Recorded live at El Cabo Rogeno, a destination for the Salsa-crazed club-goers in the 60s, Willie Rodriguez Swings is a pristine encapsulation of the so-called “Sabor Caliente” the bandleader brought from Puerto Rico to New York’s Latin music scene. Filled with mambo, bolero, gua guanco, descargo, merengue, and guaracha beats, this live album is as clean and polished, both from a performance and mix standpoint, as any studio album. The album delivers the looseness and passion of a night-club performance without any of the compromises in sound quality generally attached to live recordings.
Adding that the original Man Records release is a rare and sought-after gem in the collectors market, Willie Rodriguez Swings is a must-have. Accompanying Rodriguez are singers Sammy Figueroa, Johnny Caban, and some of the scene’s greatest, most-seasoned musicians, many of whom went on to lead their own orquestas.
Side A
1. Dolar Y Pena (3:22)
2. La Mulata Mariana (2:45)
3. Solo Para Ti (3:10)
4. Gua Guanco (2:21)
5. Los Que Lloran Son Los Ninos (2:47)
6. Dame un Chance (2:38)
Side B
1. El Velorio (2:49)
2. Que Dichoso (3:24)
3. En Cada Beso (3:26)
4. Descarga (3:37)
5. Ruby (2:52)
6. Sejutate La Lengua (2:46)