La Retreta Mayor

Originally released in 1976 on Discomoda, this Venezuelan ten-piece founded by guitarist Alex Rodríguez transports you straight back to a time when jazz-funk and fusion ruled the home stereo units. Even the track titles, like ‘Zambo’ and ‘Líquido Elemento’, offer clues as to what you can expect. The former, for example, is as funky as it suggests, with a squalling trumpet solo thrown in for good measure. Throughout, there's plenty of percussion, brass, electric piano and decent solos on diverse instruments. On ‘Algo Misterioso’, a female voice and violin are added for a touch of mystery. On the obligatory down-tempo numbers, there's some tasty flute playing (on ‘Y Pasa Todas los Días’) and some melismatic trombone (on the closer, ‘La Verdad’). Otherwise, it's all fairly sub-Crusaders or Average White Band, not helped by indifferent mastering that doesn't do the band any favours. It's rather apt that La Retreta Mayor disbanded soon after the album's release, never again to play or record together. Vampisoul, Madrid's crate-digging label par excellence, has unearthed some precious gems from South America's musical past over the years. Alas, this is not one of them.