The Alegre All-Stars- Best of Vampi
The first Alegre All Stars was recorded in 1961, and it became an immediate favorite of latin oriented musicians and the so-called "super-hip". The public did not take to it so rapidly, and it became a "sleeper". In retrospect we must remember it was released at the time when the latin record business was geared mostly for the "le lo lai" market (a typical Puerto Rico festival). Guitar music of trios and quartets were the thing then. The latin dance music of New York was limited to the connoisseur (i.e., D.J's, musicologists merchant marines and the Palladium crowd). Eventually it had its impact: it was loose, relaxed and it ventilated many brain cells. It blended latin and jazz, improvised yet melodically interesting because the soloists were not guessing, they were confident, they knew their horns, skins and tonsils and were playing and singing for themselves at a party. Not a recording session, a real party. Without charts, less restrictions and less organized, it was therefore freer to swing and be creative. Over the years the Alegre All Star albums have become "classics", and this album is a compilation of their best.