Earliest "Cubano Chant" Recording

[Teasing the Korean]

Does anyone know when Ray Bryant's "Cubano Chant" was first recorded? 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

https://www.allmusic.com/song/cubano-chant-mt0010854261

 

[Teasing the Korean]

12 hours ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

https://www.allmusic.com/song/cubano-chant-mt0010854261

Thanks, but unfortunately that does not help.  It indicates the earliest recording by Ray Bryant (1956), but does not indicate the years that other artists recorded the song.

I assume that it pre-dates 1956?

[mikeweil]

The earliest recording I know of was the one by Cal Tjader released on Fantasy LP 3-216 — Ritmo Caliente. The first part of this track until 2:13 was recorded on November 11,1955, the remainder (you can hear a fade-out and fade-in) on February 21, 1956.

Ray Bryant's first recording for his Epic LP LN3279 took place  on May 3, 1956. Candido played conga on it but didn't get the relation of the breaks in the tune to the tumbao correctly.

Next comes Wild Bill Davis in July 1956 for Imperial LP9010; George Shearing in January 1957 for Capitol LP T943, and again Ray Bryant as part of Art Blakey's Pecussion Ensemble of the Drum Suite LP on Columbia 1002 (February 22, 1957), followed three days later by Arthur Taylor's Wailers on Prestige (with Ray Bryant in the band).

The tune is one of Bryant's many gospel-tinged pieces - the title "Cubano Chant" and use of a Cuban rhythm was suggested by Cal Tjader. Both probably met during Tjader's time in George Shearing's Quintet from January, 1953 to April, 1954 - the Quintet had several Bryant tunes in the book. 

Edited March 26, 2018 by mikeweil

[Teasing the Korean]

15 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

The earliest recording I know of was the one by Cal Tjader released on Fantasy LP 3-216 — Ritmo Caliente. The first part of this track until 2:13 was recorded on November 11,1955, the remainder (you can hear a fade-out and fade-in) on February 21, 1956.

Ray Bryant' first recording for his Epic LP LN3279 took place  on May 3, 1956. Candido played conga on it but didn't get the relation of the breaks in the tune to the tumbao correctly.

Next comes Wild Bill Davis in July 1956 for Imperial LP9010; George Shearing in January 1957 for Capitol LP T943, and again Ray Bryant as part of Art Blakey's Pecussion Ensemble of the Drum Suite LP on Columbia 1002 (February 22, 1957), followed three days later by Arthur Taylor's Wailers on Prestige (with Ray Bryant in the band).

The tune is one of Bryant's many gospel-tinged pieces - the title "Cubano Chant" and use of a Cuban rhythm was suggested by Cal Tjader. Both probably met during Tjader's time in George Shearing's Quintet from January, 1953 to April, 1954 - the Quintet had severa Bryant tunes in the book. 

Thanks.  I thought that the Tjader version was one of the early versions, but didn't know if there were any earlier.  

Interestingly, when I have played this tune with Latino rhythm sections, they don't feel that the song grooves, because of where the chords land rhythmically.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

2 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Thanks, but unfortunately that does not help.  It indicates the earliest recording by Ray Bryant (1956), but does not indicate the years that other artists recorded the song.

I assume that it pre-dates 1956?

I thought that the link I pasted in, which has a tab labeled "Also performed by", would have allowed you find all of the recorded versions of this song. They do have the Tjader version listed but not the Wild Bill Davis version.

[Teasing the Korean]

16 minutes ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

I thought that the link I pasted in, which has a tab labeled "Also performed by", would have allowed you find all of the recorded versions of this song. They do have the Tjader version listed but not the Wild Bill Davis version.

Yes, but they do not list the dates of the recordings by other artists.  I appreciate your help, though!

[Peter Friedman]

According to LORD as of a few years ago, "Cubano Chant" has been recorded 52 times.

[mikeweil]

On 10.3.2018 at 4:09 PM, Teasing the Korean said:

Interestingly, when I have played this tune with Latino rhythm sections, they don't feel that the song grooves, because of where the chords land rhythmically.

Strange. But for probably the same reason Candido didn't get it right on his first recording with Bryant. On the later date with Art Blakey he got it. A Latin musician wouldn't have written the break that way, methinks. But that's no excuse for not learning the piece properly. On Tjader 1956 recording it grooves like mad.

If you think clave or tumbao right through the tune, all is well.

3 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:

According to LORD as of a few years ago, "Cubano Chant" has been recorded 52 times.

The latest online version shows 70 recordings!

[Teasing the Korean]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

If you think clave or tumbao right through the tune, all is well.

I would agree, but I am not Latino. I guess it's a cultural thing.  

[JSngry]

It is a cultural thing, but that's not an excuse, mind you.

Check this out, for some reason, the first part of this (the verse?) puts me in mind, somehow, of "Cubano Chant"...or something, what is it? Some "jazz standard"? Before it turns into the schlock, sounds to me like something Blakey would have made a record of with somebody.

 

[Teasing the Korean]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

It is a cultural thing, but that's not an excuse, mind you.

Not an excuse, but Latino musicians tend to have a definite idea of how Latin music should or should not be played.  My point is that nearly every Latin musician who I've played with seems to have a mental block with "Cubano Chant."  Just reporting from my experience; I'm not saying it's good or bad.