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This is a reissue of some of Cuban piano master Chucho Valdes's earliest Havana recordings in 1964 (almost a decade before he founded the legendary Irakere), embracing the debut of the great Cuban saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera. It has been gathering dust for decades. There are 27 short tracks, most of them following the formalities of traditional Cuban dance styles, and many of the solos are barely longer than a chorus or two - which throws the emphasis on to the historical interest of the materials, rather than the spontaneities of the players.

Various Artists - The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions (2018) {5CD Set Craft Recordings CR00100 rec 1956-1965}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 889 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 414 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 93 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956-65, 2018 Panart / Craft Recordings / Concord Music | CR00100
Jazz / Latin Jazz / Cuban / Charanga / Salsa / Cha-Cha / Descarga / Mambo

Five legendary Cuban jam sessions originally released over a span of almost a decade (1956-1965) by Cuba's first independent record label Panart. Reissued together as a set in their entirety and original format here for the first time, The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions albums encapsulate a stylistic and historic panorama of Cuban music, from big band son montuno to Afro-Cuban rumba, mambo, cha-cha-cha and country acoustic guajira music.

The third CD for this band has a change in personnel, with Paquito D'Rivera and Andy Narell gone but Dave Valentin (flute) and Steve Khan (guitars) joining. It has changed the entire dynamic structure of the band, for the better. Valentin's otherworldly sound and Khan's acoustic and electric abilities open fresh vistas for Samuels' pan-Caribbean notions on vibes and marimba. They have worked together before; see Valentin's Sunshower (GRP) or Samuels' excellent Tjaderized (Verve) for further examples. The threesome are complemented by Eddie Palmieri band members John Benitez (bass) and Richie Flores (congas/bongos), with timbalist/percussionist Robert Vilera and background singer Caridad Canelon. The combination has great potential, fully realized on several of the ten selections.