Bronx River Parkway is a band based out of NY that was initially formed during an impromptu jam session at the Soul Fire studios in early 2002. Out of that jam session came their first single entitled “Quines Que Resolverlo” which was released later that year on the Latin Express imprint of Soul Fire Records.
In 2004, Pablo Rodriguez, of Candela Records, and visual artist, Rostarr, had the vision of melding the gritty style and aesthetic of Bronx River Parkway with the distinct musical vocabulary of traditional Puerto Rican music. The way to see this though was to team up NY’s, Bronx River Parkway, with a crew of legendary salsa musicians that make their home in San Juan. Some of the local musicians who contributed to the album have graced the stage with such legends as Roberta Roena, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Ray Baretto, and Tito Rodriguez to name a few. Sammy Ayala, one the many vocalists featured on the album, was an original member of Cortijo y su Combo. Fifty years ago, Sammy Ayala, along with Raphael Cortijo and Ismael Riviera, created a blended sound in salsa incorporating the native rhythms of Puerto Rico with the Caribbean sounds from Cuba, Dominican republic and the West Indies. They were one of Puerto Rico's most successful musical groups, and one of Salsa's most famous groups across Latin America.
In February of 2005, original members Leon Michels, Jeff Silverman, Quincy Bright, and Nick Movshon were flown to San Juan, PR for eight days. Housed in a 200-year-old, former ballet school that was once owned by Tego Calderon, BRP built a make-shift studio with carefully arranged bed mattresses and began recording what would eventually become the album, “San Sebastian 152”. What came of these recording sessions is a unique and inspired mix of the varying musical genres that have influenced both BRP and all the musicians involved. The American soul and R&B influences of BRP remain the basis while traditional bomba, salsa, and rumba shine through to create something completely fresh. This is the first full-length from Bronx River Parkway featuring the Candela Allstars.
