Original Mambo Kings

 (4 customer reviews)

Before Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley songwriters picked up on Cuban and Puerto Rican styles in the pursuit of disposable novelty hits, these styles were being honestly fused with the emerging modern jazz of bebop and cool. Of course, this took place in New York City, as Machito and other emigres were welcomed by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, and by dancers who no doubt wanted something hotter than intellectual bebop. The result is in these raw recordings, which are compositionally astute, blending Ellingtonian orchestrations with bop heads and the clave, while retaining and even magnifying the rhythmic intensity. Such a virile fusion of Latin and New York styles would not be heard again until the Nu Yorican movement of the 1970s.

The Mambo Kings was the so long expected materialization of a long, long dream. Mario Bauza, was the power behind the throne, the artistic driving force who made possible this album was not only a hit in its moment, but a huge artistic achievement, that transcended by far, the barriers of the drifting fashion to become a cult album and a true reference classic.

This compilation was possible thanks to Max Salazar, who zealously picked up the missing pieces of this enormous musical legacy for the generations to come. The fervent and outburst energy cover the hall of your home.

Imagine what this album meant at its moment. To convince Charlie Parker for joining in this project, to count with the collaboration of Dizzy Gillespie and a bunch of convinced and better talented musicians in the late forties allowed the world knew about this singular musical fusion that literally the way of playing, composing and feeling the jazz. The own essence transformed itself,...Read more

For the price the CD was okay. The only complaint I have is that a few of the songs I like sound like they were copied from a scratchy record, rather than getting a CLEAN copy to put onto this CD like the song CUBOP CITY. These tunes are pretty good especially "TANGA", and "CON POCO COCO."