Gonzalo Grau Y La Clave Secreta
Frutero Moderno
CD
(Gonzalo Grau 0092),
Released 2008;
Editor's Pick:
Oh man, another great record from the Venezuela/Cuba/U.S. matrix. Grau, a pianist and bandleader from Venezuela (by way of Berklee College of Music in Boston) and participant in a bunch of important projects (search this website and you’ll see what I mean), has changed the name of his band from La Timba Loca to La Clave Secreta, and has put out a pretty much amazing timba dance record that suggests that timba is going to be the lengua franca of modern Caribbean dance music. It’s timba made international, by which I mean that it takes away the insularity of Cuban timba (think crappy keyboard sounds) and brings it into a more experimental place. Grau’s a great writer and arranger and he takes on some standards, like Willie Colon’s "Calle Luna, Calle Sol," bringing a sophistication to the coro; on all the tunes there’s an attention to detail that’s just spectacular arranging. The music opens up into new rooms over and over again, new colors and textures, wanders into timba breaks, piano montunos, spoken works pieces, driving horn lines. This is for fans of Guaco, timba, Goza Pepillo, Descemer, Robertito Carcasses, Azucar Negra, etc.: all the new and old bands that aren’t worried about taking on timba and bringing to it the modern world of experience. Glorious, this stuff.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous, 2008-04-14)
Song titles include:
Frutero Moderno 4:51
Calle Luna, Cale Sol 4:47
Siacara 5:07
Sabor, Swing Y Sahoco 4:47
Buche Y Pluma 5:07
Amanecer En Calithea 2:11
A La Griega 5:43
La Polenica De La Mandarina 2:35
Fachada O Nada 4:48
Mujer Divina 4:25
Abre Que Voy 5:20
Alarma 7:28
Musicians include:
Gonzalo Grau Piano & strings; bongo (1,2,12) guiro (10), cajon,chekere, iya (11), lead vocal (11, 12), back vocal (all except 6)
Panagiotis Andreou Bass (all except 12), lead vocal (6), dumbek (7)
Pablo Bencid Drums (all except 6,10)
Robert Rosario Congas (all except 6,10)
Fausto Cuevas III Timbal (3,7,9,12) & congas (10)
Omar Ledezma Timbal (1,8,10,11)
Jose "BamBam" Ramirez Timbal (2,4,5)
Ernest Diaz Quinto (1,11)
Albert Leusink Ist trukpet (all except 6), solo (10,12)
Dan Brantigan 2nd trumpet (1,2,7,10,11)
Shlomo Cohen Alto sax (all except 6), solo (12)
Felipe Salles Tenor sax (all except 6)
Tim Mayer Flute (1)
Manolo Mairena Lead vocal (all except 6,11,12), back vocal (all except 6) guiro (all except 10)
Marco Godoy Back vocal (2,5)
Alex Alvear Back vocal (all except 6)
Category: Salsa/Son
=> Salsa
Shipping Value: 1
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