Hector Lavoe - El Sabio
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CD Details
Artist: Hector LavoeEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2006-06-06
Music Label: Fania
Soundtracks:
- El Sabio
- Plazos Traicioneros
- Noche De Farra
- Para Ochum
- Alejate
- Llore
- Ceora
Music reviews of El Sabio
Music Review: BY FAR, MY favourite Héctor Lavoe solo album!... VINTAGE 1980 Fania and AN OUTSTANDING MUST-HAVE!!! G-E-T I-T N-O-W!!!
Rating: 5 Stars
This FANTASTIC 1980 Héctor Lavoe release is a GREAT recording that features for me, some of THE most exciting music that he has ever recorded AS A SOLO ARTIST on record, with yet again, an OUTSTANDING band that was at the height of the event on the day of the recording!...
Even though this Cd just contains 7 songs, including one Bolero (song 2) and a total waste-tune Ceora, you'd STILL have to forgive those facts for this specific occasion, as this set has SUCH an outstanding and intense Puerto-Rican from New York style of Salsa music, that you just CANNOT pass this one up!...
This record also slightly features the use of strings which really began to be fashionable at Fania records around 1977, BUT it doesn't spoil the music stylistically IN ANY WAY. This is because they've decided to go for a BIG, ROBUST and POWERFUL style of music that isn't passive, monotonous and bland like most commercial style of Salsas from the 80's.
This is WELL WORTH mentioning it in this context, as the style of Salsa music that you got in that decade, EVEN BY FANIA RECORDS was pretty much in that vein, as well as much more singer oriented (before the DISASTROUS Romantic Salsa phenomenon of the mid-80's to mid 90's became a reality that has now gone out of fashion, THANK GOD!...)
Otherwise, ANOTHER of the BIG successes here is the ROCK-SOLID percussion section, as well as the band's 4 Trombones and 2 Trumpets line-up giving a VERY FRESH, CRISP, and LIVELY recording for the biggest pleasure of the listeners, as well as for the dancers!...
Right, the 1st tune is the title-track `the sage' [the wise man].
It was ANOTHER of Tito Rodríguez's very rancorous tunes most probably targeted at Tito Puente or Johnny Pacheco who were both involved at some stage with his band some time between the 1940's-1960's...
Otherwise, this version ROCKS and is PERFECTLY executed by Lavoe himself "bursting" through on vocals (AS EVER) and by the band, who give it SUCH a liveliness and swing that you just cannot get bored with it!
FINE arrangements and VERY TIGHT playing through this EXCELLENT tune which basically talks in a derogatory way, about the `wise man' who thinks he is better and knows better, but isn't!
The version of Noche De Farra here (6:00 mins) is REALLY SPECIAL!
After some of the 1950's versions that I've heard of that tune, I REALLY believe they have achieved something BIG here!
This AMAZING version includes a particularly EXCEPTIONAL MUSICALITY, a FINE soft Trombone solo by Angel "Papo" Vázquez, and an EVEN BETTER follow up to the 2nd part with Héctor "piercing through" on vocals again!... SIMPLY WONDERFUL!... EASILY one of MY favourite tunes here!...
Para Ochún (6:35 mins) is a DYNAMITE SALSA-DESCARGA (Salsa Jam-Session) tune with the band REALLY shining through together!...
You get FINE Trumpet and Trombone solos in between the "Para Ochún y Yemayá" chorus in the beginning and then, guess what!? You get Professor Joe Torres doing an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING Piano solo that simply is MIND-BLOWING technically and musically!... CHECK IT OUT!...
To top it of even more as if a Jam of this calibre wasn't enough, you then get Héctor taking over on vocals with the same GREAT INTENSITY STILL GOING, and arrangements that are NOTHING SHORT OF GLORIOUS EITHER!...
TOP, TOP STUFF and ANOTHER of the GREATEST tunes from this album!...
If this was recorded in the 1970's, it would have very probably been a FAMOUS hit-tune!...
Aléjate (7:07 mins) is a GREAT tune that features Gilberto "El Púlpo" Colón showing his Jazzy-Latin Piano skills with some string exchanges "conversing through" some parts of his solo, before the tune EXPLODES into A HELL of a follow up with some SWINGING-HOT arrangements, and Héctor again PIERCING through on vocals keeping the tune BURNING-HOT!
Lloré (6:21 mins) needs a bit of patience in the beginning as it gets better and better as it goes on in the 2nd part with again, TOP SWINGING arrangements that are REALLY `on the spot', and a NICE Trumpet solo by MASTER TRUMPETIST Luis Ortíz "Períco" towards the end.
ANOTHER GREAT and HIGHLY DANCEABLE tune)!...
These last two numbers by the way, are GREAT examples of tunes that can be related to love (in a good or bad way) and STILL have A LOT to offer from the intense and musical point of view without having to take the root away from the music and sacrifice it!... (People who know about Salsa Romántica would perfectly understand what I mean)...
To finish of, Ceora is BLATANTLY an instrumental, but BORING filler-material tune with strings that is totally out of place in an album like this one!... It just makes me wonder WHAT ELSE must have happened to Héctor's life on the day of the recording!... (He isn't present at all on this tune).
With 5 INTENSE and HIGHLY DANCEABLE songs reaching a pretty good total play-time of 30.45 mins, this Cd is an ABSOLUTE MUST-HAVE (as I've been trying to say for quite a while...)
This specific Cd* was Remastered in 2006 by: Sound Booth. 9/10. GREAT job by them ONCE AGAIN! SUPERB volume and sound quality with EXCELLENT sharpness and clearness! Could not have done much better!
[* Just want to inform you customers that this same album is also available in the second 4-Cd package of Héctor Lavoe titled: `The Complete Studio Albums Vol.2'. Sound quality SHOULD be the same HOPEFULLY!...
Check out available sound-clips in different websites for comparison].
More El Sabio free music reviews:
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Description of El Sabio
A classic reissue of one of Héctor's greatest solo albums. Originally released in 1980, as Héctor was at the top of his game. The results are spectacular with a variety of rhythms presented. One thing holds steady throughout, and that is the fact that nothing swings like hard salsa, NYC style. A must-have for all Salsa fans!International CDs
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