Raul Pupo

Released in 1978, Don't Ask My Neighbors was the second and last album that George Duke produced for Raul De Souza. For the most part, Duke serves the Brazilian trombonist well, but this vinyl LP isn't without its flaws. Duke sometimes overproduces, and a few of the tracks are weak – especially De Souza's disappointing versions of major R&B hits of the late '70s. Instead of really interpreting the Emotions' "Don't Ask My Neighbors," De Souza provides a pointless note-for-note cover and turns the song into elevator muzak. He doesn't fare much better on Michael Henderson's "At the Concert," which is marred by robotic female background vocalists who insist on singing the chorus instead of getting out of the way and allowing De Souza's trombone to be dominant.

On June 16th, 1972 a folk-rock all acoustic event called Acusticazo took place at the Teatro Atlantic. Gabriela, Litto Nebbia, Miguel y Eugenio, Leon Gieco and a young singer Raúl Porchetto played on that event. Raúl's performance of "Cortar el viento" was included on the album. For his first LP, a conceptual opus called Cristo Rock (Christ Rock), he was joined by Charly García (keyboards) and Oscar Moro (drums), along with the usual La Pesada staff: Billy Bond (mixing console and effects), Claudio Gabis, Kubero Diaz (guitars), Alejandro Medina (bass), Jorge Pinchevsky (violin) and Jimmy Marquez (drums). A string orchestra and a church organ were also used for the recording. Cristo Rock has an "Obertura" and eight numbered tracks. It is a strange but attractive album, full of climatic sounds and interesting playing; more noteworthy Gabis' wah-wah guitar.

This nearly forgotten Brazilian trombonist – a protégé of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim who made a moderate impact in the U.S. in the '70s only to mysteriously give it up and return to Brazil and subsequent obscurity – resurfaces on a CD reissue of a star-studded session from 1974. Producer Airto, who appears frequently on percussion (never mind the camouflaged percussion credits "Kenneth Nash and others; " one shake and you know it's Airto), succeeded in enlisting J.J. Johnson to make the horn arrangements and getting the polyrhythmic drums of Jack DeJohnette to drive the session. Cannonball Adderley makes one of his last appearances on record (he died nine months later), his alto sax burning in an otherwise cluttered stab at Baden Powell's "Canto de Ossanha," and venturing on the outside on "Chants to Burn."