Anselmo Sacasas
Encyclopedia
Anselmo Sacasas was a Cuba
n jazz
pianist
and bandleader
.
He was a member of the "Orquesta Casino de la Playa
" with Miguelito Valdés
from 1937 to 1940 and the bandleader of "Anselmo Sacasas and his Orchestra" from 1942 to 1947.
In later life Sacasas worked as musical director at the San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico.
Smooth, ebullient dance music from the former arranger of the Orquesta Casino de la Playa. These wartime recordings were made for RCA while Sacasas lived in New York—they are poppy and "Americanized," but sweet nonetheless. Lots of strong vocal tracks, notably those featuring Ruben Gonzalez and Cuso Montoya, who are both robust and rich-sounding in their youth. This disc has excellent sound quality, a notch or so above many similar archival releases. The music is notably punchy, an early and quite vigorous edition of the classic mambo sound, though without the super-shrill brass tone that other artists later adopted. (Note: Tumbao Records has also reissued some of Sacasas' work, along with that of the Orquesta Casino de la Playa.)
Before forming his own group, pianist Sacasas crossed paths with many of the leading lights of Cuban popular music—Tito Puente, Xavier Cugat, the Orquesta Casino de la Playa, Miguelito Valdes, etc. These post-war recordings dovetail with the Interstate Music disc of Sacasas' 1942-1944 band; both CDs feature bubbly dance music, which is alternately suave and tinny. With the great Ruben Gonzalez on vocals, no less! There's quite a bit of overlap between this and the 1942-44 album reviewed above, though each has several songs not included on the other, so both albums are worth picking up.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
.
He was a member of the "Orquesta Casino de la Playa
Orquesta Casino de la Playa
Orquesta Casino de la Playa, founded in 1937 in Havana, Cuba, was a band that took its name from the name of the casino where they worked. This orchestra made a bridge between Cuban popular music and the sound of American Jazz Big Bands...
" with Miguelito Valdés
Miguelito Valdés
Miguelito Valdés, born Miguel Ángel Eugenio Lázaro Zacarias Izquierdo Valdés Hernández , also called Mr. Babalú, was a Cuban popular singer of high quality...
from 1937 to 1940 and the bandleader of "Anselmo Sacasas and his Orchestra" from 1942 to 1947.
In later life Sacasas worked as musical director at the San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico.
Discography
- In the Hall of the Mambo King (2002 CD)
- 1942-1944 (1996 CD)
- Sol Tropical "1945-1949"
- Anselmo Sacasas "1942-44" (Harlequin, 1996)
Smooth, ebullient dance music from the former arranger of the Orquesta Casino de la Playa. These wartime recordings were made for RCA while Sacasas lived in New York—they are poppy and "Americanized," but sweet nonetheless. Lots of strong vocal tracks, notably those featuring Ruben Gonzalez and Cuso Montoya, who are both robust and rich-sounding in their youth. This disc has excellent sound quality, a notch or so above many similar archival releases. The music is notably punchy, an early and quite vigorous edition of the classic mambo sound, though without the super-shrill brass tone that other artists later adopted. (Note: Tumbao Records has also reissued some of Sacasas' work, along with that of the Orquesta Casino de la Playa.)
- Anselmo Sacasas "Poco Loco: 1945-1949" (Tumbao, 1995)
Before forming his own group, pianist Sacasas crossed paths with many of the leading lights of Cuban popular music—Tito Puente, Xavier Cugat, the Orquesta Casino de la Playa, Miguelito Valdes, etc. These post-war recordings dovetail with the Interstate Music disc of Sacasas' 1942-1944 band; both CDs feature bubbly dance music, which is alternately suave and tinny. With the great Ruben Gonzalez on vocals, no less! There's quite a bit of overlap between this and the 1942-44 album reviewed above, though each has several songs not included on the other, so both albums are worth picking up.