Harvey Averne, our classmate, is a producer of Latin musical albums and won the first two Grammys ever awarded in the Latin Music Category. That was back in 1975 and 1976. Today he is semi-retired and still producing albums. “The Harvey Averne Anthology” (a collection of Harvey’s hits from 1967 to 1971) was released yesterday (May 26 ).

In anticipation of the new album Harvey was interviewed by Chico Alvarez for Latin Beat magazine Here are excerpts from that interview.

Chico- What are your musical and cultural roots?
Harvey- I was born in 1936 in Brooklyn. My parents were European American Jews who lived a modest life; they were very supportive of me during my formative years. They started me on the violin at the age of nine, and then I switched to the accordion. At twelve I turned professional. My first summer gig away from home came at age 14. By the age of 16, I was already a full-time musician. It was so long ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. While attending Thomas Jefferson High School I appeared regularly at the Boulevard Night Club on Queens Boulevard in Rego Park with up and coming and established stars such as Don Rickles, Jerry Vale, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett and so many others. I also worked the Catskills at Brickman’s, the Concord, Grossinger’s, the Pines, the Nevele, and Laurel’s.

Chico- Surely you weren’t just another hotel and club date band, right?
Harvey- No, not at all. I was already looking toward other horizons. After changing my name from Harvito to Arvito, I was booked into the Palladium Ballroom. When I found out that Tito Puente was also on the bill, I panicked. You see, my group was doing mostly Tito Puente numbers and Tito was a great vibe player. I approached Tito and truthfully told him of my plight. He said, “Don’t worry kid, I have plenty of numbers. Just tell me which ones you are playing so I don’t repeat them.” That night, he didn’t even play vibes. From that day forward he became my friend and mentor.

Chico- But, as we all know your career as a musician did not take you to the heights until you recorded “My Dream.”
Harvey- “My Dream,” which was part of my debut album “Viva Soul” gave me my first taste of success in the record business. By age 36 I was tired of rehearsing, touring and performing. I found working behind the scenes to be more creative and interesting and I realized that my forte was getting the best performances out of creative people. That’s when I produced Ray Barretto’s groundbreaking “Acid” album. A record producer functions in exactly the same was a movie director does. We should never have been called producers in the first place, because in the movie industry the producer handles mostly the financial part while the director handles all the creative stuff. We should have been called directors because that’s what we are. That’s why my credits say, “produced, directed and mixed” by Harvey Averne, with the hope that people will finally understand what a record producer actually does.

Chico- Did you produce “Jungle Fever?”
Harvey- No, I was just the bandleader. It was a huge commercial success. It sold two million copies in 1972 and is considered by some to be the first real international “disco” hit and it has twice been used on the HBO series, “Entourage” and in the movies. After that colossal success I was made head of the Latin Music Division of United Artists Records. After one year I felt ready to make the big move and started my own record label, Coco Records.

Chico- Enter Eddie Palmieri?
Harvey- You got it. I bought Eddie’s contract for $35,000 and felt other artists would follow his lead. Eddie was our first and primary artist. It put Coco Records on the map. Eddie’s first record “Adoracion” was such a powerfully recorded performance that the minute it hit the turntables in Puerto Rico, the radio deejays could not resist playing it. After that first single shook up the island, we followed it up with “Puerto Rico” and the rest is history. It was a giant step forward and the follow up album, “The Sun of Latin Music” contained many hits. So here was little Coco Records, with Eddie Palmieri and the greatest salsa band of the moment, with producer Harvey Averne at the helm, winning the first Grammy ever given in the “Latin Music” category. Throughout the years, I have been told by many critics that “The Sun of Latin Music” established for our music what “Sargeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” did for rock. To this day, every “salsa” recording is invariably compared to that album.

Our second Grammy winning album was jeopardized when Eddie asked the media not to play it because we had a financial disagreement. He walked out and left it “unfinished.” So I finished it, as I had always done on all Palmeri albums. I changed the name from “Kinkamache” to “Unfinished Masterpiece” and the rest of that is history too. Prior to this we never had any disagreements over the final mixes. A “hit’ record fixes everything. “Unfinished Masterpiece” was the most profitable Palmieri album to date. Due to a lot of negative publicity, the entire Latin music community knew about this album and stimulated curiosity and crated big-time sales and profits. We have a saying in show business: “There is no such thing as bad publicity, as long as they spell your name right.”

Chico- So, what finally happened to Coco Records?
Harvey- A scheming partner and a crooked distributor ripped off Coco at its peak moment of success. We all got screwed and I blame myself for not seeing the writing on the wall and not looking over my shoulder. Too busy, I guess. Just as “disco music” was putting a stranglehold on “salsa,” Coco Records went belly-up – chapter 11. In the final stages of the conspiracy, Audio Fidelity Enterprises bought Coco out of bankruptcy. My only regret is that I didn’t stay and fight back when things got bad. I’m not bitter, but it did get ugly and I was so angry and heartbroken that all this historic material had been screwed around with from company to company. Most of what we’ve been talking about here, my work as producer for Coco, was done in a mere five year period between 1972 to 1977.

Chico- What does the future hold for Harvey Averne?
Harvey- The Harvey Averne Anthology will be released May 26, but my heart’s desire is to produce great hits with exciting new artists and make albums that no music lover can live without. Just like I always did. It’s been one helluva ride, Chico, hasn’t it. (laughter)

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10/27/09

Our 50th Reunion was held in New York, the Big Apple. Our 55th will be held in a tropical setting and the pineapple will be our centerpiece.

The pineapple has been a universal symbol of hospitality and welcome for many centuries all over the world.

The first account of the pineapple was given by Christopher Columbus and his men, who landed on the island now known as Guadeloupe on their second voyage of discovery. Since it had an abrasive, segmented exterior like a pine cone and a firm interior pulp like an apple it became known as a pineapple.

Seafaring captains used to impale fresh pineapples--souvenirs of their lengthy travels to tropical ports--atop the porch railings of their homes when they returned. It was a symbol then that the man of the house was home--albeit briefly--and receiving visitors.

During early Colonial days in the United States, families would set a fresh pineapple in the center of the table as a colorful centerpiece of the festive meal, especially when visitors joined them in celebration. This symbolized the utmost in welcome and hospitality to the visitor, and the fruit would be served as a special desert after the meal. Often when the visitor spent the night, he was given the bedroom which had the pineapples carved on the bedposts or headboard--even if the bedroom belonged to the head of the household.

Our celebration will be no different. The pineapple will be our centerpiece. As in days of yesteryear, it will symbolize the utmost welcome to you at this major milestone in our lives. And we will celebrate. It is doubtful that the hotel headboards will have pineapples carved into them, but we do plan to have pineapple based drinks to sip and pineapples for dessert.

The Reunion Committee is delighted to inform you that you will soon be able to make room reservations for our 55th Reunion at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for November 19 to 21, 2010.
You can make a reservation starting December 1, 2009.

Room Rate- $169 per night whether single or double occupancy. A $15 charge will be made for each adult over two adults per room, per night. This rate is guaranteed until October 19, 2010. This rate is also available for extended stays for two days before and two days after our scheduled weekend. If you wish to stay longer than seven days you need to make a personal request for the same rate, which will most likely be honored.

Reservations can be made with the hotel directly Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm by calling 954-454-4334. Reservations can also be made after 5 pm and on weekends via Crowne Plaza Worldwide at 800-227-6963.

On-Line reservations can also be made. We will advise you of the booking code, which will be needed to make such reservations.

Check in time is 4 pm. Checkout time is 11 am.

Early Arrival- All guests that arrive before the scheduled time will be honored as rooms become available. The front desk and bell staff will be happy to provide luggage space in the event rooms are not available.

Early Departure and No Shows- In the event a guest checks out prior to the reserved departure date, a fee of 1 night at the reserved rate will be charged. To avoid the early departure fee advise the hotel before check-in of any changes. Cancelling your reservation less than 72 hours prior to arrival time or no showing for your reservation, will result in a charge that is equal to the first night’s stay and the remainder of the reservation will be cancelled.