Descarga's Editors' Picks: Best of 2006

[El Caobo]

I have been reviewing Descarga.com's editors' picks for the best of 2006. Before I go out an buy the CDs that I don't have, I'd like to get some feedback from you all.

Please take a look at their list and let me know which CDs you would recommend:

descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/best_of_2006?heIjovf8;;14


Thanks and regards,
El Caobo

[El Minotauro]

I RECOMMEND:

1. 8 Y MÁS!
Juega Billar
2. BENEDICT & THE MAGIC BAND
Swing Sabor 3
3. ALBERTO CAICEDO
La Voz De Colombia - Gerardo Rosales Presents: Alberto Caicedo
4. MAMBORAMA
Directamente Al Mambo
5. OCHÚN
En El Año De Ochún
6. LEFTY PÉREZ
Salseros Unidos
7. LITTLE JOHNNY RIVERO "PEQUEÑO JOHNNY"
Pasos Gigantes - CD & DVD Set
8. ROBERTO ROENA Y SU APOLLO SOUND
Sr. Bongó
9. AFRICANDO
Ketukuba
10. LOS ASES DE LA TIMBA
Aquí Están Los Ases
11. PEDRO LUIS FERRER
Natural
12. EL GRAN COMBO
Arroz Con Habichuela
13. MARKOLINO DIMOND
Brujeria - Limited Edition
14. ALEGRE ALL STARS
Te Invita
15. GRUPO FASCINACIÓN
Tiburón
16. LEBRON BROTHERS
Salsa Y Control
17. TIPICA '73
Charangueando Con La Tipica '73
18. CHARLIE PALMIERI
El Gigante Del Teclado
19. RAY BARRETTO
Acid
20. CELIA CRUZ
Cuba Y Puerto Rico Son... Tito Puente Y Celia Cruz
21. BOBBY VALENTIN
Rey Del Bajo
22. FANIA ALL STARS
Live at the Cheetah Vol. 1
23. VARIOUS ARTISTS
Panama! Latin, Calypso And Funk On The Isthmus 1965-75

[El Caobo]

Thanks Minotauro!

I'll have to check out 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 20 and 21.

I already have 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19.

I don't want 10 (not yet into Timba), 22 (usually don't like live concert recordings) and 23 (not yet into Calypso).

[HothouseSalsero]

I haven't heard most of these. My un-informed comments:

8 Y MÁS!: Juega Billar (Haven't heard it. Audio clips sounds okay, but it's more of the same New York retro cover stuff that I tend to avoid these days)
BENEDICT & THE MAGIC BAND: Swing Sabor 3 (Bought it. Didn't really like it very much, though it's okay and it does kind of remind one of an early 70s Willie Colon sound at times.)
ALBERTO CAICEDO: La Voz De Colombia - Gerardo Rosales Presents: Alberto Caicedo (Don't know it. I think I checked out some samples and was unimpressed.)
MAMBORAMA: Directamente Al Mambo (Haven't liked the other Mamborama I've heard, and didn't like the samples or sample tracks or whatever that I heard from this--BUT, as I've said ad nauseum, I don't like timba very much, and that's basically what this band does.)
OCHÚN: En El Año De Ochún (Don't know it. Don't like the samples I checked out.)
LEFTY PÉREZ: Salseros Unidos (Haven't heard it, don't really know him. Have heard some not so pleasant things about him.)
REAL CHARANGA: Real Charanga (I think I checked some samples from this and said nah, but it's charanga after all and I tread carefully in that style.)
LITTLE JOHNNY RIVERO "PEQUEÑO JOHNNY": Pasos (Bought it. Wanted to like it, tried to like it, ultimately found I didn't like it.)
ROBERTO ROENA Y SU APOLLO SOUND: Sr. Bongó (Haven't heard or really heard much about. Roena has to compete with his own reissued Fania albums. I think I would rather get those before trying something like this, although I wouldn't mind hearing it. He's made some great music in the past.)
TELMARY: A Diario (Don't know it.)
AFRICANDO: Ketukuba (This didn't really sound like my thing from the millisecond clips I checked, but I would like to hear it. I don't think the African artists involved do music I would ordinarily be that interested in.)
LOS ASES DE LA TIMBA: Aquí Están Los Ases (More timba. I'm hoping someone will eventually hook me up with a copy of this, since it's one of the more talked about timba releases this year, and maybe I would find something I'd like--but I'm not about to just buy it.)
IGNACIO BERROA: Codes (I think I checked some of this out and it was too jazzy.)
DESCEMER: Siete Rayo (Don't know it.)
MIGUEL ANGA DIAZ: Echu Mingua (One of my favorite albums from the last few years, as mentioned before.)
PEDRO LUIS FERRER: Natural (I'm not interested in this. I suspect this is a case where knowing Spanish is more of a necessity.)
PEDRO GIRAUDO: Desconsuelo (Don't know it.)
EL GRAN COMBO: Arroz Con Habichuela (Bought it. I really like the title track and "No Te Detengas A Pensar." It's pretty good overall and the vocals are particularly strong, but there is at least one track I don't like, and it's a short album.)
HAYDÉE MILANES: Haydee (Don't know but the audio clips sound nice.)
FRANCISCO MELA: Melao (Don't know it.)
GOZA PEPILLO: Inter-Activo (Don't know it. I think I managed to track down some audio samples and it was nothing like the description in descarga.com, but I might be imagining that since I can't remember what it did sound like.
GONZALO RUBALCABA: Solo (Haven't heard. Won a Lammy. I think maybe the only album on this list that did.)

[El Caobo]

HotHouseSalsero,

Thanks for taking so much time to comment on the selections! I'll keep all that you've said in mind as I make my decisions.

[HothouseSalsero]

Actually, that was a slightly modified cut and paste of something I had already posted elsewhere. :)

[El Caobo]

Actually, that was a slightly modified cut and paste of something I had already posted elsewhere. :)

Was it posted somewhere in this site?

If not, can you tell me where? PM me if necessary.

[HothouseSalsero]

It's on this long thread from a general music board:

ilx.thehold.net/thread.php?msgid=12938

I'm their in-house salsa "expert." (I'm putting that in quotes since I don't consider myself an expert compared to many of you.) This was just a temporary site though. The board has moved to a new server and it's back to the old url: ilx.wh3rd.net.

Also, the main things I cut were comments that related to that particular context and not this one. Nothing that would be useful to you. (Also I guess my opinion of the EGC has improved.)