Ricardo Ray & Bobby Cruz

Salsa’s beautiful duo comprised Ricardo ‘Richie’ Ray (b. Ricardo Maldonado, 15 Feb 1945, Brooklyn, NY, USA, of Puerto Rican parentage; co-band innovator, composer, multi instrumentalist) and Bobby Cruz (b. Roberto Cruz, 26 Feb 1941, Hormigueros, Puerto Rico; co-band innovator, vocalist, composer, arranger, güiro, maracas). Ray and Cruz have already been companions for over 25 years. Ray started playing the piano at age seven. In 1957 he performed bass in an organization led by Cruz. Ray went to the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL of Executing Arts and Juilliard College of Music. He remaining the second option after a yr to spend himself completely to his recently formed band, including Cruz on business lead vocals. Ray agreed upon with Fonseca Information and debuted on Ricardo Ray Arrives/Comején in 1964. The name monitor ‘Comején’ (co-written by Ray and Cruz) was popular and the record included the excellent ‘Mambo Jazz’, that your two performers reworked on many future produces. The duo documented a few of their extremely finest work throughout their period using the label. The follow-up, OVER THE Picture With Ricardo Ray, included a delightful edition of Bud Powell’s ‘Parisian Thoroughfare’, which transformed midway through from an awesome Latin jazz piece to a generating mambo. Well known accompanists on these early produces included Ricardo’s sibling, trumpeter Ray Maldonado, bass participant/arranger Russell ‘Skee’ Farnsworth and vocalist Chivirico Dávila. Ray acquired a crossover strike in the dark American community with ‘Jango’ from 1966’s 3 Proportions. Richie turned to Alegre Information and released nine albums (including a compilation) within the label between 1966 and 1970. He was among the 1st performers to record the R&B/Latin fusion design known as boogaloo. He referred to his Alegre debut, Se Soltó/On The Loose/Presenting The Bugaloo, as ‘as well musical’ and ‘forward of its period’ (quoted in Latin NY journal, c.1968). The greater deliberately industrial follow-up, Jala Jala Y Boogaloo, included one of is own greatest strikes ‘Richie’s Jala Jala’, co-written by Ray and Cruz. While still under agreement to Alegre, Ray documented Viva Ricardo and Un Diferente for UA Latino, that was a department of United Performers Records. The second option included the marvellous ‘Feria En Manizales’. In 1968, Los Durísimos/The Solid Types/Salsa Y Control was the 1st recording which Cruz distributed similar billing with Ray. At this time, the band got an eight-piece line-up of Venezuelan Pedro Rafael Chaparro and jazz musician Doc Cheatham (trumpets), Farnsworth (bass/co-arranger), José ‘Candido’ Rodríguez (timbales), Jackie ‘Un Conde’ Dillomis (conga), Harry ‘Bongo’ Rodríguez (bongo), Ray (piano/co-arranger) and Cruz (business lead vocals). Ray and Cruz continuing to make use of an all trumpet frontline, and afterwards added flügelhorn on events. The two-some appreciated considerable achievement in Colombia in the past due 60s and their sound acquired a significant impact on the nation’s very own variant of salsa. Their 5th Alegre release, Allow’s Get RIGHT DOWN TO THE TRUE Nitty Gritty, highlighted the one ‘Nitty Gritty’ which acquired some success in the united kingdom. In 1970, the duo relocated from NY to Puerto Rico. ‘The competitiveness from the Latin rings in NY was becoming as well rough and we’d grown sick and tired of this town’s circuit… (and Bobby) simply didn’t wish his children to build up in this town’s environment’, Ray described in Latin NY in 1976. In the meantime their previous trumpeter, Pedro Rafael Chaparro, who worked well previously with Pérez Prado, Tito Puente, Machito and Tito Rodríguez, produced his documenting debut as innovator on Este Sera Chaparro (1971) on Ralph Cartagena’s Rico Information. His band within the recording included three ex-Ray and Cruz players: Cheatham, Farnsworth and Dillomis. Just Cheatham continued to be on Chaparro’s Gozando in 1974, which presented Israel ‘Cachao’ López on bass. Ray and Cruz experienced some preliminary hardships after their appearance in Puerto Rico, however the bookings quickly arrived pouring in. Their monetary success enabled these to open up a nightclub in Santurce, an area of Puerto Rico’s sprawling capital, San Juan. Nevertheless, running the golf club in addition with their large gigging schedule became as well great a stress. So they marketed the membership and focused on playing the isle circuit. Ray and Cruz agreed upon with the recently created Vaya Information, a subsidiary of Jerry Masucci and Johnny Pacheco’s Fania Information. Their result on Vaya through the 70s and 80s was unequal in quality, but there is the casual redeeming moment appealing. The Puerto Rico-recorded Un Bestial Sonido De… Ricardo Ray Y Bobby Cruz (1970), the initial ever discharge on Vaya, was among their better albums over the label. It presented 18-year-old woman vocalist Miki Vimarí and included the Rubén Cutting blades structure ‘Guaguanco Triste’. The 1972 Vimarí display, Ricardo Ray Presenta A La Vimarí, was a unsatisfactory set of sluggish sentimental numbers. Nevertheless, 1973’s Jammin’ Live, with Vimarí as co-lead vocalist, was a commendable recording. In 1974, Ray moved into an interval of psychological turmoil, which resulted in alcohol and substance abuse. He had many religious encounters and announced in August of this year that he previously changed into a make of evangelical Christianity. Ray’s fresh spiritual concerns had taken precedence over gigging and originally triggered friction with Cruz, but after some time, he as well became a convert. They started to make particularly religious recordings, aswell as proselytize through their ‘regular’ salsa recordings – what UK salsa broadcaster Tomek known as ‘salsa with beatitude’. In addition they began crusading via concerts. 1975’s Reconstrucción earned them their ninth yellow metal disc, that was shown at Madison Square Backyard, NY, in June 1980. The documenting was aimed by Louie Ram memoryírez, who also organized one monitor. The recording included their smash strike one ‘Juan En La Ciudad’, that they co-wrote. 1977’s Viven! included the exciting ‘Un Rey David’, another joint structure. Their second discharge in 1980, De Nuevo ‘Los Durísimos’ Once again, included the swinging ‘Yo Soy La “Zarza”’, that they co-penned. Doc Cheatham came back to supply trumpet solos towards the duo’s three albums released in 1981 and 1982. Ray and Cruz’s last discharge on Vaya, the Miami documented Los Inconfundibles (1987), highlighted the wonderful ‘Sipriano’, constructed by Cruz. Unlike the majority of their peers, the level of Ray and Cruz’s use other Latin performers and rings had been not a lot of, specifically since their transformation. Ray appeared for the 1966 Tico All-Star’s descarga (Latin jam program) recordings at New York’s Community Gate and on the Fania All Superstars’ 1968 record debut (two amounts). Between 1971 and 1976, the duo documented using the Fania All Superstars and made an appearance in the Jerry Masucci films Our Latin Thing (Nuestra Cosa), 1972, and Salsa (1976). The set created Chivirico Dávila’s 1978 discharge Nuevos Conceptos/New Principles. Ray guested on the cover of Joe Jackson’s ‘Malignancy’ on Héctor Lavoe’s Revento in 1985. In 1991, Ray and Cruz made an appearance on the expenses of the tribute concert at Un Campín Stadium, Bogotá, Colombia, to tag superstar Joe Arroyo’s 20th wedding anniversary in the music business. That 12 months, the pair produced their farewell appearance in the 1st area of the annual NY Salsa Event at Madison Square Backyard.