Cigar Collectibles & More

Reviews

First of all I like to tell you that - I DO NOT SMOKE CIGARS... yet the beautiful vocal harmonies of the "Cuarteto Tiempo" in their interpretation of timeless popular cuban songs in this excellent recording is better than any Cohiba Cigar or any of those famous cigars from Cuba. "Cigar Music" truly captures the sound and voices of a timeless Havana through the various musical styles found in this excellent musical work including Bolero, Son, Cha-Cha-Cha and Rumba from the pre-revolutionary island nation of Cuba. The style of harmonic vocal sounds from the US became very popular in Cuba as well from the 1950's to the 60's (remember, Cuba was the playground of America for the first half of the twentieth century). But rather than the "Rock and Roll" counterpart, the cuban version became known as "Feeling" and noted for it's romantic and melodic lyrics of their quartets. Miami still hosts a great nightclub in Calle Ocho that is known for "feeling": "El Rincon del Feeling". This establishment features one of it's original and most popular interpreters, pianist and vocalist Luis García. Luis sang in Cuba with a group which included the voice and piano of Meme Solis and the voice of the late cuban diva Elena Burke. Within the last five years Luis Garcia was part of a recording entitled "A Solas Contigo" (this was the name of a Radio Program in Havana on Radio Progreso that lasted over eight years in the air) and featuring once more the great Meme Solis and the beautiful voice of Malena Burke (daughter of the late Elena) and it is a beautiful expression of the same type of melodies that "Cigar Music" features. I truly recomend "Cigar Music, Tobacco Songs from Old Havana" to all who enjoy great vocal quartets and the timeless songs from Cuba... you will never regret it!

Can't understand most of the words, but one gets the idea quickly. Tobacco and rum! The guitar work is fantastic!

Reviews

killer latin acid jazz. i remember them blowing ozo off the stage at the dragonfly and never being invited back. saw jeremy pivan at a couple shows (the buffalo club and the opium den), back in the days before entourage and miss seeing these guys live. i heard it through the grapevine that they might be getting back together. damn that would be grand. outstanding music, extraordinary musicianship...track #9 is the nuts!

Five Degrees of Soul is a "must have" for your music collection! Their music is a perfect mix of latin jazz with a funky twist. It is unfortunate that the band broke up. I purchased the CD as a gift and have given it to several other people and everyone has loved it!

A really great album. A MUST for anyone who likes Latin Jazz. Every track is spectacular. Track 5 alone makes the album worthwhile. A must.

Wow would be a good place to start. These guys really know what they are doing. A unique and eclectic blend of latin funk and acid jazz, Esplendidos has it all! From their own, remastered versions of "Pick Up The Pieces" and "Scrapple From The Apple", to such rhythmic originals as "Ritmo" and "5-0", there is definitly something for everyone.The trumpet solo in "Morena" (track 6)- so soulful and heartfelt it would make anyone swoon. (Could he hold that note any longer??) The sax solo in "Sweet Lemon" (track 9) gives you the perfect blend of funk without over doing it. Not to mention the rhythmic sounds of the acoustic and bass guitars and, of course, the congas. The variety of solos offered in "9th Floor" (track 3) and throughout the cd, give you just the slightest hint of what each member contributes to make this cd exactly what it is.I am fortunate enough to live in the L.A. area and have seen them play live (and I do recommend seeing them if you are planning on visiting). But if that is not possible, this cd is just like being there. With this collection of jazz classics along with strong originals by the band members themselves, I'm sure they are going to be shooting straight up the charts!! There is no way, no how, that you could listen to this cd without feeling the need to get up and move!!

Reviews

This video is a must for cigar aficianados everywhere. A close, in-depth look at the history of the Cuban cigar - the viewer takes a an educated and fantastic tour of the tobacco fields, and onto harvest time, into the factory, and straight to the leather seat where a good brandy is waiting. Simply the best cigar video ever released...the others don't compare.

Reviews

First, let me start by saying, i collect b-movies, especially italian/mob oriented movies. I dont mind bad production, and sub-par acting. Even with that being said, I thought this movie was terrible. The jokes were bad and outdated. Acting was terrible, and the leading charactor has the worst fake accent iv ever heard. Worse than a cartoon. This is the type of movie that gets the rights leagues all up in arms about stereotypes. Not even in a funny way. Maybe with a different leading man this could have been bearable, but this was just horrible. Not bad in a good way, bad in a bad way.

Smokin' Stogies (2001) directed and written by Vincent Di Rosa, is a wonderful surprise for viewers who were expecting a straight-edge mobster movie, but get to re-establish contact with their sense of humor. In this instance, there are parodies, gags, humorous stereotypes and a very large number of situations that will have the audience frequently giggling and chuckling over the 90 mins. The most striking success of this film, is the wonderful soundtrack, that is done to perfection, perhaps by a very experienced, talented DJ. If a CD were put up for sale, many walking out from the theatres would like a copy to play while driving their cars. Secondly, the visuals of the movie are great from start to finish, from the concerted effort in choosing a number of sets to get on film to relax the audience. For example, Miami the city, surrounding beaches, canals, various situations with flashy women, vintage automobiles from the 1970's, a Harley Davidson motorbike, action scenes on a yacht, all enhance the spectacular. Thirdly, the cast shows a much synergy ... the ensemble of actors quite simply fit together like pieces of a puzzle, on the same wavelength, hitting the funny bone of viewers, all the while telling a story of smuggling operation involving Cuban Cohiba cigars. The film hinges above all on Joseph Marino, playing the character Vinnie Marscone, with a number of very effective supporting actors, such as Tony Sirico, Frank Vincent as Johnny Big, Rolando Millet as Nacho, Vincent Di Rosa, etc. The picture was perhaps intended for the niche of Italian Americans, who are too often stereotypically associated with the activites of a small number of mobsters, who themselves, are often thought to use colloquialisms, expressions, and slang also stereotypical. As such, there's a lot of room for satire, parody of those aspects in this story. Various foods are referenced, such as stromboli, grappa, mortadella, a gag about a pizzeria using a slogan recalling the Godfather - " A pizza you can't refuse" with the logo of a horse's head. Aside from parody, a number of gags are interspersed with a realistic unfolding of the action, to keep viewers curious and interested until the end. A lot of humor also is made up of creative phrases, quips, such as "this hotel room reminds me of the inside of a coffin" or a cleaning room company made up of transvestites, which is labeled "Chicks with Dicks" or FBI means frequently busting Italians. Fifth, this DVD is in the style of HBO, mainly from the language over 18 used, head and shoulders above mere TV-fare releases. There's a nice widescreen presentation and clarity. The editing work, as with the audio, is simply impeccable, and done to perfection.

Congratulations to all who were in this film a great tribute to Indie film making and adding the touch of The Sopranos and Goodfellas Frank Vincent and Tony Sirico had me laughing out loud!! Marone.

Madonne! Smokin' Stogies isn't GoodFellas or even Analyze This, as far as quality is concerned, it's more like a home movie made by guidos and misunderstood by meddigans. The type of Mafia comedy going on here is more in the style of another movie called Mafia, but Stogies is made by and starring Italians-so already it's worth checking out. The dialogue by everyone is spoken like a cross between Jerky Boy Johnny's "Frank Rizzo" character and The Diceman exaggerated times ten-if you can imagine that. Stogies is a slapstick ride through Miami, basically it's a story about a week in the life of real Goomba-Guido type Wiseguys, the coolest kind if you ask me. Joe Marino is Marscone, Tony "Paulie Walnuts" Sirico is Boss Tony, and Frank Vincent (Casino) even joins in on the search for a million in missing Cuban cigars. The movie revolves around gold chains, women, money, cars, and making sure every hair on the Wiseguy head is in place. In a lot of ways, Stogies is more like another crazy low budget title, The Sopornos (go to Blockbuster and rent this flick with your girlfriend) as opposed to The Sopranos, meaning there's not much seriousness happening and no awards are being handed out. I've seen better, I've seen worse, but if you are looking for some drunken fun, grab a stogie and watch Smokin' Stogies. Capeesh? Best scene: "Beer & Ice."

I laughed my bum off watching this movie. Tony Sirico from the Sopranos and Frank Vincent from Casino and Goodfellas are great.The story begins in New York, then takes you down to Miami as mob capo Vinnie Marscone (Joe Marino) tries to find the mob's missing million dollars worth of Cuban Cigars. Only to find out that the FBI, cigar smugglers, and the Miami mob are all after the missing cigars. Penthouse Pet, Amy Lynn Baxter has a cameo in this film that's worth seeing, also there is a cigar sniffing ex-Customs dog named Bruno that cracked me up. This movie I would put in the same genre as Get Shorty and Midnight Run. Also if you are a fan of the Sopranos you should really enjoy this film. It's a funny and fast moving adventure comedy with alot of crazy charactors. Too many to mention.I could see this movie becoming a cult classic.

Reviews

Hey Amazon...what's up with no stock on this? I wanted to get a few as Christmas gifts for my fellow cigar degenerates!

I have been smoking cigars for over 15 years and consider myself an aficionado. I found this DVD very informatiive. This DVD is well done, and after viewing, one walks away with an even greater appreciation for the hard work that goes into each and every handmade cigar! A must have for anyone who enjoys fine cigars!

This DVD was a blind purchase for me, having not seen it previously but being a huge fan of Habanos and Cuba in general. It is amazing that we are only 90 miles away but know so little about the life and culture of these people, so as an interested person I purchased this DVD. It was so good that I literally watched it all the way through two times when I first got it. Far more than your typical documentary about sorting, rolling, and packaging cigars for export, this DVD explores the whole story of the Habano and how it is so tied in with cuban life and culture. There are many memorable stories told by the people involved in the manufacture and sale of these cigars. One that stands out for me was when one of the first spanish saw a Tainos indian smoking a huge bundle of rolled leaves, really the first cigar. He took some tobacco home and repeated this procedure, and wound up in jail because the authorities suspected he was possessed by the devil--emitting smoke from his mouth and sparks from his eyes. The soundtrack is great--it puts you right there in the vuelta abajo, and the salsa makes you want to dance. The DVD ends with an interview with Vahe Gerard, maybe THE preeminent scholar of the habano (see my review of the book Havana Cigars), and I love how he tests, smells, and explains the different sizes as if each cigar were a small miracle. My only complaint is that I wish the video was TWO hours long, because it is that good. An absolute must for any cigar lover.