Released in 2002 as Proper Box 48,
Ritmo Caliente marks an exciting high point in this label's catalog and may be the largest anthology ever devoted to
Machito's Afro-Cubans. By focusing on the Caribbean dance music delivered by this band in the early ‘40s, the first of four CDs provides important background for
Machito's historic collaborations with early modern jazz heroes later in the decade. In tracing his progress through the years 1947-1951, Proper illustrates how (like
Tito Puente)
Machito chose a more progressive path at a time when
Xavier Cugat,
Desi Arnaz, and
Edmundo Ros each modified his act for more lucrative appeal to mainstream pop audiences. While Pablo's
Mucho Macho is still the best single-disc introduction to
Machito,
Ritmo Caliente is recommended for those who want to delve deeper and learn more about this remarkable individual and his consistently excellent ensemble. Born in 1912 as Frank Raul Grillo in Havana,
Machito sang and handled maracas from an early age. He came to New York in 1937 and made his first records singing backup for vocalist
Alfredito Valdez. In 1938, he and his sister Graciela sang with
the Septeto Anacaona, and he recorded with el Quarteto Caney, el Conjunto Moderno, and la Orquesta Hatuey. After serving as lead singer with bands under the leadership of
Nora Morales and
Augusto Coen,
Machito joined forces with
Mario Bauza in 1939 to form their first Afro-Cuban band.
Bauza, who married
Machito's sister Estella, is a figure deserving of wider recognition. In his youth he played clarinet, bass clarinet, and oboe with the
Havana Philharmonic. After moving to New York at the age of 19, he blew trumpet with orchestras under the direction of
Noble Sissle,
Chick Webb,
Don Redman, and
Cab Calloway. It was
Bauza who talked
Cab into hiring
Dizzy Gillespie, who later named
Bauza as a major influence, whereas
Machito drew inspiration from
Webb,
Duke Ellington, and
Count Basie.