Kenya

Oh. Oh yes. OH YES! The furious bongos, the brass! Hook it directly into my veins! Have heard the opener around and about plenty of times as a bed under radio hosts but never knew what it was. If I could give this 7 stars I would. Thank You 1001 albums. I hereby forgive you One of the Ryan Adams entries.

Oof. This was a challenging album for a Monday morning. The chaotic, frenetic energy of cuban jazz is something I have to be in the mood for, not something that gets me in the mood. That said, this IS a damn good expression of the genre. It felt like the soundtrack to a 1970s spy movie and I am not sad about that. It was an enjoyable listen and I'll be saving it for another time when I AM in the mood.

Man this was a hot fire album, i listened to this at least 10 times yesterday and added it to my library, It’s brilliant, bright, and full of life. It made me happy just having it on in my background. Top tracks: all of them honestly there was not a track i did not like, Frenzy is probably my favorite out of all them though if I had to choose one. 5/5 all the way on this album

YESSSS Finally some jazz! "Me te amo Latin jazz!" I do love me some jazz, and this is a really great album. I'm not sure I hear "Kenya" in the sound, except maybe the percussion. Definitely sounds Caribbean, like that segment in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors set in "the West Indies." In general, the fusion of Latin jazz and big band sounds always reminds me of Tito Puente, which is a great thing. The style is impeccably consistent, I felt like I was transported to another place and time for half an hour. The place? Somewhere in Cuba. The time? This website lists 2000 as the release date but that was a reissue. This came out in 1957 (before our parents were born!). The oldest album we've heard so far, but easily one of my favorites. That's how timeless this kind of music is. Favorite tracks: Wild Jungle, Cannonology, Frenzy Album art: Nothing special. Seems like a picture you'd find in a museum brochure. Granted, it's a very old album, so you have to think about how this would have been marketed at the time. I'm not sure how many Americans were interested in Latin jazz in the '50s except as some museum-like cultural curiosity. 4.5/5

Great stuff! I love a good samba! Revenge? Of course! But why wound his body with bullets, when I can set his soul on fire with a slanderous mambo? ~Tito Puente

Holy cow! This is so much fun! At first I thought "Oh good - instrumental music to work by." That went out the window right away as "Wild Jungle" had my feet pulling me out of my chair to dance to the frenetic music. Those TPS Reports were not being well-served by KENYA. "Congo Mulence" took things down a notch, but didn't really get me back to work. Instead I just sat there swaying to the music imagining myself in a 1950s lounge drinking Pink Squirrels and Blue Hawaiians. For the rest of the album there wasn't a moment I wasn't enjoying this. I was transported elsewhere for the duration just listening, dancing and grooving. What's bad for productivity is great for my mental state. I love this album. It is so lively and the big band really swings! My only regret is I didn't get to see this performed live. Really happy this made the list!

Love

Fun listen. Afro-Cuban jazz like this will always put a smile on my face.

To my untrained ears this just sounded like an organized mess of horns. I know I know. I’m sorry.

I loved this album. You can inject big band music right into my veins

This is fun jazz!

I think this an amazing album. It was much more big band and swing than I expected, but maintained that classic afro-cuban percussion. I hope we have some more jazz albums in the future because it was a great change in pace from the rock albums. This album was fun and bombasitc. I can't think of any song I didn't like, they were all unique in their own way but thematically consistent with the rest of the album. i will definitely be listening to this one again in the future.

Einfach extrem cool

Wow, this got me moving! Really enjoyed the amazing jazz. So much energy. Great trombone solos. A fantastic overall album. Really well recorded and mixed for the time, too.

This album is perfect. It’s a real masterpiece. A must listen. Horns, perfection. Drums, perfection. Drama - mood - life. It makes me want to think but it also makes me want to get up and get out. Wild Jungle is the perfect opening song - what an amazing track to start your album with. Run it up the guts Machito. Top tracks: Kenya Frenzy Blues in la Machito Conversation Tin tin deo

This album made me wish I knew how to dance. Really great swinging jazz!

How can you not like afro cuban jazz grooves?

Such a fun album! It paints a very vivid picture in my mind and brings a great mood. I love the complexity of the arrangements, the expert performances, and the great mixing. Fantastic!

Unexpected. Brightens up even the gloomiest day!

This reminds me of wii music and I love wii music! ❤️❤️

BONGO JAZZ ‼️ this made me feel like a tom and jerry character in the big city

Doctor! Ya gotta help me! My legs won't stop twitching! And I think it's spreading to the rest of my body... lookit my fingers! I see. They appear to have an uncontrollable rhythmic clicking. My goodness me! Your head has now developed bopping motions! This is serious! You have an advanced case of Afro-Cuban jazz! It's highly contagious and there's no cure. What can I do? I'm too young for Afro-cubanism. *Sobs* *bops* *hops* *flip-flops* *scats* This is the best I can do I'm afraid... Take two Brat Summers and call me in the morning.

Kenya Not a big jazz fan, don’t like salsa. I guess Buena Vista Social Club is in the same vein, and I did enjoy that when it came out (although it was cool to like it at the time) Sounds a lot like it should be the soundtrack to the Cuba scenes in Godfather Part II. Which makes sense as this is from 1957/58 and is Cuban. I know it was you, Fredo. In fact the whole thing does have an early 60s film soundtrack vibe, a bit like Dr No or something. I’m sure aficionados can tell the subtleties and variations in the rhythms and instrumentation, but I can only really tell the difference between the slightly slower ones and the not slightly slower ones. However, as an overall listen I did enjoy it. To my uneducated ear it seems to balance the Latin and jazz elements quite nicely, it doesn’t stray into Ron Burgundy style manic improvised jazz parping and trumpeting too much, or into the music you hear coming out of a provincial community centre on the over 60s salsa night. If I was in the mood for some relatively easy listening jazzy background music I would definite consider putting this on. It’s obviously not in my wheelhouse, but I’m really glad I listened to it and enjoyed it, and that I am now aware of its existence ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not in the mood. Fucking jazz, it’s up there with the harmonica as my least favorite type of music.

Jazz again, with some nice bits but mostly I just didn't care about it. Clearly talented musicians, but not for me.

Great album. Never listened to Machito before but I really enjoyed this. This type of album is exactly what I'm looking for in this project. 5 stars all day.

The bass sounds great. The brass sounds great. The rhythm section sounds great. The first album that I've not heard before that truly deserves to be on this list. Excellent choice.

Put this on , make a cocktail, cook dinner, enjoy life

Absolutely fantastic big band jazz. Incredible percussion and kick ass arrangements.

Class

I don't have anything intelligent to say about this album. It was honestly a very enjoyable listen and one I will listen to several times when I work

very nice

Impecably tight, huge full big band brass with Cubano drums. Fun as hell and so clear that every musician involved was legit. 4/5

Part of the reason I started this exercise was to uncover key releases in genres I knew little about. I have to admit, when it comes to Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban fusion, and big band music, I’m pretty unenlightened. That’s on me—I should do better. So, discovering Kenya by Machito felt like stepping into uncharted territory. My first reaction? What in the Pink Panther Soundtrack is this?! The album is a whirlwind of upbeat, high-energy compositions, performed by a collective of virtuosos. With track titles like “Frenzy” and “Wild Jungle,” it captures the controlled chaos of Afro-Cuban jazz perfectly. Under the musical direction of his brother-in-law, Mario Bauzá, Machito delivers each track with fire and precision. It’s a full-throttle showcase of the genre’s intensity. Critics have noted that, while the musicianship is top-notch, the structure—particularly in the trumpet sections—leaves little room for the freewheeling improvisation expected in jazz. But honestly, that control makes the album more approachable for someone like me, who’s new to the genre. The tight arrangements give listeners something to latch onto, even amid the flurry of horns and percussion. From my limited perspective, the African and Cuban influences feel mostly confined to the percussion, with jazz dominating the compositions. That said, I think the balance works in the album’s favour. If the Afro-Cuban elements were more dominant, it might lose some of its punch and clarity. Overall, Kenya was a fun, refreshing listen—and I can totally picture Austin Powers unwinding to it after a long day of espionage. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? Yes Would this release make my personal list? Given my admitted ignorance, I’d probably choose a few of the "classics" first. Will I be listening to it again? In the right mood, absolutely. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a dinner party!

i put this album on in the background while playing a game and i thought it was quite excellent jazz isnt my go to genre by any means but i think this has inspired me enough to look into afro-cuban jazz and other genres similar

I dunno, felt kinda indifferent on this one. I didn't think it was bad by any means but I don't really have the frame of reference to get a sense of this album fully. On paper it's interesting; jazz mixed with african polyrhythmic percussion. But it doesn't really emotionally affect me much, which is the main thing I'm looking for in music. I'm just going to chalk it up to being a little ignorant on this sound and style of music because I could see myself trying to give it another shot at some point in the future. Maybe that's a cop out, but also this era of jazz being referenced has never really appealed to me in any way. 3 stars because *shrug*

This is pretty cool, thankfully not a "modern jazz" sound that's all based on maths and technical ability but more I guess a feel? kinda like blues but without pentatonics? Either way it's a catchy album from a bygone era, so it's cool but hard to judge. A song or two from it would go well on a summertime drinking playlist, but it's too samey to add the whole thing. just choose a couple of choice cuts and that'll do. 3/5,

TRUMPTER OC TrUMMOR!

I've listened to a lot of jazz -- mostly hard bop. I always thought I disliked latin jazz. Now I realize, i just never heard good latin jazz. I spun this album three times in a row. it's so good! and here we find my first five star album: an album that opens up a genre to me. One that i listened to multiple times, loving every minute, and will continue to put on going forward.

This is so good! Actually a huge fan now

There's not a bad thing you can say about this album. Crisp, funky, and danceable. 4.5 outta 5

Never a dull moment. As far as jazz goes, this is pretty close to the peak for me.

This album gives me positive vibes and takes jazz to another world. Added this to my library

I LOVE BIG BAND JAZZ Favorite Songs: Congo Mulence, Frenzy, Blues a la Machito

I was expecting not to like this but ended up playing this album three times! Nice discovery!

Wow this was fun!! I want to be in a jazz bar getting drunk off expensive cocktails and eating mussels

I don't think an album has ever won me over as quickly as this one did. Like, besides albums I already know and love, this is absolutely the fastest I've ever decided an album was a 5. And normally I'd never wanna jump to a conclusion just like that. I wanna give these albums their time! Give 'em space to breathe and let them present themselves. After all, an album can have a promising start but waver significantly in the back half — or vice versa. Or maybe it's bookended by bad, but in the middle there's a shining nugget of something truly wonderful — or vice versa. In short, unless you hear the full thing, you'll never **truly** get a sense of it. And I know I've betrayed that thinking on some occasions. I ain't claiming to be perfect. But generally, I wanna reserve judgement until I've gotten right to the end (unless you're Kid Rock, and then I was always gonna toss you out on your ass). But this album — wooooohhh, boy. Talk about making an entrance! From the first second — BLAM! It socks you right in the face with lord horn and congas! It's exhilarating! It's a rush! It's maybe one of the best damn parties you've ever been to! And this thing **just started**! It's like a young Brando, woo! I mean, seriously. I might sound like I'm exaggerating here, but I am not. This is such an amazingly fun album. It's a nonstop rush of horns and congas — oh, the **congas**! The horns and soloists are all great,but goodness me, the **congas**. They're the secret sauce! And, see, I couldn't even get through that sentence back there without stopping to gush about some part of this album! I just can't get over how much I enjoyed this thing. Why didn't anyone tell me 50's Afro-Cuban jazz was such a rush? And, look, to be fair, I'll grant you: I can absolutely hear how this would be tiring to someone. Not every song is at the same frenetic tempo of the first one — it's not Tito Puente's 'Dance Mania!', y'know — but if you don't jive with that first song . . . maybe the slower tunes'll do it for you? Otherwise, I can't even imagine you how'd hear this. All I know is, you'd be missing out. I wanna keep going on this, I really do. I wanna write at least a good 1k words about how much I dug this album — but I can't. You really just need to hear it for yourself, if somehow you've stumbled across this review on this website and haven't already. Heck, if you have, listen to it again! It's just awesome! And you owe it to yourself, y'know? Jus' . . . wow, that's it, I'm done. I'm outta words. So lemme just close here by agreeing with the liner notes on the back of the record: indeed, I **did** find 'Kenya' to be a highly exciting and provocative listening pleasure. A pleasure for sure!

It’s obviously a 5. I think it’s probably a 10. Just a spectacular jazz album with some Latin / Cuban influence, really. They make this shit sound so easy, and it’s probably full of deeply layered big band performances & harmonies full of intricacies that I could only barely keep up with. This thing is a ball of brass-driven energy with frenetic percussion & horn stabs & melodies & counter-melodies galore. For 1957, even with a 2000 remaster, I’m stunned at just how coherent & how deep this thing feels. This is an album where the music more than speaks for itself, and you just need to go listen to it to really feel it. It’s a 33 minute fireball that never really hits a bad point, and I’m just stunned that this is as good as it is. If I have one nitpick (and it’s a very minor one), it’s that the album could’ve probably ended on the superb climax that is “Tin Tin Deo” for a 10-track masterpiece, but even with the album going for 2 songs past that, they’re both still remarkably good. If they had come in earlier, and still let the album finish on “Tin Tin Deo”, it’d still be perfect. Hell, I think it might still be perfect regardless. I’m riding the high of this thing right now, so maybe my energy will simmer down on it in the future, but my immediate analysis is that this is about as close to a perfect jazz album as there could be, at least for my tastes. A total stunner, one of the best jazz albums we’ve had on the list so far, and an easy, easy 5. Probably a 10.

Incredibile jazz album

A near-perfect Latin Jazz album. Drop off Holiday and Tururato and you’ve got a winner on every track. Incredible musicianship throughout. And I hate jazz.

Great fun, awesome big band jazz with bonus furious bongo action.

godo mi è piaciuto molto

Bingo bango bongo big band cuban jazz

Amazing

Feels like it’s made for a movie. Vibrant, beats and rhythm. A real party album. Loved it.

Give me a Mai Tai and a tiki lounge

♪┏(・o･)┛♪ ～(■_■)～♪ ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪

If you give me an old school instrumental Latin record, chances are it'll be a 5

Loved it!

Enjoyable with bongos and brass. What I think of as jazz music in the movies (a la Indiana Jones). 5 stars

This album is Da Bomb!! Never even heard of it or Machito himself. I was opened up to whole new jazz music genre. Thr percussion is awesome and so is the sax playing. I loved it ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗 💘

Great recording. I felt like I was in a night club from a great Hollywood movie of the 40s.

Slaps so fucking hard. I do love a big band “orchestration”, and learned some cool stuff about Machito

Never heard of Machito before but I’m a sucker for this type of Carrib jazz. Great album

I really enjoyed this album. Pure vintage jazz.

I loved this album. I have since looked up more like music. Thank you for introducing me to this genre.

man this was a really fun album! high energy, very dancable, super classic sound. this is the sort of stuff i love to get in this project, something i probably would never have gone out of my way to listen to, but something that is just a really great, fun to listen to album.

Bangs. I've been curious about 1950s jazz so it was nice to see this come up.

Sublime.

A recent review of mine for another album that featured salsa music was lukewarm. But this… add some really great Latin jazz into the mix and this genre is elevated exponentially. I found myself putting this on a few times after my initial listen and it just filled the space with a comforting tone like it was humming out of an old radio.

Loved this one.

Tunes to make you groove.

This was so great. I just kept bopping to this on the beach today. Loved it!

YES!

9/10

This was a great album! It's a wonderful example of the style.

So much fun! Love the vibe!

Enjoyed this one from start to finish.

Man I just loved this. What a fun album. I had to see what everyone else on here thought and it made me so happy to see how popular it is with people who've done this project. I had a friend in high school who composed Latin jazz and this brought me back to when he was sending me demos while composing and how that was really my first exposure to this kind of music.

I just love jazz that has Latin influences.

Man this album goes hard. Incredible Afro-Cuban jazz record. Really enjoyed getting this today.

I can't say I've heard of Machito before. Born Frank Grillo, he was a Latin jazz musician who refined the Afro-Cuban jazz sound and helped pave the way for salsa. That much is evident on this album he composed with several percussionists and guest musicians. Throughout Kenya, the driving force of these tunes is the syncopated rhythms from the bongos, timbales, and congas that make them pop and danceable. The fiery intensity that can ebb and flow throughout this album, paired with the horns playing such eccentric lines, makes for such an engaging listen. Machito knew how to get the audience to run through different emotions with his compositions, whether it's the laid-back vibe of "Holiday" or the frenetic busy-work of "Frenzy". Not to mention how well-produced this was for 1957, with the brass and percussion mixed such that neither felt overpowering. Honestly, I couldn't find much to complain about this album. If such a jazz album can maintain my enjoyment throughout the runtime while retaining its Afro-Cuban identity, then that is a memorable and worthwhile listen. Much respect to the legend that is Machito.

Excellent album, all bangers, no skips.

Didn’t think I’d be rating any instrumental albums as 5 stars, but this album is just incredible. The layers of percussion keep the energy up continuously. The layers of brass sound so bright that they just cut through everything, right into your soul.

The good stuff

Love jazz, love this.

Best enjoyed with headphones

Badass Latin sound - don’t know what you haters are on about

Great for working

Incredibly solid for the genre

If you ever wanted a jazz album that sounds like the lost soundtrack to a ‘70s spy thriller—complete with car chases, rooftop escapes, and smoky underground clubs—Kenya is it. From the very first notes, the album bursts to life with fiery brass, intricate percussion, and a groove so infectious it feels impossible to resist. The Afro-Cuban rhythms are the backbone of the record, with congas, timbales, and bongos creating an unstoppable momentum, while the horn section punches through with sharp, commanding blasts that add urgency and drama. And then there’s trumpeter Mario Bauzá, whose playing is downright electrifying, cutting through the mix with soaring, razor-sharp lines that push the excitement even further. His melodies dance over the complex rhythms, giving the music a thrilling edge that feels both sophisticated and untamed. Beyond its cinematic energy, Kenya is a masterclass in Afro-Cuban jazz, seamlessly blending tight, big-band arrangements with raw, pulsing rhythm. The interplay between the horns and percussion is mesmerizing, constantly shifting between explosive outbursts and locked-in grooves that make every track feel alive. The call-and-response moments, the driving montunos on piano, and the syncopated basslines all contribute to an atmosphere of controlled chaos—everything feels carefully arranged yet completely spontaneous at the same time. It’s vibrant, it’s exhilarating, and above all, it’s the perfect mood lifter.

Huikea jazz-levy! Menoa, meinikiä ja rytmiä. 5/5

This really isn't for me at all but I fucking loved this album

Absolutely incredible melodies over a phenomenal rhythm section.

short and sweet, incredibly fun album. i put it on at work and before i knew it i was halfway through it.

Unbelievably cool

animated and absurdly fun to listen to, this album will make any person strut and shimmy like they were carmen miranda. as is standard with big band jazz albums around this time, it has a strong emphasis on clever and complex pop beats and insane brass hits. compared to others I've listened to, this one has a much stronger latin flare; the rolling congas will make even a senile 90-year-old shake their bum like mad.

that was WONDERFUL! Loved every minute, latin/jazz/ salsa have a special place in my heart - best music to clean your house to

Incredible

Super energetic Afriacan beats over very smooth Big Band Jazz. Pure late 60s charm. Sexy and fun.