JOHNNY RAY (JOHNNY ZAMOT) Y LAS ESTRELLAS DE NUEVA YORK - WALK OF FAME (1975/2007)
many thanks to Nelson Rodriguez
Johnny Zamot
Leader, congas
Manny Corchado Timbales
Johnny Rodriguez "Dandy" Bongos
Yayo "El Indio" Peguero Coro
Adalberto Santiago
Coro
Jimmy Sabater Coro
Charlie Palmieri
Musical director, maracas
Eddie "Gua Gua" Rivera Bass
Eddie "Eddy" Martinez Piano
Ray Maldonado Trumpet
Roy Roman Trumpet
Mario Rivera Bari sax, soprano sax
Crispin Fernandez Flute, tenor sax
Barry Rogers Trombone
Jose Meriño Trombone
Paul "La Playa" Alicea Trumpet
Pat Patrick
Billy Cobham
Drums
Victor Venegas Bass
Plus: Charlie Rodriguez (tres), John "PeeWee" Fernandez (vocals), Ramon "Tito
Jay" Jimenez (vocals), Manny Duran, Victor Paz (trumpet) & Felipe Yanes (keyboards)
more tracks can be heard on Vinilemania's Radio Channels
review by Bruce Polin - courtesy www.descarga.com
Here's something pretty darn
remarkable. A never-before reissued album of sessions directed by
the venerated
Charlie Palmieri. Conguero and bandleader
Johnny Zamot
(also known as Johnny Ray) brought together a crew of young
musicians who would later become legendary figures in their own
right: trombonists Barry Rogers and Jose Meriño, bongocero Johnny
Rodriguez "Dandy," pianist Eddie "Eddy" Martinez, trumpeters Ray
Maldonado, and Ray Roman, timbalero Manny Corchado, bassists Victor
Venegas and Eddie "Gua Gua" Rivera, drummer
Billy Cobham,
tresero Charlie Rodriguez and, yes, many others.
These are raw-energy studio sessions that convey the sense of
working musicians letting loose in ways similar to Al Santiago's
famed Alegre All Stars (also with Charlie P. at the helm). It's
music made to satisfy the musicians playing it; proficient, intense,
and swinging *very* hard. According to John Child, some of the
tracks appeared on the rare early '70s album entitled Johnny Zamot.
Zamot chose what he felt were the best tracks from several sessions
when assembling this CD. He put all the descarga-heavy tracks up
front: "Oye Nicola," "La Guerra" "Descarga En Tres," the over 7
minute "Descarga No. 2" and, of course, "Descarga Zamot." There are
also some jazzy numbers that drip with Latin soul, and the finale,
"Guadalajara," is a tour-de force theatrical powerhouse that one can
imagine being used as the centerpiece in a Latin version of the
musical "Hair."
With singers John "PeeWee" Fernandez and Ramon "Tito Jay" Jimenez
and a coro team consisting of Yayo "El Indio,"
Adalberto
Santiago and Jimmy Sabater. Pretty cool, indeed. Camino
de Fama is one of those rare releases that seem to come out of
nowhere, yet assert a historical reference to remind us that
exceptional work was done outside of the
Fania
studios as well. Musically, what an amazing period the '70s was.
Good liner notes by
Nelson Rodríguez. This one, folks,
is a Must-Have.
Very Highly Recommended. (BP, 2007-11-06)
