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Since the Cuban explosion of the late 90’s there is a tendency
snap up everything that comes from the island assuming that everything
that is Cuban is bound to be great. This mid-priced set from composer/
arranger/bassist Rey Cresco was recorded at Egrem studios in 1986
with his local dance band that consisted of 3 piece brass section,
three percussionists, male and female vocalists, pianist and Rey
himself…the year before he emigrated to England.
Most of the material is based around the conga
rhythm which is given reasonable variation by adding snatches
of salsa, timba, rap and balladry as the CD progresses. There’s
plenty of enthusiasm here and adequate pulse, but at the end of
the day it is just a fairly mundane session. There simply no real
pizzazz in the ordinary playing from the musicians nor could I
hear much inspiring improvisational interplay. The sound quality
is fairly pedestrian, but then that hasn’t impeded Egrem
from producing some of the greatest Cuban music ever in the past
(and since). Give this one a miss and go for the excellent ARC
release Salsa Timba by Osvaldo Chacon reviewed on this site.
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