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To put it mildly, LP Founder Martin Cohen has demonstrated exceptional patience. His current production, a CD entitled Montvale Rumba, has been over twenty-five years in the making! The seed was planted in 1974 with a recording featuring Patato that spawned a series of Cohen-produced Latin albums, recently re-released on CD.
On Montvale, Martin wanted to feature his "A Team" playing music that reflected their backgrounds. Recorded partly at Martin Cohen’s home, partly in the studio, the album is largely Cuban rumba, but there are departures. For example, "Samba Rumba", featuring Steve Thornton, is a song that opens with raucous whistles and dancing. It melds Brazilian percussion with a Cuban vocal style. The melody line teases us by alluding to asnippet of the Brazilian classic "Mas Que Nada".
Let’s single out a few other favorites. "(Mi Cafetal) ‘Tata’", begins with the stark sound of claves playing in two/three, a rhythm that switches in the bridge to three/two. This is rumba of the Guaguanco variety and the drum and vocal interplay are as intense and frenetic as it gets.
An appropriately named track, "Something Crazy" is intriguing due to the juxtaposition of the kalimba (African thumb piano) with the darker timbres of congas, cajon, and shakere. It’s basically a descarga, or jam - not that you’d know it: It has all the hallmarks of a tightly rehearsed session. "Something Crazy" is the sole instrumental tune on Montvale Rumba.
Another standout is "Antillana". The ensemble vocals harken at once to Venezuelan indigenous music and Afro-Cuban forms. Pedro Martinez’s singing is rich and commanding, and he leads a vocal chorus in a joyous, descending refrain that displays an almost childlike spirit.
"Gerigonza" opens with a cascara rhythm, curiously higher pitched than is the norm. Perhaps it is played on an LP Jam Block – the liner notes are not clear - as opposed to the conventional rim or shell of the timbale.
Another Guaguanco, instantly recognizable by the mid-tempo and signature "falling" conga melody, "Gerigonza" offers percolating and deft percussion that reveals gems on repeated listens. Unexpected sliding rasps on the shekere are delightful, while muted bata punctuates the lower register.
"Remember" attains a hymn-like quality. A joyous call and response points to the depths of Africa. In that vein, a transition from an old country dancing triplet feel to spirited straight eighth notes provides a delightful ambiguity, essential to this music. No rhythm is what it seems – not for long anyway!
These are but a few of the highlights. Throughout, the recording quality is superb and captures the detail and spontaneity of great percussionsts at work. A delightful album, too long in coming, Montvale Rumba firmly re-establishes Martin Cohen as a producer of note and highlights exceptional LP artists.
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