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My Two Loves…
“A few days after recording Louie Bauzo’s arrangement of “Cuando Te Vea,” the songs syncopated breaks were still playing in my head as I walked up Court street in downtown Brooklyn. Suddenly, this guy comes running from out of nowhere, cuts in front of me in order to cross the street. I noticed he was wearing a colorful baseball jacket and somehow baseball and “Cuando Te Vea,” merged in my head as a musical idea; so I went for it. It was a fun project to sync the action of a baseball game with Afro-Cuban percussion while the teams dance around the bases in a surreal ball game. All my life I’ve loved music and baseball and for me this was one way to combine them.”
- Ray Cruz
Purchase the fabulous Cruz Control album here.
CRUZ CONTROL | Cruz Control
mp3/320 or audiophile FLAC formats.
This was timbales player Ray Cruz’s 1997 debut album, and it’s an absolute gem. Extended grooves and wonderful vocals by Luisito Ayala and Carlos El Grande mark this a must have. Coro includes Herman Olivera and Luis (Madamo) Diaz. Also with New York legends Louis Bauzó and Lewis Kahn.
A big DJ Alert and Very Highly Recommended. – elW
Those who long for the days of the “real stuff” will be happy to acquire this album.Once again I’m taken back to the day when albums had a greater variety of music as this one does. It contains Salsa, Cha-Cha, Bolero, an instrumental Mambo, Latin Jazz and a tinge of Charanga. In today’s overindulgent atmosphere of romantic themes it is refreshing to see the title Sopa de Bacalao (cod fish soup). It is also heartening to hear musicians taking solos. Remember when that was standard practice?
Timbalero, Ray Cruz is the band’s leader. He was a member of the Mongo Santamaria Orchestra and has performed with Ricardo Ray and many bands in both Latin and Jazz disciplines. Cruz favors updated arrangements from the 50s and 60’s. Their repertoire includes music by Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente, Machito, and other bands from the Palladium era…
