Eddie Cano - The Latin Magic Of Eddie Cano & His Orchestra

EDDIE CANO
The Latin Magic Of Eddie Cano & His Orchestra
196?
256+ VBR LAME mp3
Vinyl rip & scans from Hurrah H-1053

Medley 4


Eddie Cano was a gifted LA-born Latino pianist from a musical family who played a considerable role in the creation and popularisation of Latin jazz. His early work with Tito Puente, Machito and Noro Morales in the late 40s led to stints with Les Baxter, Cal Tjader, Jack Costanzo and Buddy Collette then, thanks to his instrumental virtuosity and compositional skills as well as some strenuous support from Shorty Rogers, he was signed for a series of respected solo albums for RCA in the 50s. From there he would record for a considerable list of labels in the 60s, including United Artists, Pickwick, Reprise, Atco and Dunhill.

During the lion's share of that dynamic decade he headed up the resident band at the famous Hollywood hot-spot, P.J.'s, for numerous years and was a danceflloor darling of tinsel town jet set. It was there he recorded one of my favourite boogaloo bombs, Brought Back Live From P.J.'s, which would see its way to Soundological save for the fact the reissue is dirt cheap at Dusty's or on order from your local dealer. This was actually the second album he taped there; six years earlier he saw a hit with his interpretation of "A Taste of Honey" from Eddie Cano at P.J.'s.

Not nearly as exciting, this collection of cha cha medleys was recorded for Pickwick (who released it on at least three different sub-labels) at the outset of the 60s. Although Cano shows his chops and the horn section hits the mark throughout, it's the start of period of label restriction that saw Cano strait-jacketed by industry types out to exploit the latest Latin dance fads by covering and pop chart hits. Although proving to be a bankable payday, the piper called the tune and Cano was always clear that from the time he left RCA until he dumped Reprise for Dunhill, he had bupkiss by way of creative input on his albums beyond his actual playing. This would be rectified with Dunhill and later in the 70s with his participation in sessions on albums like Bobby Hutcherson's Montara and his continuous live appearances until his passing in the late 80s

According to Cano himself*, he "wasn't into a complete jazz bag or a complete Latin thing" and Latin jazz was his "bag" and what he had "always done." Thankfully this release was prior to the worst of this restriction so Cano's obviously still having some fun with the gig at this point and displays a palpable emotional connection to the material. Although it's basically your run-of-the-mill cha cha record meant to be played at parties and consequently upbeat by nature of the beast, each of the four medleys has a subtly different overtone ranging from bittersweet to bawdy. Not nearly as strong as his earlier effort at RCA, it's still an enjoyable representative of its genre albeit better suited as a soundtrack for social gatherings than as a piece for solitary appreciation.


Eddie Cano - Piano


1 Canto Karabali; Lunita Nueva; Candice: Ombo; Salud, Dinero Y Amor; Piel Canela
2 Mama Inez; Negra Consentida En Vano Te Espero; Cuando Yo Bailo Asi; Tru-Cu-Tu; Amor Y Mas Amor; El Suenito; Batiri
3 Manhattan; Yo Te Lo Dije; Rico Rica; Amapola; Senor Juan Cha Cha #5, Pan Con Queso; Teresa
4 Take Your Time; Cha Cha Chando; El Limpiabotas; TV Cha Cha; Ella, Ella; Cuba Cha Cha; La Santiaguera; Acere


Feel the Latin magic with Soundological HERE or HERE.

DISCOGRAPHY

1956 Costanzo, Cano & Bongos! w/ Jack Costanzo
@ Orgy In Rhythm

1956 Cole Porter & Me /1957 Duke Ellington & Me
[reissued 2003 as Cole Porter, Duke Ellington & Me] @ AvaxHome

1958 Deep In A Drum
[reissued 1993 & 2005] @ ELBROLLO

1958 Time For Cha Cha Cha
@ Schadenfreudian Therapy

1959 Cha Cha Cha Con Cano

1960 Jazz Heat Bongo Beat
w/ Buddy Collette @ Xtabays

1960 Dancing on The Sunset Strip
w/ Jack Costanzo

1961 Eddie Cano at P.J.'s
[reissued 2008]

1962 30 Latin American Favorites [Pickwick]

aka The Latin Magic Of Eddie Cano & His Orchestra [Hurrah]
aka Latin Discotheque [Cosmic]

1962 Here Is The Fabulous Eddie Cano
[reissued 2008]

1962 Mucho Piano!

1963 A Taste of Cano
[Mucho Piano! w/ different track sequence]

1963 Cano Plays Mancini
[reissued 2008]

1963 Danke Schoen
[reissued 2008]

1963 Jack Costanzo Meets Eddie Cano
w/ Jack Costanzo

1964 Broadway Right Now
[reissued 2008] @ Latin Jazz Descarga Directa

1965 The Sound of Music and The Sound Of Cano
[reissued 2008]

1966 On Broadway
w/ Nino Tempo [reissued 2008]

1967 Brought Back Live From P.J.'s
[reissued 2006]

More info on Eddie can be found at Descarga.com and in the pages of *Barrio rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles by Steven Joseph Loza (snippets here).