Cold Shoulder by Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers

20 Apr

Written by C. Andrew Hovan
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Long before world music was even conceptualized or Ricky Martin and Gloria Estefan made Latin music a hot commodity, Henry ?Pucho? Brown was kicking it with his Latin Soul Brothers on a string of commercially viable albums for the Prestige label. To add to the intrigue, this group was largely made up of African-Americans who just happened to be attuned to the heavy percussion-oriented sounds coming out of New York?s Spanish Harlem. Brown, on timbales, fronts a spicy rhythm section with such strong soloists as the Pazant brothers and the capable pianist Neal Creque on this new 16-cut compilation drawn from the original albums DATELINE, BIG STICK, HEAT!, and JUNGLE FIRE.

This set makes an excellent companion to two other Prestige collections of the group?s earlier material and not surprisingly, considering that the time span covered is from 1967 to 1970, there?s a bit more soulful air to the proceedings. The addition of vocalist Jackie Soul, a blues shouter out of the Otis Redding/Wilson Pickett bag, further heightens this feeling. Neal Creque also provides brawny support and distinctive grooves. Clocking in at over 78 minutes in length, COLD SHOULDER hits on the perfect mix of R & B, jazz and Latin sensibilities, producing as much soul stirring action today as when first released. Let the party begin!

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers
CD Title: Cold Shoulder
Genre: Latin Jazz / Latin Funk
Year Released: 2000
Record Label: Prestige
Musicians: Henry "Pucho" Brown (timbales), Al Pazant (trumpet), Barry Rogers (trombone), Eddie Pazant (saxophones), Seldon Powell (saxophones), Billy Butler (guitar), Jimmy Phillips (bass), William Allen (bass), Seaborn Westbrook (bass), Neal Creque (piano & keyboards), William Bivens, Jr. (vibes, piano & percussion), Norberto Apellaniz (bongos), Cecil Jackson (conga), Joe Armstrong (conga), Richard Landrum (percussion), Bernard Purdie (drums), Jackie Soul & the Soul Sisters (vocals)
Label Website: http://www.fantasyjazz.com
Rating: Five Stars