Ruben Blades Live CD

Personnel: Ruben Blades; Angel "Papo" Vasquez, Reinaldo Jorge, Leopoldo Pineda (trombone); Oscar Hernandez (piano); Arturo Ortiz (synthesizer); Mike Vinas (bass); Robert Armeen (drums); Roger Paiz (bongos); Edwin "Eddy" Montalvo, Marc Quinones (congas); Ralph Irizarry (timbales).
Recorded live at The Lonestar Roadhouse, New York, New York on October 29 & 30, 1989.
Personnel: Rubén Blades (vocals, guitar); Marc Quiñones (acoustic guitar, congas); Leopoldo Pineda, Angel Papo Vasquez, Renaldo Jorge (trombone); Oscar Hernandez (piano); Arturo Ortiz (synthesizer); Robert Ameen (drums); Edwin Montalve (congas); Roger Paiz (bongos); Ralph Irizarry (timbales).
Audio Mixer: Jon Fausty.
Recording information: Lone Star Roadhouse, New York, NY (10/29/1989/10/30/1989).
Photographer: Frank Ockenfels.
Arranger: Rubén Blades.
All Rubén Blades fans know his wizardry in the studio to be beyond comparison in the salsa world. Though some artists have difficulty making the transition from studio to stage, Blades takes on the challenge like a champ. His prowess as a live performer is in equal proportion to his inventive studio presence. The only disappointing aspect of his 1990 release, Rubén Blades y Son del Solar...Live!, is that it's Blades' only live in concert performance in his large discography. Backed up by the 11-piece band Son de Solar, Blades concentrates on repertoire that pleasingly mixes material from recent collaborations with the band, Agua de Luna and Buscando América, and his days with Fania. The play list is one crowd-pleaser after another, including recent hits like "Ojos de Perro Azul" and classics like "Pedro Navaja." Though favoring a now dated synth-heavy sound, the musical performances are so powerful that they must have shaken the club to its foundation. Son de Solar are themselves an amazing conflagration of Latin star power, including pianist Oscar Hernandez, timbalero Ralph Irizarry, Marc Quiñones, and drummer Robby Ameen. The pedigree of musicianship shows through in the flawless, achingly funky grooves and virtuosic solos. Blades proves himself not only to be a master musician, but also a wonderful communicator and entertainer, as is evident in his often humorous interactions with the crowd. The unacquainted will be won over, and dedicated fans will hear their beloved cantante as never before. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez
One year after the release of ANTECEDENTES, Ruben Blades and his Son Del Solar played to a packed, smoky Lone Star Roadhouse in Greenwich Village, New York, and LIVE! is the electrifying result. With its characteristic emphasis on keyboards and percussion rather than horns, Son Del Solar is at its best, making Blades' lyrical masterpieces groove hard with a tropi-pop luster. At the congas sits session man Marc Quinones who, only a few years later, would introduce Latin percussion into that Southern blues rock totem, the Allman Brothers Band.
The spirited rendition of "Decisiones" became a subsequent salsa club favorite, with the keen wit of its verses and fiercely catchy chorus. "El Padre Antonio" and "Buscando America" are each given long, hearty treatments, with Ruben calling out his stirring verses of Pan-American unity in epic fashion. An up-tempo "La Cancion Del Final Del Mundo" addresses the threat of nuclear war with deceptively good cheer, while 1978's "Pedro Navaja" slowly builds into a trombone-fueled anthem. Ruben's pithy banter with the audience makes the set a special treat for Spanish speakers.