Caribbean Music

If you're talking about caribbean music and steel drums, you are talking about Andy Narell... Get, The Long Time Band CD. You can also look for the Caribbean Jazz Project, Andy Narell, Paquito D'Rivera and Dave Samuels...
For flute music, try Steve Kujala's Fresh Flute, not exactly caribbean but very good flute player, and the music is so refreshing. And of course, Dave Valentin, and Nestor Torres, both from Puerto Rico.

For a taste of authentic Caribbean flute playing try Jose Fajardo's recordings; a favorite is: Jose Fajardo's All Stars, "Cuban Jam Session". Fajardo is generally considered the king of Cuban flute playing, with great style and a unique sound due in part to the fact that he played the traditional wooden Cuban flute with only five keys. More contemporary Latin flute players play the Boehm silver flute. Try also the recordings by Nestor Torres and Johnny Pacheco. If you can find them, the early Eddie Palmieri records featuring Johnnny Pacheco are killer.

Most of the suggestions so far, while very good ones, are not really what I would call authentic Caribbean music. Caribbean influenced, but not the real shit, as they say. Even Valentin is more of a crossover artist, playing in more of a Latin Jazz Fusion style.

I imagine myself on a warm sunny beach somewhere in the Caribbean and I think that the music that I would hear is more along the lines of Fajardo or:

-Cachao "Master Sessions". Great Cuban bass player with a variety of Latin stars such as Paquito D'Rivera and Nestor Torres.
-Cubanisimo! starring Jesus Alemany
-Best of Los VanVan
-Buena Vista Social Club
-Anything by Orquesta Aragon, the "charanga" masters.

For me, nothing defines the sound of the Caribbean like the sound of a traditional "charanga" band: rhythm, flute and strings. More subtle than most salsa bands but can swing even more; a great sound.

Enjoy and don't forget the Appleton dark Jamaican rum, over ice.

Here's a few good ones:
Monty Alexander - "Caribbean Circle" (chesky!!!) "Island Grooves" (With steel drums)
Ernest Ranglin - "Below the bassline" and "Memories Of Barber Mack" "Gotcha" (on telarc)
Peter Tosh - "Negril" (ok sound, but really one of the very first reggae jazz records)

Caribbean Jazz Project has four cds out and they are pretty good (the two earlier ones are the best). Also look into Andy Narell. He has several cds out and they are also very good, especially "The Hammer" and "Little Secrets".

Steel drums are good too. Anything come to mind?

thanks guys ; now i want to go on another cruise. steel drums in st luci or hati. i miss that badly.

Try the sound track to *The Little Mermaid*.

You've never heard of Dave Valentine? best jazz flute player I know..from Puerto Rico by way of the Bronx. There's a cd out with him and Dave Samuels (vibes) called Carribean Jazz, it's exceptional. Very Spanish Carribean. I listen to a lot of reggae but can't recall any with flute save for a Black Uhuru album I don't remember the title of.