San Antonio’s Conjuntos In The 1950s – Various Artists CD 376

Description

CD 376

Reissue of 78s recorded for Jaime Wolf’s RIO label in the late 1940s and early 50s. Includes 24-page booklet with notes song transcriptions and translations.

1.La Ratita ‚ Conjunto Alamo (2:11)
2.Viva San Marcos ‚ Jesús Casiano “El Gallito” (2:38)
3.Panchita ‚ Los Aventureros (2:46)
4.Francisco Martínez ‚ Gaytan y Solis (2:45)
5.La Gardenia ‚ Felix y Pedro Rocha (2:35)
6.Corrido de Europa ‚ Garzes y Cantú (2:39)
7.Pobre Mujer ‚ Valerio Longoria (2:38)
8.Las Güeras de Califas ‚ Los Chavalitos (2:45)
9.Ya Volví de Corea ‚ Conjunto Arízmendez (2:29)
10.El Circo ‚ Conjunto San Antonio Alegre (2:29)
11.Sufre Tu Parte ‚ Valerio Longoria (2:55)
12.Ida ‚ Conjunto De La Rosa (2:14)
13.Ernesto La Chiva ‚ Conjunto Topo Chico (2:44)
14.En Brazos de Otro Hombre ‚ Ada GarcÍa (2:49)
15.Caricias Soñadoras ‚ Alonzo y sus Rancheros (2:39)
16.Los Tres Aventureros ‚ Los Cuatesones (2:54)
17.Morena de Mi Querer ‚ Conjunto Alamo (2:55)
18.Me Negastes Tu Amor ‚ Conjunto Monterrey (2:41)
19.Mi Dolorcito ‚ Conjunto San Antonio Alegre (2:02)
20.Que Piedra ‚ Los Tres Ases (2:03)
21.Tu Eres Culpable ‚ Juanita y María Mendoza (2:54)
22.Los Ojitos De Mar ‚ Trio San Antonio (2:47)
23.Boppin’ The Rock ‚ Armando Almendarez & Conjunto México (2:23)
24.La Complicada ‚ Los Caminantes with Flaco Jiménez (1:59)
25.Vida Fatal ‚ Pedro Ybarra (2:39)
26.Pronto Volveré ‚ Conjunto Continental De Tony Zúñiga (2:36)
27.Nuevo Laredo ‚ Los Pavos Reales (2:28)
28.Tu Eres Mi Placer ‚ Los Pavos Reales (2:44)

REVIEW

“The Tejano Roots series has so far focused on the treasures of the Discos Ideal archives but Arhoolie also owns the masters of Rio a label founded by San Antonio liquor store owner Hymie Wolf and this album chronicles its short (1948-1963) but funky career.

Located close to Plaza del Zacate where street musicians played every evening and to the downtown honky tonks and cantinas Wolf had his share of the Tex-Mex stars who abandoned during the war by the majors jump started so many South Texas labels such as corridista Pedro Rocha (`La Gardenia’) Jesus Casiano (`Viva San Marcos’) and Lydia’s sisters Juanita and Maria Las Hermanas Mendoza (`Tu Eres Culpable’) but most of his roster was made up of unknown young turks from the streets and cantinas out to make a name for themselves.

Among those first released on Rio who later rose to fame were Fred Zimmerle’s Trio San Antonio (`Los Ojitos De Mar’) Valerio Longoria (`Pobre Mujer’ `Sufre Tu Parte’) Tony De La Rosa (`Ida’) and Los Pavos Reales (`Nuevo Laredo’ `Tu Eres Mi Placer’) though in retrospect the label’s biggest coup was debuting young Leonardo `Flaco’ Jimenez with his first conjunto Los Caminantes (`La Complicada’).

Other artists on the 28 tracks are perhaps undeservedly less well-known such as Ada Garcia y Los Conquistadores (`En Brazos De Otro Hombre’) Armando Almendarez (Clifton Chenier’s `Boppin’ the Rock’) and Alonzo y Sus Rancheros (Caricias Sonodoras) while others are now so obscure that the liner notes can only guess at the lineups.

The recordings pressed in tiny quantities were very basic and Wolf who tried to charge radio stations for records when payola was the norm lost most of his acts to more professional labels such as Ideal and Falcon but as Chris Strachwitz remarks `For authenticity no other label or producer captured pure cantina music the way Hymie Wolf did on his Rio recordings.’”

(John Conquest — Music City News)