Harvey Averne Dozen Rar
The first single was the phenomenal 'Never Learned To Dance' - a club classic around the world that features the vocals of Seymour Sr. The LP The Harvey Averne Dozen was a glorious combination of Latin, soul, jazz and funk. The rhythm and melody of 'Central Park' are equally infectious.
Leading off with 'Never Learned to Dance,' one of his most frenetic singles, Averne certainly didn't let up for his second album. The opener is a great piece of boogaloo popcorn, with a background of punchy brass and wild-man electric piano solos.
Harvey Averne Dozen Atlantic
The first side of The Harvey Averne Dozen alternates vocal tracks (usually slow-dance period pieces) with some hot instrumentals, more in a funk vein than salsa. The album wins out with instrumentals like the original 'Dynamite' and the Beatles cover 'I Feel Fine,' while the bland vocal tracks 'Girl That I Love' and 'Central Park' only succeed in dragging down the proceedings. The second side takes a slight dip in quality, with rote versions of 'Goin' Out of My Head' and even 'Lullaby From Rosemary's Baby.' It's not an LP masterpiece by any means, but surprisingly good for the times.
One of several prominent Jewish Americans in New York's bustling Latin music scene, Harvey Averne first cut his teeth in Catskills clubs. Descending back into New York City as 'Arvito and His Latin Rhythms,' Averne blossomed into a multi-talented vibraphonist, bandleader, producer and label owner. In spite of his prolific accomplishments, including classic productions for Ray Barretto and Eddie Palmieri — not to mention his own quartet of solo albums — Averne faded from the public consciousness when he retired from active recording in the mid-'70s. A new anthology finally does some justice to his long career, and inspires this sampling of his strongest works in Latin soul, rock and salsa. Embed You're No Good. from Viva Soul.
by Harvey Averne Dozen Averne produced hit albums for Fania Records, including Ray Barretto's classic boogaloo LP Acid. But when it came time for Averne to record himself, Fania decided to partner him with Atlantic Records, the king of New York's R&B labels. The resulting album, Viva Soul, plays up the rhythmic strengths of Averne's band and invited in African-American doo-wop singer Kenny Seymour, formerly of Little Anthony and the Imperials. 'You're No Good' makes great use of Seymour's soaring tenor, played against the female back-up singers, while Averne makes his own presence known with a sprinkling of vibes.
The result is a jaunty, catchy R&B number that sounds as comfortable at a Chicago sock-hop as it does at an East Harlem ballroom. Embed Never Learned to Dance. from Harvey Averne Dozen.
by Harvey Averne Averne and Seymour returned to Fania for the Dozen's self-titled follow-up to Viva Soul. Convert sfv to iso. The first single off the album was 'Never Learned to Dance,' an energetic cooker that remains one of Fania's fiercest dance tunes of the late '60s.
Harvey Averne Wikipedia
Appropriately, its main rivals are also Averne productions: Barretto's 'Soul Drummers' and 'Freak Off,' a song recorded by the former pianist for Arvito and His Latin Rhythms (and fellow Jewish-American Latin master), Larry Harlow. Embed Got To Have Brotherhood. Song: Got to Have Brotherhood. from Never Learned to Dance: Anthology 1967-1971. by Harvey Averne Only a year or so had passed between the Harvey Averne Dozen LP and Brotherhood. By 1969, America was undergoing one of its most tumultuous eras and Averne - like many musicians - was taking notice.
'Got to Have Brotherhood' was part of a wave of Latin soul songs focusing on social issues, in this case a call for solidarity between diverse groups. There are hints of Sly and the Family Stone in this composition (the bright horns, the funky rock feel), and just as Sly's band was a living embodiment of racial diversity, so was Averne's. For him, 'Brotherhood' was not just a sentiment, but also a lived part of his musical practice. Embed Cucaraca Macara.
from Harvey Averne Barrio Band. by Harvey Averne By 1971, the Latin rock sound pioneered by Carlos Santana out of the West Coast had spread throughout the U.S., and Averne was no exception. The Harvey Averne Barrio Band album was thick with aggressive rock guitars and thunderous percussion.
'Cucaraca Macara' was one of the record's major hits, a powerful, dense mix of rock, funk and Latin elements that still manage to incorporate the delicacy of Averne's signature vibes alongside the heavy polyrhythms. Embed Condiciones Que Existen. from Sentido. by Eddie Palmieri Averne stopped recording in 1972 to start up Mango Records (later changing its name to Coco Records), and one of the first artists he signed was gifted pianist and bandleader Eddie Palmieri. Their album together, Sentido, was a massive success - including in Puerto Rico, a valuable music market that Palmieri had once had trouble conquering.
The album's two biggest hits appealed to salsa sensibilities - 'Puerto Rico' and 'Adoracion' - but 'Condiciones Que Existen' carried over some of the funky rock stylings of Averne's Barrio Band, resulting in a surprisingly slinky groove.