03032014 - Harlem River Drive "Harlem River Drive"

Village Voice recently published a list of The 50 Most NYC Albums Ever, and this album by Harlem River Drive came in at #6, making it the highest of the fifty that I had not already heard. Released in 1970, it has the first recorded performances of brothers Charlie and Eddie Palmieri as bandleaders, and is a wonderful showcase for the funky latino jazz you associate with the two. On some of the songs you can feel the heat rising from the asphalt, obviously making this very much a summer album. The Puerto Rican and Cuban influences blend perfectly with elements of soul, fusion, big band jazz and experimental funk, and there's such a nerve in every note played and every syllable sung that it's easy to imagine how magical the recording sessions must have been. Definitely a masterpiece!