Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 9: Cha-Cha De Amor
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Free Music Notes for Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 9: Cha-Cha De Amor
Free Music Review: LOVE IT!
Hit: 5 Stars
Love this kind of music - can't get enough - have most all of the CDs. Excellent New Jersey-based company with excellent foresight and retro-understanding for the best party and jazz combos. Excellent choice for any kind of day or evening, party or relaxation time.Free Music Review: Now THIS'LL take the chill off your chili !!!
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD in the Ultra-Lounge series boasts a great track set that will leave you wanting more of that cha-cha-cha! The CD is jammed full of music by many different artists and their orchestras; and there's even a bongo drum lesson at the very end of the CD!
The CD opens with Dean Martin crooning the words to "Sway" which gets the Latin treatment by Dick Stabile & His Orchestra. The mixing of traditional instruments with a Latin beat makes this number shine. "Recado Bossa Nova" by Laurindo Almeida & The Bossa Nova All-Stars follows; "Recado Bossa Nova" has a much purer Latin beat and the musical arrangement uses the guitar very effectively. Once you hear "Recado Bossa Nova" you're going to have incredible difficulty sitting still for the rest of the CD, so clear some room on the floor and prepare for what comes next!
"You're My Thrill" mixes a Latin beat with great use of the horn and drums as Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires infuse it with just a touch of a more traditional American flavor. How's about that piano, too? SMILES
The John Buzon Trio turns in an excellent performance with a solid cha-cha beat for "It Must Be True." As soon as I heard this I wanted a whole CD of John's trio but I didn't find one; and I have no clue why! They give a high octane performance on "It Must Be True" with even an organ thrown into the musical arrangement at just the right moments. This is a high point for this CD.
This CD also contains the classic track "Whatever Lola Wants;" and there is a medley of "Dark Eyes/It Happened in Monterey" by The Mallet Men and 80 Drums Around The World, respectively. Awesome! "A N?ga Se Vingou" shines also with a high energy, fast paced seductive beat and melody that reflects a relentlessly happy outlook on life; and "The Magnificent Seven" shows us how the then-current Latin cha-cha dance craze could be fitted to the score from a major American motion picture, too.
"Desafinado," the second song on this album to be performed by Laurindo Almeida & The Bossa Nova All-Stars, really makes you want to grab your partner and dance, dance, dance for joy! The flute adds a little extra something special to this instrumental track.
"So Nice (Samba De Ver?o)" will probably be the most easily recognized track on this CD. The organ and percussion carry the melody well; Billy May does a great job with this number.
Some reviewers write that this CD has some filler material. In my opinion, if there is any filler material it is most likely the track entitled "Rock-Cha-Rhumba." This track contains three shorter numbers to illustrate how the advent of rock and roll affected cha-cha music. You may like this; or you may not enjoy this at all. It's a judgment call!
The CD ends with Julie London singing "Sway" with her rather seductive rendition of the very same ballad sung by Dean Martin at the beginning of this CD. I think Dean's version would have sufficed for this CD; they could have added a brand new, fresh track in place of Julie London's "Sway" but the rest of the CD is so good I can forgive this.
The two bonus "hidden tracks" add some color to the CD but they are not the main attraction; some people may even consider them to be pure filler. There is one short track of a man professing his love for his woman as he simply talks about her. If there were only one track I could replace in the track set this number would be it; I would replace it with another musical ballad or an instrumental. The final track gives a brief aural lesson in how to play the bongos; give it a whirl before you dismiss the bongo drum lesson!
The liner notes give the song credits; a wonderful essay by R. J. Smith; and you even get recipes for making margaritas and cuban apricots! Cool! The sound is terrific; Bob Norberg at Capitol Records did a flawless job of digitally remastering these tracks.
The Latin cha-cha craze was just one of several Latin dance crazes sweeping the country in the late 1950s and 1960s. I highly recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys such music; and people who enjoy lounge music or Latin music from the 1950s and 1960s will treasure this CD as well.
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Free Music Review: I love the Ultra-Lounge series.
Hit: 5 Stars
The sound quality of the Ultra-Lounge series is excellent, even though the songs were recorded mostly in the 50's and 60's. Capitol Records packs each CD with carefully chosen tracks consistent with the theme of the particular volume in the series. Many of the selections that appear here aren't available elsewhere, either because the original album on which the song appeared is out of print, or because the song was issued as a single and never collected in an album. A few 'previously unreleased' tracks also appear here. This series is a wonderful introduction to the music of a by-gone era, and each album includes detailed notes on each track (artist, writers, date recorded, how released, etc.). I heartily recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this type of music.Free Music Review: Great on occasion
Hit: 4 Stars
(3.5/5 stars) The range of music on here varies from outstanding (the title track, sung by Dean Martin) to the ridiculous ("Choo Choo Cha Cha" and "Rock cha Rhumba"). I'm not really certain what the purpose of putting two versions of "Sway" on here is, though one would have sufficed. The dance lesson at the end of the CD really seems to be filler material, though it does keep in line with the series. Regardless, there are numerous songs to make this entry in the series worthwhile. "You're My Thrill" and "Whatever Lola Wants" are two of the best, while "Gopher Mambo" is a familiar tune I did not previously have in my collection. This would be great to play at a party or while cooking, but it is not something to listen to very often. Don't rush out to buy this, but if you happen to have money burning a hole in your pocket...Free Music Review: South of the Border Lounge Cha-Cha-Cha
Hit: 4 Stars
If you want to spice up your lounge, this volume contains plenty of spicy lounge classics like "Sway" (two versions, one by Dean Martin and another by Julie London), "Recado Bossa Nova", "The Carioca", "A Nega Se Vingou", "Cha Cha Cha d'Amour", "Desafinado", "So Nice (Sambo)", and "Rock-Cha-Rhumba". Great songs for a hot summer day, trip across the border, or if you just want to imagine being there while having a marguarita.