THE LATIN GIANTS OF JAZZ - TRIP TO MAMBOLAND (2007)
Raul Agraz
Trumpet
John Walsh Trumpet
Pete Nater Trumpet
Richie Viruet Trumpet
Sam Burtis Trombone
Reynaldo Jorge Trombone
Joe Fieldler Trombone
Noah Bless Trombone
Bobby Porcelli Sax
Todd Bashore Sax
Mitch Frohman, Mario Rivera Sax
Peter Brainin, Pete Miranda Sax
George Delgado Congas
Sonny Bravo Piano
Gerardo Madera Bass
John Rodriguez Jr. Bongo y percussion
Jose Madera Timbales, musical director and conductor
Frankie Vazquez Vocals
Cita Rodriguez, Willie Ruiz, Willie Martinez, Willie Torres Replaces Willie
Martinez On Tracks 1, 9 & 12
Randy Brecker Performs on "Alex Mambo"
11 Alex Mambo
12 En Francia
more tracks can be heard on Vinilemania's Radio Channels
review by Bruce Polin - courtesy www.descarga.com
The Latin Giants,
with core members from the
Tito Puente orchestra, deliver big
band mambo muscle on their second release. The project bubbles over
with the dense, rich history of jazzy Latin big-band dance
orchestras like those of Puente, Machito, Tito Rodriguez and
Chico O'Farril.
Leader José Madera (timbales) does a pretty remarkable job
channeling the colossal Puente energy into these compositions by Ray
Santos, Justi Barretto, Rosendo Ruiz Jr., Marcelina Guerra and El
Rey himself. Followers of this band will recall that Ray De La Paz
sang on their previous release (The Latin Giants Play The Music Of
The Palladium - Tito Lives, 2004), but it's Frankie Vázquez who's up
front on Trip to Mamboland. Vázquez is joined by other luminaries
like pianist Sonny Bravo, trumpeters Raul Agraz and Pete Nater,
trombonists Sam Burtis and Reynaldo Jorge, conguero George Delgado,
sax players Bobby Porcelli and Mitch Frohman and many, many others.
Randy Brecker shows up for "Alex Mambo," and, gratefully, the final
soprano sax solo from the late Mario Rivera is documented here as
well. There are some truly outstanding tracks here, like Jorge
Zamora's "No Me Molesto," and "Guaguancó Del Pueblo Nuevo" (Horacio
de la Lastra), but it's Gil Fuller and Frank Grillo (Machito) who
seem to crystallize the raison d'être of The Latin Giants with their
composition "Mambo Is Here to Say." Say's it all, don't it?
Very Highly Recommended. (BP, 2007-10-01)
