Master Session 1

POWERFUL! ... TOP NOTCH ARRANGEMENTS! ... In this album, you get a truly masterful performance from Cachao and company. In this offering he is surrounded by a roster of talent that has only been equaled twice before in the very rich history of latin music. Those other recordings are as follows; 1. "Estrellas Areito vol. 1 - 4", Areito label and 2. Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nueyorquino vol. 1 - 2", Salsoul label. To say that it is the among the very best Cuban music EVER recorded is truly an understatement, from the opening track to the very last one, what one gets is Afro-cuban music played with a pure passion and love. It is obvious just by listening that the musicians in this album played with their hearts exposed. I was not present at the recording but i know that the head charts and arrangements were used only to begin each session. It is phyically impossible to write and then have each member play the music contained in this recording. An...Read more

This CD should be in the collection of every latin music lover. It should be a required study material for those who want to make salsa. No, it's not salsa but rather father mambo, mother guajirra, aunt descarga, and grandma rumba.
The musician lineup is spectacular including Jimmy Bosch(trombone) and Nestor Torres(flute). And all of these under the man who created mambo and descarga. Cachao masterfully utilizes the skills of these experts to redo some of his old songs, and perform new ones.
Unfortunately the complexities in the music can only be heard in a high end sound system, so don't buy this CD to listen to it while you drive to your favorite latin club, unless you own a Benz. Another detail that makes it different is that the songs flow for as long as they must rather than be rushed to the four minute industry standard.
For those who are only aquainted with modern latin music, expect the same instrumentation as Salsa, but with a more classical feel...Read more

The quality of the sound and the magical expertise of some of the best musicians from Cuba come together in this album.
This is what we call "the real thing"... as real and as good as it can possibly be...
This is definitely a must have album for anyone, like me, who treasures the tropical music of the Caribbean and Latin America.
I also recommend the Volume II of the Master Sessions just as highly. These are some of the best collector's CD's money can buy...
If it was possible, I would give it six stars out of five!