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RSD 2016 release. Two 140-gram LPs in 350-gram cardboard sleeve. Limited edition of 500. A compilation of restored, remastered tracks, many previously unavailable on vinyl for many years, by Cuban double bassist and composer Israel López Valdés, better known as Cachao. Format and selection designed for DJs, collectors, and the general public. "Though some of the maestro's recordings are more for the head and the heart, plenty are for partying. This collection hand-picks the best numbers for dancing and going wild, selected from his late 50s Havana sessions for Panart, plus recordings made as a sideman for Bebo Valdés, Chico O'Farrill, Generoso 'Tojo' Jiménez, Pedro 'Peruchín' Justíz, and the early 60s New York sides done with the Joe Cain Orchestra. Joining Cachao on the Havana sessions were the likes of Tata Güines, Richard Egües, Alejandro 'El Negro' Vivar, Armando 'Chocolate' Armenteros, Los Papines, and Orestes 'Macho' López. In New York under the direction of Joe Cain, Cachao played alongside jazz luminaries like Jerome Richardson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Nottingham, Frank Anderson and Herbie Lovelle, as well as José 'Buyú' Mangual, Antonio 'Chocolate' Díaz Mena, and Marcelino Valdés, forging a soul-jazz meets Cuban sound that would become more prevalent a few years later and be called Latin Boogaloo. Full of tropical flavors, funky beats, and compelling instrumental solos, the unique and exciting thing about Cachao's descargas is that they allow the music to breathe without the distraction of vocals for the most part. This is diverse music played by the pros for their own pleasure. Some popular romantic Latin dance music is merely a pre-fabricated bed for the singer and chorus, where the lyrics take precedence over the lyricism of the music. Not so in these miniature gems of improvisation recorded just before and after the Cuban Revolution in what seems like a bygone era. What makes these recordings unique is they were made by a group of friends after hours, when Cachao was done with his day job at the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra and the nightly hotel and club engagements with Arcaño y sus Maravillas and others. So the stiffness and formality, the professionalism and commercial concerns are jettisoned in favor of a more playful and personal approach, making these jams as fresh today as they were more than a half-century ago. Grab your mojito and get ready . . . Cachao's gonna make you dance!" --Pablo "Bongohead" Yglesias
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