Cachao y su Descarga 77 is the first album recorded as a leader by Cachao in the United States, following his exile from Cuba in 1962. It was recorded in July 1976 under the supervision of musicologist René López, who was responsible for organizing the sessions. The LP was released in 1977 by Salsoul to critical acclaim. The songs included in the release are in the descarga format, i.e. improvised jam sessions, and were performed by a predominantly Cuban lineup featuring trumpeter Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, percussionist Carlos "Patato" Valdés and flautist Gonzalo Fernández, among others.[1][2]
Considered Cachao's "comeback album", it was followed by Dos, which was recorded during the same sessions.[1] Although praised by critics, both albums had limited commercial success and virtually no airplay.[3]
The album was well received by critics. A contemporary review published on the Stereo Review magazine classified it as a "recording of special merit" and rated the performance as "superb" and the recording quality as "good".[5] It highlighted Cachao's role as an innovator in Cuban music, comparing him to Duke Ellington.[5] The Downbeat Magazine review highlighted the high quality of the performers describing those on side A (tracks 1 and 2) as "the finest interpreters of pure Afro-Cuban music in the U.S.", and those on tracks 3 and 4 as "the leading exponents of the modern charanga".[6] It also praised the closing track, "a stark and moving rendition of 'La bayamesa'", which had also closed his 1958 album Jam Session with Feeling.[6]
^ abDíaz Ayala, Cristóbal (May 3, 2018). "Cachao"(PDF). Encyclopedic Discography of Cuban Music 1925-1960. Florida International University Libraries. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
^Larkin, Colin (2006). "López, Israel "Cachao"". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Kollington - Morphine. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 318.
^Rondón, César Miguel (2008). The Book of Salsa. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. pp. 153-154.
