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Adalberto Santiago
Ray Barretto: Together
by C. Andrew Hovan
As of this writing, it has been more than 20 years since we lost the great conguero Ray Barretto. A native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, Barretto was among the first musicians to bring the conga drum into the standard jazz combo. His unmistakable touch can be heard throughout the early 1960s on a string of jazz classics by Lou Donaldson, Red Garland, Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Herbie Mann, and Jimmy Forrest. As the Latin music scene exploded in ...
Continue ReadingIsmael Rivera: Traigo de Todo
by Richard J Salvucci
Ismael Rivera (1931-1987) is one of the key figures of Puerto Rican salsa, an early exponent and pioneer, and so recognized on the island today, largely because of his sojourn in New York City. His career started in his late teens in Santurce while he was still employed as a laborer on the island, but he soon became established with Rafael Cortijo y su Combo in New York. He gained a reputation as a vocal improviser with the sobriquet, El ...
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
