Finally available on CD, this Universal Latino reissue of bandleader and timbale master
Willie Rosario's 1982 album Atizame el Fogón (Stoke the Burner) is one of six albums
Rosario recorded for the T.H. Rodven label in the 1970s and '80s. Recorded in San Juan,
Rosario's band at the time included not only the great conguero
Jimmy Morales, but also pianist
Javier Fernández. What is exceptional about this date, coming as it did in 1982, is the distinct lack of slick modernism in the charts, and the trio of amazing vocalists in Bobby Concepcion,
Tony Vega, and
Gilberto Santa Rosa. The tune selection is flawless, including the midtempo party simmer of
Diomedes Diaz's "Negrita Linda," the exquisitely arranged horn charts on
Henry Arana's "Mala Mujer" (one of the more romantic dance tunes of the last 30 years), and the burning sensuality of "Cuando Vuelvas a Quererme," by
Julio Gutierrez. In sum, this is one of those
Rosario records that grooves from top to bottom and is equally successful as either a listening or dancing experience. The remastered sound is nice and tight, and the CD is attractively packaged in a slipcase.