Ray and His Court

The Ray in question is organist Ray Fernandez, and his Miami-based Court include his wife and two sons, along with talented local musicians like saxophonist Rickey Washington, father of contemporary giant, Kamasi. Mr Bongo have resuscitated a thoroughly worthwhile blend of Afro-Cuban soul, funk and salsa originally released in 1973. The nine uptempo numbers are generally more memorable when Ray’s organ riffs are chivvying the rhythm section, the brass and the vocals, as on the sinuous A-side triad, ‘Lo Sabia’, ‘Venimos Acabando’ and ‘El Alacran’. ‘La Pena Pa’ Goza’ is an infectious slice of Puerto Rican plena and there’s an idiosyncratic version of Bobby Hebb’s classic ‘Sunny’, while the hip and funky ‘Cookie Crumbs’ is guaranteed to send DJs searching for rare original vinyl. Built around a fine bass clarinet solo (by Gary Gottfried) over an insistent James Brown-style riff, the final track, ‘Soul Freedom’, cements this album’s charm.