Ray Barretto
While Ray Barretto's congas have graced more recording sessions than virtually any other conguero of his time, he has also led some refreshingly progressive Latin jazz bands over the decades. His records often have a more tense, more adventurously eclectic edge than those of most conventional salsa groups, unafraid to use electronics and novel instrumental or structural combinations, driven hard by his rocksteady, endlessly flexible percussion work. This no doubt reflects Barretto's wide range of musical interests and also the fact that he came to Latin music from jazz, rather than the usual vice versa route for Latin-descended musicians. Indeed, he has said that he learned how to play swing-style before he came to master Latin grooves.
Puerto Rican by extraction, Barretto took up the congas while stationed in Germany during an Army hitch. He began working with American jazz musicians upon his return to New York, eventually replacing Mongo Santamaria in the Tito Puente band for four years, beginning in the late '50s. Barretto made his debut as a leader for Riverside in 1962 and scored a crossover hit (number 17 on the pop charts) the following year on Tico with "El Watusi" (in tandem with a dance craze of the time). He tried to modernize the charanga sound with injections of brass, covering rock and pop tunes of the time as several Latin artists did then. However, Barretto made his main mark in the '60s as a super session player, playing on albums by Gene Ammons, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson, Red Garland, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, Cal Tjader, and several other jazz and pop albums.
In moving over to the Fania label in 1967, Barretto began to achieve recognition as one of the leading Latin jazz artists of the day, eventually becoming music director of the Fania All-Stars. In the '70s, he was incorporating rock and funk influences into his music -- with only limited success -- while recording for Atlantic, and in 1981, he made a highly regarded album for CTI La Cuna, with Puente, Joe Farrell, and Charlie Palmieri as guest players. He became music director of the Bravisimo television program and took part in the multi-idiom, all-star, anti-apartheid Sun City recording and video in 1985. In 1992, he unveiled a new Latin jazz sextet, New World Spirit, which made some absorbingly unpredictable albums for Concord Picante.
© Richard S. Ginell /TiVo
Artistas semelhantes
-
Tumbao Moderno - Ray Barretto
Jazz - Lançado por ISIS em 23/11/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live in Holland
Jazz - Lançado por Cuban Jazz em 26/09/2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ray Barretto "Live" Treasures
Salsa - Lançado por Joe Conzo Sr. Productions em 08/12/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Winter Dreams
World - Lançado por Winter Dreams em 29/09/2022
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mysterious Instinct
Latin America - Lançado por Charlie Parker Records em 28/10/1962
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ray Barretto - Vinatge Sounds
Jazz - Lançado por Retro Music Box em 29/12/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Encendido Otra Vez (Remastered)
Salsa - Lançado por Old Europe em 05/11/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ray & Tito: Kings Of Latin, Vol. 2
Jazz - Lançado por Lumi Entertainment em 01/01/2013
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
All the Best Tracks
World - Lançado por Classics Works Recordings em 06/12/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Noche de Ronda (Remastered)
Salsa - Lançado por Old Europe em 05/11/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ray Barretto - The Selection
Jazz - Lançado por Vintage Jukebox em 30/06/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complicacion, Vol. 1
Latin America - Lançado por Top Tracks em 30/10/2013
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Traditions
World - Lançado por Traditions em 18/11/2022
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Barretto para Bailar
Latin America - Lançado por Firefly Entertainment em 01/02/2013
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music Store
World - Lançado por m.haart music em 24/05/2019
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Street Dance
World - Lançado por tradu Rec. em 04/05/2019
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sensational Flight Call
Jazz - Lançado por Sensational Flight Call Recording em 06/12/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
All The Best
Latin America - Lançado por Don't stop the music em 24/05/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Llego Mijan
World - Lançado por Toda La Noche Records em 28/07/2016
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Jazz Masters Collection: Ray Barretto, Vol. 1
Jazz - Lançado por Diamond Days em 22/06/2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo