Les Chakachas - Eso Es El Amor

Year : 1977
Label : RCA Victor
Genre : Latin Jazz
Style : Afro-Cuban Jazz, Pop

Compilation bringing together various titles recorded between 1958 and 1969 from the funny Belgium latin band "Les Chakachas". The group was formed in 1958 by Belgium musicians Gaston Bogaert (percussion, drums), Henri Breyre (guitar), Bill Raymond (bass), Christian Mare (piano), Charlie Lots (trumpet), Dutch saxophonist Victor Ingeveldt and Cuban songstress Kari Kenton, sometimes supported by Nico Gomez as composer and guitarist. Les Chakachas mostly played Latin American music in all of its variation including Cha-Cha-Cha, Mambo, Rumba or Bossa Nova, mixing it also with pop music. Their first big success was "Eso Es El amor" which reached first rank in the Belgium music charts of the 1958 year, a title regularly recorded in various versions all along their career. In the seventies, the band incorporated Afro-American music elements in their compositions including R&B, Funk and Soul whose the most iconic song was "Jungle Fever", returned into the spotlight thanks to the Paul Thomas Anderson's film "Boogie Nights" in 1997 and the "Grand Theft Auto San Andreas" video game.

Tadaaki Misago & His Tokyo Cuban Boys - This Is Cuban Rock Sounds

Year : 1974
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Master Sonic Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin
Style : Afro-Cuban Jazz, Jazz Rock

The kings of japanese mambo honored by the Cuba state, explore the world of rock 'n' roll, including psychedelia, mixing it with Latin Jazz. Formed and conducted by Tadaaki Misago, The Tokyo Cuban Boys is the oldest japanese jazz big band actives since 1949, which took advantage of the mambo's whirlwind that swept Japan in the 50s, to become a major big band in Latin Music in which emerged the famous japanese latin percussionnist, Yoshinori Nohmi. Indeed, Tadaaki Misago & His Tokyo Cuban Boys have contributed to the expansion of  latin music in Japan, recording over 200 albums between 1949 and 1980, the year of their dissolution. They have associated acts alongside Sharps & Flats, collaborated with various artists from Jazz such as Norio Maeda, Jiro Inagaki & Minoru Muraoka, to japanese folk and pop music as backing band for Michiya Mihashi, the "King of Enka" or actress Eri Chiemi. Titles include the great standards of Latin Music including Boléro (Bésame Mucho, Historia De Un Amor, Perfidia), Mambo (Siboney, Quién Será) or Bossa Nova styles (La Cancion De Orfe). All tracks arranged by Takeshi Koizumi.

Candido - Drum Fever

Year : 1973
Label : Polydor
Genre : Jazz, Latin
Style : Afro-Cuban Jazz, Soul-Jazz, Jazz-Funk

Last volume of the Candido "Funk Trilogy" serie which started with "Thousand Finger Man" (1970 - Solid State), and passing by "Beautiful" licenced on Blue Note records in 1971. "Drum Fever" is one of the Candido's funkiest records, conducted by the legendary Afro-Cuban-Jazz arranger Chico O' Farrill, it includes latin waves and soul-jazz grooves with swinging congas, killer keyboards, wah wah guitar and funky brass section. "Drum Fever" was conceived with the Chico O' Farrill complicity, most of the tracks are composed by the Candido-Farrill duo, including also two jazz standards, the big classic "St. Louis Blues" and the caribbean jazz "St. Thomas" of Sonny Rollins played in a up-tempo funk variation.

Ace 7 - Latin Rhapsody

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Year : 1968 

Label : RCA 

Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz 

Style : Easy Listening, Afro Cuban Jazz

"Ace 7" was formed by the japanese jazz giant pianist, Hachidai Nakamura, former member in the late fifties of the first incarnation of legendary jazz quartet led by drummer George Kawaguchi, "The Big 4", featuring Hidehiko Matsumoto & Mitsuru Ono. The Ace 7 are among legends of japanese jazz musicians including "Sleepy" Matsumoto (sax), Isao "Jazz Godfather" Suzuki (b), Shungo Sawada/Sadanori Nakamure (g), Akira "Count Buffalo" Ishikawa (ds), Akira Nakano (tp), Takashi Onodera (per) & Seiji Hiraoka (vibes). Their singularity is to produce showcase albums highlithing cinema ("Ciné Jazz", "Memories Of American Movie Themes") or jazz standards ("Modern Jazz Best"). "Latin Rhapsody" is a tribute to Latin music and its own declinations like Bolero (Quizas, Quizas, Quizas, Besame Mucho), Tango (El Choclo), Rumba (Rumba Rhapsody), including classics from Cuba, Mexico passing by Argentina & Spain. All tracks arranged by Hachidai Nakamura.

Nico Gomez And His Afro Percussion Inc. ‎- Ritual

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Year : 1971
Label : Omega
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Funk/Soul, Afro Cuban Jazz

Obscure record released by Nico Gomez from Les Chakachas including Afro-Cuban Jazz & Latin Funk. Under the pseudonym of Nico Gomez hides Joseph Van Het Groenewoud, a Belgian composer and big band leader who was active between the fifties and the seventies, best known to compose several songs for the belgian Latin band, "Les Chakachas" (remember the sexy song "Jungle Fever" in Paul Thomas Anderson's film "Boogie Night"). Titles include acid organ, psychedelic guitar and heavy percussions, two covers from the King of Mambo, Pérez Prado ("Caballo Negro" & the funky "Lupita"), five of his own compositions whose the dancefloor killer Salsa-Funk "Cuba Libre", the Bossa Nova classic "One Note Samba", a variation of iconic Chakachas' 1958 hit "Eso Es El Amor" and the latin pop "Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!".

Mongo Santamaria - Up From The Roots

Year : 1972

Label : Atlantic

Genre : Latin Jazz

Style : Afro-Cuban Jazz

 

One of the main actor to the success of Afro-Cuban Jazz in the US with the standard "Afro-Blue" popularized by John Coltrane, Mongo Santamaria was also known as a major figure of fusion between latin beat and Soul music. "Up From the Roots", thirty years after his first work as a leader, is an ode to cuban percussions exploring the African roots of Caribbean music including various dances and songs from Guaguanco (En La Habana) to Mambo (Conga, Bata, Y Chequere) and Rumba (Me Buele La Muele). Titles include also typical Afro-Cuban Jazz track "Para Ti" and the funky "Jose Outside". It features Carter Jefferson & Bill Saxon (sax), Lew Soloff & Jon Faddis (tp), Eddy Martinez (p) - Eddie Rivera (b), Steve Barrios (ds).

Mongo Santamaria - Mongo' 70

Year : 1970

Label : Atlantic

Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk, Afro-Cuban Jazz

Mongo Santamaria was a popular session latin jazz percussionist who played in the fifties with the greatest Tito Puente or Cal Tjader among others. "Mongo' 70" is a crossover jazz album including latin grooves and pop/funk beats recorded with collaboration of pianist/arranger Earl Neal Creque from Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers. Titles include the killer funk "March Of The Panther" composed by Sonny Henry, "Dedicated To Love" by John Hart,  the Afro-Cuban "Abolo Criollo", the killer pop "Yesterday's Tomorrow" & "Mo' Do" featuring guitarist Eric Gale, and six original compositions by E. N. Creque (whose "Windjammer", a variation of "The Windjammer" originally composed for Grant Green). Mongo is supported by a trio of percussionists formed by Julio Colazzo, Osvaldo Martinez & Pelayo Diaz.

Shunzo Ohno - Antares

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Year : 1980
Label : King Records

Serie : Electric Bird
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Afro-Cuban Jazz

Second album by japanese trumpeter Shunzo Ohno released for the japanese fusion jazz label "Electric Bird", recorded at the famous Electric Lady studio, New York, featuring iconic Miles Davis' bassist, Marcus Miller. Antares is a typical jazz-funk album to the Afro-Cuban accents with amazing heavy funk grooves including explosive slapping bass (Low East Side, Rum Raisin) and dynamic Latin bongo-drums breaks (Bright Side, Antares). All tracks composed by Shunzo Ohno except "Rainbow Lovers" composed by Kazuko Ohno.

Candido - Thousand Finger Man

 

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Year : 1969
Label : Solid State
Genre : Latin Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Afro Cuban Jazz

Iconic album from the Havana native percussionist Candido Camero featuring bassist Chuck Rainey and guitarist David Spinozza. Candido starts as professional for Machito before to move to New York in 1952 in order to play with Dizzie Gillespie. Between 1953-1954, he joins the Billy Taylor Quarter and later becomea session musician in demand performing and recording with Buddy Rich, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Evil Jones or Art Blakey. "Thousand Finger Man" is a pop funk album produced by saxophonist Duke Pearson including heavy organ sounds, killer congos beat and latin grooves. Titles include Candido's original "Thousand Finger Man", the "Tony's Theme" extracted from Lady In Cement score and covers from Rufus Thomas (the stax classic "Jump Back") and Booker T. & The MGs (Soul Limbo).

Candido - Beautiful

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Year : 1970
Label : Blue Note
Genre : Latin Jazz, Jazz
Style : Afro Cuban Jazz, Jazz Funk

"Beautiful" is the unique release for Blue Note records by the conga master Candido Camero including dynamic percussions, soul jazz backgrounds & latin-funk sounds, all together in a dance-oriented album. Produced and arranged by bandleader Joe Cain who contributes to the album with the title-track, "Money Man" and the killer groove "Ghana Spice" (parts 1 & 2). Titles include also cover songs from Richie Havens (I'm On My Way), Booker T & The MG's (Tic Tac Toe), Joe Garland (Serenade To A Savage) and Gamble & Huff (Hey, Western Union Man). "Beautiful" reissue was included in the Blue Note's rare groove series started in 1995.

Ben & The Platano Group - Paris Soul

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Year : 1971
Label : Barclay
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Jazz Rock, Afro-Cuban Jazz

Ben & The Platano Group consists in the meeting of various musicians who were active in the parisian nights during the seventies, including ''Le Lido'' cabaret on the Champs-Elysées. Composed with collaboration of Manuel Itturia and arranged by Roger Lecussant, who presents himself as Evaristo Nata, "Paris Soul" is conducted by percussionist & leader Ben Ahmed Zouber. The Platano Group distills a blend of Afro-Cuban flavors, Brazilian rhythms & Latin Funk, played in the purest style of Mongo Santamaria and Candido Camero, including titles from Paris Soul 45rpm "Paris Soul/Cabaret" (1971), Afro-Cuban killer tunes "Salute Tu Santa" & "Art Pino Pasta".