Jack Constanzo & His Afro-Cuban Band - Mr. Bongo 1955 - 320Kbps - Latin, Jazz # DrBn

Jack Costanzo & His Afro-Cuban Band



Mr. Bongo



1955 / 1998







CD / 1998 / 320Kbps



Jack Costanzo was a true pioneer in playing jazz on Latin instruments. In his long career he was always best known for his bongo playing, although he also performed on conga frequently. He gained fame for his work in the late '40s with Stan Kenton's orchestra and as a member of the Nat King Cole Trio (which became a quartet) during 1949-1953. Since then, Costanzo has been heard in a wide variety of settings.

During the bongo craze, Costanzo was hired by several different labels to record albums under his own name that spotlighted his bongo and conga work. He also acted occasionally, appearing in the television series "Staccato" and movies such as "Thrill in Brazil" and the Jerry Lewis version of Gore Vidal's "Visit to a Small Planet."

Mr. BONGO compiles some of Jack Costanzo's best tracks, showcasing Costanzo's powerful bongos and Eddie Cano's piano.

The keywords here are variation and versatility: the rhythms and musical styles range from typical Cuban Guajira ("Meloda De Cana") and Guaracha ("Goza Negra"), over mambo ("La La La", "Abaniquito"), cha-cha ("El Resbaloso") and other Afro-Cuban patterns, to boogaloo (which is Latin dancefloor funk-jazz, often with screaming electric guitar, like here in "Viva Tirado", a song made famous by El Chicano). Half of the 16 tracks are vocal, the other half instrumental; except for two tracks ("Bongo Festeris" and "Abaniquito"), the bongo is not featured as a solo instrument.

The repertoire includes Cuban traditionals, and standards like "Just One Of Those Things", "La Bamba" done as mambo, a Latin pop version of "Pata Pata", a really stomping "Guantanamera", and by far the hottest and most swinging version of "Caravan" ever! Other favorites here include a novelty-esque mambo version of "Chopsticks", that starts with Eddie Cano's interpretation of his first piano lesson, a remarkable fusion of Mariachi and boogaloo in "Cu Cu Ru Curu", and "Bongo Festeris", with its ferocious bongo solo.

Recommended, especially for Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente fans.





Tracklist:

1 Coco May May

2 Viva Tirado (*)

3 La La La

4 El Resbaloso

5 Chopsticks Mambo

6 Melado De Cana

7 Abaniquito

8 Cu Cu Ru Curu (*)

9 Goza Negra

10 Pata Pata (*)

11 Just One Of Those Things

12 La Bamba (*)

13 Caravan

14 Chicken And Rice (*)

15 Guantanamera (*)

16 Bongo Festeris



Personnel:

Jack Costanzo, Bongos and Leader

John Anderson, Paul López, Tony Terran, Trumpets

Willy Gallardo, Timbales

Manuel Ochoa (Kaskara), Vocals and Maracas

Eddie Gómez, Claves

Ramón "Ray" Rivera, Conga

Eddie Cano, Piano

Ernesto Montez, Bass

Marda Saxon, Vocals



CD Reissue of 1955 LP including Bonus Tracks (Tracks 2, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15).

Track sequence is different from vinyl releases.



Straight, no chaser.

:)



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