The World Music CD Listener’s Guide: Ray Barretto, Acid and the Meeting of Latin Soul and Jazz
by Daniel Finn
I found an old world music guide at an op shop, so now I’m working through it one artist at a time.
I’ve also built a playlist as I go. Obviously, only good music makes the cut.
Next up is Ray Barretto.
Barretto was born in Brooklyn in 1929 to Puerto Rican parents and grew up in New York surrounded by both Latin music and jazz. His interest in the conga started while he was serving in the US Army in Germany, where he heard Dizzy Gillespie’s recordings with Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo.
Back in New York, he worked as a percussionist with artists including José Curbelo and Tito Puente before establishing himself as a bandleader. His 1963 recording “El Watusi” became a major pop hit, but Barretto was already moving towards something much more ambitious.
In 1967, he signed with Fania Records. His first album for the label was Acid, released in 1968.
And this is the record I’ve been spending the most time with.
Acid sits right in the middle of Latin soul, boogaloo, funk, jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The album was recorded live in the studio without overdubs, which gives the whole thing a loose, immediate feel.
The title track is a great example. Bobby Rodriguez's bass locks into a funky tumbao while Barretto's congas and the two trumpets keep pushing the track forward. René López's muted trumpet solo brings a jazz feel into the middle of the groove, before Barretto builds the percussion towards a huge finish.
Then there’s “A Deeper Shade of Soul” and “Soul Drummers”, which lean further into the boogaloo and soul influence. “Espíritu Libre” takes things somewhere else entirely, opening with a conversation between congas and timbales before bringing in muted trumpet, bass, piano and the West African-derived bembé rhythm.
This is what I like about Acid. It never feels like Barretto is choosing between Latin music and jazz, soul or funk. The styles sit together naturally, with the percussion holding the whole thing together.
Barretto went on to become one of the major figures in New York salsa and Latin jazz, while also becoming a key member of the Fania All-Stars. His career kept moving between those worlds for decades.