JOHN SANTOS and
THE MACHETE ENSEMBLE

“S.F. BAY”
2003 Grammy Nominated

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  1. SONGO NON TROPPO (J. Calloway/J. Santos)
  2. CAFÉ CON LECHE (J. Santos/O. Torriente)
  3. CUANTO MAS SUFRIRÁS (J. Santos)
  4. CHANO POZO (Santamaria/traditional)
  5. S.F. BAY (J. Santos/R. Stallings/J.Calloway)
  6. LALA (trad. Afro-Cuban)
  7. BUSCARÁ CANDELA (O. Torriente)
  8. DESCARGA FAJARDO (O. Vilato/W. Wallace)
  9. QUE NO SE MUERA EL TAMBÓ (J. Santos/O. Sosa)
  10. AFILANDO (J. Santos/J. Calloway)
  11. LA JARDINERA (trad. Afro-Cuban)
  12. EL AFROKÁN (J. Santos)

Recorded at Bay Records, Berkeley, CA, 2000-2001
Engineers: Jeff Cressman, Mike Cogan
Second Engineers: Jim Ruzicka, Jeremy Goody
and at: Cressman Studios, S.F. CA, 2001
Engineer: Jeff Cressman

Mixed by Jeff Cressman and John Santos, Fall 2001

© 2002 Machete Records

John Santos descends from three roots: Cape Verdean (like Horace Silver), Puerto Rican (like Willie Colon), and Irish. Our man, from word go, is super-criollo. He plays many styles on this remarkable CD. There is mambo-descarga (Café con Leche), a jazz-rumba (Chano Pozo), straight-ahead jazz (S.F. Bay), old school salsa (Buscará Candela and Afilando), Puerto Rican plena (Cuanto Mas Sufrirás), plus comparsa callejera and mozambique (La Jardinera and El Afrokán). This incredible range is the signature strength of a man who knows how to afincar (lock into rhythm) and cocinar (turn smoke, red pepper and greens into sound).

Robert Farris Thompson
New Haven
20 January, 2002
(from the liner notes)