Instant Party & Jerry Gonzalez y Los Piratas del Flamenco

Poncho Sánchez
Instant Party
Concord Picante
2004

Poncho Sánchez' Instant Party is part of a Concord series that includes similar compilations from Gene Harris, Tito Puente, Mongo SantamarÃ-a and Mel Tormé. "Just Add the willingness to have a good booty-shaking time and Poncho will bring the party home for you. Twenty years worth of recordings, from 1984 to 2003, represent more than a quarter century worth of Latin musical festivities led by one of the last conga players of his kind in the market.

A live version of "Watermelon Man closes the recording in accessible, grand and warm carousing featuring impassioned soloing from alto and trombone. "JoseÃ-to is jammed quite tight and features Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond B-3 putting it on the proverbial "luna . The Palmieri-esque "Cuidate Compay is a searing mid-tempo cha-son-montuno upon which a decidedly strong flute solo prefaces a rare cowbell one by the leader. Mongo and Poncho convene in a SantamarÃ-a-like "Bésame Mucho. The meeting is as tastefully satisfying as one could expect. "Co Co May May and "Sin Timbal are hot-dance-sweating-salsa.

None of the 12 cuts is filler. Equal parts funky, soulful, bluesy, tight-in-the-pocket-Latin-swing set apart Instant Party. Great mix, mastering and sound too. It even includes two drink recipes!

Jerry González y Los Piratas del Flamenco
Jerry González y Los Piratas del Flamenco
Sunnyside Records
2004

Hispanic minimalism is beautifully and deeply expressed through Jerry González y Los Piratas del Flamenco. Percussion, trumpet and guitar are the basic setup of this gripping date with González as its center.

"En el corazón de las pescaderÃ-as is a rare González's recorded performance with a cajón...or wooden box. He also co-wrote the piece and plays muted trumpet with his jazzy signature sound and ideas. Melodically and harmonically, he remains quite strong as a valve pusher. The cajón, however, follows an Afro-Cuban guaguancó pattern rather than any of the other alternatives represented through the rest of the album. Percussively speaking, what González does in this recording is derived from the rumba family, which is in keeping with his career. The cajón solo, on the other hand, does indicate that he has inevitably absorbed Spaniard percussive influences. On the latter, "Gitanos de La Cava offers definitive proof of the leader's total music amalgamation.

Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk are reinterpreted through the release's exquisite Spaniard-Afro-Cuban-Jazz formula in "Donnali and "Monk Soniquette. They are simply superb as are all musicians and the music herein.

Tracks and Personnel

Instant Party

Tracks: 1. Hey Bud (D. Torres) 2. JoseÃ-to (S. Martin) 3. Listen Here/Cold Duck Time (E. Harris) 4. CuÃ-date Compay (E. Palmieri) 5. Chile con Soul (C. Otwell) 6. Co Co May May (E. Servia) 7. Ixtapa (K. Goldberg) 8. Lip Smacker (P. Sánchez) 9. Sin Timbal (Traditional) 10. One Mint Julep (R. Toombs) 11. Bésame Mamá (M. SantamarÃ-a) 12. Watermelon Man (H. Hancock)

Personnel: Alto sax: Justo Almario (8), Gene Burkert (5). Baritone sax: Scott Martin (10, alto-12). Bass: "Tony Banda (vocals-3,4,6,9,11,12). Bongó, güiro, percussion: José "Papo RodrÃ-guez (vocals-11,12), David Romero (6, güiro-7,9). Congas, lead vocals (3), vocals (9,11,12) cowbell solo (4): "Poncho Sánchez. Güiro: Sal Vásquez (10). Piano: Charlie Otwell (4,5,6,7,9), David Torres (1-3,8,10-12). Tenor sax: Gene Burkert (1), Kenny Goldberg (4-flute,6), Scott Martin (2,3,11), Dick Mitchell (9). Timbales: Ramón Banda, George Ortiz (10). Trombone: Alex Henderson (11), Mark Levine valve-(9), Andy Martin (8), Francisco Torres (2,3,10,12), Art Velasco (1, vocals-4,6,7). Trumpet: SerafÃ-n Aguilar 10), Sal Cracchiolo (flugelhorn 2,4,5), Steve Huffsteter (9), Stan Martin (11). Special Guests: Congas: Mongo SantamarÃ-a (11). Hammond B3 organ: Joey DeFrancesco (2), Billy Preston (10). Tenor sax: "Pee Wee Ellis (10). Trombone: Fred Wesley (10). Vocals: Ray Charles (10).

Jerry González y Los Piratas del Flamenco

Tracks: 1. Hubo un lugar (Traditional) 2. Rosa para Julia (J. González-"Niño Josele-Javier Limón) 3. En el corazón de pescaderÃ-as (J. González-"Niño Josele) 4. Gitanos de La Cava ("Niño Josele-Javier Limón-Diego "El Cigala ) 5. Pirata de LucÃ-a (J. González-"Niño Josele) 6. Donnali (C. Parker) 7. Monk's Soniquete (T. Monk) 8. Al abordaje (J. González-I. Suárez "Piraña ) 9. Obsesión (P. Flores)

Personnel: Cajón: Israel Suárez "Piraña. Flamenco guitar: Niño Josele, Juan José Suárez "Paquete. Palmas (hand clapping) & vocals: Piratas Del Flamenco. Trumpet & percussion: Jerry González. Special guest: Vocals: Diego "El Cigala.

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