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Review 1
Even Gary Giddins, one of Kenton's fiercest detractors, considers 1956's Cuban Fire! to be among the controversial bandleader's finest works. Johnny Richards composed and arranged this suite in six movements, and his career as a leader took off in part as a result of the album's success. As Ted Darryl points out in his reissue liner notes, Richards not only researched Latin music extensively, but was also of Latin descent, born in Mexico as John Cascales. Kenton, for his part, had long made use of Latin rhythms in his work, and Richards's creations sit particularly well with this expanded version of the Kenton band. Full of elegance and surprise, the music features players on the order of Lucky Thompson and Lennie Niehaus (Mel Lewis is on drums).
The CD reissue adds a seventh, previously unreleased movement, "Tres Corazones," as well as five of the earliest tracks (1960) to feature Kenton's Mellophonium Orchestra, which would soon undertake the famous "Adventures" series. Three of the 1960 cuts are by Richards as well; the remaining two are by mellophonist Gene Roland.  |
Players
Curtis Counce
Stan Kenton
Mel Lewis
Bill Perkins
Lucky Thompson
Julius Watkins
Gabe Baltazar
Sam Donahue
Carl Fontana
Plus others! |
Tracks
1. Fuego Cubano
2. El Congo Valiente
3. Recuerdos
4. Quien Sabe
5. La Quera Baila
6. La Suerte De Los Tontos
7. Tres Corazones
8. Malibu Moonlight
9. El Panzon - (bonus track)
10. Carnival - (bonus track)
11. Wagon - (bonus track)
12. Early Hours (Lady Luck) + |
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