Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers - Heat! (1968)

In the late 1960s Henry "Pucho" Brown was at the top of his game. He successfully merged Soul, Funk and Latin rhythms into a steaming, genre-bending mix; this formula packed both the dance floors and his pockets. He went on to produce a swag of albums. Heat! finds his group banging out their prominent brand of Latin grooves. These tracks as back then still have the capacity to excite the listener today. The album packs a thoroughly contagious array of vibes, hard-driving percussion, Fender bass backed by a small ensemble of somber strings. Other funky elements include Neal Creque's flexing organ licks and the intermingling gruff vocals of Jackie Soul's on a number of the tracks. The majority of the tracks are originals penned by Creque, but there's also a handful of colorful covers including "Georgia On My Mind", which became quite a hit. Other tunes feature a foreboding counterpoint between the strings and William Bevin’s vibes, and showcase what an accomplished arranger Creque was. Taken as a whole, this is an enjoyable and undeniably funky set showcasing some of the band’s best. For anyone who likes Latin jazz funk this album will be of great interest, recommended!

Prestige Records, PRST 7572, 1968

Beat Goes Public, BGPD 1048, 1992

Recorded 23^rd April, 1968 in New York City

Musicians:

Henry “Pucho” Brown - Timbales

Eddie Pazant - Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute

Al Pazant - Trumpet

Willie Bivens - Vibraphone

Neal Creque - Piano, Organ, Arranger

Jim Phillips - Bass

Norberto Appellaniz - Bongos

Cecil Jackson - Conga

Selwart Clarke, Sanford Allen, Alfred Brown - Violin

Jackie Soul, The Soul Sisters - Vocals

Tracks:

A1. Heat! {Jimmy Phillips} (4:46)

A2. Georgia On My Mind {Hoagy Carmichael} (3:56)

A3. The Presence Of Your Heart {Neal Creque} (4:08)

A4. Psychedelic Pucho {Pucho, Jimmy Phillips, Neal Creque} (6:59)

B1. I Can't Stop Loving You {Don Gibson} (3:37)

B2. Wanderin' Rose {Neal Creque} (7:54)

B3. Let Love Find You {Neal Creque} (3:20)

B4. Candied Yam {Neal Creque} (3:32)

B5. Payin' Dues {Neal Creque} (3:01)

Total Time: 41:13

Credits:

Producer, Design - Don Schlitten

Recording Engineer - Richard Alderson

Graphic Art - Irving Riggs

Neal Creque - Creque (1972) [vinyl]

Creque is the 3rd album I’ve bought from this keys player. Bassist Gene Taylor starts things off with a grooving open bass line leading into a bit of an off-kilter song called Rafiki. Sis Daisy is a light and upbeat soul-jazz number with some nice congas by Richard “Pablo” Landrum. What’cha Call It is a slow and bluesy number that would make a nice listen when you’re in the right mood. ~ Soulstrut.com.

Cobblestone Records, CST 9005, 1972

Muse Records, MR 5226, 1976

Recorded at RCA Recording Studio, New York City

Musicians:

Neal Creque - Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Clavinet

Billy Butler - Guitar

Alfred Brown - Violin

Kermit Moore - Cello

Gene Taylor - Bass, Fender Bass

Steve Berrios - Drums, Tympani

Julian Barber - Drums

Richard Landrum - Conga, Bongos, African Oboe, Misc. Percussion

Selwart Clarke - Misc. Percussion

Jackie Soul & Johnny Gittens - Misc. Percussion

+

Strings

The Ikinen Singers (#A2)

Tracks:

A1. Rafiki (4:57)

A2. Years Of Regret (4:29)

A3. Sis Daisy (4:34)

A4. Nina (4:38)

B1. What'Cha Call It (5:02)

B2. Black Velvet Rose (4:28)

B3. Cease The Bombing (4:56)

B4. Before The Rain Came (5:41)

All Compositions by Neal Creque

Credits:

Producer, Design, Photography - Don Schlitten

A&R Coordinator, Liner Notes - Joe Fields

Recording Engineer - Paul Goodman

Note:

Released on Cobblestone Records, and reissued January, 1976 on Muse Records as "Black Velvet Rose".

Neal Creque - Contrast! (1972) [vinyl>flac]

Neal Creque was a soul-jazz luminary of the late ‘60’s and ‘70’s, recording extensively with Grant Green, and writing and arranging many of Cuban conguero Mongo Santamaria’s funkiest efforts. This album of his is all over the map stylistically, from solo piano tunes to Latin-funk fusion, and it encapsulates a number of varied moods within its relatively short playing time. Not easy to acquire. ~ by dmay28.

Ripped from a well-used LP, contains a few artifacts, otherwise a great listen, Enjoy!

Cobblestone Records, CST 9023, 1972

Personnel:

Neal Creque - Piano, Electric Piano, Clavinet, Organ, Bells

Billy Butler - Guitar

John Hart - Fender Bass

Kermit Moore - Cello

Al Foster - Drums

James Morrison, Leo Flemming, Richard Landrum, Steve Kroon, William Bivins:
Congas, Bongos, Tambourine, Triangle, Cuica, Shekere, Bells, Oboe [African],
Bajo Quinto, Claves, Guiro, Percussion [Other Miscellaneous]

Alfred Brown, Selwart Clarke, Winston Collymore - Viola

Tracks:

A1. Kenya (8:00)

A2. Help Yourself (4:32)

A3. Bacalau (4:24)

A4. Happy Go Lucky (2:23)

A5. Just A Moment (2:52)

B1. D Train (3:27)

B2. Love And Life (5:18)

B3. Jasmine (2:59)

B4. Two Loving Hearts (3:19)

B5. All This World Has To Offer (6:00)

All Compositions by Neal Creque

Credits:

Producer, Design, Photography - Don Schlitten

Executive-Producer, A&R Coordinator - Joe Fields

Recording Engineer - Paul Goodman

Mastering - Sam-Feldman (Bell Sound Studios, New York City)

Composer, Arranger - Neal Creque