Raúl Gutiérrez and His Cuban Band – Prado… Vive! (Cugate Clásicos Latinos, 2021)
Raúl Gutiérrez and His Cuban Band celebrate Pérez Prado’s legacy on Prado… Vive! The Chile-born saxophonist, arranger, and bandleader salutes Havana and takes you into the glamorous era of Cuban dance music. Prado… Vive! means Prado lives and Raúl Gutiérrez does so with the help of his gifted Cuban colleagues by performing irresistible mambo recorded in Havana with his modern take on the classic orquesta típica that keeps the dance floor on fire.
Cuba’s Dámaso Pérez Prado rocketed from Sonora Matancera in the 1940s to Mexico in 1949. Raúl Gutiérrez and His Cuban Band leans into that classic repertory with gusto and swing. The best known here is “Mambo No. 5” although there are other chart-toppers.
On Prado… Vive!, Gutiérrez runs a disciplined, joy-first orquesta cubana. The horns are tight, the percussion team delivers irresistible rhythms that keep the ballroom spinning. And, for sure, the solos say plenty, specially trombonist Antonio Leal, who turns in extraordinary lines. With this band you get joy and fun, history meets heat, and the result feels classic, timeless, and freshly pressed at the same time.
Musicians: Angel “el niño” Chapotín on trumpet; Lázaro Oviedo on trumpet; Edito O’Farril on trumpet; Ulises Benavides on trombone; Carlitos “Afrokán” Álvarez on trombone; Antonio Leal on trombone; Cristian Serrano on lead alto saxophone; Oreste Valido on alto saxophone; Enrique Mora on tenor saxophone; Eliana Mueller on tenor saxophone; Raúl Gutiérrez Villanueva on baritone saxophone; Miguel Farias on piano; Marcelo Córdova on bass; Alain Ortiz Samada on drums; Rolando “El Niño mentira” Salgado on bongos; Yordanis O’Farrill on congas; Luis Hernández Llorca on bongos and cow bell; Ernesto Pérez on chorus; Noila Carrazana on chorus; Eliana Delgado on chorus; José Lusson Bueno on lead vocals; José Lusson Jr. on lead vocals.
Track list
1: Mambo del papelero
2: Qué le pasa a Lupita
3: Gateando
4: Cerezo rosa
5: Bonito y sabroso
6: Mambo No 5
7: Mambo en sax
8: Mambo a la Kenton
9: Mambos medley – Mambo No 8/Qué rico mambo
10: Caballo negro
Author: Iliana Cabrera
