Voodoo Suite/Exotic Suite of the Americas

by Perez Prado

Overview

The pairing of Perez Prado's two orchestral tone poems on one CD is something of an occasion to celebrate. Recorded seven years apart, The Voodoo Suite and The Exotic Suite of the Americas are the defining moments in Prado's long career as king of the mambo. Though The Voodoo Suite, with its larger-than-life orchestra -- six saxophones, three trombones, seven drummers, six trumpets, and more -- was equal parts a Latin dance band and a jazz orchestra, its tight charts by Shorty Rogers made it a dramatic beast to wrestle and a sublime one to listen to. For all the critics who had discussed Prado in the derogatory, The Voodoo Suite gave them something to listen to, because here was the first popular attempt at the marriage of Cuban, African, and jazz elementals ever attempted in a work that was essentially for the general populace a mood record. The loping horn arrangements, bluesy solos, and hypnotic drumming took it outside the realm of mood music and placed it squarely into the camp of progressive big band jazz. To prove it was no fluke, the original album was rounded out with the other tracks that appear here from another session: "St. James Infirmary," "In the Mood," "I Can't Get Started," and others which burned the Latin jazz flame just as bright. On The Exotic Suite of the Americas, Prado took a decidedly more laid-back approach and made his score more cinematic in scope and tone. Relying deeply on textured strings and found-sound objects to accent the jazz orchestra, this is 16 minutes of pure, exotic ecstasy. And again, Prado, always wanting to round out his records and give the paying customer something to sink his butt into, offered mambo renditions of "Son of a Gun," "El Relicario," "Midnight in Jamaica," and more from another session later in 1962. The folks at Bear Family have done a fine job remastering the original tapes and assembling the greatest-ever statements by Prado. This is essential. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	04/06/1994
Label:	Bear Family Records
UPC:	4000127154637

Tracks

1. The Voodoo Suite (Afro Cuban Jazz Suite)
2. St. James Infirmary
3. In the Mood
4. I Can't Get Started
5. Jumping at the Woodside
6. Stompin' at the Savoy
7. Music Makers
8. Exotic Suite of the Americans
9. Midnight in Jamaica
10. Mama Yo Quiero
11. Son of a Gun
12. Jacqueline and Caroline
13. El Relicario
14. I Could Have Danced All Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Perez Prado   Primary Artist
Shorty Rogers   Primary Artist,Trumpet
Al Rudnitsky   Violin
Steve Barrios   Percussion,Latin Percussion
Tommy Mitchell   Trombone
Sol Schlinger   Sax (Baritone)
Al Chernet   Guitar
Bob Tricarico   Saxophone
Jack Lesberg   Bass
Everett Barksdale   Guitar
Charles Libove   Violin
George Barnes   Guitar
Carlos Vidal   Drums
Don Tosti   Bass
Ernie Hayes   Piano,Percussion
Dick Hyman   Piano
Jimmy Nottingham   Trumpet
Johnny Pacheco   Percussion,Latin Percussion
Pete Candoli   Trumpet
Sam "The Man" Taylor   Saxophone
Emanuel Green   Violin
Ray Barretto   Percussion,Latin Percussion
Max Hollander   Violin
Robert Alexander   Trombone
Juan Cheda   Bongos
Clifford Shank   Saxophone
Mike Pacheco   Drums
Jack Zayde   Violin
Don Arnone   Guitar
Walt Stuart   Trumpet
Abraham Richman   Saxophone
Charles Bilek   Violin
Estephan Valera   Drums
Julius Brand   Violin
Henry Freeman   Saxophone
Robert Cooper   Saxophone
Shelly Mampe   Drums
Jacques Margolias   Violin
Rolf Erickson   Trumpet
Ray Vasquera   Drums
James Hill   Trombone
Eddie Gomez   Drums
W. Maynard Ferguson   Trumpet
Don Dennis   Trumpet
Bill Regis   Trumpet
Phil Kraus   Percussion
Rene Bloch   Saxophone
Milt Bernhart   Trombone
Max Pollikoff   Violin
Frederick Buldrini   Violin
Raoul Poliakin   Violin
Alan Shulman   Cello
Lewis Eley   Violin
David Soyer   Cello
George Devens   Percussion
Buddy Lucas   Saxophone
Harry Betts   Trombone
Ed Shaughnessy   Drums
Willie Maiden   Saxophone
Harvey Shapiro   Cello
Willie Rodriguez   Percussion,Latin Percussion
Clyde Reasinger   Trumpet
Sid Cooper   Saxophone
Barry Galbraith   Guitar
Ernie Royal   Trumpet
Alan Raph   Trombone
Joseph Malignaggi   Violin
Maurice Bialkin   Cello
Modesto Martinez   Drums
Frank Saracco   Trombone
Bill Castagnino   Trumpet
Carl Sanofsky   Violin
Blas Vasques   Saxophone
Maurice Wilk   Violin
Aladdin Pallante   Violin
Arnold Hicks   Violin
Louis Valizan   Trumpet
Arnold Eidus   Violin
Dick Kesner   Violin
Sylvan Shulman   Violin
Don Robinson   Saxophone
Joe Colvin   Trombone
Tibor Shik   French Horn

Technical Credits

Frederick Loewe   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Andy Razaf   Composer
Vernon Duke   Composer
Chick Webb   Composer
Count Basie   Composer
Alan Jay Lerner   Composer
Benny Goodman   Composer
Edgar Sampson   Composer
Don Raye   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
Perez Prado   Leader,Composer
Herman Diaz, Jr.   Producer
Peter Grendysa   Liner Notes
Jose Padilla Sanchez   Composer
Rene Bloch   Contractor
Sandy Block   Contractor
Al Stillman   Composer
Bob Jones   Mastering
Joe Garland   Composer
Joe Primrose   Composer
Richard Weize   Photography,Reissue Producer
Harry James   Composer
Hoffmann Nienburg   Artwork