| Back to Genre |
 |
|
 |
Rating: Excellent |
On paper, this unlikely pairing of American popular singer Rosemary Clooney (who as a stylist nearly defined the 1950s) and Cuban percussionist and bandleader Pérez Prado seemed like a disaster in the making. The end result is quite the opposite. Recorded during two sessions in July and August 1959, this is simply one of the finest albums in either artist’s catalog.
The music is lively and colorful, yet retains Clooney's smooth, mellow character, and Prado's trademark arrangements and experimentation with percussion, texture, and harmony. Apparently Clooney had some trouble with the pronunciation at first, but she was coached by her husband, Puerto Rican actor Jose Ferrer (who wrote the album's original liner notes), and she quickly learned.
This fusion of Latin and American standards is a tour de force featuring some of the best session players in the business, including drummers Leo Acosta and Earl Palmer, as well as horn players Paul Horn and Ollie Mitchell. Highlights of the set include “Mack the Knife,” “Sway,” a pair of Cole Porter tunes — “Bali Hai,” and “You Do Something to Me” — as well as highly original takes on “Corazon de Melon,” “Cu-Cu-Rru-Cu-Cu Paloma,” and “Adios.”
= Full Album Play List =
= Track List =
