Spotlight: PASSION DANCE (AMSD-80014)

[Captain Bacardi]

Herb Alpert
PASSION DANCE
Almo Sounds AMSD-80014

Released 1997

Format: CD/Cassette/DTS 5.1

Produced by Herb Alpert and Oskar Cartaya
Arranged by Oskar Cartaya and Herb Alpert

Albums Chart: #7 Top Contemporary Jazz

Songs:

• 1. TKO (Herb Alpert/Jeff Lorber) - 4:09
  2. Slinky (Herb Alpert/Oskar Cartaya) - 4:49
  3. Beba (Oskar Cartaya) - 4:32
  4. Passion Dance (Herb Alpert/Oskar Cartaya) - 5:19
  5. Creepin' (Stevie Wonder) - 4:21
  6. ¿Qué Pasa Mr. Jones? (Herb Alpert/Oskar Cartaya/Joe Rotondi, Jr.) - 4:50
  7. Baila Conmigo (Dance With Me) (Herb Alpert/Oskar Cartaya) - 4:24
  8. Until We Meet Again (Herb Alpert/Eddie del Barrio) - 4:02
  9. Stormy Sunday (Herb Alpert/Oskar Cartaya/Joe Rotondi, Jr.) - 3:12
  10. Route 101 (Juan Carlos Calderon) - 4:35

Musicians:
Herb Alpert - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Oskar Cartaya - Bass, Keyboards, Vocal
Joe Rotondi, Jr. - Piano
Marc Quiñones - Timbales, Bongo, Percussion
Michito Sanchez - Congas
Walter Rodriguez - Drums, Cajón, Shekere
Tal Bergman - Drums
Harry Kim - Trumpet
Humberto Ramirez - Trumpet
Justo Almario - Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Flute
Arturo Velasco - Trombone
Francisco Aguabella - Batá (10), Quinto (7)
Otmaro Ruiz - Keyboards
Ramon Stagnaro - Guitar, Tres
Francisco "Nenge" Hernandez - Batá (10)
Eddie del Barrio - Orchestrated and Performed Strings (8 )
Lani Hall - Vocal Sample (3, 5)
Vocals on #7 - Jerry Medina, Domongo Quiñones, Johnny Rivera, Oskar Cartaya

Recorded and Mixed at Sandbox Studios, Santa Monica, CA
Recorded and Mixed by Alan Meyerson
Vocals Recorded at Power Light Studios, Puerto Rico - Ronnie Torres, Engineer
Mastered by Brian Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Los Angeles, CA
Technical Assistance - Andrew Levine, John Protzko
Musician Coordinator and Personal Assistant for Herb Alpert - Sheryl Lorence
Executive Assistant to Herb Alpert - Gail Otsuji

Art Direction: Bill Merryfield
Photography: Albert Sanchez

Thanks to my dear friends Lou and Page Adler for taking my wife Lani and me to "Salsa Night" at the Hollywood Bowl. I was inspired by the uplifting and infectious Latin rhythms and I found myself dancing in the aisles! My desire has been to capture that spirit combined with my own musical sensibilities.

The album is dedicated to all the Tijuana Brass fans...who always ask "When am I going to make another record." This one's for you.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Harry]

PASSION DANCE is also available in DTS Surround 5.1 with a bonus track of Lani Hall's "Brasil Nativo". You'll need a DTS capable receiver and player to hear it though, and a five-speaker setup to get the full benefit.

Harry

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Oops. I forgot about that one. Thanks for the reminder.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[toeknee4bz]

"...for all those Tijuana Brass fans..." Well, sort of. Someone in an earlier thread stated that Herb had 'abandoned' the latin feel, which is conclusively dis-proved by this album. I tend to think of this surprise 1997 release as "Herb Alpert meets salsa!" Yeah!!! As Herb described the word 'salsa' on the VIVA MIAMI television special in '89, "It's a mixture of spices, peppers and other delights." Of course, somebody in the audience immediately shouted "OOH, NAME 'EM!"

Okay, here goes: "TKO", "Slinky", "Stormy Sunday" and Stevie Wonder's "Creepin'" all give you that south Miami Beach feel, with a Cuban twinge. "Beba" tones it down just a zinch, and then comes "Passion Dance". The title track launches right into the slow latin groove that I find to be perfect for the romantic in me, thus I pick it for my favorite.

As far as Herb's more latin-flavored albums, this one has a different texture. I can't think of too many tunes on this album that remind me of UNDER A SPANISH MOON from 9 years prior, or the FANDANGO album some 15 years prior, but "Route 101" ulimately solves the problem, this time with a Havana-shuffle rhythm and percussion-a-plenty. "Until We Meet Again", except for it's decidedly conga-filled perc, could have almost wound up on a torch album not unlike that of MIDNIGHT SUN.

Perhaps the weakest on this album, IMHO, is "Que Pasa, Mr. Jones". Not an unbearable track, but it just doesn't grab me like the rest. And then there's "Baila Conmigo (Dance With Me)". I would have picked this absolutely captivating melody as my favorite if it weren't for the choice Herb made in using the muted trumpet, as opposed to the preferred open bell. Still a pretty song, though, even with the street vocals on the bridge.

All things considered, I think of PASSION DANCE as the best album Herb recorded since UNDER A SPANISH MOON came out in '88. A solid 4 stars. And unfortunately, in my opinion, the last really great solo album by Herb Alpert.

(Sorry, MIDNIGHT SUN/ABSTRACT HEART lovers... both great albums, but they're mood albums to me.)

That's our opinion. We welcome yours.

Tony

 

[Captaindave]

My vote went to "Until We meet Again."

The sound and phrasing of the trumpet - it just doesn't get better than that - IMO.

This song demonstrates why Herb Alpert is so admired for his tone and stylistic playing and interpretation.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

A return to a more authentic Latin style for Herb (the Puerto Rican Brass?) is a simple pleasure for the most part. My favorite song is the opener "TKO", especially where Herb and saxman Just Almario trade solos. Some hot playing on this track. My next favorites would be "Beba" (love the acoustic guitar riffs throughout) and "Stormy Sunday", which sounds the closest to the old TJB style. Some songs have great little horn parts, such as "¿Qué Pasa Mr. Jones?" and "Slinky", but I wasn't too impressed with Herb's solo work on these tunes. I really enjoyed Herb's flugelhorn on "Until We Meet Again", another monster ballad. I never cared for the title track, and thought "Creepin'" and the reworked version of "Route 101" seemed a bit pointless. This is a really good album, but not quite as solid as Second Wind was.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mr Bill]

I enjoyed this more than the preceding Second Wind. While I was expecting a "more TJB" or more likely Fandangoish sound I felt this was more like the Cubanisimo releases that were starting to come out like crazy at that time. Tijuana Brassimo perhaps???

I voted for "Que Pasa..." because it's the closest to a happy "Wechter-esque" feel as we ever got since the 1970s.

--Mr Bill

 

[Mike]

Passion Dance is a great album. I have two copies; the standard Almo issue and I also have a Japanese promo copy that I picked up in a used CD shop for 100 yen.

I think the album comes on like gang busters with the first track TKO, but it’s the slower “Until we meet again” that I like the best. Runner up would be “Bebe”.

One thing that I noticed about this album is that all but one song is over 4 minutes long, gives me plenty of time to get into the mood of the song before it ends; unlike most of the old TJB recordings.


All the best,
Mike

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I was lucky and got a signed CD of Passion Dance that Herb's people were selling when this band played at the Dallas Jazz Festival in '97. He was the next-to-last act of the evening. Alex Bugnon opened, followed by Boney James (ugh), Gerald Albright (ugh), Herb, then closed with Al Jarreau (who had former A&M-er Neil Larsen in the band).

Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mike Blakesley]

The liner note about "dedicated to all the Tijuana Brass fans" doesn't mean the record is going to sound like the Tijuana Brass. It's a gentle chide, by Herb, to the fans who think he hasn't made another record since the Tijuana Brass days. People were undoubtedly saying to him, "I loved The Beat of the Brass...when are you going to make another record?"

Anyway - I like this album quite a bit. While it's not the Herb Alpert sound I like best, it's still one of my favorites among the solo albums.
My favorite track is probably "Creepin'" but I'll need to listen to it again to make sure...I know it's a good foot-tappin' album from start to finish.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I had to go with BEBA...love the guitar riffs. The video was pretty cool, too...made me lust after a white VW van with matching spoker mags of my own.



Dan