Recorded in 1978,
From the Depth of My Brain... is one of
Willie Rosario's most intensely focused and deeply moving dates. Featuring a chorus, a trio of singers who include
Tony Vega, Bobby Concepcion, and
Gilberto Santa Rosa, and lead vocalists Guillo Rivera and Junior Toledo,
From the Depth of My Brain... comes out of the deeper experiences in life and love to offer a salsa experience that is full of dimension and texture. Among the participants here are conguero Jimmy Morales, baritone saxophonist Beto Tirado, and pianist
Javier Fernández (and of course the maestro himself on timbales). The material ranges from
Tito Puente's pumped-up opus "Picadillo con Salsa" and Henry Arana's beautiful "Llorare" to the deep sorrow in
Rafael Hernández's "Desesperacion," with its mournful choruses and Rivera's gorgeous lead vocal. The set ends with a
Rosario original, "Todo Se Olvida," an elegant son with a knotty chart and killer vocal by Toledo. The taut jazz arrangement for the trumpet section comes right from the
Machito school of arrangement.
From the Depth of My Brain... is a very progressive recording, and one of
Rosario's finest moments on tape. ~ Thom Jurek