdes and Robert Faz &
His Conjunto, |
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| TRINIDAD | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Honest Jon's 02 | London Is The Place For Me | ● CD $23.98 |
| Wonderful collection of Trinidadian Calypso recorded in
London between 1950 and 1956. 20 tracks full of topical imagery featuring
some of the greats - Lord Kitchener, Young Tiger, Lord Beginner, Lord
Invader, Mighty Terror, The Lion and Timothy. Superb sound and incredible 40
page booklet printed on high quality paper with extensive notes by Richard
Noblett and crammed with great photos and label shots. |
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| GREECE | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Kalan Muzik 008 | Rebetika, 1928-1954 | ● CD $19.98 |
| This is, I believe, a Turkish release. It features 21
glorious tracks of traditional rebetika singing and playing in the Smyrnaic
style. Among the artists featured are Roza Eszkenazi, Marika Kanaropulo,
Rita Abadzi, Aghapios Tomboulis, Haralambos Panayis, Yorghos Papasidheris,
Adonis Dalgas, Markos Vamvakaris and othersLovely accompaniments on kanun,
ud, baglama, etc. I'm not sure if there is much overlap with other releases
though a few tracks sound familiar. Excellent sound and notes in Turkish.
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| CAJUN | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Mardi Gras 1071 | Cajun Music Hits | ● CD $15.98 |
| Fine collection of Cajun music recorded (I think) for Lee
Lavergne's Lanor label in the 80s. Includes great old timers like Shirley
Bergeron, Vin Bruce, Aldus Roger and others alongside younger generation
artists like Johnny Sonnier, Mitch Landry Chester Cormier, etc. 18 tracks in
all. |
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| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Melt 2000 BW 2148 | Roots & Ancestors 1 | ● CD $16.98 |
| 15 tracks, 51 minutes, highly recommended Wonderful
collection of South African traditional music recorded in recent years. This
collection features tribes from the Southern part of South Africa including
Zulus, Xhosa and San people. There are vocal and instrumental pieces and the
instrumentation is mostly traditional intruments - mouthbow, drums, Jews
harp, etc along with the occasional guitar or concertina. The music is
powerful and haunting. (FS) |
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| JAMAICA | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Trojan 80295 | History Of Trojan Records, Vol. 1 : 1968-1971 | ● CD $25.98 |
| U.S. issue of Trojan CDTAL 700. The first of two volumes
survey the history of Britian's leading reggae label. A double CD with 60
tracks and an extensively annotated booklet featuring tracks by most of the
leading and most influential artists of the period along with a healthy
helpig of obscurities - Owen Gray, Slim Smith, The Gaylads, Desmond Dekker &
The Aces, The Conquerors, The Pioneers, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley & The
Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, Dave Barker & The Upsetters, Dave & Ansel Collins,
Ken Parker, Jimmy London, The Tennors, Johnny Osbourne & The Sensations and
many others. |
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| JAMAICA | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Trojan 80296 | Trojan Ska Box Set | ● CD $15.98 |
| Three CD set featuring 50 ska tracks from the Trojan vaults
including Lord Tamano, Desmond Dekker, Stranger & Patsy, Carl Dawkins,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, Lord Brynner, Don Drummond, Eric Morris,
Drumagos Orchestra, The Tartans, Owen & Leon Silveras, Owen Gray, Jimmy
Cliff, Lee Perry, The Paragons, Tommy McCokk & The Skatalites, Clive &
Naomi, Clancy Eccles, Winstone & George & many more. |
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| JAMAICA | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Trojan 80312 | History Of Trojan Records, Vol. 2 : 1972-95 | ● CD $25.98 |
| 2 disc, 48 tracks, 2 hrs., 37 min., essential U.S. issue of
Trojan 900. Incredible reggae compilation from one of the great roots labels
and a necessary follow-up to the first Trojan collection. A fairly unique
division of labor here: Disc one spans the years 1972-74, while disc two
covers the next 20 years. Artists range from the well-known to the obscure,
but this set proves that Trojan and its various subsidiaries have offered
the very best in reggae for the last 25 years. Thrill to Peter Tosh, Bob
Marley and The Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, Augustus Pablo, U. Roy, Marcia
Griffiths; The Mighty Diamonds and the Heptones. (A close Jamaican friend
loves this set.) Dub to reggae to digital. Some rare sides. Great sound.
Beautifully packaged as a small hardbound book it includes 48 page booklet
with extensive background and notes on all the performances. A must-have
compendium. (PL) |
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| JAMAICA | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Trojan 80327 | Trojan Calypso Box Set | ● CD $15.98 |
| Three CD set with 50 tracks of calypso, jump-up and mento
from the Trojan vaults - Count Lasher, Lord Kitchener, Tommy McCook & The
Supersonics, The Might Vikings, Derrick Harriott, The Undergrounds, Chalie
Binger & His Quartet, Lord Creator, The Mighty Sparrow, Sampson The Lark,
Lord Tanamo, Lord Invader, The Mighty Terror and others. |
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| JAMAICA | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Trojan 80339 | Trojan Jamaican R&B Box Set | ● CD $15.98 |
| Three CDs, 50 tracks, highly recommended In the 50s while
the adults in Jamaica were listening to the traditional sounds of mento and
calypso the teenagers were grooving to the sounds of American rhythm & blues
that could be heard from the powerful radio stations broadcasting from the
USA. Eventually local performers started emulating these sounds and pretty
soon Jamaican rhythm & blues recordings started appearing. Though strongly
modeled on the American recordings the homegrown music featured a
distinctively Jamaican slant and was soon to subtly transform into bluebeat,
ska and eventually reggae. This wonderful three CD set with 50 tracks from
the Trojan vaults (though not exclusively from the Trojan label) showing the
influence of American rhythm & blues on the Jamaican music scene in the late
50s and early 60s. It includes some covers of American recordings but many
were original compositions. Includes The Jiving Juniors, Lloyd Clarke, Jimmy
James, Laurel Aitken, Owen Gray, Chuck & Dobby, Roland Alphonso, The Blues
Busters, Rico & Duke, Jimmy Cliff (his first recording at age 14!) and
others. Excellent sound considering the fact that many of these sides were
recorded in primitive studios and each CD comes with notes. (FS) |
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