Guest Post #2 on Musica del Alma

Make sure to check out Musica del Alma for the Pachanga, Charanga, & Guaguanco Mix that I just put together for my second guest post.

New LVJ Mix: 100% Descarga!

My main concern when I first started putting this mix together was that a 100% descarga mix might not offer enough variety to the listener, and might overwhelm them with too much of a good thing. Descarga tracks are usually frenetic and tension-filled, and also tend to not resolve all that nicely, so the risk of being over-stimulated by 19 of them strung together is real, yet one well worth taking. Those musical features of descarga are also why one rarely sees a 100% descarga album. Nearly all of the tracks on this mix came from albums that contained only a single descarga track, since most artists who dabbled in the style tended to use it sparingly on their albums, often as a kind of musical exclamation point put at the end (or beginning) of a side. Still, in spite of all these potential issues and pitfalls, the descarga mix that I am presenting here manages to work very well track to track and as a whole. The selections, due to their general similarity, have a way of meshing together and fully enveloping the listener in a way that a more varied mix could not. Give it a listen and judge for yourself.


LVJ Descarga Mix (113 MB), September 8, 2009
01. Fajardo Y Sus Estrellas "Descarga de Kiki"
02. Chuito Velez "Descarga"
03. Ricardo Ray & Bobby Cruz "Descarga"
04. Cachao "Descarga Guajira"
05. Willie Rodriguez "Descarga '72"
06. El Combo de Pepe "Descarga En Menor"
07. Eddie Palmieri "Descarga Palmieri"
08. Johnny Rodriguez & Angel Rene & Orq. "Descarga A and J"
09. Joe Pappy and His Combo "Descarga Caliente"
10. Johnny Colon "Descarga"
11. Lebron Brothers "Descarga Lebron"
12. Ray Perez Y Los Kenyas "Descargan Los Timbales"
13. Tito Rodriguez "Descarga Cachao"
14. TnT Band "Descarga TNT"
15. Hommy Sanz "Descarga"
16. Chorolo y su Combo "Descarga Atómica Chorolo"
17. Alfredo Linares "Descarga"
18. Bebo Valdés & His Havana All Stars "Descarga Caliente"
19. Quique Y La Sabrosa Orchestra "Descarga"

LVJ August 2009 Mix

This is a mix of songs that I have been playing a lot lately; some are from recent purchases, some are from long-time collection staples, and others are from long-time wants. Tracks 12 through 17 are all pachangas, which is a style that has really caught my ear this year, especially when the caballo rhythm is strong, like it is on Al Castellanos' playful song "Mish Mash Pachanga." Listen and enjoy!


http://www.divshare.com/download/8288558-531

LVJ August 2009 Mix (94.25 MB), August 14, 2009
01. Roberto Anglero Y Su Congregación "Mi China"
02. Orquesta Olivieri "María Isabel"
03. Mike Hernandez "Buscando La Paz"
04. La Suprema Orchestra "Tiempo Del Paso Doble"
05. Orchestra Riviera "Yeribo"
06. Porfi Jimenez "Un Saludo A Puerto Rico"
07. Jimmy Sabater "Lalle, Lalle"
08. Louie Rey and His Orchestra "Mira Como Baila"
09. Roberto y Su Nuevo Montuno "El Nuevo Montuno Llego"
10. Lebron Brothers "Que Pana"
11. Clark Terry & Chico O'Farrill "Tin Tin Deo"
12. Al Castellanos "Mish Mash Pachanga"
13. Charlie Palmieri "Bronx Pachanga U.S.A."
14. Joe Quijano "La Pachanga Se Baila Asi"
15. Coco Lagos "Brava Pachanga"
16. Louie Ramirez And His Conjunto "Don Maceo"
17. Arsenio Rodriguez & His Orchestra "Chango Pachanga"
18. Mongo Santamaria "Druma Kuyi"
19. Mark Weinstein "Ochun"
20. Charlie Palmieri "El Niño Andreu"
21. Kako Y Su Combo Gigante "El Jaleo"
22. Chano Martinez "A San Francisco"

New Latin Jazz Mix

This is a mix of excellent Latin Jazz tracks that I've been compiling and listening to a lot over the past few months. Kick back and enjoy.

LVJ Latin Jazz Mix, May 8, 2009
01. George Russell & Jon Hendricks "Manhattan: Rico" (Intro)
02. Peruchin "Son De La Loma"
03. Bobby Pauneto "Pero Dime Tu"
04. Cal Tjader Quintet "Mamblues"
05. Sabu Martinez & His Jazz Espagnole "Flamenco Ain't Bad"
06. Don Cunningham Quartet "Quiet Village"
07. Chico Hamilton "El Chico"
08. Bobby Montez and his Orchestra "My"
09. Latin Jazz Quintet "Speak Low"
10. Kenny Dorham "Minor's Holiday"
11. Bobby Matos & the Combo Conquistadores "Raices (Roots)"
12. Peruchin "En La Capital"
13. Chico Hamilton "Conquistadores"
14. Peruchin "Brasil"
15. Joe Cuba "Mad Merengue"

A Few Past Mixes

These are two Latin mixes I made for Dan Zacks' Waxing Deep Radio show a few years ago. (Check out the Waxing Deep show archive for more excellent music). Right now I'm working on a Latin Jazz mix that I should finish sometime this month. Stay tuned!

Waxing Deep Latin Mix, April 13, 2007
01. Arsenio Rodriguez "A Gozar Mujeres"
02. Chuito Velez Y Su Super Orquesta "La Virgen Lloraba"
03. Coco Lagos "El Hueso"
04. Paul Ortiz y La Orquesta Son "Despierta puertorriqueño"
05. Orquesta Capri "Virgencita Ayudame"
06. Ricardo Ray & Bobby Cruz "Cachita"
07. Joe Quijano "Yo Soy Aquel"
08. Willie Colon "Guajiron"
09. Tito Rodriguez "Ese Eres Tu"
10. Bobby Valentin "Berbicua"
11. Brooklyn Sounds "La-Va-Eh"
12. Eddie Palmieri "Palo De Mango"
13. Joe Cuba "Con Mi Mambo"
14. Paul Ortiz y La Orquesta Son "Gozar Mi Son"
15. Kako "Live it Up"
16. The Bennito Sextet Plus One "Rhythm and Soul"
17. Orlando Marin "Sin Discusion"
18. Orlando Marin "No Se Detengan"
19. Orchestra Tentacion "Mayaguez"
20. Arsenio Rodriguez "Cielito Lindo"

Rey's Beat, November 16, 2007
01. Ray Terrace "Ray's Beat"
02. Louie Ramirez "Yo No Se Nada"
03. Mon Rivera y Moncho Lena "Huyele Al Guardia"
04. Alegre All Stars "Peanut Vendor"
05. Charlie Palmieri & his Duboney Orchestra "La Timba Es Mia"
06. Orchestra Capri "Vagabundo"
07. Dax Pacem Orchestra "Y Que No"
08. Monguito "El Unico" "Alto Songo"
09. Eddie Palmieri "Pa' Huele"
10. Quique Y La Sabrosa Orchestra "Yes Man! Oh Boy!"
11. Pete Rodriguez "Asi Asi"
12. Fajardo Y Sus Estrellas "Boogaloo Del Momento"
13. George Guzman "Lazy Boogaloo"
14. Johnny Rodriguez & Angel Rene & Orq. "The Place To Be (The Thing To Do)"
15. Bobby Matos & the Combo Conquistadores "Trailo a Casa (Bring It On Home)"
16. Hector Rivera "Playing It Cool"


Here are two other solid, non-Latin, mixes of mine that I originally posted on Soulstrut.com that you should definitely check out:

Straight Ahead 101, March 30, 2009
01. Wayne Shorter "Callaway Went That-A-Way"
02. Chet Baker "Travelin' Light"
03. Thelonious Monk "In Walked Bud"
04. Miles Davis "Milestones"
05. Dexter Gordon "Love For Sale"
06. Rita Reys "The Very Thought Of You"
07. Charles Mingus "Boogie Stop Shuffle"
08. John Coltrane "After The Rain"
09. Sahib Shihab "Mai Ding"
10. Frank Cunimondo Trio "Beyond the Clouds"
11. Hank Mobley "Remember"
12. Rahsaan Roland Kirk "A Handful Of Fives"
13. Duke Ellington "Willow Weep For Me"
14. Kenny Dorham "Afrodisia"
15. Yusef Lateef "Ching Miau"
16. Bill Evans "Epilogue"

Non Tepid Jazz Funk Mix, April 4, 2009
01. Grant Green "Walk In The Night"
02. Archie Shepp "Here Comes The Family"
03. Karin Krog "Meaning Of Love"
04. Cortex "Troupeau Bleu"
05. Harlem Pop Trotters "White Beach"
06. Eric Framond "Ghetto"
07. Eddy Louiss "Les Anges Noirs"
08. Don Carrington Trio "If I Were A Carpenter"
09. Reuben Wilson "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
10. Mahmoud Ahmed "Feqer Endegena"
11. Phil Ranelin "Vibes From The Tribe"
12. Placebo "Humpty Dumpty"
13. Dorothy Ashby "Soul Vibrations"
14. Serge Gainsbourg "Je N'avais Pas Qu'un Seul Mot A Lui Dire"