Reviews (page 4 of 9)
I didn’t have listening to an instrumental album on my bingo card for today, but I can’t say I minded the change. This percussion-led, big band sound was full of thundering horns and polyrhythmic beats that kept me moving throughout the album. At times while listening to the tracks, I felt like there should be a Batman (Adam West era) fight scene happening in the background with several “POW”s and “ZAM”s flying across the screen. Overall this was an enjoyable deviation from the norm.
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.
Sounds like big band music visited the Caribbean and found some flare. Decent upbeat background music i suppose. It's fine. Not a genre I'm inspired to explore further, but nice to have been exposed to it.
Loving these jazz records.
I actually really loved this
Joooo eiiiiigentlich ganz netti Kubanischi Jazz-kläng vom Croque Monsieur, aber da catched mi jazz doch biz zwenig. Zwei Jazz-händ für de Machito-Machato
Schwiriig Ziitwise hani denkt die trompete chumd direkt us de höll, die ganze lieder vill z extrem verhunzt. Aber alles anderi isch eich scho na lässg gsi. Ufgrundeti 3 sternlis, ohni trompette und biz stimmigsvoller zemetreid wär einiges drin gläge
Pretty enjoyable.
Well, this was fun. Next time I’m due at a mambo-off against a rival gang of street toughs, I’ll listen to this first to get me in the mood.
Not my type of music, but not a terrible album. Some unique beats and rhythms that I respect. Interesting, but not inspirational or moving.
Für mich zu jazzig
Impecably tight, huge full big band brass with Cubano drums. Fun as hell and so clear that every musician involved was legit. 4/5
Good music overall with a good upbeat rhythm. Just not my favorite type of music to listen to on a regular basis
Hører ikke så meget jazz. Så det her er en virkelig fed overraskelse og den er smadre god. Noget jeg skal høre igen uden tvivl ! 8/10
I can safely say that I don't understand this music
It was fine
Delightful listen. Each track felt distinct, and had something to make it memorable. Really great fun. 4 stars.
Wild ride but a nice mix up in my listening
Great fun, awesome big band jazz with bonus furious bongo action.
Overall, not a bad album, quite jazzy, but there were too many noises towards the end of the second song and things got very annoying but luckily, it was only for several seconds, so I didn't give up listening to the whole thing.
This was a fun listen and exactly why I wanted to listen to all of these albums.
I didn't hate it, but Jack found it unbearable. Made me think of Cuba Revs
Das ist eigentlich ganz cool, nur dass es nach einiger Zeit wieklich eintönig wird. Sind das wirklich unterschiedliche Stücke? 2 1/2, aber ich runde mal auf.
Man the horns, pretty good stuff and while it's not something to which I would typically listen, it was fun.
Instrumental samba-ish jazz with the trumpet as a prominent instrument. You really can’t win if that’s the starting point
This Afro-Cuban jazz album is challenging to rate, with a chaotic, frenetic energy stemming from vibrant brass, intricate Latin percussion, and driving bass woven into dense, celebratory arrangements. Perfect as a Soundtrack, for an evening out to dance, drink and watch people dancing to it.
If there was a movie about my life, I'd like this to be the score.
I've never listened to this album (23). Not really my taste but an easy listen.
Afro-Cuban jazz from the 50's! Cool to hear it one-time, but it didnt hook me enough to play it again
If there’s anything better than Afro-Cuban music it’s Afro-Cuban music mixed with jazz. It brings to mind a world that hasn’t existed in over 60 years- old Havana, the playground of the rich, a paradise just south of Hell, a dictatorship that oppressed its people and kowtowed to wealth. How things change… Good jazz and good instrumental music have the ability to transport the listener, a sort of Walter Mitty effect that makes you feel like your life might actually be better and more profound than it actually is. Life isn’t easy but it might seem easier with ¨Kenya¨ by Machito playing. Best songs: ¨Wild Jungle,¨ ¨Kenya¨
Good music not my vibe
ragazzi quello che ha fatto sta lista tiene la merda in testa hmm si oggi mi sento proprio un'ora di they call me cuban pete im the king of the rumba beat (instrumental)
2 non è il voto assoluto per questo album, però rispetto al piacere che ho avuto nell’ascoltare gli altri non posso dare di più non è per il genere, quanto per il fatto che ok bello ma non c’è stato nulla che mi abbia colpito
Bell’album tra il jazz e ritmi afro cubani, tuttavia nessun brano mi ha colpito particolarmente
godo mi è piaciuto molto
Bel cambio di genere con un album strumentale, mi è sembrato di stare in un bar a cuba o cose così, un bel fatto
Bingo bango bongo big band cuban jazz
What great percussion on this album. The drums are on point, and the music keeps your feet bopping. I think the fact it's an instrumental album creates a timelessness to it, that probably wouldn't exist if there were vocal. Definitely a solid album, that I wouldn't mind listening to again.
I enjoyed the blend of African and Cuban music. Although it became a bit repetitive by the end of the album. Still, fun listen
Kenya was an album that was shockingly very good. I'm not really the biggest fan of most jazz music since albums of it can either tend to be too boring or too messy and all over the place. However, this one was able to strike a good balance between soft jazz and more big band jazz. It had enough going on as to where it kept me interested but never went too far with it to make it become messy and abrasive. There do seem to be some cuban elements here but i don't really hear them anywhere in the songs at it really does have the sound of a typical big band album. Even so, i still enjoyed my time with this album and think of it as one of the better jazz albums out there. Best Song: Conversation Worst Song: Congo Mulence
Always thought that this style of music is so much fun, imo much better than some of the stuff happening in the US. This type of music is sort of in a bubble in the sense that it hasn't really changed for many years, so it feels sort of in a bubble. Its also quite a lot like certain Buena Vista Social Club songs, probably due to the Cuban link, except these don't have vocals, which I don't really think is a drawback, as the brass stuff really has its own personality, in the same way singing voices do. Its also very jazzy and reminds me of all the best parts of 1930s big band stuff. Also the performers are clearly incredibly talented. As I also said with the Tito Puente album, it always just feels like they are having such a good time playing, which is always great. Favourite songs: all Overall around 7/10
Really fun! I can't say it really checks any of my personal boxes other than being international jazz. I do love Cuban music, I gave the Buena Vista Social Club album 5 stars. But I'm generally not a big-band jazz fan. I prefer a smaller ensemble. Still, I'm really glad to have discovered this album and I absolutely consider it a must-listen. #218
Kenya? More like an uneventful trip through the safer parts of Miami.
Not for me
It was nice to hear music from a completely different culture, but it wasn’t it for me.
Amazing
Feels like it’s made for a movie. Vibrant, beats and rhythm. A real party album. Loved it.
7,2/10
Sounds great but gets a bit samey
Give me a Mai Tai and a tiki lounge
If you like Mariokart osts, you'll like this.
Great cooking album
♪┏(・o･)┛♪ ～(■_■)～♪ ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪
If you give me an old school instrumental Latin record, chances are it'll be a 5
Loved it!
Fantastic jazz album. Captivating instrumentation particularly percussion, and a blazing energy that does not let up throughout the runtime. Personally I could've used a slower tempo song to break up the album a little, but a great listen for those interested in afro-cuban jazz
I don't like Jazz
It was very forgettable african inspired jazz but it was decent
Yeah, really likeable and alive. Sounds great almost 70 years on.
Sometimes the horns come in too aggressively for me.
Very good.
Classy 50's ballroom. Cool, not very diversified
Interesting turn - I'm curious to see if I enjoy or dislike this album. I can appreciate jazz. It was alright. Pretty decent stuff, but not *really* my type.
This was actually a really pleasant album to go through in the early morning. Nothing particularly great but I can hear the influence this would end up having on salsa it was pleasant
Enjoyable with bongos and brass. What I think of as jazz music in the movies (a la Indiana Jones). 5 stars
This was really nice. I might buy it. 4*
I’m sure this crushed at cocktail parties in the late ‘50s but it’s not for me.
Excellent (so far). On a trip so finding it hard to listen continuously. Enjoy the vibes of this jazz album.
I'm bored.
I inherited some fantastic jazz vinyls from the 50s and there were some Machito albums as well so his name wasn't unfamiliar. This Afro-Cuban jazz with the frentic energy and the incredible skills of the musicians is such a great listen. I am not always in a mood for such music but when I have then it is such a joy. It reminds me a bit of oldies films from the 50s or 60s spy films. It's difficult to rate this as an album (in the 50s there was no real albums, more like songs thrown together and released on a record). The music itself is five stars.
okay
I can respect it. Not my thing.
Du bon vieux jazz vintage, avant que les jeunes débiles ne lui fassent des choses inavouables. Intéressant, divertissant, amusant, vif, dynamique et plein de beaux adjectifs. Bref, un bon moment d’écoute, mais pas vraiment pour moi.
Not my cup of tea.
Found myself dancing a little in my seat to this one.
Very cool
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.
would be something in the background for coloring, artistry, or cleaning. just some good background tracks.
I am a big fan of Machito's earlier Mambo and ChaCha discography. This is certainly far freer and brassier. Machito is aggressively letting loose here. I've actually previously downloaded this album, and enjoy it. It doesn't make the car or shop playlists, however. Only criticism is that Machito is so rooted in the Cuban, that the Afro struggles for expression
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
two non Anglo albums in a row!! Latin Jazz apparently this time. inoffensive but not my thing.
I like hooty Latin dance music as much as someone who cannot do those dances can, but I felt jostled by this record, and am opting to just get out of its way. Plus, terrible cover!
It’s well-arranged and performed, with a cast of stellar musicians, and yet I cannot shake the feeling this was packaged as a way to make 1950s white-bread America feel alright about Latin music. Nothing here really moves me.
Good to see some latin here, hoping for more (and some more modern albums), beside Tito Puente who's probably on the list.
Tito puente is already on the list so I dont see why this is. Its fine but not life-changing.
Afro-cuban jazz gets 4 stars my default. So...
Yes! Exactly what I use this project for! Hugely influential and a joy to listen to. 4/5
so this is mambo../jazz?. I don't know the genre well, but again pleasant with more liveliness than the bossanova I've recently been acquainting myself with. would definitely be fun to dance to. band sounds great and there's lots of interesting things happening musically. interesting to think that this is during a time period where most music is to be enjoyed in a different way, a more natural way if you will, than our modern listening and enjoyment habits that have more to do with pop or pop adjacent recording ever since albums became more of an art form in and of themselves or radio/tv began pushing singles and stars. to modern ears, or my own prejudices and ignorance, it is harder to judge this the same way as most albums I'm familiar with. again, I think the music is to be enjoyed first and foremost on a very instinctual level, but it is clever and engaging when listening just from a musical perspective as well. body music and intellectual music can form a feedback loop though that enhance each other. I would argue it is intrinsic to most of my favorite music.
Easy to move to.
I really enjoyed this album. Pure vintage jazz.
If the main thing you want from a record is EXCITEMENT, this album delivers it in droves, via intense 'n' furious percussion, a punchy brass section and wild sax and trumpet improvisation. Trouble is that EXCITEMENT is the *only* emotion that this record has to offer - otherwise the tracks don't have much depth.
This music makes me want to drink a dry martini. Watch a movie from the 50s. Wear a suit around the house. Start smoking. The feel is all 50s Hollywood. The percussion on this record is AMAZING. And the horn players are killing it too. A huge surprise, this one. Love it. FOUR STARS
I loved this album. I have since looked up more like music. Thank you for introducing me to this genre.
For some Afro Cuban jazz, this was a pretty good album. I like jazz across the board, but big band ballroom-style jazz has always been my least favorite. Since this album definitely leans into that big band feel, I don’t really see myself coming back to it often, but I still enjoyed it for what it is.
Machito was only 5'4" but before he called himself Machito he went by "Macho". That's fantastic. Glad I now know about Machito fka Macho.
Very 1940s big band. Added one song to the vibes playlist
Wow, I’ve heard this sound forever. It sounds like west side story immediately. I loved every minute of this.
Enjoyed the record, won't necessarily hit the regular rotation but it was good.
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.
not a big jazz fan but this was nice
Maybe this was a reveation back in 1957, but it didn’t do it for me.
If this were some objective rating of music, I’d definitely go higher. But it’s not—to be honest, it probably can’t be objective. And I really don’t like this.
I think this is my favourite jazz album from this list so far, and I'm halfway through. I think it's the slightly Tiki rhythms and presentation I am enjoying. This album flew by.
finally some good fucking food
decent
Afro Cuban jazz - what’s not to like? Oh yeah, right of course, but I still liked it and it’s clearly influential. Despite a relatively short run time, it still dragged a bit. It feels best listened to as background vibes.
# Album Name: Kenya # Artist: Machito # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: A very mid album. Not bad. Great for elevator music. # Top Tunes: Not sure, blends into one. # Would I listen to it again? Probably not
Fun exciting jazz, very old-timey big band. But it’s basically “one note”. I found the trumpets pretty grating by the end. If it fluctuated in energy maybe it would actually be a keeper
Certainly not unpleasant to listen to, but it can get a little loud and feels mostly like soundtrack music for a film set in the 1950s. Title cut and “Holiday” are best, but everything sounds pretty good. Beyond the congas and complex rhythms, there’s quite a bit that sounds like what other notable big bands were doing.
Bangs. I've been curious about 1950s jazz so it was nice to see this come up.
I’m far from a jazz fan, so my knowledge here is very limited. However, my feeble little mind was blown when I saw that this was released in the 50s. To my cauliflower ears, it sounds decades ahead of its time. But then again, I don’t really know jazz. Anyway, this made for a pleasant enough soundtrack for a drive into Chester. It’s not something I’d seek to listen to again, but it ain’t bad.
I've failed you Barry B Benson... I dont like jazz, but this slaps fp.
Sublime.
Fun
Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Braucht kein Mensch.
vier bis fünf
This is what I expected more of when I started listening through this list. A genre that I am not familiar with. This one even has influences from other genres I'm not familiar with at all. Great jazz album that is really easy to listen through. The addition of the African instruments that I don't associate with traditional jazz makes it even better. This is an album I'm going to listen to multiple times.
Kind of interesting, but all in all not something I'll go back to.
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.
While I enjoyed jamming to this album, it is not something I would seek out. The entire time listening I was reminded of Ricky Ricardo.
No conozco mucho de jazz, así que se me hizo un poco repetitivas las canciones. Aún así el álbum fue excelente y todas las canciones, aunque me parezcan similares, tienen sus fuerzas individuales que las separan de cierta manera de las otras en álbum. 8/10
Heerlijk ochtend jazz albumpje. Het is niet wereldschokkend, maar gaat soms compleet gestoord, maar heel eerlijk ik had iets meer verwacht zeker met de Afro-Cuba ondertitel. Uiteindelijk? Ik heb me gewoon heel erg vermaakt hiermee. Zonnetje schijnt, lucht is blauw, dit is een perfect album voor de maandagochtend. Is het verder een perfect album? Zat ik op het puntje van mn stoel? Nee, het was grotendeels een lekker achtergrond albumpje. En soms is dat gewoon precies wat je wilt. Wel gaat het echt soms volkomen los, en ik kreeg heel erg filmische vibes van dit album. Bij vlagen gebeurde er ontzettend veel en ging ik rechtop zitten, maar dat werd afgewisseld met nummers die minder bleven hangen. Heel vet dat de nummers kort zijn, daardoor word eigenlijk continue je aandacht gepakt en als je een nummer hebt dat je minder vet vind is het ook zo weer voorbij. Ja, supervet album, heel filmisch en absoluut iets wat ik zou aanraden. Uit de review merk je ook wel een beetje dat het soms heel heftig en chaotisch is en soms juist een beetje voortkabbeld. Het voelt ook wel als een album dat ik nog een paar keer aan 'moet' zetten om beter te begrijpen. En dat is zeker geen straf. FAVO: Congo Mulence, Oyeme, Blues a la machito, Minor Rama
It's a perfectly good album, but given the very small proportion of world music and jazz in the list, it does feel like tokenism. Off the top of my head, Frank Morgan, Kenny Dorham, Ruben Gonzalez, Mongo Santamaria, Afrocubism, and Dizzy Gillespie have all made stronger and more innovative albums in this area.
I have an aversion to trumpets in most forms so this is absolutely not for me. I don’t know if it’s technically good or not, it just sounds like cacophonous trumpets and relentless bongo-ing to me. Hated it.
Fun but I think ultimately lost on me.
Vamos hoy martes con un artista (y mixtura de géneros) que desconozco por completo. Con su primera canción (y con el álbum en sí) me hace acordar a soundtracks de películas como "The Mask" o de series como "Cowboy Bebop" (más con éste anime). Fue una linda sorpresa. Me despido hasta mañana, con estos géneros tan audiovisuales que me rondan la cabeza.
This is wall to wall the music I imagined having in the background while making dinner before the kids took over all the sound making devices in the house. 4/5 would listen again.
Loved this one.
Nothing like some jazz on a sunny Saturday afternoon
Fun to listen to, very energetic.
Jaaaaaaaaazz
*35 minutes of Cuban jazz party! *Lots of fun. RATING - 7/10
While one or two songs stood out above the others, none were worth an entire album of listening. Curious about the title and its relationship to the music, as this is Afro-Cuban jazz.
Liked this, listened to it 3 times off the bounce. Love the whole latin jazz type sound. Aye it’s very samey at times but I quite like that. It’s like a 30s party in my ears.
This was quick and very fun. No idea if its Latin Jazz in the mask soundtrack but that's what it reminded me of. No songs particularly stood out over the others but don't think that's the point really. Don't have enough of a handle on this genre so not sure if this would stand out over another album, or it might be by far the best example. Either way, really enjoyed it.
Fun. Lovely range of beats and breaks, and jaunty. Not overly memorable, though nice for a quick listen.
I initially did not like this at all and was thinking I would be giving a 1..... But to be fair it did grow on me. I just don't really get on with this type of jazz, it's too jarring and unpredictable. Don't know where it's going.
I love jazz! Sets my mind at ease
Quite enjoyed it considering an aversion to jazz.
very catchy afro cuban jazz. Well worth listening to.
I really enjoy this as background music
Bit too repetitive, not my genre
decent
Energy and beat are fun, but it does get a little same-y after a while.
Whenever this list throws me a turd, I seem to bounce back with an album I quite enjoy! Rose tinted glasses perhaps? Perhaps. Anyway, sweet afro/jazzy/Latin beats. Great horns. A general good feeling. I actually thought about dancing, or asking my wife to dance in the living room. Then I remembered I'm an awkward dude and can't dance! 4 stars! Should be 5.
This is just a ton of fun.
A fully delightful jazz album. No single track reached out and grabbed me, but I would very happily return to this. Almost made it to 4 stars, but couldn't get all the way there.
Some fun old-school jazz. Kinda the same stuff over and over again, but it's charming enough for me not to really mind. The high notes are a bit too loud at places, though, so some songs are a little grating, but nothing really serious. 7/10
This album gives the vibes of being an undercover detective chasing a no-good hispanic drug dealer through El Barrio. He runs into a nearby music club and you follow him, however you lose him as soon as you enter, as you are distracted by the bright colours, the loud noises, and the attractive ladies with raven-black hair and bright red lipstick. You can't help think that they are associates of your assailant, as they are working hard to keep you on the dance floor. But you can't drag yourself away, because you are lost in the music.
Tunes to make you groove.
No
I like Jazz. This is not exactly the kind of jazz I love, but it is pretty good. I found the mix pretty tricky in the car. Far too much mid/high end on the horns which was going through me a fair bit. However listening in the office with headphones was much more balanced. Not my favourite jazz albums so will get a three (yawn).
Great stuff - I'd have like lyrics as well but loved listening to something new.
Never heard of the songs, the album or the artist. Not a genre I am really familiar with either, but I loved this. Enough so that I listened to it four times and then left spotify on auto play for similar content the rest of my work day. I think the scoring system makes it hard to go above a 3 without intimately knowing an album, but I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna bloody do it.
Not my favorite style, but good.
I listened to this while cooking but the dish took longer than I thought so once it ended I looped the new Geese track Taxes over and over and tbh now thats all I remember. That new Geese track is probably song of the year. Honestly how tf are these kids out here making the weirdest yet most accessible music going, the singers solo album last year was so good and its the most talking heads influenced stuff I've ever heard. It's super ambitious but it always hits its mark, probably the greatest 'rock' band going rn. God I love them.
Annoying and grating. Wild Jungle (5/10) Congo Mulence (3/10) Kenya (2/10) Oyeme (3/10) Holiday (3/10) Cannonology (3/10) Frenzy (2/10) Blues a La Machito (3/10) Conversation (3/10) Tin Tin Deo (4/10) Minor Rama (3/10) Tururato (2/10) 3/10
Overall: 7/10 Pretty cool african (inspired?) jazz music. A lot of it reminded me of the type of music they would play in Cowboy Bebop. It's all very energetic and doesn't let up for a second. I won't be listening to it very often as it's not my favourite type of music in general but I had a really great time with it. Fav Song: Frenzy Least Fav Song: Cannonology
Could go up woth more listens
Big band sorta music
3.4 stars rounded down.
I expected a Tito Puente dance party, but I got actual jazz - superb fun!
This is a situation where id like a press release with every album I listen to. At first, it just sounded like a standard jazz record (to an untrained ear like myself) and then I did some reading and wow! This is excellent.
Ikke særlig spennende på noen som helst måte.
3.7 - Good I think? Will I go relisten? Probably not?
Enjoyable but very samey. 3.4/5
It's not bad, and it might even be great for what it is, but there's a limit to how much I can personally enjoy a Cuban jazz album and that limit is not very high. Far from the worst entry on this list, but I was also glad when it was over and I could listen to something I enjoy. 2.3
So good, makes me want to dance!
Enjoyed it
Good but a bit manic for me
It's fine, the genre is just uninteresting
This was so great. I just kept bopping to this on the beach today. Loved it!
Pretty fun jazz
Spicy sims city 2000 music
Jazzå, ännu mera jazz.
Very good brass section
Kickass Afro-Cuban jazz. Fantastic band and solos.
Latin African jazz. Dammit. Without listening yet, I know I’ll enjoy the musicianship but have my serious doubts that anything here will resonate with me. And, within seconds, I know that I’m right. The drums might give me an actual panic attack. The horns sound like a high school marching band (to be fair, an extremely talented one). The talent here is obvious, and I don’t hate this at all, but I can’t find a reason why I would ever listen to this by choice. Undoubtedly, this will appeal to a lot of music lovers because it really is well done. Very talented, tight musicians, and top notch recording. I am listening to something that I would never find on my own, and I appreciate that. But, this is just not my preference, and I’ll rate it as such. Solid work, just don’t care that much. These drums might give me a stroke. It’s all so frenetic. 2.8/5-too well done to not round up, but I’m doing it begrudgingly because I will never think about this record again.
Not bad at all. Would be great in person. Makes me want a cigarette and a martini. And to dance with a lady with fruit on her head.
This one's good. This comes from an interesting but not overly-challenging era of jazz and is a very pleasurable listen. I'm only a beginner jazz listener but I find this accessible and enjoyable. Speaking as someone who's primarily a folk and rock fan, this is worth a listen for music fans like myself to hear the profound influence that Cuban music has had throughout the history of the other genres that I love. That's where the Bo Diddley Beat came from (probably from Africa, before that). Standouts for me were the opener, Wild Jungle and Cannonology, which both place a stronger emphasis on the percussion, which is what I love the most on this record. And Frenzy, which reminds me profoundly of Caravan. There's masterful playing throughout the recording, though.
Instrumental
4 - pretty good jazz
Duro el jazz latino afrodescendiente cubano, combina mucho mambo, me gustó ya lo había escuchado antes y lo volvería a escuchar aunque situacionalmente
I've not really listened to this sort of music before. If I could dance I could imagine the songs on a night at club. It had the ones you bring out your best moves on, and then ones you sit and catch your breath, then there are those where you just watch the band have fun. Holiday was a cheeky change that feels like an extended theme tune of a TV series in the 50s. I might have preferred if 'Blues a La Machito' had come earlier on the album.
The percussion is what keeps this going. The rest absolutely sounds like an album from 1957 - and big band jazz is usually not for me.
Big band arrangements of this period tend towards the angular and shrill, same with the Ray Charles 'genius' album side 1. The percussion is the best part and the inspiration I guess. Not for me, though.
The thing that puts me off of some older jazz is just how stately it can be, it lacks a pulse that a lot of my favourite jazz has. In contrast, I love how erratic and hook-laden the first couple of tracks on Kenya are. They are going for bombast, even sitting down I could feel my body twitching, ready to dance. Machito’s Latin jazz variant adds extra layer of insatiable danceability to proceedings. When it moves away from the bombast it’s an album of contrasts and regular dynamic shifts, horns pulling in and out, percussion bubbling away, rarely sitting still. Definitely one I’ll return to.
Big fan of this having never heard Afro Cuban jazz before, to my knowledge anyway. Lively!
Congo Mulence // Kenya // Blues a La Machito // Tin Tin Deo //
The blasting horns make this album sound extremely grand. The percussion also adds so much energy. Very energetic and groovy record. It kept me on my feet.
It's nice. Hearing that early mambo style was certainly a treat. Not something I'd put on, but I could see it being used in a lot of 80's movie soundtracks. ~2 Stars Yet another album where I don't feel the need to add any tracks to the 1001 best of playlist.
Not the worst jazz album that's come up on this list. It was fun and energetic, and not too weird.
Giving this a 3 as it was lovely and individual tracks I could enjoy in isolation but a whole album of 1960s spy theme intros is too much. Loved the more African influenced percussion behind the more traditional jazz. Great instrumentation. Just not for me.
This was ok. Upbeat etc... not really my thing... ...but I spent the whole time thinking it sounded like the music they play in the background of old films when the two romantic leads have popped to the balcony for some air during a dance they are attending and they have a, usually somewhat sexist, disagreement along the lines of "Dorothy, I know you're a swell dame who has aspirations to work in a male dominated field, but have you considered dropping all your principles and marrying me instead of that?" To which Dorothy would reply "How could you think that of me, you know I'm really good at that male dominated field and that I am fully deserving of a position in it regardless of the sexist nature of America at large during this time period (read: any time period)" and then after the man has walked off somewhat put out by the lady's very predictable dismissal we see another shot of the lady genuinely considering packing it all in cos the bloke has a dimple in his chin or something. If it was a musical this would be where she sings the song about how he's a rotter, but like a totally fit one. Either way it all leads to the final scene compromise where she gets to work in her field in some capacity while they ride off into the sunset on a horse and cart that says just married on the back.
This was a great album to listen to while driving around. Felt cool, even though I drive a 15 year old sedan with the engine light on. Great album otherwise too.
YES!
Fine, just a bit eh
Jazz I guess
Jazz…still don’t get it…maybe one day…
Great find!! Sounds amazing.
I usually hate instrumental stuff but I like this a lot
If I had heard 50s Latin jazz earlier, I probably would have found it easier to become a jazz fan. Reeally vibrant and fun, especially for nearly 70 years old.
This is one of the rare cases where I felt an album was actually too short, and would have benefited from being a little bit longer.
Likte det
9/10
Good energy
hyped me up to fall asleep
This was a great album! It's a wonderful example of the style.
I’ve been really hit or miss with Jazz so far but this is the first one where I find myself somewhere in the middle. I did enjoy it but nothing on it blew me away and I’m unlikely ever to revisit it. I will say though that I think if it was 10-15 minutes longer I would’ve started to get tired of it so at least it didn’t outstay its welcome.
I was glad this leant more toward the jazz genre than cuban as I’ve had a few of those recently and kinda bored of it for now. I also appreciated the succinctness of these tunes, a rarity for the genre but nothing really clocked over 3 minutes. Nice listen 3.5/5
I don't like this kind of music unfortunately
So much fun! Love the vibe!
Not my thing but good
Cover: 6 I can't just jump into a genre and listen to it as if with fresh ears. I have to be in a mood. Generally, classical, jazz, any instrumental music I only use while reading. On occasion I might listen to it for pleasure. Very rarely.
Jazz I feel like I understand.
A fun listen, but the mix was blown out in a way that sounded off to me.
It was fun. Maybe not something I come back to a lot, but no complaints.
I liked this album much more than I expected, but I was expecting something completely different based on the album artwork… I clearly missed the part where it says “afro-cuban jazz”. Very good, fun to listen to jazz that had me tapping my foot and/or shaking my booty. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
The music was good, but I felt like it was one long song. Very little to differentiate between one song and the next.
Maybe this review is also a reflection of the mood I was in, but I really liked this one. I am adding to my "summer deck beer" playlist!
ABSOLUTE FILTH - do not, repeat do not, let the youth listen to this or there will be fraternising and all sorts.
hard to have a bad time listening to this
No!
Jazzy Latin Dancehall music.
Explosive and layered. Vibrant and unrelenting, it's a fun listen.
★★½
How does this make the list? It sounds like most other albums of this genre and the listen counts are under 5K for nearly every song and it's 60 yrs old! Horn overload. Great for a movie soundtrack set in Cuba but not relaxing music to hang out and chill. 2 stars because I'm sure they were great musicians. No longevity, no hits, no familiar songs, no relevance today, no influence on anyone I've ever listened to intentionally. Poor choice.
Great tango/ salsa music. Thanks for the suggestion. Gets you up and dancing.
Sounds like 70s Scooby doo chase music. It's fun.
Deservedly, the intersection of East 111th Street and 3rd Avenue in Spanish Harlem, NY is now referred to as 'Machito Square' (thanks Ed Koch!). The popularizer, really the inventor, of Afro-Cuban Jazz (explicit on the album cover), Cubop, and Salsa, Machito merges the swing-centrism of big band arrangements w/ the impossible fluidity of Afro-Cuban rhythms and the frantic celerity of bebop (e.g., 'Frenzy'). This produces something that is equal parts light and close-knit, precise but thoroughly unruly. While the record itself lacks diversity, and to some degree direction, being more of a collection of tracks than a story told, it's not really about that. It's about a movement in music affixed to neighborhoods now universally pronounced.
Просто качественный джаз
Lovely jazz rainy morning tunes.
Cool music, I enjoyed listening to this. Not something I would want to download and listen to again, but I enjoyed it. Interesting sound. 2.5/5 stars.
5/10
This must’ve been thrilling at the time. A very fun listen.
Loved the afro beats, got tired of the jazz...
Enjoyable not something I’d normally listen can’t see many repeat listens though
Meh
oh oh oh oh oh i wanna bounce around like a little cricket or like a praying mantis tell me this ain't straight outta cowboy bebop
Enjoyed this one from start to finish.
This was wonderful. I loved the jazz-afrobeat fusion. Made me feel like I was in Miami again.
I liked it. Not something I would have ever sought out on my own, but it was a pleasant listen. Made me feel like I was at The Tropicana trying to get Ricky to let me be in the show. 3.5⭐️
This was a fun listen. That bongo player is getting after it!
Latin jazz, tight but abrasive and hard to listen to
Brassy but awesome vibe!
Groovy
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.
Nice and varied. A style of music I'm not very familiar with but I liked this somewhat lo-fi recording.
platonic ideal of the kind of album you discover in this exercise. never would have heard this. loved it almost all my time with it.
BONGO JAZZ ‼️ this made me feel like a tom and jerry character in the big city
The opening brass gave me really big HBCU marching/pep band vibes, which was fun. Overall I enjoyed this, I found the Latin dance elements to balance out the more wandering jazz into a direction I like.
I don't have a lot of context for this type of music or this era in general. It all sounds well and good I guess. 3/5 Album 45/1001
This reminds me of old movies from the 60's and 70's. 3 stars or C.
I just love jazz that has Latin influences.
Ok, for reference- I like jazz. I don't understand it on an academic level, but it just sounds good to me- I've got more jazz albums in my iTunes library than any other genre (1500 or so). So I get this right away. Mid 50s hard-bop and bebop with Latin rhythms. It's not bad, but Latin Jazz has never done anything for me- that beat isn't awful, but it is like putting a straitjacket on the rhythm section. again, not terrible- just nothing I'd usually willingly listen to.
I liked this jazz more than most, it's not as scattered and chaotic. But it's still jazz and I'm not crazy about it.
Album des Erfinders des Salsa aus Mischung kubanischer und afrikanischer Musik. Insgesamt kein Album, dass gefiel.
Very fun music
Interesting
Jazz Brass over Latin percussion, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.
First time w/ Machito. Afro-Cuban jazz I know I’ll revisit. Hilton Ruiz afterward from the algo was another win.
Desi Arnez jams.
Great! Fun to listen to.
Man this album goes hard. Incredible Afro-Cuban jazz record. Really enjoyed getting this today.
Good.
Leuk, jazzy, geeft toffe sfeer
Jazz is better when it's crazy fast and not like the stuff that gets played in a lift Cool bongos, love me some bongos. As jazz goes it's on the better side of 3
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.
Jazz background
This is #day250 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to something from 68 years ago. Not great, not terrible, but not something I'd ever choose to put on by myself either. Afro-Cuban jazz, or so they say... Oh well, I guess I'm not that into maracas. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day251.
Excellent album, all bangers, no skips.
Really enjoyed this Latin Jazz album, and will revisit for sure.
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
i guess i’m a fan of “afro-cuban jazz”. who knew?
Not my thing but now I want Mexican food. Then again, I always want Mexican food.
Interesante variación, jazz latino
Well that was a hoot. Just a jolly good time was had by all. I had no knowledge of Machito prior to checking out his album Kenya. And I have to say, this is one of the reasons I signed up to listen to 1001 albums. So I could get introduced to artists or albums I have no previous history. I was bummed when Kenya ended. I was really enjoying the rhythms, beats and horns. I might’ve even danced around in my living room a little bit. That was fun. This is a 4 for me. 4/5
This was a great listen. Fun for the background if you’re like doing stuff around the house. Upbeat and interesting!
It was great! The African influence was very obvious. The songs were shorter than I thought they would be.
Gezel
This is pretty good. It's african inspired jazz and the horns and percussion are tasteful and deliberate.
This was good; I like a good instrumental album of any genre. I'm wondering where it stands in the history of the genre since it's so early for modern recorded music. It's the soundtrack to every scene out of a 60's/70's movie with a scene set in latin america. Not a bad thing, it's just extremely representative of the genre I think. That said one song kind of bled in to the next. It was fun and I liked it, just no standouts for me.
God I loved this the texture the percussion dat sax. A sunny day in Fukuoka
Fun and lively album. The songs were short, but didn't seem to be lacking from the brevity. The diverse mix of instruments remained clear in the composition. This was an enjoyable listen, even if it wasn't my usual style of music. Overall: 3/5
If Siembra is a party, Kenya is the awkward cousin standing in the corner trying to groove but missing the beat. Sure, the musicians can play, but the whole thing feels flat and lifeless. It’s like they followed a recipe and still somehow made it bland. Not the worst thing I’ve ever heard, but I wouldn’t put it on again unless someone dared me.
I felt like I was watching a sixties action movie the whole time
Wasn’t sure what to expect but this was a vibe
Enjoyable album. The big band arrangement was interesting and the horns were great. 3.5/5 Might listen again
I'm not personally into this style of jazz, but it's amazing this came from the 50's! I can only imagine how groundbreaking and new and other-worldly it must have been to folks in the US or England, and I can only imagine the impact it must have had on music thereafter.
Hyväntuulista, aika menevää perus jazzia. Latinosoundi vahvasti läsnä. Levyllä varmaan yritetty suurempaa yleisöä kun kappaleet on 3min mitoissa. Vähän ehkä toistavaa, kappaleita ei erota toisistaan mutta onneksi levy ei ole liian pitkä. Parhaat: Ei erikoisia mainintoja.
Afro cuban jazz is in my wheel house dogs. This album speaks to me and moves as if it were a story book. I love this era of music from the early 50's pre rock and roll where everything had a latin american feel and flow to it. Additionally incredible that the westernization of latin america and cuba was bottled up and forgotten by the communism race. Then rereleased in the late 90s and early 2000s. This influence lived two lives and I'm happy to exsist in a timeline where this is in it.
Love jazz, love this.
Solid album afro Cuban jazz, get lost in the drums and then to horns come blasting in.
Upbeat , toe tapping feel good beats.
Not my kind
Tim face jazz. 4.5
4.5