Orchestra Julian -

Orchestra Julian was a Venezuelan jazz-funk ensemble led by producer and arranger Julian Romero. Their one album, Latin Fire, appeared on TPI Records in 1976.

Members: Julian Romero (producer, arranger)

Latin Fire

Julian Romero (b. 1946) hailed from Caracas, Venezuela, where he co-founded Disqueras Unidas with his brother, Al Romero. He assembled Orchestra Julian for one album, recorded at Sono 2.000 in 1975/76.

Latin Fire appeared stateside in 1976 on TPI Records, an alternate of Terry Philips, Inc. (Larry Young, Both Worlds). It features seven tracks written and arranged by Julian Romero, including “Do It With Class,” “Adios Elvis,” “Homenage al Sol,” “Caracas (Climb on and Ride),” and the title track. None of the players are identified in the credits.

Latin Fire was co-produced by Dr. Lawrence Baker and Terry Philips and engineered by Ricardo Landaeta. The cover shows a saturated b&w image of a female nude against a blurred, distorted backdrop with the name and title flashed in crimson, rounded serif fonts. It was designed by cover artist Reginald Wickham, who also did album visuals for Black Ivory (Baby, Won’t You Change Your Mind), Larry Young (Lawrence of Newark), Benny Johnson, Wanda Robinson, and the first three albums by the Fatback Band.

The original release of Latin Fire (cat# TPI-1002) was the second of three albums on the TPI Records imprint, between titles by Planet of the Apes (A Musical Trip, 1974) and Both Worlds (Don’tcha Hide It, 1977).

In 2016, archivists Best Record Italy issued a 40th anniversary vinyl repress of Latin Fire in a limited edition of 475 copies. This version lists no players but identifies the vocalists by their forenames: Brian, Indira, Jeannie, Stella. The Brian in question was Arista studio hand Brian MacDonald, who co-produced the 1976 release Spaceball by Larry Young’s Fuel. (Discogs ties Indira to the 1976 maxi-single Avar Enakke Sondham, comprised of four acts on Columbia India.)

Discography: