Customer Reviews

Introducing Ruben Gonzalez

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you know anything about Ry Cooder you can imagine that he's heard a few piano players, so discover for yourself why he says Ruben Gonzalez is "the best piano soloist I've ever heard". Mr. Gonzalez is undeniably incredible! When this CD was first released I played it for everyone that entered my home, and without exception, those who heard it immediately purchased a copy for themselves. All three albums recorded in Cuba during the 'Buena Vista Social Club' sessions would rate 5 stars here, but this is by far my favorite, if you only want one of these Cuban/Latin masterpieces, this is the one I recommend. The selections, Cumbanchero, Mandinga, Siboney, and Tumbao stand alone as inspired performances, and the remaining pieces although somewhat more subtle, are still beyond beautiful. Melodia Del Rio, and Como Siento Yo are very romantic, for those so inclined, and if you think Latin music played by old guys might be dated, just listen to Tumbao and tell me you're not expecting a killer Carlos Santana guitar solo at any moment. A very hot album indeed!

I hate to "ride the wave" of popular trends, but in the case of the musicians affiliated with the Buena Vista Social Club, the praise and adulation is fully deserved. I rented the film a few weeks ago and was blown away by the marvelous performances of these legends. I work in a CD store and I put this Ruben Gonzalez disc on our PA system at work the other day. In a span of about two hours I had at least a dozen people either ask me who the artist was or examine the CD case sitting on the counter. I've never seen such a wide variety of music fans show that kind of appreciation for one artist. Ruben Gonzalez isn't just some geriatric has-been who people are showing sympathy for due to his age -- the man would still be considered a stunning musician if he were 30! (he's 81, by the way). His command of the piano is breathtaking. Ry Cooder was right in his liner notes...Ruben sounds like a cross between Thelonious Monk and Felix the Cat. The music is sumptuous and Ruben's hands glide across the keyboard with utter grace. Whether or not you like Cuban music, it's impossible to resist the songs on this disc. I can't recommend it strongly enough.

when I bought this cd it was after I heard Ruben Playing with the buena vista social club. The song 'Pueblo Nuovo' opened my eyes to the fact that I was listening to the greatest Piano player in Cuban history and in Son History. I went to a box I got from my father and saw an old LP from this master pianist. Immediatly I went to the record store and bought his CD; that was his first ever after a lot of years. This emperer of the Son extracts respect from you while you listen to the way he plays the piano. If My father was still alive he would have looked up while we were listening to the music and say : ah, Ruben never lost his touch............... and lit up one.

Like most, I discovered Ruben Gonzales through the Buena Vista album, which I played every day to my 10-14 year olds driving them to school, then to myself, commuting (communing) 40 minutes to work. I got to know the songs very well. The more I listened to them, the more I felt I was getting closer to some hidden treasure. The two solo pieces by Ruben finally became the revelation. The move to "Introducing Ruben Gonzalez" was completely satisfying - intellectually and emotionally. Tracks 5 and 7 are true masterpieces in storytelling, dramatic development. In 5, he alludes to Dark Eyes, a sweet gypsy melody, a simple version of which my 11-year-old son had been practicing; when he heard 3 bars of "his" song by Ruben, he put the portable CD player beside the piano, and with play-and-pause he learned to play it, just like Ruben.On track seven, Gonzalez resolves a dirge-like meditation with a simple teasing refrain; it's ingenious and inspired play. You wish it will never end. I did make the mistake of buying other CD's with his name on it. Nothing - not one - can compare with this CD. They're exploitative and disappointing. I hope we get a reintroduction to Ruben Gonzalez. Life without a new Gonzalez is becoming like life without a new Saramago.

This C.D does represent the rich music of Cuba. Ruben is magnificant. The manner in which he plays the piano is none like I've ever heard. No one is better than this great master-musician. I myself am very picky when it comes to buying a C.D. However, I recommend this to be in every music lover's collection. It's a must!

I just saw Ruben Gonzales and Ibrahim Ferrer in concert a few weeks ago and the live performance put me in awe of these talented musicians. The rhythms and melodies that Ruben strings together are heavenly - his technical mastery of the piano is unbelievable. I believe that this disc is much better than the Buena Vista Social Club disc with greater creativity and spark.

Ry Cooder once described Ruben Gonzalez as, "A Cuban cross between Thelonius Monk and Felix the Cat." Ruben Gonzalez is no Thelonius Monk...and I cannot really say if he is Felix the Cat...but he is definitely an extremely rare piece of jazz history...an "endangered species" of sorts in comparison to today's lacklustre jazz scene. Thanks to the re-emergence of mostly forgotten Cuban musicians in the late 90's through such vehicles as the Afro-Cuban All-Stars and the Buena Vista Social Club, the world...or at least a portion of it...has had the opportunity to experience a truly unique skill and sound that once flourished. This description of Ruben Gonzalez's music cannot do him justice. When you listen to him either pounding out or softly lifting notes off the piano keys, feelings of excitement, nostalgia, appreciation, comfort, and reflection can all rise to the surface. His skill is difficult to match; his love of music nearly impossible to emulate. Ruben Gonzalez "is" the music he creates and plays...a living example of the musical past re-introducing itself to the ever-emerging present.

In the midst of the sparkling, joyous cha-cha-cha, there's a melancholy tinge to this recording: as the liner notes suggest, it's a kind of snapshot of what might have been. Mr. Gonzalez is in his late seventies, poverty-stricken and arthritic. His being "discovered" appears to have come about partly because he was so hungry for access to a decent piano. We're listening here to the swan song of a genius who has had the misfortune of being a black man in Castro's Cuba, and who has therefore known the multiple oppressions of racism, Communism, and state-imposed poverty. Mr. Gonzalez improvises brilliantly on some of the later tracks, and there are indeed shades of a George Shearing or Erle Garner. So the CD raises the tantalizing question of where all this talent might have led, in a different time and place.

If you have never listened to Latin piano music before, this sound is hard to describe. There is no one I've heard that comes close (not even Eddie Palmieri). To get into this album, listen with an open mind. It helps if you have a taste for jazz, because there is serious improvisation going on here. Each tune is done in a particular style of the Afro-Cuban tradition, and to introduce terms like "son", "guaracha" and "canción" here would digress too much.

Simply put, this album will entertain you, provided you want to hear piano artistry and inventiveness. The man has a tender relationship with his instrument - as well he should after eight decades. I like nearly everything here, but my particular favorite is the lyrical "Melodía Del Río". "Mandinga" and "Siboney" are also quite pleasing. Although I am a Mexican, I've always liked the sounds of the Caribbean. Señor González brings them alive for me.

It is so rare that I can listen to a pianist and truly feel his or her presence at the keyboard. The direct, pure, clean, emotional quality of the playing on this CD is incredible--it is one of the most joyful, energetic recordings I have heard. I think I'm going to be giving this one to a lot of people--I am 32 years old, and raised on rock and roll, but not only would I give it to my friends, but also to my parents and grandparents.

Lovely, timeless music, this is! I have a feeling I won't be hitting the EJECT button on my CD player for quite a while...