Ibrahim Ferrer, Buena Vista Social Club Presents (Nonesuch)
Ibrahim Ferrer was first introduced to the masses in Wim Wenders' documentary, Buena Vista Social Club with Ry Cooder discovering the shoe-shine man who also happens to be "a Cuban Nat King Cole." It is easy to see why Cooder would be so pleased to have found this neglected golden throat. Ferrer could have easily remained in obscurity, embittered by fate and a country that discarded its cultural heritage. The movie focuses on Cooder's return to Cuba nearly two years after first recording the Buena Vista Social Club, this time to record a new album featuring Ferrer. The joy that he exudes while recording and performing is infectuous, and after getting intimate with the songs through the movie's subtitles, the album is essential. His offbeat charisma transfers naturally from the movie to the album, where he fronts a 21-piece band. Concentrating on the country son style perfected by Arsenio Rodriguez in the 40s as well as 1950s big band arrangements, the 72 year-old singer's gracefully sentimental vocals show that he is no amateur. The heart-wrenching "Silencio" is a duet with Omara Portuondo that will stay in your head for months, while "Herido de Sombras" and "Cienfuegos Tiene Su Guaguanco" are pure romantic ankle-grabbers. Pianist Ruben Gonzalez and the rest of the Social Club are in fine form throughout the rich yet restrained production. This is not a mere exercise in nostalgia, but rather elegant, timeless art.
