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LP
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VAMPI 248LP
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The first LP released by Lima pianist Alfredo Linares under his own name is brimming with tropical hits from the mid-sixties (including a Frank Sinatra classic.) By the time he recorded his version of El Pito in 1966, Alfredo was already an accomplished musician. He studied music in parallel to his schooling, attending the Conservatoire in the afternoons and soon went on to lead Alfredito Linares y su Salsa All Stars, a continuation of the orchestra founded by his father. In 1966 the song El Pito became a hit in the United States, which is why Distribuidora Peruana Sudamericana, associated with MAG, released the single as well as Joe de Cuba's sextet LP. MAG's next step was to suggest Alfredo Linares record the song, which he did in August 1966, with lead vocals by Raul Ducós Domínguez from Chalaco and backing vocals by Tony de Cuba, Benny del Solar and Rolo Bernal. The lyrics include references to the effects of marijuana that Ducós improvised during the recording in just one take. Charlie Palomares plays the vibraphone, accompanied by "Negro" Santos on bass and "Cheverin" Miguel Villanueva on the bongos. It is one of the few songs on the album where there are no trumpets. "Strangers in the Night" topped the Billboard charts in 1966, which was a powerful reason for Manuel Guerrero to suggest including the song. This cover version features brass instruments and the participation of Peruvian crooner Lalo Bisbal. The first of the two guarachas on the album, "Qué Mala Fue Esa Mujer" is a composition by Chivirico Dávila, a globetrotting tropical singer who lived in Lima at different times. While the Peruvian singer Benny del Solar is the lead vocalist on the second, "Sin Tu Querer". The album closes with the boogaloo "Maggie". The record also includes two extraordinary compositions by Linares: "Descarga" and the son montuno "Cadenciosa", where the flute solo was played by Cuban Alberto Castillo, who also performs on the guaguancós "María La O" and "Mi Guaguancó", both recorded a year earlier by the Harlow Orchestra. The album was finally released in the summer of 1967, and "El Pito" and "Strangers in the Night" made it into most of the charts. Critics were quick to praise the new sounds on El Pito, which brought listeners up to date with the tropical sound developments in the United States, to which Linares added touches of jazz. Linares released another LP, on MAG, the following year, in which he continued to explore the sounds of Latin jazz, boogaloo and descarga.
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LP
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VAMPI 223LP
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Vampisoul present a reissue of Alfredo Linares Y Su Salsa Star' Mi Nuevo Ritmo, originally released in 1974. A nonstop salsa dura party album from start to finish, comparable with any of New York's finest like Ray Barretto and Willie Colón from the same era, but with its own unique swinging sound and bright, crisp, joyful vibe. There are plenty of straight up Cuban-roots based salsa tunes, plus some Latin jazz and Latin soul and a bolero. Trumpets, hand claps, loud cowbell, and vigorous vocals all make for a great listen and an even better dance experience. As the track "La Música Brava" proclaims: "Yo no quiero que pare la música brava!" (I don't want the badass music to stop!). The record is actually a patchwork of different recording sessions made in Peru and Colombia, featuring differing studio sound and musician lineups. Linares had just returned to his adopted home of Medellín from a period spent in Peru and was looking for a record deal. He had brought master tapes with four songs recorded in Lima and was shopping them around in the hopes of securing an album contract. Linares also cut some Colombian sessions which feature Roy "Tayrona" Betancourt as well as Henry Castro and Enrique Fabián. Unfortunately, neither Discos Fuentes nor Sonolux or Codiscos were interested. At that time, vinyl for making records was scarce and over-priced due to the petroleum crisis and hence the labels were reluctant to try out a new artist. "There was nothing to be done. The only company that had vinyl stock was INS. So, I did the business with them even though they didn't have a known name in Colombia. The strength of that album made them rather famous." The song "Mambo Rock" (with "Estricto Guaguancó" on the B side) came out on a 45rpm record in 1974, and, as Linares recounts it, "two months later the sale was at a very high level. So, partly out of gratitude, I started producing for them. It is from there that my other records and the AfroINS albums came." Unfortunately, the master tapes to the LP were lost or destroyed, as with all INS releases, so the best possible vinyl sources and audio restoration has been used for this deluxe reissue. Recommended by DJ Bongohead of Peace & Rhythm. Presented in its original artwork and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
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LP
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VAMPI 224LP
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2022 repress. Alfredo "El Inca" Linares is one of the best and most beloved musicians in the history of salsa. Fans love his piano playing because of his authentic Cuban feel and "swing" combined with progressive arrangements and uncompromising phrasing that puts one in mind of Eddie Palmieri. As a composer, arranger and band-leader Linares is highly respected as well. Lo Que Tengo is full of rock solid dancefloor killers and no filler, played with verve and flair. Unlike some of his other records that were patched together from various sessions made in different studios, this album has the advantage of being produced, recorded, and mixed by Alfredo Linares all in one studio and block of time, and backed by hand-picked seasoned professionals. The album was recorded in 1980 in Caracas with some of the cream of the crop of contemporary Venezuelan salsa musicians and launched there on the indie label A.L.G. Records as ¡Con Todo!, and then a year later on the much larger Velvet Records with a different cover. The LP was also released in Colombia and the US, both editions utilizing the Velvet Records cover. During this time Linares had been in Venezuela for some five years and was under contract with a nightclub in Caracas. After the contract was up Linares was a free agent again and he was able to draw on his friendship with Mango and assemble a band to back him, first for the Colombian/Venezuelan production Salsa de Verdad (1976) and then again with ¡Con Todo!/Lo Que Tengo. One of the distinctive aspects of Alfredo Linares tunes is the "break" (la cierre) -- there are always plenty of dramatic hand-clapping breakdowns followed by an infectious tumbao (sustained vamp) section. In addition, Linares always lets his musicians stretch out, especially in the percussion section. Again, Lo Que Tengo is no exception: there are so many examples of typical arrangements here that one could call this a classic Alfredo Linares album, but with the updated studio sound of 1980s Caracas, which was awash in petro-dollars at the time and so had the latest equipment and a strong consumer base for the salsa market. With five perfectly paced salsas, one funky cha cha chá, a steamy bolero and a dance-friendly Latin jazz number to top it off (note the bluesy piano solo from Linares and the sublime vibes of Mango's Freddy Roldán), there is something for everybody on this record. Presented in its original artwork and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
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