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Hector Lavoe
Comedia
Fania / Craft
Beginning in 1967 with El Malo, Lavoe was the vocalist on ten legendary studio albums by the Willie Colón Orchestra, before going solo in the mid-70s. Produced by Colón, this hallowed third album under his own name is a stone classic.
It kicks off with his career-defining hit El Cantante, written by Rubén Blades, taking the point of view of a star performer reflecting on his humanity and vulnerabilities when he steps off the stage. It closes with another smash: a joyful, mambo-inspired reimagining of the 1930s Cuban anthem Songoro Cosongo.
Rolling Stone magazine recently ranked Comedia number three of the 50 Greatest Salsa Albums of All Time, declaring that it transformed the genre into ‘high art… a spiritual experience.’
Nine killer selections from his first four LPs, stuffed with smash hits. Proper salsa; loads of trombone. Featuring the brilliant, legendary singer Hector Lavoe.
‘Crime Pays’ is Colon being ironic about the successful marketing of his archly bad-boy persona during this period.
Killer.
Fire Music, salsa-style. Dazzling, in-your-face Latin jazz from 1971, steeped in Afro-Cuban tradition, and blazing with political militancy. Palmieri’s signature hard trombone sound is augmented with baritone saxophone, organ, trap drums and electric piano, and Monk and Tyner come more to the fore in his own playing.
According to percussionist Bobby Sanabria, the opener La Libertad Lógico was ‘an anthem for young Puerto Ricans like me.’ Drummer Nicky Marrero says that Palmieri’s use of the snare drum was designed to emulate a machine gun. Freedom is the only sensible option, declares this terrific music. Revolt.
Ismael Quintana recalls that the title track, ‘of all the songs I recorded with Eddie Palmieri, this has to be the most influential. That song was played and requested everywhere we would go in Latin America… The lyrics were about trying to cope with the injustices in the world. It meant let’s get out of this crazy mess and so much negativity that we live in, and let’s go to the mountains.’
Ronnie Cuber and Charlie Palmieri are here… Quintana and Marrero… and Chocolate Armenteros, one of the greatest trumpeters ever to walk the earth.
A classic. Hotly recommended.
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