Disc 1 - Unreleased works 1989 - 1996:

1. Papa Mambo
2. Tercer Grado
3. Second Wind
4. Laneology
5. Alabí Oyó
6. Guararé
7. Duermete
8. Raices Al Cielo
9. Mi Niña
10. Para Que Niegas

This is our first CD by the John Santos Quintet. It was humbly created for those who appreciate and support the legacy of Afro-Latin music, and particularly for the musicians and composers who blazed the path for us, making it possible for us to do what we love to do. This represents a new chapter and era for us, full of the mysteries, challenges and energy that life offers as one traverses its paths. We are deeply honored to carry forth musical traditions in which improvisation and adaptation are indispensable elements. It is precisely in this moment of time, as we strive towards spirit and peace, that we make this small contribution to an ageless, timeless form of human expression where harmony, melody, rhythm, poetry, and souls converge. Given the limitations of our abilities and resources, we hope that what emerges from our hearts will add in some small way to the international movement towards true peace and justice in a critically-wounded world, full of destructive energies. May the perpetrators of destruction be enlightened soon so that their children and ours will be able to walk, breathe and live in a self-sustaining, life-affirming environment.

As much as anything else, this project is a celebration of the genius of Orestes Vilato. The significance of his body of work is equal to that of Picasso in the field of visual art. El maestro really sparkles here, painting with expressive strokes, working his magic, improvising in his inimitable fashion. He is the consummate keeper of the tradition of the Cuban percussive instruments known as timbales and bongos. His artistry on this CD, loaded with Vilatoisms, both classic and brand new, establishes yet again, why he has always been so highly influential to several generations of musicians and dancers.

Please continue to support the endangered species known as live music, written and played by actual musicians, and the efforts of all artists in all mediums, who put us in closer touch with love and life.

JS
Oakland, CA
April 2007

(John Santos, from the liner notes)