Hot on the heels of Willie Crime Pays Colón’s farewell gig, an all-star line up featuring Yomo Toro, Adalberto Santiago, Nicky Marrero, Ray Martinez, Louis Bauzo, Bobby Sanabria, Chembo Corniel, Mac Gollehon, Richie Viruet, Lewis Kahn, Joe Fiedler, Frank Fontaine, Luisito Rosario, Emo Luciano hit the Roundhouse with Peterson in support.

Pianist, composer, bandleader and producer, Harlow (nicknamed “El Judio Maravilloso”) formed his own Orchestra Harlow in the mid-1960’s and was the first artist to sign to the fledgling Fania label in 1965. He went on to produce many of their albums.

Apart from a load of classic Fania album re-issues since the label’s re-launch, the Our Latin Thing series and the DJ Series by DJ Format and Gilles Peterson (who claimed to have listened to 200 Fania albums before settling on the tracks on his compilation, see HERE), there’s news of a forthcoming Fania: Remixed due soon.

There are some rather neat “Disco Mix” 12s going about with remixers of choice, Aaron Jerome (‘I Like It Like That’), Ashley Beedle (Feel Like Making Love) and Peterson himself (aided by the funky Simbad) on two classics, Tito Puente’s ‘Wata Wasuri’ and Noro Morales’ ‘Saona’.

That’s one to watch out for and if you’re not going to the gig, try and get Fania All-Stars Live At The Cheetah (re-issued on CD last year) including Mr. Harlow and all the regular suspects for some of that real August 1971 live NY-Latin vibe.

Links
www.larryharlow.com
www.faniarecords.com
Larry Harlow & Latin Legends of Fania featuring Adalberto Santiago (who was on Ray Barretto’s Hard Hands album, Yomo Toro & Nicky Marrero + special guest DJ Gilles Peterson (part of London Jazz Festival)
Saturday November 17 Doors 7.30pm
Roundhouse www.roundhouse.org.uk
Chalk Farm Road, part of London Jazz Festival, NW1 8EH Tel: 0870 389 1846
www.nuyorican.org