Search - Louie Ramirez, Ray De La Paz :: Louie Ramirez & Ray De La Paz - Greatest Hits

Beautiful marriage!

B. London | Chicago | 08/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Only a few marriages are made in Heaven. The fortunate paring of Salsero Ray de la Paz and arranger, composer, producer, all around genius of Latin music-Louie Ramirez. was sublime. Ramirez who played piano, vibes, and timbals, co-led a smashing Salsa orchestra [note! Orchestra, not band!] with singer Ray de la Paz and of course Ramirez died far too young, and La Paz is relatively hard to find. BUT, what sensational recordings they made! Ramirez was such a talented arranger he basically ended up only orchestrating-including many mainstream American stars. As an arranger of Afro Cuban and Salsa he had no equal. His writing was so tight yet hot yet cleverly creative that no matter how often you play the cooking musica you find yet another cool trill or chorus he playfully included for brass or piano and rhtym section. And Ray la Paz has never had an equal. His honey colored voice is so clear, clean, perfecta, his intonation and enunciation so fine-well you will be mesmerized. Yet he swings hard and hot and boils along with the coro chorous. Find this stuff and buy it. No one, certainly, none of us Gringos knows exactly what makes Salsa soinviting, but these two hombres really were solid senders."