Search - Edmundo Ros :: Hi Fi-Esta / Perfect for Dancing: Dance Again

Edmundo Ros and the glory of Stereophonic Sound

P. J. Wallace | East Yorkshire, UK | 09/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vocalion have chosen two quite different albums to put together this CD by Edmundo Ros and his Orchestra. The first, Hi-Fi-esta, dates from 1958 and is clearly aimed at dancing enthusiasts. The first two tracks have the latin characteristics listeners would expect from Edmundo Ros. However the third track, "The Rose In Her Hair" is a waltz - and played straight. The unexpected change in Edmundo's famous style is clear in "Dolores". It sounds as if Edmundo is trying to emulate the orchestra of Sydney Lipton, whose Decca recordings of the same period are very much in the same style. When listening to "Ramona" and "Jealousy" I had to check the CD cover to verify this was Edmundo's band and not a conventional ballroom orchestra. However Edmundo's style is to the fore in his samba version of "National Emblem" and "Under The Bridges of Paris" is cleverly arranged with a touch of "Barcarolle" thrown in.



The second LP on this release is the 1962 album "Dance Again". This provides an amazing listening experience having been recorded in Phase 4 Stereo. The clarity is quite amazing and the stereo effects are quite brilliantly done. Those Decca sound engineers really knew their business and their experiments with the new medium of stereo have never been surpassed. Add to that the sheer excellence of Edmundo Ros and his players and you have a memorable and exhilarating aural feast. Vocalion have provided the original sleeve notes to accompany these reissued albums and almost every track from "Dance Again" is analysed in detail. To give you a flavour, here are part of the notes for "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" :



"In the middle eight the arrangement turns to the high-pitched and brittle xylophone and piccolo unison for sheer impact (listen to the way they dart back and forth between the speakers) and for bodily accompaniment to the sax section (left)."



Edmundo's famous (million-seller) version of "The Wedding Samba" is revived again for Phase 4 and he also revisits other old favourites like "Mambo Number Five". The only other recording I have of "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain" is by Jack Payne's BBC Dance Orchestra back in 1931. Edmundo dared to turn this old waltz into an exciting cha-cha-cha with cowbells, woodblocks, glockenspiels et al. Wonderful stuff. Loved it!









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Fine Latin music for dancing that still blows me away...

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 12/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra certainly could turn out great Latin dancing music in their heyday! Edmundo Ros takes Latin pop and American pop music of the day and blends them into fantastic music for dancing. This album is an absolute must-have for people who enjoy retro Latin lounge or dancing music from the late1950s and early 1960s. The sound quality couldn't be better, we get some very energetic tunes and the variety of dance styles (merengue, cha cha, tango, and quick-step) impresses me.



The album has all the tracks from two of Edmundo Ros's record albums entitled Hi-Fiesta: Perfect For Dancing and Dance Again. The hits go all the way through the album! The track set starts with a beautiful rendition of "The Nearness Of You" with a cha cha twist; this will make you want to jump up and dance practically wherever you are! Good flute and percussion on "The Nearness Of You," too. There's also a Latin flavored "La Vie En Rose" which becomes very romantic in Edmundo Ros's care. Listen also for a Latin styled waltz with lots of good percussion entitled "The Rose In Her Hair."



"Under The Bridges Of Paris" really has that mambo beat; Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra play this flawlessly. "Estrellita" is another cha cha tune that truly IS perfect for dancing.



Listen also for a wonderful mambo rendition of "Patricia;" this begins with a few extra bars that I haven't heard before for this number and I like the way the band handles the bulk of the tune. "Tea For Two" also starts with a few extra bars of music before the main theme comes in--and man, how they play this so well. "Tea For Two" is one of my favorite numbers when played with a Latin beat. Awesome!



"Cocktails For Two" sports an excellent dancing beat; and "Mambo Number 5" has the capacity to make dancing to this music almost irresistible.



The liner notes are the original liner notes from the 1958 and 1962 record albums; and the artwork is good.



This is definitely one CD to get if you enjoy Latin dance music from the late 1950s and early 1960s. I highly recommend this for fans of lounge music as well.

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