Ruben Gonzalez - Introducing Ruben Gonzalez

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Music reviews of Introducing Ruben Gonzalez

Music Review: Cooder's "Money" Albums not worth the price of admission
Rating: 2 Stars

The BVSC, like any packaged product, owes much of it's success to aggressive marketing and relentless PR. When packaged with a movie deal, performed in ultra-chic venues (Radio City Music Hall, NY) and promoted by a well known American musician, you have a formula for the success it is today. Of course, the album is musically proficient on it's own merit with an excellent mix of ear candy reminiscent of an old age long gone in the US.

Pueblo Nuevo was by far my most favorite tune on this album, a latin-jazz piano solo featuring Ruben Gonzalez. Soon after the success of the BVSC album, Ry Cooder began producing satellite albums featuring each BVSC member exclusively. I expected Ruben's album would be a conglomeration of piano solos but there also seems to be a mix of different latin sounds with the piano as the focal point of the music. This was a bit disappointing, especially since I personally think Ruben's voice isn't so hot, but there are a few tunes that are mildly worth it.

I also have Ibrahim Ferrer's solo album, and it seems to me that they are mixing the best song first in the albums, and then placing filler in the remaining space. Frankly, I wouldn't recommend this album, even to big fans of the BVSC -- Ruben's best recording performance is better left to the main album. I would even go as far as to say that this album was produced to capitalize on the popularity of the BVSC album... a 'money' album, so to speak.

Description of Introducing Ruben Gonzalez

International CDs

• Music > Styles
• Jazz
• Latin Music