A thoroughly enjoyable compact disc which includes two 1977 albums by the late
Juan Pablo Torres
. Though
Con Todos Los Hierros
was released in January of 1977 and
Super-Son
in July of that same year, the 20 tracks (ten from each disc) roll as if they were part of the same thematic web. OK,
"Y Que Bien,"
the first track from the
LP and eleventh here, is more experimental, as if
Kraftwerk
somehow slipped into the Latin rhythms, but with the distinctive trombone and production, arrangements and direction of the
salsa
master. The only vocal work is some
scat
singing at the end of the rhythmic tune.
"Rico Melao"
could be
Herb Alpert
in a mellow mood. More almost subliminal vocals slide underneath the pretty keyboards provided by
Jesus Rubalcaba
.
"Pastel"
has some quasi-
psychedelic
guitar adding a different flavor to the dancey grooves. On the original
"Que Sabroso Majarete"
from
there's the famous
"La Bamba"
riff which has found its way into many songs as far reaching as
Jay & the Americans
"Come a Little Bit Closer."
A 20-page booklet in both English and en espanol is descriptive and cleanly presented along with the artwork from the original discs.
Torres
and his group
Algo Nuevo
crafted superior music on these recordings and this lovingly packaged re-release is a wonderful presentation of these timeless sounds. ~ Joe Viglione