Bob Powers

MARIETTA, OH, USA - Are you one of those people who carries a special place in your heart for disco? Even though I've written little over the years about this special sound from the '60s and '70s, there remains a part of me that still loves those special sounds from the past. My love for disco faded substantially over the decades, principally because the music seldom appears on radio anymore and as fans have converted their collections from vinyl to CDs, much of the wide-ranging catalog devoted to disco has vanished.

One of the most exciting performers ever to prance on a stage with the disco beat pounding steadily in the background was the wonderful master of the falsetto voice, the incomparable Sylvester. The good folks at Fantasy Records in Berkeley, California, have released two of the best discs ever produced by the Sylvester crew. "Too Hot to Sleep" combines most of two albums and it's a smashing delight from the first groove.

Sylvester usually sang in a falsetto voice, although he could do spectacularly well in his natural tenor as well. Over the past few weeks, I've spun both these albums (the other one is a delightful concert recording called "Living Proof." Sylvester performs like a veteran, wily to the ways of charming his audience. The cheers that lift San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House in March of 1975 will give any listener an appreciation of a master singer at work.)

While Sylvester worked steadily for a number of years, his hit singles were relatively few. Certainly the best included "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," which gets an awesome rendering on the concert CD, and the dazzling giant, "Disco Heat." Sylvester could perform beautifully on ballads, too, as is demonstrated on "Sharing Something Between Ourselves," "You Are My Friend" and the wonderful "Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be."

Sylvester's career was cut short when he was struck by AIDS, resulting in his death in 1988 at the age of 41. He was a great performer and you can find out for yourself by looking up these wondrous CDs at your local music emporium.

Latin Music Man

In the past few years I've grown to new appreciation of Latin jazz. I first encountered the music during high school and college when I lived in the mountains of West Virginia and somehow got hold of a tall stack of vinyl albums featuring the Tito Puente big band. That involved some of the most exciting music my ears had encountered in my then-brief life.

What goes around comes around, as some wag once said, and after about ten years I finally got to see and hear Tito Puente's big band on stage at an outdoor free concert in Columbus.

Sadly, Tito is gone from the crowd and at the Powers household, although I've managed to collect a large stack of Puente CDs, through the largesse of Concord Records. If you ever run across his work at your local record retailer, you can't go wrong.

Concord also has had a soft spot in its corporate heart for Latin sounds, and recently released a twofer album featuring drummer/percussionist Ray Barretto and his band, New World Spirit. The CDs include the 1993 release, "Ancestral Messages" and the 1994 winner, "Taboo."

Both albums benefit from the outstanding trumpeter, Ray Vega, who should have a bigger presence in the Latin jazz field. He plays with a sweet sound and can hit some stirring high notes with ease and the eruption of goosebumps on close-up listeners.

The drum section also plays an important role in Latin music and it does on both of these excellent albums.

A Bit of Basie?

Millions of us loved the work of the magnificent Count Basie band and there's a new album from the stellar f olks at Arbors Jazz that should have Basie fans around the world displaying wide grins.

The title of a mouthful: "Drummer Donnie O'Brien Meets Manhattan Swing: In a Basie Mood." The result is a dynamic album (performed rather quietly, perhaps in the mode of paying tribute). You will find stuff to tickle your memories, taking you back to those hallowed days when Basie and his big band roared from stages across the world. The times I was privileged to hear Basie and band perform were special nights indeed.

O'Brien, a busy drummer working often in Manhattan, leads a group made up of some of the best in the business, including Carmen Leggio on tenor sax, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, the impeccable John Bunch on piano and Jay Leonhart on bass. The band's rendition of "Lester Leaps In" includes John Pizzarelli on guitar.

Incidentally, Bucky Pizzarelli will observe his 78th birthday in March. Last year he played at the March of Jazz in Clearwater Beach, Fla. on his 77th.

Jazz from Greece

Three young men from Greece who form the group called Confusion perform some sort-a jazz in their new album, "Enter Alone." At times the band sounds like a typical rock rouser, but in their quieter movements, the interplay between organ, guitar and drums can be mesmerizing while sliding more securely into jazz elevations. You can learn more about the band, how to buy their CD, and other matters by clicking on www.confusionmusic.com.

Coming Next Column: The next column should contain, among other goodies, reviews of new albums from Jimmy Cobb's Mob, The Great Jazz Trio, the Kenny Davern Quartet, and the Don Friedman Trio. Please tune in!

Readers' suggestions, comments, blasts or praises always welcome! (Please be kind.)

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