Spanish guitar and romance. It’s up there with Ginger and Fred, Liz and Richard, Hammond B3s and tenor saxes. They just belong together. Fresh Sound Records, based in Spain, should know a thing or two about this kind of music, and they’ve recently released a couple of wonderful classics, combining 2 vintage albums on one cd.
Bob Bain made a career as one of the major session guitarists for the likes of Nelson Riddle, but he did put out a pair of glowing albums of his own. Latin Love from 1959 has his romantic and tasty touch on the frets on well known pieces such as “Pinciana,” “Frenesi” and “Green Eyes.” Even “Besame Mucho” sounds just right here, while Bain’s own “Amore Solito” is wonderfully lonely. 1960’s Guitar de Amor” mixes pop tunes such as “Mona Lisa” with a wonderfully lilting “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas.” As simple and tasty as pasta pomodoro.
Classical guitarist Carlos Montoya put out a couple albums on the famous Living Stereo from Columbia and teame dup with a jazz team of Barry Galbraith/g, Milt Hinton/b and Osie Johnson/dr for a wonderfully creative take of “St. Louis Blues” and “Blues in the Night.” Montoya contributes some of h is own compositions, showing a flair on”Zambrilla” and “Tarantas” while inviting you to the dance floor on “Tango de Los Ojos.” A concert from Town Hall in NYC in 1962 revisits “St. Louis Blues” wle the rest of the show features Montoya demonstrating aplomb on his own material with a mix of deft talent and Mediterranean romance as on “Huelva” and “Alegria-Rosa.” Serenades for the soul!
Fresh Sound Records