THE ECHO PARK PROJECT - radio vinilemania web-radio Latin - Jazz

CARLO LOPEZ (PERCUSSIONIST) AND THE ECHO PARK PROJECT

Salsa Hits Of The 70’s Come Back To Life In “The Echo Park Project”

May 2006, Los Angeles, CA – Under the title “The Echo Park Project: Retro New York Salsa”, Latin producer and percussionist Carlo López has released a homage to the music of a generation. With a total of 9 songs, this CD features some of the best compositions of Machito, Tite Curet Alonzo, Javier Vásquez, and Ramón Rodríguez, among others, all representatives of the exciting and unique style of salsa played in New York in the seventies. The songs on this recording are some of their finest compositions but they had never been re-recorded till now.

“My intention is to pay tribute to the 70’s era and the music that filled the streets of New York back then. The songs featured in this CD provided a wonderful and exciting music score to our lives”, said Carlo López, producer of The Echo Park Project.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Carlo López moved to Los Angeles in 1992, were he has played with many local bands, among them Son y Clave, La Palabra, and Mazacote. In a salsa circuit full of talent but with a similar line of standards, Lopez longed for more variety in the Latin scene; that is when the idea for a recording developed. From Brooklyn to Echo Park, his neighborhood in Los Angeles, Lopez recruited musicians from the salsa scene to bring these songs back to life to a new audience and a new generation.

“I wanted to bring back to life songs that nobody was playing in the West coast. A song like Me quedé con las ganas is just full of zest and it takes me right back to the seventies, the time when life was about having fun and music was around every corner. Incredible orchestras filled the nightclubs, the parks, the block parties. Music and life where one!” explains López.

Other songs featured in this CD, like Lío, Bongo Fiesta or Mi ritmo llegó, were not as popular or commercially successful as those put out by the most famous bands at the time, like Fania All Star or Hector Lavoe, but they remain, without a doubt, among the greatest of their times.

The musical director for the album is John Belzaguy, a recurrent face in the salsa scene and currently the bassist for Natalie Cole. Other musicians that collaborated in the project are Perico “Caridad” Hernández –outstanding Cuban percussionist/singer featured in Grammy nominated Carabana Cubana-, Sal Cracchiolo –trumpet player extraordinaire who worked for Poncho Sanchez for many years-, Joey de León –extraordinary percussionist-, Artie Web –flute player for Ray Barreto-, Frank Fontaine –featured in Patty Labelle’s latest release and player in local salsa bands-; and Tom Martin López –New York city percussionist for Tito Allen, Orquesta Broadway and Adalberto Santiago-.

For more information about “The Echo Park Project: Retro New York Salsa” please go to www.theechoparkproject.com

THE ECHO PARK PROJECT - RETRO NEW YORK SALSA (2006)

Carlo López Güiro, clave
Daniel Castillo, Martin Padillo, Jose Caridad Hernandez Lead vocals
John Belzaguy Bass
Esteban Adame, Tom Regis, Joe Rotondi Piano
Joey De Leon Congas, timbales, bongo
Edwin Blás, Humberto Ruiz Trombone
Sal Cracchiolo, Vito Speranza Trumpets
Frank Fontaine Baritone, alto sax
Tomás Martin López Coro, timbales, bongos
Mateo Amper Piano
Artie Webb Flute
Tony Velez Tres