Cachao

Usually, when you pick up a CD by Artist X emblazoned with "Volume II," you expect: okay, here are the tunes that weren't good enough to make the first cut, and since the first CD was a success and we've already got these additional tunes in the can, let's make a few more bucks off this deal.

Thankfully, this is far from the truth with Cuban bassist Israel Lopez, a.k.a. 'Cachao,' producer Andy Garcia (yes, *that* Andy Garcia), and executive producer Emilio Estevez, Jr. While I never really connected with Volume I, this 1995 release of Volume II is something I have played over and over and over again. That's really saying something about the quality of Vol. II, since Vol. I was, after all, nothing short of a Grammy award-winning release.

Unluckily, this CD came out right around the same time as almost simultaneous releases from Buena Vista Social Club, Afro-Cuban All-Stars, and pianist Ruben Gonzalez. So Cachao, Vol. II got a little buried in the wave of publicity that accompanied all that. But the good news for the hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of fans of those releases is what a surprise you have waiting for you with Cachao, Master Sessions Vol. II. It's the perfect background music for your next little get-together.

I absolutely love this CD. The rich African beat along with the latin mix make this a mesmerizing experience. I recommend both Volumes 1 and 2. I first heard this music after watching Dance With Me and I had to own both volumes. Thank you Cachao for sharing your special gift.

As a latina woman, Cachao brings us back to our roots. Africa. He incorporates everything from heavy percussions to african chants. It makes you want to dance, dance, dance!!!!!!!!!!

I am hardly an expert, and only know what I enjoy; but it is quite cleat that Cachao has great musical imagination. Is that Cuban klezmer on the opening track?

Cachao, a cuban, was the originaot of what is now known as Salsa. His danzones, mambos, and descargas are known world-wide as being the best of the best. He is also deemed one of the greatest bassists of our time. His music in this album is excellent, especially "Spoon Lips." Well worth every penny sent.

TOTALLY OUTSTANDING RECORDINGS MADE IN CUBA 1957-1961 BY CACHAO DESCARGAS. VERY, VERY HEAVY ON THE PERCUSSION SIDE. YOU WILL NOT FIND THESE SONGS ANYWHERE ELSE, THIS CD SHOULD GET TEN STARS. WHEN YOU LISTEN, YOU WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE HEARING "THE REAL THING".

There are some amazing cuts on this set. Pieces, such as Redención, that preview the the collaborations with Andy Garcia. You can hear Armando (Chocolate) Armenteros, one of the finest trumpeters ever (anywhere), really show off his talent. Or Cachao's brother, Orestes (Macho)...

Ultimately, however, these are descargas (or jam sessions) with all that entails. Also unfortunate is that many, most cuts reflect that time when musicians were required say what they needed to say in roughly 3 minutes.

POWERFUL! ... TOP NOTCH ARRANGEMENTS! ... In this album, you get a truly masterful performance from Cachao and company. In this offering he is surrounded by a roster of talent that has only been equaled twice before in the very rich history of latin music. Those other recordings are as follows; 1. "Estrellas Areito vol. 1 - 4", Areito label and 2. Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nueyorquino vol. 1 - 2", Salsoul label. To say that it is the among the very best Cuban music EVER recorded is truly an understatement, from the opening track to the very last one, what one gets is Afro-cuban music played with a pure passion and love. It is obvious just by listening that the musicians in this album played with their hearts exposed. I was not present at the recording but i know that the head charts and arrangements were used only to begin each session. It is physically impossible to write and then have each member play the music contained in this recording. An improvisers paradise. It is very rare for musicians to find themselves in a setting where all of their emotions flow with electrically charged passion as with this album. As a collector of Cuban music, I have heard most of what has been recorded. This ranks among the very best of them all (...and there are 1000's of excellent records of Cuban music). If you are just discovering Cuban music, this is a perfect place to begin exploring. For those already baptized, GET THIS ONE!

This CD should be in the collection of every latin music lover. It should be a required study material for those who want to make salsa. No, it's not salsa but rather father mambo, mother guajirra, aunt descarga, and grandma rumba.
The musician lineup is spectacular including Jimmy Bosch(trombone) and Nestor Torres(flute). And all of these under the man who created mambo and descarga. Cachao masterfully utilizes the skills of these experts to redo some of his old songs, and perform new ones.
Unfortunately the complexities in the music can only be heard in a high end sound system, so don't buy this CD to listen to it while you drive to your favorite latin club, unless you own a Benz. Another detail that makes it different is that the songs flow for as long as they must rather than be rushed to the four minute industry standard.
For those who are only aquainted with modern latin music, expect the same instrumentation as Salsa, but with a more classical feel where vocals come second to the instruments. After listening to this CD you will be able to dissect most Salsa and further understand where it falls stylistically.

The quality of the sound and the magical expertise of some of the best musicians from Cuba come together in this album.
This is what we call "the real thing"... as real and as good as it can possibly be...
This is definitely a must have album for anyone, like me, who treasures the tropical music of the Caribbean and Latin America.
I also recommend the Volume II of the Master Sessions just as highly. These are some of the best collector's CD's money can buy...
If it was possible, I would give it six stars out of five!

this is my third copy bougth on this ALBUM and the music is still frech, like taken out of the island for the first time, even tought i have not been there, Cachao's music takes you there by the sounds and the rithm. i always gonna be a fan and continue to hear his music.

First of all, I love the bass. Second of all, I love Latin music and Latin jazz. Well, that means that his album is one of my all time favorites -- it swings! Not only is every track great, the recording is very high quality and will highlight any audiophile system. I have scores of great Latin music, but this is one of the CDs I keep coming back to time after time. Israel Lopez is one of the world's greatest living bass players (his nickname is Cachao) -- I've been meaning to buy volume 2 as well which should be just as good. This one is a winner.

This is a great album from the guy who invented Mambo. 'Cuba Linda' is a logical progression on the 'Master Sessions' albums. This album has a different feel than the 'Master Sessions' albums - a little more spontaneous and lively. 'Cuba Linda' is a bit more upbeat - Cachao plays everything from Danzon, ChaChaCha, Abakua, Son, among others. The musicians are great, masters from Luis Conte to Orestes Vilato join Cachao. I also recommend 'Dos', 'Descargando', 'Master Sessions, Vol. 1 & 2'. In fact, anything from Cachao is well worth investing.

If you enjoy cachao you OWE it to yourself to explore the Buena Vista Social Club, unless you've been under a rock since 1997 then you should know who they are, if you don't then check them out, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!.

This was my first introduction to Cuban music - what a fantastic choice! I've danced around to it while making dinner for friends and played it in the background while I'm working on the computer. I really love music that has a fun beat but isn't distracting. Thanks to this CD, I look forward to exploring more Cuban music (maybe a compilation album for my new one).

I must say, his albums get better every time:) This is very nice and passionate, And I personally like the bajo instrument. It's a must have.

One question, is he related to to that other bass player Orlando "Cachaíto" López from the Buena Vista Social Club?

I think so, but I'm not sure.

Israel " Cachao" Lopez is a musical icon, who contributed heavily to the magnificent musical legacy of Cuba. He comes from a famous family, and helped to launch the mambo musical form. Listeners who have come to Cuban music via Saint Ry should check this out.

This is another production with the ever ubiquitous Andy Garcia, this time with Andy appearing all over the accompanying DVD as well. It even contains a descarga track written by Andy, which, without surprise, is the worst track on the CD. I dislike Andy Garcia's musicianship so much I never even listened to the conga track on Cachao's Master's Session Volume I CD because it has a spoken intro by Andy "emotionally declaiming" poetry in tribute to his father. (But Andy's rain stick solo on Master Sessions Volume I is like the standout of the CD though.) Okay, okay, somebody stop me, enough with the Andy Garcia bashing. Two things I can say I like about Andy Garcia are that there would be no Cachao renaissance and no Master Sessions Volume I and II without Andy Garcia making it happen, and, his movie set in Cuba was absolutely wonderful.
The problem with this CD is that it is sloppy, lacks the great musicianship on display in Master Sessions Volume I and II, and suffers from poor song selection. There are a few pretty good tracks, but a lot of it consists of the mambos, son monuntos, and rumba/congas that we have already heard everyone else do, and heard Cachao himself do way better. I would save your money on this one, Master Sessions Volumes I and II are way better, as is Cachao's original late 50's descarga sessions.

I would agree with the reviewer Marcos, Andy Garcia seems to be producing tributes to himself with these cd's and especially with the bonus DVD in Ahora Si. Having said that, it's a good thing that Cachao had the chance to make these recordings. Ahora Si may be very similar to the Master Sessions and Cuba Linda, but the music is still hot. He will be missed.

There is no dropoff in quality here. I have yet to hear any of Cachao's performances that are of the two or three star variety. That, frankly, is insane.

Song titles include:

Mambo Cambio De Swing-Intro
Mambo Cambio De Swing
Queja Africana Protesta Abakua
Si Me Pudieras Querer
Una Descarga A Cachao
Aurora
Ahora Si!
No Tienes Por Que Llorar
Guajira Clasica
El Tiburon

Musicians include:

Israel Lopez "Cachao" Musical director and bajo
Alfredo Valdes Jr. Piano
Orestes Vilato Timbales
Luis Conte Congas
Andy Garcia Bongos, cowbell
Richie R. Marquez Guiro
Nelson Garcia-Marquez Clave
Nelson Gonzalez Tres guitar
Federico Britos Violin
Danilo Lozano Flauta
Jimmy Bosch Trombon
Feliciano Gomez "Pachu" Trompeta
Rafael "Tata" Palau Saxo tenor
Justo Almario Saxo tenor
Giovanna Moraga Cello
Lazaro Gallaraga Voz principal
Cecilia Noel, Iris Sandra Cepeda, Andy Garcia, Lazaro Gallaraga, Nelson Garcia-Marquez, Richie R. Marquez, Nelson Gonzalez, Jimmy Bosch, Luis Conte, Orestes Vilato, Feliciano Gomez "Pachu", Alfredo Valdes Jr. Coros

I have been listening to Cachao for years and I have all his music. I think this is his best album to date. Yes, I love Master Sessions I and II, but this album gets the most playing time at my house, my car, and my office. Cachao's rendition of "Si me pudieras querer" is just plain beautiful, and "Una Descarga a Cachao" gets my wife and me dancing every time. This is a great album of Cuban music, so enjoy it!

Este disco de musica tradicional Cubana trae mucho sabor. Los musicos son de gran calidad y los areglos muy buenos. Mi otro disco de Cachao es Master Sessions 1 y ese definitivamente es mejor. Si tienes ese disco quizas encuentres, como yo, que este no tiene la misma pasion.
Andy Garcia esta demasiado metido en este disco para mis gustos, la composicion de Andy, "Descarga a Cachao" no fue tan interesante como las otras canciones, pero al menos es salvada por los musicos talentosos. Lo unico interesante del DVD es ver a Cachao tocando el bajo, mucho de lo demas es un poco aburrido.
"Protesta abakua" es mi tema favorito, ya que tiene un sonido muy diferente de la musica latina contemporanea que es bien relajante con una buena parte para la flauta. Pero honestamente todos los temas tienen algo bueno.

This may be my favorite Cachao recording. This and part two, along with both Master Sessions and the "Descargas en Miniature." It's hard to choose a favorite, obviously. The personnel on this set is reduced from the other descarga sessions. It's a quartet. Piano, bass, drums (trap set), and percussion.

Incidentally: Walfredo Reyes Sr., Master Drummer on this session, born in Havana, would no doubt recoil from the assertion that this stellar group lacks the power of some of Cachao's other groups. Or, for that matter, that this particular Cachao group does not contain Cubans...

This set is dynamite.

Song titles include:

Caliente
Me Esta Gustando
Loco
Quinto Con Vibrafon
Walpataca
La Leccion
Walfredo
Todo El Corazon

Musicians include:

Francisco (Paquito) Hechavarria Acoustic piano, vibes
Israel Lopez (Cachao) Acoustic bass
Tany Gil Congas, percussion
Walfredo De Los Reyes Drums and percussion

A bit disappointing compared to Israel Lopez's recent recordings. Instead of surrounding "Cachao" with authentic Cuban musicians this recording, and its sequal-volume 2- is jazz oriented to a piano trio and altho the music is not poorly performed, it never reaches the red hot "ritmos caliente" beat nor feature any guitar or horn accompaniments that blow the music up into the Sun.

Many people contributed to inventing mambo, son-montuno, cha-cha-cha, it wasn't just one guy for each. Cachao was one of the musicians contributing to Afro-cuban music in the 20th century. But I can't get over these recordings, made in Havana in the late 50's. The musicians on these recordings sound like the best of the best, who are really pushing the boundaries. It compares to any of what the best American jazz musicians recorded in the 50's.

Song titles include:

Descarga Cubana 3:02
Goza Mi Trompeta 2:58
Cogele El Golpe 2:42
Trombon Criollo 3:06
Malanga Amarilla 3:14
Pamparana 2:33
Oye Mi Tres Montuno 2:42
Controversia En Metales 2:59
A Gozar Timbero 2:59
Sorpresa En Flauta 2:48
Estudio En Trompeta 2:20
Guajeo De Saxos 2:22

Musicians include:

Israel López "Cachao" Bajo
Guillermo Barreto Pailas
Tata Guines Tumbadora
Rogelio Iglesias Bongó
Gustavo Tamayo Guiro
El Negro Vivar Trompeta
Generoso Jiménez Trombón
Orestes López Piano
Emilio Peñalver Saxo tenor
Virgilio Lesama Saxo baritono
Richard Egues Flauta
Niño Rivera Tres

POWERFUL! ... TOP NOTCH ARRANGEMENTS! ... In this album, you get a truly masterful performance from Cachao and company. In this offering he is surrounded by a roster of talent that has only been equaled twice before in the very rich history of latin music. Those other recordings are as follows; 1. "Estrellas Areito vol. 1 - 4", Areito label and 2. Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nueyorquino vol. 1 - 2", Salsoul label. To say that it is the among the very best Cuban music EVER recorded is truly an understatement, from the opening track to the very last one, what one gets is Afro-cuban music played with a pure passion and love. It is obvious just by listening that the musicians in this album played with their hearts exposed. I was not present at the recording but i know that the head charts and arrangements were used only to begin each session. It is physically impossible to write and then have each member play the music contained in this recording. An improvisers paradise. It is very rare for musicians to find themselves in a setting where all of their emotions flow with electrically charged passion as with this album. As a collector of Cuban music, I have heard most of what has been recorded. This ranks among the very best of them all (...and there are 1000's of excellent records of Cuban music). If you are just discovering Cuban music, this is a perfect place to begin exploring. For those already baptized, GET THIS ONE!

This CD should be in the collection of every latin music lover. It should be a required study material for those who want to make salsa. No, it's not salsa but rather father mambo, mother guajirra, aunt descarga, and grandma rumba.
The musician lineup is spectacular including Jimmy Bosch(trombone) and Nestor Torres(flute). And all of these under the man who created mambo and descarga. Cachao masterfully utilizes the skills of these experts to redo some of his old songs, and perform new ones.
Unfortunately the complexities in the music can only be heard in a high end sound system, so don't buy this CD to listen to it while you drive to your favorite latin club, unless you own a Benz. Another detail that makes it different is that the songs flow for as long as they must rather than be rushed to the four minute industry standard.
For those who are only aquainted with modern latin music, expect the same instrumentation as Salsa, but with a more classical feel where vocals come second to the instruments. After listening to this CD you will be able to dissect most Salsa and further understand where it falls stylistically.

The quality of the sound and the magical expertise of some of the best musicians from Cuba come together in this album.
This is what we call "the real thing"... as real and as good as it can possibly be...
This is definitely a must have album for anyone, like me, who treasures the tropical music of the Caribbean and Latin America.
I also recommend the Volume II of the Master Sessions just as highly. These are some of the best collector's CD's money can buy...
If it was possible, I would give it six stars out of five!

this is my third copy bougth on this ALBUM and the music is still frech, like taken out of the island for the first time, even tought i have not been there, Cachao's music takes you there by the sounds and the rithm. i always gonna be a fan and continue to hear his music.

First of all, I love the bass. Second of all, I love Latin music and Latin jazz. Well, that means that his album is one of my all time favorites -- it swings! Not only is every track great, the recording is very high quality and will highlight any audiophile system. I have scores of great Latin music, but this is one of the CDs I keep coming back to time after time. Israel Lopez is one of the world's greatest living bass players (his nickname is Cachao) -- I've been meaning to buy volume 2 as well which should be just as good. This one is a winner.