NEWSLETTER #138
Ethnic & World Music
Owen Gray ->
Various Artists
| REGGAE |
OWEN GRAY |
Trojan 80472 |
Shook, Shimmy & Shake |
● CD $18.98 |
Two CD featuring 50 tracks recorded over a span of 20
years by this great reggae pioneer from his earliest R&B and ska releases,
up to his Roots sides from the late seventies. Almost all of his
best-known recordings from period are featured, with many appearing on CD
for the very first time. Includes Please Don't Let Me Go/ Cutest Little
Woman/ She's Gone To Napoli/ Shook Shimmey And Shake/ Incense/ Sitting In
The Park/ Reggae Dance/ It's You I Love/ Guava Jelly/ (Stop) Fussing And
Fighting/ (What A) Blazing Fire/ I Man Nuh Run/ Ain't Got No Money/ The
Greatest Love Of All, etc.
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| CUBA |
LA FABULOSA GRACIELA |
Alma Latina 020 |
Con Machito Y Su Orquesta |
● CD $14.98 |
20 tracks, 64 minutes, essential
Graciela Grillo has been
called "the first lady of latin jazz." The sister of one of the founders
of the genre, Machito, she sang for over thirty years with his band,
Machito and his Afro-Cubans. Born in Havana in 1915, Graciela began her
professional singing career as a teenager in Cuba. She followed her
brother to New York City in the early 1940's and soon thereafter cut the
classic latin jazz tracks on this CD with his band. (JV)
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| REGGAE |
BOB MARLEY & THE
WAILERS |
Silverline 284512 |
The Best Of The Early Years |
● CD $17.98 |
DualDisc CD/DVD, 18 tracks, 60 min., recommended
Yet
another repackaging of Marley's seminal early sides, most of which were
produced by the legendary Lee Perry, the only exceptions being Soul
Shakedown Party (produced by another legendary produced, Leslie Kong),
and two songs produced by Marley himself, the classic Trench Town Rock
and Lively Up Yourself. What this release has over its competitors
is its two-sidedness. The DVD side offers "extras," including the "photo
album," where a grand total of 11 photos are available (even one where Bob
plays ping pong), and the album liner notes, which, unfortunately, are not
available in the actual booklet. Other songs include I Know A Place,
African Herbsman, Try Me, Soul Rebel, Kaya,
Duppy Conqueror, and more. (JC)
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| REGGAE |
THE MAYTALS |
Trojan 80428 |
From The Roots |
● CD $9.98 |
Reissue of 1973 album with eight bonus tracks. The
original album featured previously "lost" recordings made for Leslie Kong
in 1969 and the 8 bonus tracks include alternate takes and unissued songs.
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| CUBA |
RICARDO
"RICHIE" RAY ORCH. |
Vampisoul 017 |
Let's Get Down To The Real Nitty Gritty |
● CD $12.98 |
12 tracks, 31 minutes, highly recommended
1968 was the
peak year of the boogaloo dance craze, especially in New York City, and it
saw the crossover of this latin dance to the R & B and pop markets. This
CD is a reissue of one of the best albums from that time. It contains
latin covers of some of the soul and pop hits of the day, from the title
song and Soul Man to Tommy James' Mony, Mony. Brooklyn-born
Ray left music study at Julliard in 1964 to begin his Latin music
recording career and, with his musical partner Bobby Cruz, has been a
latin music star ever since. (JV)
|
| CUBA |
WILLIE ROSARIO |
Universal 02732 |
El De A 20 De Willie |
● CD $10.98 |
9 tracks, 40 minutes, highly recommended
Willie Rosario
was born in Coamo, Puerto Rico in 1930 and moved to New York with his
family as a teenager. After studying journalism and public relations, he
locked on to a musical career as a timbalero after seeing Tito Puente play
at the Palladium. He formed his own band in the late fifties and secured
his first recording contract with Allegre Records in 1962. "Mr. Ritmo" was
such a strong rhythm man that he became well known as the bandleader who
would not take a solo. This CD reissues one of his classic albums from
1980. (JV)
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| CUBA |
PONCHO SANCHEZ |
Concorde Picante 4519 |
El Mejor |
● CD $12.98 |
10 tracks, 61 minutes, essential Congero Poncho Sanchez
has deservedly been called the west coast Mongo Santamaria. He has earned
that title by carrying the torch of latin jazz in Los Angeles area
(although he is of Mexican-American rather than Caribbean origin). He cut
his chops playing in Cal Tjader's band before starting up his own band in
the 1980's. He then proceeded to cut a series of records for the Concord
label, of which this is one of the finest, combining innovation with
traditional touches. (JV)
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| SARDINIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Arc EUCD 1914 |
Music Of Sardinia |
● CD $14.98 |
Lovely and varied collection of music from Sardinia
including traditional polyphonic singing, the haunting sound of the
launeddas pipes and new music based on traditional sounds. Includes
illustrated booklet with notes on all the performances.
|
| CAJUN |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 7749 |
Cajun Country Volume 2: More Hits From The
Swamp |
● CD $28.98 |
Complementing JSP 7726 this is another great compilation
of early Cajun music featuring 100 tracks recorded between the birt of
Cajun music recording in 1928 and 1939 and includes a lot of titles not
currently available on CD as well as titles that have not available since
the original 78s were issued. Includes legendary performers like Joe &
Cleoma Falcon, Amede Ardoin, The Hackberry Ramblers, Nathan Abshire and
Happy Fats along with obscure but fine performers like Dudley & James
Fawvor, Delma Lachney, Delint. Guillory & Lewis LaFleur, Bartmon Montet &
Joswell Dupuis, Slim Doucet and others. Sound quality is generally
excellent and there are informative notes by Pat Harrison and
discographical details.
NATHAN ABSHIRE & THE RAYNE-BO RAMBLERS: La Valse De Riceville/ One Step De
Laccissine/ One Step De Morse/ THE ALLEY BOYS OF ABBEVILLE: Abbeville
Breakdown/ Apres Jengler A Toi/ Jolie Petite Blonde/ Quel Espoire (What's
The Use)/ Tu Ma Quite Seul (The Prisoner's Song)/ Tu Peus Pa Me Faire Ca
(You Can't Put That Monkey On My Back)/ AMEDE ARDOIN: La Valse Ah Abe
(Abe's Waltz)/ Madam Atchen (Mrs. Atchen)/ Two Step De Eunice/ Two Step De
La Prairie Soileau (Prairie Soileau Two Step/ La Valse De Amities (Love
Waltz)/ Les Blues De Crowley (Crowley Blues)/ Les Blues De Voyage (Travel
Blues)/ Oberlin/ THE BREAUX BROTHERS: La Valse Du Bayou Plaquemine
(Plaquemine Bayou Waltz)/ GUIDRY BROTHERS: La Valse Du Mariage/ SOILEAU
COUZENS: Sur Le Chemin Chez Moi (On My Way Home)/ JOE CREDUER & ALBERT
BABINEAUX: La Fille Que J'Aime (The Girl I Love)/ Ma Cherie (My Cherie)/
THE DIXIE RAMBLERS: Barroom Blues/ SLIM DOUCET: Chere Yeux Noir/ OSCAR
DOUCET & ALIUS SOILEAU: Oh Baby!/ When I Met You At The Gate/ JOE & CLEOMA
FALCON: Mes Yeux Bleu/ DUDLEY & JAMES FAWVOR: T'est Petite A Ete T'Est
Meon (You Are Little And You Are Cute)/ FOUR ACES: Aces Breakdown/ Lake
Charles Waltz/ COLUMBUS FRUGE: Bayou Teche/ The Toad (Saud Crapaud)/ J.B.
FUSELIER & HIS MERRYMAKERS: Ma Chere Bouclett (My Curly Headed Girl)/ Mon
Chere Vieux Maison Dan Swet/ Redell Breakdown/ Two Step De La Tell/ Vien
Don Ma Reguin (Come And Meet Me)/ BIXY GUIDRY & PERCY BABINEAUX: J'Vai
Jouer Celea Pour Toi (I'll Play This For You)/ DELINT. GUILLORY & LEWIS
LAFLEUR: Alone At Home/ Quelqun Est Jalous (Somebody Is Jealous)/ Stop
That/ HACKBERRY RAMBLERS: 'Neath The Weeping Willow Tree/ Darbone's Creole
Stomp/ J'Ai Pres Parley/ Louisiana Breakdown/ Rice City Stomp/ HAPPY FATS
& HIS RAYNE-BO RAMBLERS: Aux Bal Se Te Maurice/ Gran Prairie/ La Place Mon
Coeur Desire/ La Veuve De La Coulee/ Le Reponse De Blues De Bosco/ Les
Blues De Bosco/ Les Ecrivis Dan Platin/ Nouveau Grand Gueydan/ Oublies Moi
Jamais Petite/ Rayne Breakdown/ Ta Oblis De Vernier/ Vain Ton Don A Ma
Mort/ Valse De Maria Bueller/ DIDIER HERBERT: I Woke Up One Morning In
May/ JOE'S ACADIANS: Il Ya Pas La Claire De Lune (No Moonlight)/ Si Tu
Voudroit Marriez Avec Moi (Marry Me)/ JOLLY BOYS OF LAFAYETTE: Jolly Boys
Breakdown/ DELMA LACHNEY: Baoille/ Riviere Rouge/ ANGELAS LE JEUNNE: Bayou
Pom Pom One Step/ Valse De Pointe Noire/ MCGHEE & ARDOIN: Amadie Two Step/
Blues De Basille/ La Valse A Austin Ardoin/ La Valse A Thomas Ardoin/ La
Valse De Gueydan/ One Step D'Oberlin/ One Step des Chameaux/ Two Step
D'Elton/ Valse A Alcee Poulard/ Valse Des Opelusas/ MILLER'S MERRYMAKERS:
Cajun Breakdown/ Elton Two Step/ Lake Arthur Stomp/ Pine Island/ Round Up
Hop/ ARTELUS MISTRIC: Belle Of Point Clair/ You Belong To Me/ BARTMON
MONTET & JOSWELL DUPUIS: Je M'En Suis (I'm Going Away)/ L'Abandoner (The
Abandoned Waltz)/ DEWEY SEGURA: Far Away From Home Blues/ Rosalia/ Your
(sic) Small And Sweet/ THE SEGURA BROTHERS: A Mosquito Ate Up My
Sweetheart/ New Iberia Polka/ FLOYD SHREVE & THE THREE ACES: Lonesome
Blues/ LEO SOILEAU & HIS RHYTHM BOYS: Chere Liza/ LEO SOILEAU & HIS THREE
ACES: Hackberry Hop/ LEO SOILEAU & HIS RHYTHM BOYS: La Valse De La Rosa/
THE THIBODEAUX BOYS: La Two Step A Erby/ La Vieux Vals An' Onc Mack/ Tu
Pen Pas Ma Retter De Revere/ JOE WERNER & THE RAMBLERS: Crap Shooter's
Hop/ She's My Flapper And My Baby
|
| AFRICA-MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Manteca 232 |
Sahara: Blues Of The Desert |
● CD $29.98 |
Two CD set featuring 21 tracks of recordings by mostly
African performers and mostly from the regions surrounding the Sahara
desert where the musical connections to African-American blues seem to be
the strongest. While the actual connections may be tenuous the music here
has a compelling and moving quality that is certainly echoed in the blues.
Performers include Malouma, Ali Farka Toure, Hamza El Din, Mariem Hassan
con Leyoad (an extraordinarily intense vocal), Nass Marrakech, Aster Aweke,
Youssou N'Dour, Compagnie Meskaoui, Markus James, Abrham Afewerki, Laye
Sow, etc. Includes 12 page booklet with track by track commentary.
|
| HAWAII |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Take Two 506 |
Hawaiian Memories - Vintage Recordings,
1928-1941 |
● CD $27.98 |
Two CD set with 40 tracks featuring original Hawaiian
musicians as well as mainlanders "going native" with Hawaiian
accompaniments. Includes Bing Crosby with Lani McIntire & His Hwaiians,
Johnny Noble's Hwaiians, Ray Kinney with Dick McIntire's Harmony
Hawaiians, Mike Hanapi & His Ilima Islanders, Sol K. Bright & His
Hollywaiians, Tony Martin With Mannie Klein And His Swing-A-Hulas, Harry
Owens & Orchestra, Sol Hoopi & His Novelty Quartet, Louis Armstrong with
The Polynesians and others. Sound quality is excellent and there is a 20
page illustrated booklet with notes by Ian Whitcomb. As far as I can tell
there is no duplication with the recent JSP box set though there is some
duplications with previously issued CDs on Harlequin.
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| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Topic TSCD 923 |
Gumboot Guitar |
● CD $16.98 |
"Gumboot," a synchronized dance, could be described as a
symbol of the black working class experience in South Africa. It's a
spectacular and rousing style, danced by a team of men who, clad in heavy
gumboots (rubber boots), stamp, slap, clap and kick their heels in perfect
synchronisation against the beat provided by musicians, mostly on guitar.
This remarkable CD, featuring field recordings made in the 80s and 90s,
captures this exciting experience and the comprehensive notes and photos
paint a vivid background.
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| CENTRAL ASIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
World Music Network 1129 |
Rough Guide To The Music Of Central Asia |
● CD $14.98 |
Delightful and varied collection of music from the
previously little known group of nations that were part of the Soviet
Union until they achieved independence in 1991. These are the "stans" -
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The
material includes soulful vocals with small ensembles, refined classical
music played on the long necked lute accompanied by frame drum, small folk
orchestras, folk rock bands merging traditional and electric
instrumentations, throat singing, solo instrumentalists and more including
an example of Tajikistan rap! Includes 12 page booklet putting this varied
music into perspective.
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