Continuing with my series of cante CDs that I've enjoyed, I can heartily endorse Early Cante Flamenco, a 1990 release from Arhoolie, #CD-326. This is a very successful selection of singers from the 1930s thru the 1950s, though the album notes incorrectly claim that they are all from the 1930s. There are 22 selections, by a total of 7 singers--4 well known to most aficionados: Antonio Mairena, Tomás Pavón, Manolo Caracol, and La Niña de los Peines, but this CD also gives us the opportunity to hear 3 lesser-known people we may have heard of but rarely get the chance to hear--Pepe Pinto, the husband of La Niña (Pastora Pavón), Manuel Vallejo, and a longtime favorite of mine, Manolita de Jerez. Her inclusion is most welcome (bulerías and soleares, with Niño Ricardo), but these cannot be 1930s recordings because she was born either in 1927 or 1935 (what a spread!). Pepe Pinto I'd not heard before, but his voice reminded me a little of Turronero, with perhaps a touch of Tomás Pavón. I'd also not heard Vallejo before--a classic cante bonito voice, with great control.

Just about all selections are quite good, and many are excellent--Mairena surprisingly so; Tomás Pavón sings several outstanding soleares and a bulerías por soléa; La Niña also an oustanding soleares. This disk could grace any collection, and provides exposure to a wide range of fine singers. Sound quality is surprisingly good. Guitarists include Melchor de Marchena, Niño Ricardo, and Paco Aguilera, a tocaor I've always appreciated, dedicated to unobtrusive and tasteful accompaniment.

Carlos

I remember Arhoolie (at that time mainly [I think] a bluegrass label) put out a cd by that name.It was nicely weird-the only good flamenco cd you could find in almost any cd show
If it is the same, there should be a pregon-bulerias with Vallejo (who we should remember is one of the very few who won a Llave del Oro for cante) with a dynamite intro by Manolo de Huelva (sot of reminiscent of Diegos' toque) the "pregon"=- vendor's cry, is something about "going to the fruit seller to buy a girl"
The melody Manolo begins the guitar with is, appropriately , a well-known Spanish tune (from zarzuela?) "I have my love under the leaf of a lettuce where she has a fever"

(The verses go on to mention various herbs, and then she dies.I think a variety of wild lettuce has some sort of opiate in it)

Also on the cd (?) is a granaina by Vallejo.It is one of his cantes that always leaves me in wonder-It is (sort of?) great, but seems to me to be "just on this good side) of the border between good solid cante on one side and cante bonito on the other