Clare Fischer & Salsa Picante Present "2 + 2"
| Clare Fischer & Salsa Picante Present "2 + 2" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by Clare Fischer | ||||
| Released | February 1981 | |||
| Recorded | September 1980 at Capitol Records |
|||
| Genre | Latin jazz | |||
| Label | Pausa Records PR 7086 |
|||
| Clare Fischer chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Los Angeles Times |   [1] |
| External audio | |
|---|---|
 You may listen to "Du, Du...." here |
Clare Fischer & Salsa Picante Present "2 + 2" is an album by American keyboardist/composer-arranger Clare Fischer, recorded in September 1980 and released in February 1981 by Pausa Records,[1][2] and in Germany on the MPS label, as Foreign Exchange – The First Album.[3] Tracks 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 would be reissued on CD in 1999, and as a digital download in 2012, as Latin Patterns, a compilation of remastered highlights from four of Fischer's MPS LPs from this period.[4][5][6]
The album represents a number of firsts for Fischer, including his first Grammy (specifically, the album's final track, "Guajira Pa' La Jeva," named 1981's Best Latin Recording),[7][8] as well as a pair of recording debuts, first, that of 2 + 2, the vocal quartet with which Fischer supplemented his Latin jazz ensemble [1] (thus tying together two key components of his wide-ranging musical universe), and, of equal if not greater import, that of his son Brent Fischer, marking the beginning of a fruitful – and more than three-decade-long – professional association.
Reception
Los Angeles Times jazz critic Leonard Feather awarded the album four stars, making particular note of the album's seamless blend of vocal and instrumental units:
Their blend is splendid, they are at times expertly integrated with the band through Fischer's compositions, lyrics and arrangements; and they are quadrilingual, starting in German and proceeding to English, Spanish and doo-be-doo, the Esperanto of jazz. The rhythm, generally timbales-oriented, could have used more bottom. Darlene Koldenhoven, the lead soprano, is a striking discovery.[1]
Track listing
All selections composed by Clare Fischer except where noted.
Side A
- "Du, Du...." (trad./arr. Clare Fischer) - 5:57
- "Legacy" - 2:35
- "Morning" - 3:36
- "Guajira Pa' La Jeva" (words - Jose "Perico" Hernadez, music - Poncho Sanchez and Clare Fischer) - 4:30
Side B
- "Leavin'" - 3:25
- "Funquiado" - 6:46
- "Thru the Ages" - 4:21
- "Melancolico" (words - Barbara Ransom, music - Clare Fischer) - 7:07
Personnel
- Clare Fischer - leader, Fender-Rhodes electric piano, Yamaha EX-42 organ, Yamaha YC-30 combo organ
- Gary Foster - flute and soprano sax; on side A (tracks 2 & 3) and side B (tracks 1 & 3) - sopranino and alto sax, plus sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass and gran bass recorders
- John Chiodini - electric guitar; on side A (tracks 2 & 3) and side B (tracks 1 & 3) - acoustic guitar and hollow-bodied electric guitar
- Poncho Sanchez - conga, bongo, campana
- Ramon Banda (only on side A, tracks 1 & 4, and side B, track 2 & 4) - clave
- Alex Acuña (only on side A, tracks 1 & 4, and side B, track 2 & 4) - timbales, percussion
- Roland Vazquez (only on side A, tracks 1 & 4, and side B, track 2 & 4) - drums
- Brent Fischer - electric bass
- Oscar Meza - string bass
- Luis Conte (only on side A, tracks 2 & 3, and side B, track 1 & 3) - timbales, percussion
- Andre Fischer (only on side A, tracks 2 & 3, and side B, track 1 & 3) - drums
- José "Perico" Hernandez - guest vocalist on A4 and B4
- Darlene Koldenhoven - lead soprano
- Mary Hylan - Second soprano (sings lead on first bridge of "Morning," rock section of "Thru the Ages," and first part of "Guajira")
- Amick Byram - tenor (solo on "Leavin'")
- John Laird - baritone
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Feather, Leonard. "Jazz Albums". The Los Angeles Times. February 22, 1981. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
- ↑ "Clare Fischer & Salsa Picante presents "2 + 2" (Musical LP, 1981)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
- ↑ "Foreign Exchange – The first album (Music, 1981)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
- ↑ Payne, Doug. Liner Notes from Latin Patterns. DougPayne.com. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
- ↑ "Latin Patterns (Music, 1999)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
- ↑ "Latin Patterns: The Legendary MPS Sessions Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
- ↑ Green, Paul. "Quincy Jones Takes Top Honors at Grammy Awards; Miscellaneous Fields". Billboard. March 6, 1982. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
- ↑ Past Winners Search for "Clare Fischer". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
