Command All Stars

Héctor Lavoe was born to sing. As Latin music evolved from the boogaloo of the late '60s to the salsa boom of the '70s, Lavoe was at its forefront and "El Cantante" (the singer) of some of its most representative songs. Born Héctor Juan Perez in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on September 30, 1946, he was influenced by the Latin singers he heard on the radio, Daniel Santos and Chuito el de Bayamon, just to name a couple. As he grew more involved in music, he drew his inspiration from Puerto Rico's great sonero Ismael Rivera, as well as Cheo Feliciano. These influences are obvious in Lavoe's singing style: he attacks the son and montuno like the masters Rivera and Beny Moré, but Lavoe's natural talent for improvosation made him unique and very popular with salsa fans.

The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars are the cream of the crop of current New Orleans musicians, paying tribute to the musician who started it all in the Crescent City. Comprised of new arrangements and recordings of music associated with Louis by a rotating cast of key New Orleans players including guest features from Wynton Marsalis, Common, and more. Features a previously unknown Louis Armstrong and the All Stars track.

The 1989 album “Guasasa” is the last studio album for the Fania Six, the Fania All Stars offshoot created in 1976 by Columbia Records for marketing purposes. It features their rhythm section comprised of: Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barretto, Bobby Valentín, Roberto Roena, Nicky Marrero and virtuoso pianist Papo Lucca. Clearly intended as a Latin jazz set, this album actually bears a more dance-oriented style (as in instrumental salsa, so to speak) as opposed to this band’s earlier, bolder California Jam date. While the former date was actually a real jam session, here they work with formal charts, calculated solo spots and a less-relaxed ambience that actually belies the laid-back feel of the album.

This is another great album from Jazztone Society Records, featuring Tony Parenti's All-Stars… and what a line-up! Tony, of course, hailing from out of the New Orleans jazz scene, sparkles on clarinet; Henry "Red" Allen, another prominent New Orleans jazz musician, shows why he was considered one of the best on Trumpet; Tyree Glenn, a Texan, worked wih some of the greatest bands, including Cab Calloway, Ellington, and Benny Carter - he growls a fine, mean trombone.
Two members of our rhythm section are familiar to all: Milt Hinton, the busiest, the happiest and the most bass player in the business, and drummer George Wettling, who not only was in on the beginnings of Chicago style jazz, but was also a vital part of the great swing surge as a member of the Tommy Dorsey…

2023 release. The return of Easy Star All-Stars! Their first tribute album since 2012 is a complete reggae re-imagining of David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The album features guest performances by Macy Gray, Steel Pulse, Fishbone, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), The Skints, Mortimer, The Expanders, Samory I, Naomi Cowan, and many others.

At the 1978 Montreux Jazz Festival, a variety of artists (including keyboardist Warren Bernhardt, tenor-saxophonist Michael Brecker, guitarists Steve Khan and Larry Coryell, trumpeter Randy Brecker and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri) recorded a dozen funky selections which were originally released on two Arista LPs. Michael Brecker in particular is in good form. The results are not essential but offer listeners a time capsule of where R&B-oriented fusion was in 1978.

Fania All-Stars studio releases never quite catch the excitement of their live concerts recordings. This 1981 release has the in-the-pocket grooves these professionals can deliver, but never quite clicks. Using a sax as the lead on "Samba Pa Ti" was a great idea; sadly, the sour tone undermines the way the soloing should change from lyrical delicacy to slow burn.
The tenor sax player throughout is Gato Barbieri. His muscular sax work is excellent throughout.

All star sextet with auspicious beginnings. Curtis Fuller (trombone), Harold Land (tenor sax), Bobby Hutchinson (vibes), Cedar Walton (piano), Buster Williams (bass), Billy Higgins (drums). A bright, clean, happy sound. Extension of MJQ.