LINER NOTES: THE STORIES OF ARTISTS AND RECORDINGS IN CONTEXT

I am committed to carrying the torch of the liner notes tradition, and happy to commit to the revival of this art that has coincided with the international resurgence of vinyl. My latest album notes were commissioned by the popular record club Vinyl Me Please, a phenomenon bringing archival recordings to new generations and nostalgic fans that I am proud to collaborate with.

For my notes for VMP’s December 2023 re-release of Hector Lavoe’s salsa classic Comedia, I spoke with the urban Latino maestro Willie Colón, and tracked down the art director and photographer of the iconic album cover to talk about their memories of  the recording for the first time. Upcoming are my album notes for three other vintage New York Latin albums to be re-released by VMP in collaboration with the storied Fania label in 2024, as well as as notes for an album by a Mexican singer whose story took on mythic proportions after his murder.

I was nominated for a Grammy for my liner notes and illustrated booklet for the 2018 The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions box set (Craft Recordings), which I co-produced. I have written notes for major and independent label recordings including Colombian superstar Carlos Vives’ Cumbiana and Cumbiana II, Dominican singer-songwriter Alex Ferreira’s Tanda, and the re-release of Rita Indiana’s cult Latin alternative masterpiece El Juidero, for which I compiled an in-studio oral history from memories told to me by the album’s musicians.

I also write artist bios and create promotional materials that tell the stories of recordings and musical genres. Past projects have included texts for artists ranging from Latin Grammy-winning Mexican singer and musician Silvana Estrada to Julio Iglesias.