Cafe Tropical

Johannes Linstead | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 25, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Gemini Sun Records
• ASIN: B000F1HG6K
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,292 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Upbeat, refined, and congenial as ever, Café Tropical is the sixth release from Canadian-born guitarist Johannes Linstead; and like the others before it, it's a crisply performed, easy-to-like collection of nouveau flamenco destined to brighten the atmosphere, particularly at summer patio parties. Linstead, principally playing Spanish guitar (plus keyboards and assorted percussion with contributions from 10 other instrumentalists) is a nimble guitarist and tasteful composer who tones down flamenco's most incendiary tendencies just enough to create lively, feel-good melodies with suitable-for-all-audiences intentions. Prime examples: the disc's warm, soulful opener, "Cien Fuegos," and the trumpet-fueled title track, a piece that closely parallels "Mango" from 2001's Guitarra del Fuego. While tame by traditional standards, Linstead intermittently launches note-dense sorties on Café Tropical to showcase his formidable technique, and his inclusion of Cuban jazz pianist Hilario Duran on two tracks adds a welcomed taste of improvisational flair to the otherwise tightly structured proceedings. --Terry Wood

Backroads Music

"Hot enough to generate more than a few sparks."

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet Another Gem! Beautiful job, Johannes. Bravo!, May 22, 2007

By 

John Rossi (Somers Point, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cafe Tropical (Audio CD)

I don't know what it is about the music that this man plays, but the Lord God has definitely given him a gift to write and play music that touches the very heart and soul of a listener. I have all six of his CD's and to me this is his best work yet. A real tour de force of passionate power and feel-good energy.

1: Cien Fuegos - Translated as "A hundred fires", this starts off more slowly than one might think given the title. We are started off by what sounds to me like a rattle combined with a 'rolling' cymbal. The beautiful guitar melodies range in pace from mid-tempo to moderately quick. Chimes make a nice appearance in here on occasion. I love the violin work in this too. For some reason, it puts me in mind of looking out at the crashing waves on a beautiful tropical day. Very relaxing, with just enough 'fire' to warm the blood and stir the heart.

2. Cafe Tropical- This the title track, and a pretty fast one at that. It's a memorable tune to be certain, a beautiful dance between catchy quick guitar and invigorating trumpet melodies. Most of the guitar passages in hee appear to actually PRETTY quick, with some rapid fire fluid 'runs'. The trumpet passage in the middle brings a smile. A very danceable tune that makes me want to grab a sangria.

3. The Streets Of Old San Juan- Here we have another 'middle-of-the-road' piece as far as tempo. The percussion and invigorating guitar will draw you in quickly. Despite SOME very fast playing in parts, I love the mellow laid-back feel of the piece as a whole. The piano featured in this cut add a really 'tasty' flaveor that gives the piece a very nice character. The percussion stirs your heart while the guitar carries you along on a journey through the streets of this warm and inviting locale. Ole.

4. Spanish Town- Guitar and chimes begin the piece. It's a 'happy' little ditty that pulls you in fast. Again, the tempo is laid-back a bit, proving that Johannes does not have to always play a hundred miles a second to captivate a listener. The percussion and chimes warm this piece up as the guitar dances along. What I really love is the inclusion of the steel drums in here to give this piece a really exotic feel. It's a favorite.

5. Tides Of Eden - This is just BEAUTIFUL. It's my favorite tune on the disc. I LOVE it when Johannes decides to play it slow. This starts off VERY slowly, but doesn't stay that way. We are started off by very slow and pretty keyboards, chimes and violin, over which the guitar dances for us. The variations in the guitar's pacing paint a picture of incoming tides for us. I prefer the slower passages, but even the quicker runs are just as lovely and stirring to my heart and my blood. I can visualize standing alone or with a special someone upon a beach at sunset, watching the sun go down and seeing the tides come in. The occasional chimes and bells are a nice touch. The best part, or the most intriguing to me, is how the guitar drops away at the end, allowing the piece to finish with a beatiful, almost very softly 'crying' violin passage. This is an exquisite piece of music, and my favorite piece on the entire CD.

6. Ole Ole Ola- To me, this is road music. Put the top down and cruise The pacing is just right for me to picture a leisurely drive along a sun-splashed coastal paradise. As always, the guitar and percussion are fetching. In particular, the percussion to me feels almost primal. The chimes flow softly, almost like gentle waves through the melody on occasion. I just love it.

7. Suave- Here's another laid-back, jaunty, feel good number. Guitar and percussion mate with a SMOOTH undercurrent of piano. When I hear this I feel like a super-cool high-roller strolling in for a night on the town. I love the relaxing pace of this, and the guitar playing just makes me want to chill out and enjoy it all. Chimes are here again, adding a warm touch to it all. The piano puts me in mind of being in a high-class tropical nightclub. Beautiful! Bravo!

8. El Zocolo - Here, we finally get pretty fast. The opening guitar passage is almost 'swirling' its way along. It feels to me like another "cruising" melody, and I love it. For the most part, the percussion sounds a little softer, as if carrying the guitar instead of dancing along beside it, but that's cool with me. I like it very much. I love where the chimes come in, and the faster pace feels like Johannes 'busting loose' a bit. I LOVE pieces that feel like top-down, gun the engine road music.

9. Santeria- This piece, feels to me like another mid-tempo number. Guitar, percussion, and chimes interweave again at the start. The guitar melodies are, as always, terrific and stir the soul to me. The percussion and pace make this a dance number, but a kind of relaxed number that you "groove" to instead of dancing a thousand miles an hour. Great stuff... love it. :)

10. Chica Chica - Another quick one. This feels like a samba or something similar to it. Quick, blood-pumping guitar runs and percussion are the stars of the piece. The guitar heats you up while the percussion's pace keeps you moving.

11. Para La Habana- This is started by lovely slow guitar and the tapping of percussion that sounds like wooden blocks. The sound of the guitars puts me in the mindset of hearing a laid-back but SPICY piece of Cuban jazz music. I LOVE the violin that dances through this piece. At first I found the vocals distracting but they grew on me and gave this closing song a very nice flavor.

In closing I will just say this. If you are a fan of Johannes Linstead's music, you owe it to yourself to get Cafe Tropical. It's Johannes' best work yet in my view. If you are not a fan, one listen to Cafe Tropical may make you a fan forever. Happy listening, and God bless.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Songs -- Inconsistent Sound Quality, June 15, 2006

By 

George Miller - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cafe Tropical (Audio CD)

I have enjoyed Linstead's Latin inspired feel good music for years and own all of his CD's. Cafe Tropical contains some of his best upbeat songs and his guitar playing is, as always, very good. Several of the catchy melodies are hard to get out of your head. However, the sound/recording quality of 6 of the 11 tracks is a bit muddy, thin, and compressed; not anywhere the great quality of the clean/open/highly detailed sound of the cuts on Mediterranea. An audiophile or good mid-fi sound system clearly reveals these recording flaws. Also, the trumpet tracks sound like of a synthesizer and not from a well played trumpet. The only explanation that I can think of, for these shortcomings, is that Linstead may have recorded the songs several years ago using lesser quality equipment. Bottom line: 5 stars for song writing/guitar playing and 3 stars for recording quality. George M -- Phx, AZ

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Lovin' It!!!, June 7, 2006

By 

Robert - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cafe Tropical (Audio CD)

If you're a fan of Latin music and especially Spanish guitar, you will LOVE Cafe Tropical. Every song is different from the next with instrumentation ranging from guitar, to piano, violin, trumpet, and a whole host of spicy percussion instruments. Every time I put this CD on I hear new things, which I find makes for an even more enjoyable listen.

As usual, Johannes Linstead delivers some of the most catchy and memorable melodies in the nouveau flamenco genre, and of course his guitar playing speaks for itself. Highly recommended!