Already one of the most feared young talents on the
salsa scene,
Willie Colon and his partner in crime
Hector Lavoe showcased not only confidence but a surprising flexibility and independence on 1970s
La Gran Fuga (The Big Break). Case in point was the first song,
"Ghana'e," based on an African
children's song and given a vocal reading (by both
Lavoe and the band chorus) that invoked a sense of joy and wonder quite at odds with the cutthroat world of New York
salsa. Throughout the album,
Colon's septet was tight as usual (they had freed themselves completely from their
Latin soul and
novelty past) but they performed songs at many different paces and left plenty of space in their sound -- yet still never sacrificed the power of
Colon and
Willie Campbell's dual-trombone lineup. The son montuno
"Pa' Colombia" or the powerful
"Barrunto" were the clearest hits to those who were already
Colon fans, but the rest of the material stretched
Colon's resume, including the melancholy
"No Cambiare," an affectionate look at the power of grandmothers (and mothers) in
"Abuelita," and salutes to Puerto Rico, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico as well as the Estados Unidos. ~ John Bush