Smith & Co

From Cuban and Puerto Rican roots, the signature rhythms of what is now generally termed Afro-Cuban music pulsed out of New York City's 'Spanish Harlem' in the late 1940s/early '50s:  an inspiration for innovative jazz musicians of the era, soon becoming an essential repertoire ingredient of international dance bands and a pervading influence on composers, arrangers and producers in the pop mainstream.

The principal originators of this breakout all performed in The Netherlands and Belgium during the late 1970s/early '80s, where they were privately recorded for posterity.  Smith&Co now presents the first official CD releases of these historic recordings.

The series is launched appropriately with concerts featuring three of the biggest names of the genre:  composer/bandleader & "King of the timbales"  TITO PUENTE; composer/bandleader & "King of the congas" MONGO SANTAMARIA; vocal diva & "Queen of Salsa" CELIA CRUZ (who was already a star in her native Cuba in the '50s before settling in the USA).

Recorded at the Brussels Jazz Club on 28th May 1979, this volume showcases Tito leading just a rhythm quintet of Latin musicians joined by Belgium's own legendary jazzman - guitarist, harmonica virtuoso & whistler extraordinaire - Toots Thielemans.  Given the venue, featured guest and repertoire (including Toots' renowned standard "Bluesette") this is most appropriately marketed as a Jazz release.

Accompanying volumes:
SCCD2476:  MONGO SANTAMARIA LIVE IN THE NETHERLANDS
SCCD2479:  THE TITO PUENTE BIG BAND & CELIA CRUZ LIVE IN AMSTERDAM

From Cuban and Puerto Rican roots, the signature rhythms of what is now generally termed Afro-Cuban music pulsed out of New York City's 'Spanish Harlem' in the late 1940s/early '50s:  an inspiration for innovative jazz musicians of the era, soon becoming an essential repertoire ingredient of international dance bands and a pervading influence on composers, arrangers and producers in the pop mainstream.

The principal originators of this breakout all performed in The Netherlands and Belgium during the late 1970s/early '80s, where they were privately recorded for posterity.  Smith&Co now presents the first official CD releases of these historic recordings.

The series is launched appropriately with concerts featuring three of the biggest names of the genre:  composer/bandleader & "King of the timbales"  TITO PUENTE; composer/bandleader & "King of the congas" MONGO SANTAMARIA; vocal diva & "Queen of Salsa" CELIA CRUZ (who was already a star in her native Cuba in the '50s before settling in the USA).

Recorded at the Muziek Centrum Vredenburg in Utrecht on 27th November 1982, here Mongo on congas & bongos leads his explosive septet on nine flamboyant and varied examples of why he was such an internationally feted percussionist, the repertoire including his significant composition "Afro Blue", which was transmuted into a Jazz classic by John Coltrane.

Accompanying volumes:
SCCD2473:  TITO PUENTE LIVE IN BRUSSELS
SCCD2479:  THE TITO PUENTE BIG BAND & CELIA CRUZ LIVE IN AMSTERDAM

From Cuban and Puerto Rican roots, the signature rhythms of what is now generally termed Afro-Cuban music pulsed out of New York City's 'Spanish Harlem' in the late 1940s/early '50s:  an inspiration for innovative jazz musicians of the era, soon becoming an essential repertoire ingredient of international dance bands and a pervading influence on composers, arrangers and producers in the pop mainstream.

The principal originators of this breakout all performed in The Netherlands and Belgium during the late 1970s/early '80s, where they were privately recorded for posterity.  Smith&Co now presents the first official CD releases of these historic recordings.

The series is launched appropriately with concerts featuring three of the biggest names of the genre:  composer/bandleader & "King of the timbales"  TITO PUENTE; composer/bandleader & "King of the congas" MONGO SANTAMARIA; vocal diva & "Queen of Salsa" CELIA CRUZ (who was already a star in her native Cuba in the '50s before settling in the USA).

Recorded at the Hoeksteen in Amsterdam on 24th November 1980, this double CD starring Celia Cruz with Tito's big band and Cuban percussionist Carlos 'Patato' Valdes features just about all you'd expect from a full-on celebration of their previous collaborations.  As well as a set of glorious reminders of the rhythm/vocal accord between Celia & Tito's band there is a tribute to an earlier Cuban singing star - Bartolome 'Benny More' Gutierrez - and a high-spirited drum battle between Tito & Patato.  A hot night in old Amsterdam.

Accompanying volumes:
SCCD2473:  TITO PUENTE LIVE IN BRUSSELS
SCCD2476:  MONGO SANTAMARIA LIVE IN THE NETHERLANDS

During his long career Ennio Morricone has taken the art of writing soundtrack music to new heights; in some cases creating the success of the film! In order to celebrate the great man, the Jazz Workshop Orchestra under the direction of Marco Gotti and with Enrico Intra guesting on piano, decided to re-work Morricone's most famous film themes as Jazz works and to perform them live before the great man himself when he attended the opening concert of the 11th. Jazz Season at the Picolo, Milan. By coincidence, this was also the day that the Maestro reached his 80th year. He was knocked out remarking that the quality of the jazz arrangements which kept the identity of his music unaltered. "This cannot be said of other arrangements, which have been accomplished abroad by famous musicians" he added!

So it was with his blessing that Marco Gotti took the jazz orchestra into the studio to record these tracks, now brought to you on this CD and personally approved by the great composer himself.