Shufflings #3

Shufflings is a series in which I select the first 3 songs that appear on my randomly selected Party Shuffle and write about them.

Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble - Guajira for Cal - Sensacion (Concord Picante 1987)


Manu Dibango - New Bell - Giles Peterson in Africa (Ether 2005)


Leroy Hutson - Cool Out - Hutson (Curtom 1975)


Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble – Guajira for Cal – Sensacion (Concord Picante 1987)

How can you not love Tito Puente? The flamboyant and seemingly personable timbale master was a thing of beauty when in the public spotlight, where he always wore a large, infectious smile and eyes the size of Puerto Rico, the island of his descent. The Spanish Harlem staple was a prodigy on Latin percussion, including the aforementioned timbales as well as being remarkably skilled with the congas and bongos, not to mention being a prodigious vibraphonist and saxophonist. This song, from the amazing 1987 album, Sensacion, is the perfect example of Puente’s vibraphone skills, and the way he used them almost lyrically over his deceptively simple arrangements. Guajira is a style of Cuban folk music from the 17 & 1800s, which focuses on the lyrics, hence Puente’s vibraphone style. Cal is referring to Cal Tjader, the foremost non-Latino Latin Jazz band leader, and Puente contemporary and friend, who died a few years prior to this album. Sensacion is a prime example of the amazing Afro-Cuban jazz Puente was producing in the 80s, a decade in which jazz had gone the way of overproduction and post-fusion, pre-smooth nonsense.

Manu Dibango – New Bell – Giles Peterson in Africa (Ether 2005)

During the 60s and 70s, Africa had a slew of prodigious saxophone players largely thanks to Fela Kuti’s induction of jazz with traditional African music, as well as the sax being a key figure in funk which took the continent by storm after James Brown planted the seed. None of which gained quite the following that Cameroon’s Manu Dibango did though, who established himself throughout Africa as well as France, Belgium and Jamaica where he lived and performed. Dibango’s best asset was his ability to adopt to any genre he attempted, which resulted in his collaborations with artists as diverse as Kuti, Don Cherry, the Fania All-Stars, Sly Dunbar and even English rapper MC Mello as he ventured into early 90s hip-hop. This track from the late 80s previews his later move into contemporary rap and dance as his still potent sax dance over African rhythms that seem primed for the club. It can be found on some African dance compilations as well as the wonderful Giles Peterson in Africa comp.

Leroy Hutson – Cool Out – Hutson (Curtom 1975)

Leroy Hutson never became a household name like two of his good friends and collaborators, his Howard University roommate Donny Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield, whom he would later replace as the leader singer of The Impressions when Mayfield went solo. The soul producer could do it all, including singing, songwriting and a formidable piano player, but always seemed to remain under the radar. His songwriting career was launched after co-writing the amazing Hathaway single ‘The Ghetto,’ and became a collaborator with the similar-minded Mayfield, even following in his footsteps by taking later leavin The Impression and going solo with Mayfield’s label Curtom backing him. More of a cult-artist, Hutson penned soul music similar to Hathaway and Mayfield, but always opted for more straight-ahead love songs rather than turning to politics and social commentary. Cool Out is a typical smooth-soul instrumental that you can expect from Hutson, which is quality, but lacks individualism, and can be found on his 1975 solo full-length, Hutson, as well as Zero 7’s 2002 contribution to the AnotherLateNight series.