'Clapham South' - Gonzalez
'Oracion' (The Prayer) - Ray Barretto
'San Juan 2000' - Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers
Even though latin jazz is itself a hybrid form, the Fender Rhodes doesn't fit the form easily, because of the multiple roles that the acoustic piano usually takes. While the percussionists are crossing the rhythms from all directions, the acoustic piano often sits back and holds a repetitive "backbeat", acting as a percussive centre more than a tonal or harmonic leader .... except of course for a freak of nature like Eddie Palmieri, who just throws the distortion on the Rhodes, plays the organ with the other hand, and plays all the rhythmic, harmonic and percussive centre roles all at once !
So the presence of a rhodes piano in latin music tends to indicate all sorts of other experimentation, because it's not always just taking the acoustic piano role, as it sometimes does in other forms of 70s jazz. Although I've made a somewhat trad-looking cover image, this compilation explodes in all directions from latin. The players here are all pushing into other forms - latin-funk (Mongo Santamaria, Cabildos, Pucho); latin-jazz (most tracks); sometimes just exploring deeper into jazz forms (Ray Barretto, Gato Barbieri). The rhodes or wurlitzer pianos are just some of those new colours, and here they're often combined with an acoustic piano or a set of vibes within tracks.
Apart from all of those thoughts that have arisen while compiling - my main aim was to make you a HOT latin funky jazz compilation that you should, of course, play as loud as possible!
Tracklist
01 Clapham South – Gonzales
02 Yaina – Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers
03 Mambo Mongo - Mongo Santamaria
04 Borderland – Cabildos
05 gringo city - cal tjader
06 Kathy - Luis Gasca
07 A Taste Of Latin - Ricardo Marrero
08 The Other Road - Ray Barretto
09 El Sertao - Gato Barbieri
10 Habana Keynote – cabildos
11 El Muchacho - Cal Tjader
12 San Juan 2000 - Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers
13 Oracion (The Prayer) Ray Barretto
14 Forked Tongue - Mongo Santamaria.mp3
15 Chocolate Ice Cream - Eddie Palmieri
click the pic below for more rhodes compilations
