Kenya

I didn’t expect jazz but it was nice to cook to

Crazy.

Those were some really powerful rhythms and great music. It was fun. However, I can't listen to that kind of music too often—it gets on my nerves and makes me anxious. 4/5

No fa

This is exactly rhe kind of thing I love. If there is a jazz album, I'm probably gonna give it 5 stars and if it is a jazz album with Latin or African influence then I am 100% giving that 5 stars. God I love me some Latin jazz! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sounds like I imagine Ricky Ricardo's band would have sounded - Cuban music with strong African influences in a big band with lots of brass. Iconic.

4, solid and energetic

Ощущение как будто смотришь очень приятный фильм 70-ых, в этой музыке есть жизнь, её приятно слушать, любимой песни нет, альбом надо слушать целиком

Very fun album. Loved it

This is fantastic. It starts off blazing and hardly lets up. The track titled "Frenzy" isn't really much more frenzied than any other track on the album. If there's any downside to this album, it's that the horns can be A LOT and kind of shrill at times. Not sure if that's how it was recorded or just my sound setup. There's actually a lot of variety between tracks despite the intensity, and even some slightly more laid back numbers, like "Blues a la Machito." I swear I've heard "Congo Mulence" sampled in another context, but maybe it was just something similar. A lot of the Latin Jazz I've heard is more like jazz plus Latin percussion or Latin dance bands with a big band format, or schmaltzy novelty stuff. I really like later stuff like Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band, which feels to me like an organic blending that shows the common roots rather than a mash-up, but now I know I have to spend some time digging into and listening to earlier stuff like this. Great find for me. Essential listen: definitely glad I listened to this before I died Desert island disc: no

I just don’t really care for this over the speaker i bet it’s wonderful live though

Fuck yeah!! All. Day. 5

Helped keep my spirits high! Glad this was on the list

The percussion on this is great. Lots of fun ideas and melodies. While I do like brass, I felt like I was being yelled at sometimes. Liked it, but probably won’t listen to it again.

I thought this list didn’t really have older stuff that was compiled or reissued. So the fact that this album is included but Tito Puente or other big band Latin music or a tropicana album, let alone a lot of early blues and folk and rock is really weird.

Love the rhythms. I've had this on my periphery but hadn't hit my radar yet. Was enjoyable.

This is some Mad Men-ass montage music, or the music that plays during dancing/drinking scenes (Mad Men-Core, if you well, which is like 75% of the scenes in the show). Solid jazz though. Not my normal type of jazz. I like jazz that feels more cocktail bar as opposed to dance jazz, but that's not really relevant to my rating. Good stuff.

Very much out of my wheelhouse. I was not expecting Cuban big band music. Enjoyed it.

A jazz album. Great musically just not for me

When I listen to this I can hear how much this probably influenced things I really love. Like Tom Waits taking the essence and just making it feel like a stranger alternate reality. Or it reminded me a bit of some portions of the Grim Fandango soundtrack, just big band stuff with Cuban elements. Without that life experience as my basis of comparison I don't know if I would enjoy it as much on just intrinsic merit. It's definitely not bad and I think I appreciate it all the more after some of the terrible albums I've had this week.

Still sounds refreshing despite approaching seventy years old, maybe only the production values are a giveaway. A great example of world music on the list, which is nice given how mixed its representation is as a subgenre, even though the Latin picks are largely excellent

Album #172: Machito – Kenya ⭐⭐ Two Latin albums in a row, albeit very different ones. Santana yesterday, which I really enjoyed, but that was more rock. And now this. Which is more Jazz. I suppose it gives me two reviews in a row where I’m going to mention Sabu Martinez’s Palo Congo, which seems to be the only Latin-style album that I actually like. I think it’s a phenomenal record. Highly underrated on the generators rating. Reading about Kenya on the Wiki before I listened to it, I thought this was going to be something in the same vein. Those kind of pulsating African rhythms, an incessant style of music. But I was wrong. This is actually totally, totally not my bag. It’s exceptionally far from my bag, to be honest with you. And I am here to broaden my horizons, so I do feel bad for giving it a bad review here, but I just didn’t enjoy it at all. It’s big-band jazz with some African drums in it. And I love African rhythms, I love Fela Kuti, and any band that really incorporates afrobeat, I love. And this is the ’50s, so swinging ’50s jazz mixed with those rhythms is probably a cool juxtaposition in that sense. But this is just so not my type of music. Personally, I don’t know why I would ever be in the mood to listen to something like this. Maybe I’m a miserable fucker, but I never feel like swinging around to swingy jazz music. I felt like I was stuck in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator. It’s really in-your-face to the point of being extremely grating. There are cool passages where the drums kind of take over and it does get a bit feverish, sounding similar to Palo Congo. But Palo Congo is a really sweaty, raw, lo-fi album, whereas this is quite clean and sanitised jazz, big-band stuff. It’s apparently hugely influential on the music of Salsa and while that’s very interesting, sadly as a listener today, it means very little to me. So I’m going to have to give this one two stars. My exploration into Latin music, which I’ve found an awful lot of on this list, continues. And it’s not going well.

It’s fun. Wouldn’t go out of my way for it but I like it

Quite enjoyable but I can't handle a full album of this music in one go.

Enjoyable but not memorable. ★★★

Enjoyable album.

I'm not a fan of instrumental music or Afro-Cuban jazz. At least this type of jazz isn't discordant. Luckily, it was a short album.

So disappointed in this one. The title and artists had me thinking it would be another great world music album (haven't had a bad world music set yet). It's certainly not that. More like Bachelor Pad music, with a slight African influence and none of the sense of humor that I normally associate with the genre. I just found this one boring.

It's OK ... I imagine this is what rich people in the 50s played for their friends at parties in their Tiki themed basements.

discon de jazz, buen sonido, es de hace nada y se escucha mucho más viejo.

The mix of sounds on here sounds great. Where Sabu, the recent afro-cuban jazz album I got, was a bit more challenging and singularly focused, this one is inviting and accessible and a lot of fun. The trumpet is big, the drums play nicely, and it has this kind of unmeasurable life to it that I am starting to recognize as something I really value in these good albums. At times, it sounds like background music from Scooby Doo, at times it sounds like it informed the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack, at times I feel like i'm not wearing enough polyester to listen to it, but this is really something entertaining. Does what it says on the tin.

Es que si!!!! Esto te alegra la mañana, no sé si todo disco que me salga de jazz se va a llevar 5 estrellas pero es que esto te despeja un día nublado no sé.

Pretty pleasant but I wouldn’t put it on again, not really my thing

It sounded exactly as I had imagined a World Jazz album from the 50's would sound. It's not really for me but I can't really hate on this either, I just won't return to it. 3 stars

puta que pariu eu gosto muito de machito pedrada das mais altas possíveis, jazz cubop lindamente executado puta que pariu

jazz cubano, gostoso demais lindamente tocado, bacaninha de ouvir. coisa boa demais!

Lyder som et soundtrack til de der disney film fra 40'erne og 50'erne hvor Anders And får venner fra Sydamerika. Kompliment!

God energi, lyder tilpas anderledes

Enjoyable

These are all instrumentals. I do prefer the idea of receiving random albums from the "1001 albums" book, as it is just a better process of listening to each album, rather than going in chronological order. One drawback to not going in chronological order is an album like this from 1957 can have its influence overlooked. Machito combined Cuban rhythms with big band arrangements, which for 1957 was a big deal. After having listened to over 900 albums from this list, it feels like a sound I have heard before in this very project. Some albums in this book are included because of the influence they had on other artists and other albums are chosen simply because they are really good albums that "must" be heard. I think this one falls into the former, which is where not hearing these albums in chronological order is a bit misleading. I absolutely could not tell the songs on here apart from each other, which could be my own ignorance. I would not listen to this again but I can't say I did not enjoy it.

Not my thing

Real cool! Congos!

This is fine, I guess. It’s jazzy, but jazzy in an interesting way rather than jazzy in a disappearing up it’s own arsehole way.

I loved this. So much energy. Even though I listen to jazz often, it’s usually chill stuff. I probably won’t listen to this very often but I’m glad I heard it.

Generally enjoyed this, but it did kind of all blend together? Seemed like it would be great for background music while doing chores around the house or something. "Frenzy" and "Tin Tin Deo" were the standouts for me

shake those hips!

hmm, doesn't interest me..

Kurcze naprawdę fajne. Taki african jazz? Na 4 na pewno

I enjoyed every minute of that. Perhaps what I read as cohesiveness is repetitiveness, but I don’t know enough about Afro-Cuban jazz to be bothered by it. Either way, I was hooked all the way through (more than once).

I would have loved to see this band love.

My stars that's brassy.

380/1089 this was a pretty fun cuban-afro jazz album, i like the sound of this a fair bit the title track was my stand out but i would potentially go back to let the others grow more 62/100

Silly

A pretty good album, but as the album goes on a lot of the songs start to sound the same. None of them are bad, but for this only being 35 minutes it gets repetitive and you can really feel the runtime. Still a pretty good album though. Low 4.

Not the best African Jazz out there (that would be anything by Fela Kuti) but this still ain't bad, got some nice melodies

Machito's 1957 album *Kenya* is a landmark recording in Afro-Cuban jazz, renowned for its vibrant fusion of big band jazz with complex Cuban rhythms. ### Music, Production, and Instrumentation Musically, *Kenya* is a powerful statement of the "Cubop" style, seamlessly blending complex jazz harmonies and improvisation with authentic Afro-Cuban rhythms . The album is driven by an exceptional rhythm section that includes three first-call percussionists—Candido Camero and Carlos "Patato" Valdes on congas, and Jose Mangual on bongos—alongside Uba Nieto on timbales . This percussive foundation creates a lively, danceable energy underpinning the entire record. The horn section is equally impressive, featuring a who's who of jazz and Latin talent, including trumpeters "Doc" Cheatham, Joe Newman, and alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley . The arrangements, primarily handled by A.K. Salim with contributions from Mario Bauzá and Rene Hernandez, are tight and dynamic, known for their "bombastic" power and ability to create suspense and excitement . The production captures this energy well for its time, though some modern listeners might find the mixing to be dated, with one review noting that the double bass can occasionally overwhelm and distort other instruments . ### Themes and "Lyrics" *Kenya* is an instrumental album, so there are no sung lyrics to analyze. However, its "themes" are powerfully communicated through its music. The album creates a vivid, often cinematic soundscape that evokes "exoticism" and "feverishness" . The title itself suggests an African inspiration, an idea reinforced by the African masks on the original album cover and the jungle-themed titles and musical atmospheres present in tracks like "Wild Jungle" and "Congo Mulence" . The music conjures a specific sense of place, often described as a "50s Hollywood" version of a steamy, vibrant world, full of drama, nightclubs, and adventure . While some critics feel it leans heavily on these exotic themes, others find the imagery charming and effective . In this sense, the "lyrics" are the melodies and the powerful rhythmic interplay, telling a story without words. ### Influence and Legacy The influence of *Kenya* is immense. It is widely considered a "classic" and an "essential" album of the Latin jazz genre . The Machito Afro-Cubans were pioneers in successfully blending complex jazz arranging with authentic Afro-Cuban rhythms, and this album stands as a testament to that innovation . It was a key part of the cultural and musical interchange in 1950s New York City between the jazz and Latino communities. Percussionist Bobby Sanabria, a prominent figure in Latin jazz, has stated that "everything we do has some root with this orchestra" . The album also helped cement the Afro-Cuban jazz sound in the public consciousness, popularized by its use in TV and film crime dramas of the period . ### Pros and Cons of the Album **PROS**: * **Historic & Influential**: A cornerstone of Afro-Cuban jazz that shaped the genre's future . * **Exceptional Musicianship**: Features a legendary lineup of musicians delivering powerful and skillful performances . * **Dynamic & Energetic**: The blend of a powerful horn section and a multi-percussion rhythm section creates an infectious and exciting energy . * **Inventive Arrangements**: The seamless fusion of jazz harmony with Afro-Cuban rhythms is expertly executed by top arrangers . **CONS**: * **Repetitive & Predictable**: Some critics and listeners find the album suffers from a lack of variety, with many tracks following a similar formula of "explosive horn lines over a Latin rhythm" . * **Dated Production**: The mixing, particularly the balance of the bass, can be problematic, detracting from the listening experience for some . * **Lack of Deep Soloing**: The tight arrangements are excellent for the ensemble, but some feel the horn solos lack the individualism and passion one expects from jazz, making it feel somewhat "bland" or "safe" compared to other greats of the era . * **Hollywood Stereotypes**: The album's aesthetic, while part of its charm, can feel like a stereotypical Hollywood interpretation of "exotic" cultures, which might seem dated to modern ears . In conclusion, *Kenya* is an essential and influential album whose strengths in musicianship, arrangement, and historical importance largely outweigh its occasional weaknesses in dynamism and production. It is a vital listen for anyone interested in the roots of Latin jazz and the vibrant musical cross-pollination of 1950s New York.

Every now and then you give me albums like this that is really hard to listen to, Im sorry but this jazz or what it is I cant stand

It's very lively and upbeat. Great listen for a Friday afternoon for me!

Better than the other Jazz, but still just sounds like a bunch of people playing whatever they want on stage

I hate the list for giving me more jazz but at least this sounds more unique than previous pulls.

This will get you into a Frenzy. It’s like a Wild Jungle.

This was exactly the kind of jazz that the album description said it would be and there were no surprises. The whole album rolled along nicely like a train and the flow is great and smooth. Some people like this and some don't. This didn't really hit home for me, but I had a good time with the album.

#447 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ Neither jazz not samba are in my wheelhouse, but I can appreciate these musicians abilities with theit tools. I recognise bits in the songs and know some of the motifs, which makes me think this might be very important album/person/group in jazz history. I find the lopsided mix of the record a bit disruptive, most of the soloist horns are on left channels, while backing brass is on right with most of the top end rhythm/percussion instruments. Otherwise the recording sounds wonderful. Handwarm 3/5 of which 2 are just for instrument mastery.

On the cover of the album it said “Afro-Cuban jazz” and that couldn’t be a more fitting description. Most songs felt like they could be in a George Clooney “Ocean’s” movie score.

Nice

This is great. I feel energized!

(4/7) it's jazz

Afro-Latin Jazz bring it on! Something wildly different from the albums I've gotten so far. Quite enjoyed some sections of it.

Неплохо

Nice jazz :-)

classic sound. I think this belongs on the list as it captures a historical sound and style that, although not hugely popular today, is influential and historical.

Lively, energetic and all that. It’s a sound to move to rather than sit around and appreciate the musical talent, but quite the musicians on this album.

This is such a banger. Absolutely joy to listen to.

One of my favorite things about this project has been coming to appreciate jazz more. That's not to say I love it all, but I love some of it and appreciate the variety of styles that make up the genre. This one started out as a love, but lost some energy and variety after the first few tracks, but still ended up a strong like.

Good little jazz album chocked full of Latin percussion. 3.7/5.0

I fully enjoyed this album. It's upbeat, energetic, and just plain fun from start to finish. The rhythms keep things moving, and it's the kind of record that's easy to throw on and let play. If you're not actively listening, though, it can start to feel like one long song. The consistency gives the album a great flow, but it also means the individual tracks don't always stand out on their own. Even so, that's a minor criticism. Kenya is an enjoyable listen that never loses its energy, and it's an album I'd happily come back to.

Upbeat, fun. Like the fusion of the jazz here. Could see a hilarious Austin Powers or Batman dance scene here. Congo Mulence has some great trumpet solo work and nice little bass interlude. I give this one a solid 3 perhaps even on the higher side of 3 (but not enough to round up to 4). Anyway, much better than Elvis yesterday!

A super pleasant listen overall and something I'd throw on during a beach party. Missing that bit of story or personality that takes it to the next level but pretty dang nice. 4/5

me sentí como en una peli. Hubo un momento en que se sintió algo repetitivo; igual me gustó. :)

I mean, I like chill jazz, but that wasn't for me—it felt like a movie called *Stan and Laurel in Kenya*

Fun Afro-Cuban fusion jazz. An easy listen.

Kind of shocked I didn’t like any of these considering I love jazz and Latin music.. I think it’s too contemporary for me

Some pretty good jazz

Bien

This album reminds me of the music used when Stephanie Mangiano was introduced in Saturday Night Fever. I know it’s likely not the same music as the decades are different, but I’ll give it a 3 for nostalgic resemblance.

Nice. 4/5

I really enjoyed this early-doors, as it's really accomplished, it has plenty of passion, and there's big, big brass in there. Real nice vibes. This was a strong 4/5 for the first 20 minutes, but it did start to feel a bit much after a while, which is why I'm rating it... 3/5!

I liked this. It reminded me of music that would be played in a night club in a 50's movie.

This is some very good big band groovy hits. Favorite songs: Wild Jungle ; Congo Mulence

Confirmed. This is sick and classic.

A very interesting & entrancing Latin jazz turn-of-the-millennium album.

Det her jazz fanger jeg! Det er pisse hyggeligt! - Nu ved jeg hvad Machito musik er. Det er opskriften på lydsporet af alle de tidlige Disney kortfilm.

Jeg får lyst til at flytte til Havanna. Gå i skjorter af hør og med stråhat på, drikke mojitos i en strandbar og læse Hemmingway.

Fun for a one time listen, but not enough variety to make me want to come back for more (at least to my untrained musical ears).

Smashing album; the horns are so so punchy

feels like wate get no enemy

it's not a live jazz album like usual so I'm really happy to see that, very enjoyable felt like I was spike chasing someone down

3.44

A fucking great time back to front, can't fault at all

not my thing

Not my favorite, but I’m glad I listened to it. More of a 2.5 in my eyes

It was fine...I suppose

Machito - Kenya (1957) Very funky. Top congas. Nice and short. Toe tapping. 4 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Interesting but not something I’d seek out again.

Actually unreal. Such a vibe.

Solid, fun jazz. I will be revisiting, nothing super new but Ive grown so fond of jazz while listening through this list I have a soft spot for it... 4/5

musica tribal tirando a jazz, muchos instrumentos, tambor, timbal, trompeta, maraca, etc. movida y alegre, me ha gustado, me lo he guardado, 3/5

So fun. So dancy. I felt like I was in a musical or an old cartoon the whole time. What a wonderful example of this genre.

Very fun

Really enjoyed this. Jazz vibes with some cool Afro percussion performances. This was a vibe. 4/5

silly

Not bad.

If this was the first ever album like this then I could see it being special, but it’s jazz. It sounds like jazz. Bravo to the wonderful musicians who make the music, but I hear no distinction between tracks and I couldn’t tell where one ends and the other begins

Das entspricht nicht meinem Interesse.

Sick

yes yes yes!! I loveeeee some Jazz. This was so fun, so good, and I relistened to it TWICE while cleaning. Loved it.

A surprise gift - one of those "NHBs" - Never Heard of Before groups, Please surprise mix of Cuban jazz. Well done

new genre unlocked🔓 , almost a 5!

I like when jazz gets a lil wild

This is a great find (the very reason for trying a new album every day). I didn’t know Machito & love this - rhythms & brass - a fusion of joy & spice.

Ok…? It’s something different. Not really my jam but I like the beats and it isn’t overly jazzy. Kinda reminds me of Austin Powers. Feeling generous and giving it a (4) because it’s good for what it is. DNF

Classic sounding mambo. It's pretty original as well, doesn't sound always like your average mambo. You can tell they were going for something different in this album. 5/5

Definitivamente uma das coisas mais fora do meu gosto que já ouvi, e achei legal pra caramba. Música animada, totalmente instrumental, e parece que uma música liga diretamente na outra mas sempre alternando a pegada.

Gives the Afro-Cuban Allstars a run for their money. Perfect for cooking.

Cuban Jazz from 1957? Ok that is way out of my comfort zone. Hearing it gives some summer vibes which is good as we are in a heatwave as we speak. The Cuban Jazz of Machito appears to me as a bunch of old TV program opening tunes. Ok for one spin but that’s it. As I don’t have any knowledge of the genre I can not judge the quality

3.5

6,50/10 Buen album, me gusto. Movido y divertido, me hace acordar a la escena de Spiderman del restaurante

3★/5 06.24.2026

good stuff that I'm sure will get better with more listens 4/5

Beetje Jungle by Night

Pretty decent jazz from the 1950s. First album on here I've gotten without a wiki page and didn't know what to expect going into it.

2 - TERRIBLE

uh yeah, yeah, thats some, thats some adhd shit, man. but when you are noodling for too long it gets a bit boring. 4/5

Not bad

6/17/26. This one deserves more listens for my full appreciation, but it's a good early example of Latin jazz. Enjoyed the horns and percussion the most, and liked how each song tried different tempos.

This is a really strong example of a specific style. I didn't read that it was from 1957 before I started listening, but I was not at all surprised — it feels on the forefront of what I think of as Latin nightclub music from that era. Really enjoyable.

A Great Afro Cuban listening experience, Tin Tin Deo my absolute favorite!!

Imagine how awesome this album must have been before college marching bands! Good album, high energy. Well produced. Great song order.

A Latino style jazz. Not really for me but I’m sure it’s technically good

el que sigue, please...

***a very good, upbeat, easy listening album

Kenya is a fantastic example of my favorite genre of late, the Afro-Cuban big band jazz. Like Dizzy Gillespie but faster, louder and more authentic. Superb!

Jazzy

Afro Cuban Jazz that makes you want to shake your hips. Not mad about it.

Cool brass work, may return to it but nothing jumped out

It was fine, but nothing about it stood out as jazz so remarkable that it would be a 1001 album.

Not a huge fan of this one.

Great stuff!

Бля ну меня под эти барабаны неплохо так колбаснуло, чисто по туземски

I always like checking out world music, especially Jazz. This is tight.

Freaking loved this

african blues

This was a deliciously spicy album. I thought it was great the mixture of Afro Cuba with jazz. Could move up to a 5 likely, but we’ll stick with 4 for now

Good stuff! Dance music from a different era. Yes, our Grandparents went to Raves too!

Enjoyed this a lot! It was a great Sunday morning album

Fun. I had never heard of this group or album.

Good vibes

it's clearly very well-done, but not my fave genre.

very helpful that it says "afro cuban jazz" on the side of the album cover. couldn't be clearer. nice and short too. favorites: wild jungle, congo mulence, cannonology

++: Wild Jungle, Congo Mulence, Kenya, Oyeme, Cannonology, Frenzy, Blues A La Machito, Conversation, Minor Rama, Tururato +: Holiday, Tin Tin Deo 8,5/10

Ótimo jazz com percussão africana. Não há muito o que dizer, é um disco bom que faz o tempo passar rápido. Produção bem limpa para sua idade. 4/5

mooie blend tussen big band en Latino vibes...

Fav- frenzy 3/5

Smooth and fun. Never overly impressive but very enjoyable.

Listened while on the way to the Amazon. Cool experience. Good album. Really loved it.

Excellent Jazz album for my morning walk in the rain.

Untypical, jazz with a twist, it isn't the same thing over and over again, thus it isn't getting boring quickly. Finally something orginal, not something that I would listen to on a daily basic, but cannot accuse it of being basic or bad.

La verdad esque le saben bastante

I usually don't like latin music, but this had some incredible melodies and fantastic playing

Typical 50s sound, easy listening, relaxing.

This was really fun. I loved the percussion, I loved the brass, I loved the energy. There were times when it felt like a film soundtrack and times where it made me want to dance. Not something I would normally listen to but I really liked it. I had a hard time picking a favourite and least favourite because I kept thinking each track was my favourite. Fav song: Conversation Least fav: Wild Jungle

Really love this one. Great sound throughout but still feels like it has variation. 1957 is crazy too. Specific rating - 4.6 Fav song - blues à la machito Least fav- frenzy

Maybe it's that I'm (lightly) hungover, maybe it's my general lack of patience for jazz, but it took me a couple tries to get into the album. When I did I found it was a fun high energy album with a funky spy movie vibe. Sometimes the horns toed the line of annoying but I think the joy and the shortness of the songs meant nothing actually crossed the line. Favourite song: Minor Rama Least: Holiday

I just don't go for the "let's make brass bands go as loud and frenetic as we can." Not my kind of entertainment. 2/5

Nice album. Jazz is not my favorite music. I can enjoy it in small doses.

If you like track 1, you'll like all of it. But youi'll probably grow exhausted it by track 3.

The rhythms are nice but this is melodically a bit too trad for my tastes.

Doesnt disappoint a very good instrumental jazz ensamble probably top in history making afro-jazz arrangemente that are still to this day one of the best Ive heard. This has transcended a span of 70 years and still holds strong and is relevant today. A must hear for anyone interested in jazz or music history. This album is absolute fire

Groundbreaking for the era.

Jazz. Not too bad as background music.

Pretty fun jazz album. I know very little about the progression of jazz throughout the years but this felt very modern — shocked it is from the 50s.

I think this is a 5 for me. The Afro-Cuban Jazz was such an awesome combo, with a sort of big band jazz combined with more afro/caribbean percussion. Fantastic energy throughout, amazing tight album

3.5

2.5

Excellent

I am a fan of afro-cuban and this throws a little jazz in the mix to good effect. I felt like I was listening to the soundtrack of a 1960’s Spider-Man cartoon! Nice if i was watching said cartoon but on its own it becomes a bit overpowering and monotonous.

Not bad. I guess I was expecting something more intimate, and unfortunately, the big band sound isn't quite my vibe. It's fine for what it is, though.

All the kickass spy movie themes I've ever loved seem to originate from this man! James Bond, The Incredibles which is obviously parodying James Bond, Sly Cooper, Peter Gunn and the two games I can think of which sample that theme, all of it. All of it came from this guy. I loved this. Why is it that I seem to rate things 5/5 twice in a row? Almost every time I give a 5/5, the next album I rate is usually a 5/5 too. Maybe I'm just excited. FUTURE RYLEE: Next time you play a show and you're feeling antsy, and you're pacing around the room waiting to start performing, ask them to play this over the PA instead of whatever grindcore or noise rock they're playing. This shit kicks ass and it can only ever get you hyped up.

cool to dance around the fire

Beachside cocktail music. All very nice and groovy in the right time and place. I'm not a jazz guy and this did not make my ears bleed and generally funked along.

Those horns were in your face. A Dragnet South soundtrack, or something a 65 year old widower wants to dance to at the local rec center. I'm sure it is much more nuanced and deeper than I will ever appreciate.

Love some jazz, hadn't heard this type of jazz before but I loved it. It was exactly what I needed on my drive home after a crummy day at work.

Man muss sich definitiv die ersten paar Minuten reinhören, vorallem weil es Jazz ist. Aber ich denke, dass es trotz dessen sehr gut klingt und für sehr frühes Jazz sehr gut und einflussreich ist.

While this was an interesting listen, it didn't really appeal to me as much as I thought it would. I wish a lot of these tracks were longer by a minute or two, many of them felt too slight just because they were too short to fully grasp. I'm still glad I gave it a listen, though. Favourite track: Congo Mulence

This is great, very enjoyable to listen to. No reason to not give it a 5.

Miles David cubano

I like this

Ik vind het Latin-achtige wel geinig. Het bigband jazz-achtige kan me dan weer wel compleet gestolen worden. En dat laatste heeft flink de overhand, helaas. Snelle, zenuwachtige saxofoonloopjes, snerpende trompetten met dempers enzo. Ik vind hier niet zo veel aan. Ik heb eigenlijk net zo lief geen muziek aanstaan en dat is geen goed teken. Ik ga dit een wat harde 2 sterren geven.

This shit SLAPS. It's like a Fallout radio mixed with spicy Cuban salsa.

Surely an interesting combination of sounds for its time. Now, a few decades after the heyday of jazz fusion, it can sound shockingly familiar. Still, it’s impossible not to have fun listening to this.

Nice

Classique

Artiste inconnu. Big band instrumental avec des morceaux très entrainants et d'excellents chorus. Même si je ne suis pas fan en général des big bands (-1), j'ai pris plaisir à découvrir l'album. Il rejoindra probablement ma collection. =>4/5

very vibey, interesting melodies here and there

5 star all the way the playing is so lively so in unison with one another the horn lines , sax solos off the charts very very good , I’m a sucker for good big band jazz music will be listening more to this

Reslly lovef the sound of this one, seems more westernised and accessible than Fela Kutis afrobeat stuff, but I like them both equally. For sure going to enjoy this one again

Favorite Track: Congo Mulence

I love the rhythms, especially the percussion. Liked Songs Added: Wild Jungle

Not my cup of tea

I enjoyed it a lot!

Mega solid album. Great tunes. Great recording for 1957. Absolutely killed it here. I would certainly give this one a dozen more spins.

Afro-cuban big band sounds! Particularly busy percussion pulls me out of it a little, but it's still good!

Super fun, quick listen. Probably wouldn’t have listened to this without the list telling me too, but that’s the beauty of this thing

This felt so consistently good and nostalgic, whilst still managing to be surprising. Surprised at how much I could like an all-instrumental album.

bueno para dejar de fondo

Mojave Music Radio

This was very good.

A wonderful and bombastic jazz album.

Rv

3/5

Fun,. All these dreary english electronic duos we keep getting subjected to could learn a thing or to about dance music from this, see Orbital, eg. Sounds like Austin Powers quincy jones thing and everything else with a lot of energy, and fucking pizzazz. fun to listen to and would be excellent fun to dance to

l'ho ascoltato mentre cucinavo e devo dire che spacca, ma mi ha nauseato un pochino

what the hell. this does not look like a 50s album cover. i’m very excited for this. i started it. i love it. saving the rest for tomorrow when im ready. potential 5 here goddamn. i’m tired this is very good good night

Super fun afro-latin jazz band wailing its way through an amazing set of pieces. Especially like the drum and bongo solos on Wild Jungle and Cannonology. But even though the pieces are played to perfection, there is a certain something missing from the pieces--no pushing boundaries or extra passion and verve. Sometimes sounds like a high quality high school jazz band playing.

Jazz decente

Didn't impress me much but was still quite the vibe to listen to. Instrumentals really bring enough space for one like myself to think of while not being too quiet too. Not bad.

Meejjj... muy latino y soy latino pero no asi de latino...

Perfect for work on a Friday morning. Glad I took a break from this project so I listened to this one today.

2/5. Bra jazz men lite snabb.

Really fun sounding album with great energy. Missing strong melodies and it feels like something that's more interesting than good, but I liked it over all.

Jamais écouté avant. Deuxième album de jazz, et une écoute beaucoup plus aisée cette fois-ci, et même agréable ! Les rythmes sud-américains, les cuivres stridents et l'enregistrement ultra-quali pour les années 1950 (merci le Remaster ?) donnent le sourire et envie de boire des cocktails au soleil de Cuba. Ça reste un peu toujours la même chose malgré tout, heureusement que ça ne dure pas... Top : Kenya Flop : Tururato

Hot Cuban jazz served up by a great band and featuring a lot of African influences. Enjoyed the hell out of it but all of it sounded the same. Still was great background music for a Sunday afternoon.

Hell yeah

It’s hard to say I dislike any of this, and some of the sax work in particular stood out to me (shoutouts to Johnny Griffin and Cannonball Adderley, two of the GOATs). But this is definitely far from my favorite brand of jazz, and definitely could have been a few tracks shorter. 3/5

No Thankyou.

not my favourite

generic jazzslop

There were a few songs that didn’t hit right while others were kinda smooth.

Very evocative of it's time and fits right in with the explosion of African and Latin rhythms of the late 50's. Easy to imagine some of these on film soundtracks of the period. 3.5

Music with brass always works well for me.

Latin jazz could be good but sadly not my thing

solid ass jazz. shoutout cuba, i pray for them

This was awesome! I really loved the amazing kinetic energy that the music had. Very jazzy and spicy and just all around fun to listen to. People who overheard the music came to see what I was listening to because it was so lively and fun sounding. I enjoyed this a lot and listened to it all the way through twice. Five stars, easily.

Bam! Announcing Latin jazz. The rhythms and syncopations just move you…

i love bongos

Pretty Cool !

This is bog standard jazz to me, basically what I would think of if asked to imagine jazz music without any further qualification. It's pleasant enough - I'm no jazz aficionado, but I've listened to enough of it on this project to know that the styles I dislike are much worse than this, and the styles I like are much better. So overall pretty middle-of-the-road for me

at the risk of losing my Cuban card, I still don't like jazz.

Lfggggggggggg

groovy

Some serious jazzy jazz in here, as far as my tastes are concerned you really can't go wrong with a full instrumental album

muy muy bueno me llamo mucho la atencion escuchar jazz pero afro cubano fue una gran experiencia. Me encanto 8.5/10

Such a good time, I'm a sucker for a good drum beat so I will be relistening in the future.

Jazz!!! Yes!!!! I’m fine with anything jazzy so this is a huge win. And this… this is just bursting with life. Obviously you can always count on jazz to be full of life in just the way you want, but this really is sooooo good. The tones on the horns... the mixing on the drums... and even though there's no long songs, each song leaves some kind of lasting impression, with the impressive use of dynamics, arrangements, and the big band style. The afro-cubano style adds a really wonderful extra aspect to the album, and the album's frequent use of intense volume is really beautiful. Only real complaints is the fact that it gets old kinda quickly, and some of the tones CAN get a LITTLE BIT rough on the ears. 8.9/10

a bit repetitive but it was cool

Albums like this is why I love this challenge. I would have never even known this existed let alone give it listen if it didn't pop up. It turns out, I love Latin jazz. Who knew?

Great for exposure to Afro-Cuban jazz. Good vibes throughout.

160423 20:55 3.5

Worthy of a GTA soundtrack. 3.5 stars

Such an excellent direction to take the big band sound in. All the bongos and hand drums giving this music so much flavor. Horn arrangements that are much more fluid and adventitious than its American counterparts. Sometimes slow and swanky, sometimes wildly frenetic. Fun from start to finish. “Frenzy” was my favorite, an aptly named song where an upright bass is the only thing interrupting some insane percussion for a minute there. 4/5 the intro bongos on “Tururato” sound easily similar to those of “Thank You” by Dido

I am really into this kind of music but in smaller doses, like mixed into a funk/soul/jazz DJ set or something. So as much as I like the harshness of the brass and relentlessness of the rhythms does get to me after a while. As I was listening I was imagining how fun it would be seeing this music performed.

Definitely need to be in a specific mood to listen to this but bongo jazz is actually pretty sick. The timing of a lot of the horn stabs is really interesting and I feel there’s something musically to learn from that.

ok one or two of these songs is like yahoo yay fun samba chacha!! a whole album of this made me tense and nervous and not happy anymore :( so idk it’s like one of these songs would get a 3-4 but the whole record made me upsetty so it’s a 2-3 :/

Afro cuban jazz, PE

its ok

Energetic and wild, short and sweet. I could listen to this again later tonight and I just might. No skips. What a delight.

Listening to this while walking to work through the alleyways of Soho makes me feel like I'm a supporting actor in a 1970s Michael Caine film. Any minute now he's going to pop out from a dingy corner and hand me a briefcase and a few sharp words of advice: "Listen son, you're on your own now. And you're already out of your depth.". I hear a noise; a bin is kicked over. I look behind me then run with the briefcase. A group of kids appear from nowhere and laugh at me. I turn back. A roughed-up Geordie steps out in front of me. He's 7 feet tall. I freeze. He throws me down into a pile of bin bags and vegetable peelings. A cat yowls and runs off. I look up. "Next time, keep your nose out of it" he says in his thick brogue. He throws his fag-end down on my coat and grabs the briefcase. He walks off. The camera pans back to Michael Caine, who grimaces and walks off down Dean Street. "Frenzy" continues to play. The opening credits roll.

Entrancing, groovy and charming. Some of the more percussive sections were perhaps mostly intended for people who dance (that's not my case), but aside from that, it was a great experience.

Very cool sound.

Big drum circle of fun. Reminded me of an old movie soundtrack

Cool, didn’t wow me but sounded good.

Cool and repeatable. I love that his daughter and son are in the band.

Amazing jazz

Wonderful album by a legend.

Although a bit disappointing that the project editors chose an instrumental-only album to represent Machito and his band, it's still a fun listen, and impressively well-produced for a 1950s album (although I did listen to the 2000 remastered version, so the original might not be as clean). It's impressive how little information there is on this album, or on Frank Grillo/Machito and his band; the "1001 Albums" entry is helpful, but only to a degree, and I'm still not entirely sure how this album seems more "African"-influenced than other albums or music by Machito and his large band (perhaps the extra drumwork on some tracks?). But I still enjoyed feeling like I was in a Bond movie in Havana/Miami at some club with this great house band tearing it up as the slick spies and agents worked some complicated grift scheme.

Enjoyed this sprightly horn-heavy Latin-style big band music.

I can dig it.

Wild Jungle - 8/10. Great Latin Jazz. Congo Mulence - 8/10. Awesome. Kenya - 9/10. This tune rocks. Oyeme - 9/10. Great trumpet lines, awesome percussion. Holiday - 8/10. Smooth and fun. Cannonology - 9/10. Too cool for school. Frenzy - 9/10. This one cooks. Blues a la Machito - 10/10. Bad-ass. Conversation - 9/10. Slick and cool. Tin Tin Deo - 9/10. Great tune. Minor Rama - 8/10. Great. Tururato - 10/10. Swinging beat with tight horns. No notes. Overall Rating - 4.42/5 (8.83/10). Jazz, and especially Latin Jazz, will always be a favorite of mine. This album really swings.

This was cool

i like old stuff. Sue me!

Although Latin jazz has played a major role in my big band career, I’d never heard of Machito, and I didn’t recognize any of the tracks on *Kenya*. What I’m trying to say is: this certainly isn’t a bad album, but I don’t see it as particularly significant. On top of that—unsurprisingly—it’s quite heavy on the bongos, which I personally always find a bit annoying after a few minutes. Technically, the musicians are good, but the arrangements are extremely predictable and yet not catchy. Overall, “Kenya” just doesn’t strike a chord with me at all.

In my opinion this is a great album, never expected to hear Jazz combine with latin music Fav song - Conversation 4/5

Really enjoyed this, great background music and a lovely mellow vibe

Enjoyed it, but not my usual go to.

jazz

Sounds like a soundtrack to a dated movie

The appeal of fiery big band Latin jazz on a beautiful Spring Sunday morning at the beach with all the windows open cannot be overstated!

yeah some good jazz 4.5

Incredible musicianship and solid tunes. I can imagine being in a nightclub in '50s Havana. The bongo player is a magician!

I think it's the first jazz album I fully listened to. I liked it. And I like the song titles.

Listening to a record like this makes you wonder if real recorded music ended at the advent of the overdub. Because when you hear just how TIGHT this band is, and you realized they recorded it all live in the same room, you can't help but develop a profound admiration for the astonishing musicianship on display. The percussionists are especially jaw-dropping. I’m far from a connoisseur of Afro-Cuban jazz, but this record feels like the platonic ideal. If it falls short anywhere, it’s in the failure of the horn soloists to elevate the material beyond its by-the-numbers execution.

First listen to an awesome album. Thanks!

Day802 - a nice change of pace from all the sameness. good job machito

Nice music to vibe to. Nothing particularly memorable, but I was shocked to see how old it is - yet how good it sounds. Faves: Wild Jungle, Holiday

Let's enjoy dancing to these sick beats

when the musician has "circa" on their birth date in wikipedia you know it's gonna be good

Great music!!

2026.03.14.

I continue to listen to these jazz records and I continue to not get jazz. I’ll keep trying… That said as far as jazz goes this was pretty good. I liked the bongo percusssion and can definitely see myself tossing this on in the background while cooking or something. But therein lies the problem with jazz for me. It’s passive listening and I like active listening music. Anyway. I definitely hear the 60’s spy movie soundtrack.

It's the Higher Faster Louder Cuban Jazz Band, blasting the bells off their brass horns. Pretty remarkable, exhausting, good fun.