Craft Recordings is proud to announce the release of The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions 5-LP and 5-CD box sets on November 9, 2018. Compiled here in their entirety and original format for the first time, the five volumes of Panart’s Cuban Jam Session albums were recorded over a span of almost a decade, from 1956–1964. Together these albums encapsulate a stylistic and historic panorama of Cuban music, from big band son montuno to Afro-Cuban rumba, mambo, cha-cha-chá and country acoustic guajira music. At the same time, they attest to Cuba’s long relationship with popular American music and jazz.

These sessions collectively feature an impressive line-up of renowned pioneers of descarga (improvised jam session), including pianist Julio Gutiérrez, tres player Niño Rivera, flautist José Fajardo and the legendary master bassist and mambo co-creator, Israel “Cachao” López. Participating musicians include the legendary percussionist Tata Güines, trombone master Generoso Jiménez, pioneering Cuban jazz drummer Guillermo Barreto, Cachao’s brother and co-father of the mambo Orestes López, ground-breaking timbales player/drummer Walfredo de los Reyes, Sr., jazz-influenced pianist Pedro Jústiz “Peruchín,” and Cuban scat singer Francisco Fellove, among many others.

The 5-LP set includes 35 tracks on 180-gram audiophile vinyl in tip-on jackets. It offers a 28-page book featuring black-and-white archival images of the featured artists as well as extensive liner notes and musician bios, in English and Spanish, by award-winning Latin music writer, Cuban music specialist and box set co-producer, Judy Cantor-Navas. The 5-CD version comes packaged in mini-jacket replicas of the vinyl jackets and is supplemented by an extensive 96-page CD booklet.

• - 1 -

  • 1. Julio Gutierrez - Introduction
  • 2. Julio Gutierrez - Theme On Perfidia
  • 3. Julio Gutierrez - Theme On Mambo
  • 4. Julio Gutierrez - Cimarron
  • 5. Julio Gutierrez - Theme On Cha Cha Cha
  • 6. Julio Gutierrez - Opus For Dancing
  • 7. Julio Gutierrez - Theme For Conga

• - 2 -

  • 1. Julio Gutierrez - Jam Session (Descarga Caliente)
  • 2. Julio Gutierrez - Rumba Theme
  • 3. Julio Gutierrez - Listen To the Rhythm of the Chachacha
  • 4. Julio Gutierrez - Bata Rhythm

• - 3 -

  • 1. Nino Rivera - Montuno - Swing
  • 2. Nino Rivera - Monuno - Guajiro
  • 3. Nino Rivera - Cha Cha Cha Montuno
  • 4. Nino Rivera - Guanguanco - Comparsa

• - 4 -

  • 1. Cachao - Trombon Criollo
  • 2. Cachao - Controversia De Metales
  • 3. Cachao - Estudio En Trompeta
  • 4. Cachao - Guajeo De Saxos
  • 5. Cachao - Oye Mi Tres Montuno
  • 6. Cachao - Malanga Amarilla
  • 7. Cachao - Cogele El Golpe
  • 8. Cachao - Pamparana
  • 9. Cachao - Descarga Cuban
  • 10. Cachao - Goza Mi Trompeta
  • 11. Cachao - a Gozar Timbero
  • 12. Cachao - Sorpresa De Flauta

• - 5 -

  • 1. Jose Fajardo - Juaniquita
  • 2. Jose Fajardo - Pa' Coco Solo
  • 3. Jose Fajardo - Busco Una Chinita
  • 4. Jose Fajardo - Guajirando
  • 5. Jose Fajardo - Goza El Montuno
  • 6. Jose Fajardo - Vamos a Gozar
  • 7. Jose Fajardo - La Flaunta De Jose
  • 8. Jose Fajardo - La Charanga