Kenya

Opening track was very fun. Overall very enjoyable. I’d listen again. I don’t know if there’s anything specific that places this apart from similar sounds but I’m going off the enjoyment.

Clearly not the format we know as albums today, but the musicianship is impressive and consistent.

Its always with albums that have drifted their release far, far away from their genres golden age, that I as an objectivist rating these albums, have to account for peoples subjectivity; the large wooosh heard as this album passes from person to person. For they do not know, what have the Machito brothers added here, which elements differentiate the sound from the past (19XX) and transform it into the new (20XX), that I as an objectivist have came down to the right path and the right decision to incorporate that history aspect, which follows all of life, and rate this album, based on these scenes and feelings from here to here, and put my finger down on the fourth star as an testiment of my fullfilling nature, greatness achieved through hard work, and being better than others, sincerely from Finland to the World. Dont let my message die out in the darkness and misbelief of the current state of things. Much love.

I can have this on repeat for a while an not get tired of it

Kek

Riktigt najs album!! Härliga afro-cuban rytmer!! Energifyllt och svängigt💃

Exciting Afro-Cuban jazz!

If I had not already listened to Incredible Bongo Band on this list, I would have sworn that this was that album. It’s definitely more fitting - and a lot better.

rolling two 50s jazz albums in a 3 day period was a real blow. good thing i had this album to lift my spirits

Afro-Cubam jazz, big band. Beautiful blend of sounds, never got tired of it. Might revisit. Strong 3.5/5

Not bad. I've actually enjoyed this a lot

Oh, how wonderful was this! I very rarely get jazz on the generator, so when I do, it's always a treat, and this was no exception.

An early leader in the Afro-Cuba jazz scene, this is frantically danceable in a way that would have made the stiff upper lipped people of the 50s scowl. Machito's legacy influenced a wide range of other artists including Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Not a personal favorite but fun to hear.

I recently was listening to a lot of Eddie Palmieri to try to learn more about the Latin jazz genre, so this was welcome. I was infamiliar with Machito, but the band nailed every track. I just find it hard to rate certain genres that always sound good to me!

Jazz with loads of Caribbean and Latin percussion. A very enjoyable, and energetic listen.

Got this on a dreary London may morning, it brightened everything. The rhythm went from fast and furious to sleazy mambo.

Ooooh, this is wonderful. Vibrant and spicy, expertly played, highly listenable. Fave Songs: Congo Mulence, Wild Jungle, Tin Tin Deo, Cannonology, Minor Rama, Kenya

Very entertaining throughout. Made me want to get up and move. This was clearly the most hip and happening thing.

Big band jazz infused with a heavy dose of hand drums. The highlights for me are the sax solos and horns.

Lots of energy, smooth vibes, gets ya moving!

Wasn't sure what to expect going into this one, but I was pleasantly surprised! 4 ⭐️

Salsa baby!

funkyyyyyyy

4/5

Very solid, sounds quite 60s for it's time.

im too tired to write a proper review but this was really nice... i love you afro jazz

This is an album that will transport you to another time and place. It feels like a fancy, smoky jazz lounge in Havana or Miami in the 1950s. I need a white suit with a hat, a big cigar, and a glass of rum, and we're walking through the back like in Goodfellas.

I certainly don't know enough about afro-cuban jazz to know how this stacks up against other albums, but this was a great listen. None of the soloists really made much of an impression on me, but that's about the only complaint I have. great stuff, if perhaps a bit unmemorable.

Mucho ritmo y temas de esos que conoces pero no sabes de quién son.

3.5 stars. Lively and fun Afro-Cuban jazz.

I was hoping for a bit less Big Band and a bit more Afro-Cuban, but this was still a nice find.

Really love the big band style and this made me groove

Great smooth beats. Background cocktail party vibe .

Cool Afro-Cuban Jazz. I don't know much about the genre but I totally dug it.

Very interesting stuff. Another reviewer here noted the “chaotic, frenetic energy of cuban jazz” and that “it felt like the soundtrack to a 1970s spy movie”. I agree on both points, Wikipedia notes that Machito “…brought together Cuban rhythms and big band arrangements in one group.” That’s also a good summary. There’s an incessant energy here that I can only equate to The Ramones, not that there is any stylistic comparison. The percussion is up front, and drives the songs. There’s a lot of unison horns. It all comes off a bit “busy”, not a lot of space in the songs. None of that is bad, mind you. It all works. But don’t see the genre as Jazz and expect Monk or Coltrane. This is the kind of thing I came to this project to discover. Completely new to me and deserving of hearing. It will certainly go onto my “listen again” again list for sure 4/5

Love. It.

god damn the fifties are cookin’ tonight. i love these little atmospheric experimentations in genre and sound that came out of this period.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Hard for it not to lift the mood and get some part of your body moving or tapping. Great musicianship, great songs!

Intense piece of Afro-Cuban jazz, and one that I'm going to have to explore more deeply.

Cool. Fun half an hour.

Fun album. Percussion was excellent. Haven't listened to latin jazz very much but I'd be willing to listen to more after hearing this. No vocals was a plus.

This is great all the way through. Nice sleazy 50’s Afro-Latin jazz rhythms, with plenty of horns. Play this on a sunny Saturday afternoon. It will make you happy, trust me. Goes well with a cocktail, or a cigarette and a cognac, on the rocks naturally.

Wonderful stuff - 4 stars

This is a fun album to walk around to. I'm a sucker for instrumental albums and this is a good time. This feels really skilled and I enjoyed it.

Nice jazz with afro-caribbean bits in it. Not my favourite flavor of jazz, but stil pretty pleasant to listen to.

An absolute banger. Quite a nice juxtaposition with the rainy walk I took as a listened, and a strong sense of atmosphere and instrumentation is maintained throughout.

More important for who listened than the listening. Fun and beautifully played. 3.5

Album from 1957 a lesson in music history - Latin-Jazz and Afro-cuban - "machito" of Havana, Cuba being very influential on mid 20thC jazz musicians. Reminds me of the music that would be in the background on old movies of the 50s and 60s - mood music. Happy light and playful. Not bad at all. And as 1957 /8 was when STEREO was just starting ot be available to consumers - this might have been a great hifi shop demo album. Im guessing all of this woudl be in the book. The history of the album prevented me, admittedly for thinking - oh yeah - good lobby/elevator/movie music. appreciatign the era a bit, especiialy the more lively tracks!

Loved this. The bands achievement was to blend latin & jazz in an exciting way. The opener, Wild Jungle, takes off at breakneck speed - the horns are relentless throughout, as are the bongo/conga/timbales players. Then Congo Mulence slows things without missing a beat - it’s like a latin version of a late 50’s crime drama soundtrack. The horn solos (Cannonball Adderley & Doc Cheatham are among the players) drive it. The title track uses bata drums, but is slightly less thrilling. The other standouts are Tin Tin Deo, the only non-original here, & the bluesy Blues A La Machito. But there aren’t any duds. A great listen.

This is a beautiful marriage of big band horns with afro-cuban rhythms and drums. The result is extremely successful, the horn lines are beautiful and take center stage with memorable melodies. The percussion work provides so much texture and supplies a great deal of frenetic energy. I’m a jazz neophyte, especially when it comes to anything outside of like hard-bop or the early post-bop stuff, but the big band style horn sections help ground this in familiar enough territory whilst still being a fresh expression of the genre to my ears.

Revolutionary in its day and still a rhythmic mind-blower.

Hell yes. Real fun way to spend a sunny Friday afternoon

first listen this was delightful and slightly peaking in the mastering which gave it a crunchy tube mic feel not unlike an iphone recording a drumline brass section

Salsa and bongos in the album, so much fun and energy

This is absolutely a vibe. Frenetic, rhythmic. Timeless music.

I had not heard of this artist but this was really good.

Classic jazz. I dig so far.

Gezellige mambodeuntjes (of salsa of hoe dit maar mag heten), ik hoor er niet aan af wat er zo bijzonder aan is, was dit de eerste salsaplaat of zo? Hoe dan ook, verder prima, als ik er maar niet op hoef te dansen...

Wat gedateerde jazz, zoals je wel eens voorbij hoort komen in oude films. Prima om ergens op de achtergrond mee te krijgen. 3,5 ster.

Als we dit soort muziek krijgen, is het vooral uit vervlogen tijden lijkt het wel. Niet dat dat iets uitmaakt, want het is lekker vrolijk en ik kan me niet voorstellen dat mensen dit echt verschrikkelijk vinden. Je gaat vanzelf op het gemak mee trommelen met de ritmes van de percussie en je stelt je ook bijna voor dat je op dat tropische eiland zit met een pina colada in je handen. Dat het toetertje af en toe wat zenuwachtig is, is niet eens zo storend. Het is een beetje als de dancemuziek uit de 90s en 00s: ik zet het veel te weinig op, terwijl ik er wel bijna altijd vrolijk van word. Ik twijfel weer een beetje tussen een 3 en een 4.

The congos invited me to be involved in the music although it was fully instrumental. Singers and congos are apparently the secret to drawing my attention.

Really fun, made me want to dance.

das album kenya gar nöd (höhö) starche ahfang, iwie chani bis jz mit dem chli meh ahfange als mitem stan die schnelle trummle mite bläser undem bass wo hinderherhinkt findi sehr nice, schwanke sochli zwüscheme 3 und 4

What a great album, bebop combined with afro-beat jazz. I feel like A Night In Tunisia may have been a good addition to this album. Definitely a high 4, best jazz album on this list so far.

I enjoy this. That 50s mambo/calypso/jazz with the smooth trumpet and soft drums. Strong backing bass. A good listen and perfect for ambience.

Lively, fun and energetic!

I liked this

Nice Latin jazz album.

Maybe just a little cheesy sounding at times, but these are terrific, tight arrangements. Its big band meets Cuban and that definitely works well here.

Really good album. A very nice change of pace for this list, it needs more variety like this instead of every Bob Dylan album ever made. Will I listen to again: 80%

Afro-Bigband-Sound mit Jazz-Sax.

Thoroughly enjoyed this quick moving, energetic album. Can only imagine what it would have sounded like live.

Great

Soulful, jazzy, rhythm. Reminiscent of a Big Band sound, but with much more of a groove. Fun listen.

I liked this album overall, though I don't know a huge amount about the history of Afro-Cuban jazz, which limits my ability to judge its significance. It's pleasant to listen to. It sounds a bit generic to my ears, but given that it was made in 1957, it's likely because this is a genre-defining album. I would not have predicted it having been made so early. Other than that, it's all the snappy rhythms and brassy horns that you've come to know and love from Afro-Cuban jazz 4/5

Definitely enjoyable and non-stop. Great all the way through.

4/5 Really blows my mind that they were playing this stuff in the 50s. The track ’Frenzy’ must’ve inspired ’Tank’ from Cowboy Bepop.

Exciting: this is what I love about jazz, how it can just feel upbeat and exciting even when you may not be paying that much attention to it. You just put it on and play it in the background and you can vibe. This was no different with the classic of one major memorable song and the rest fall into obscurity, still a good album regardless.

Great jazz album, loved the sax solos and off-beat percussion. 4/5!

Jazz, but make it dance! Absolutely love this. It's fun, exciting, bombastic. Never heard this before but think I need this in my collection!

Some of the more interesting jazz I’ve ever heard. With the right setting this music is a lot of fun, and with some practice, danceable. Lots of fast music, fast drums, fast horns.

Real good. Latin, jazzy. Upbeat. 4.0

Super cool Latin jazzy vibes. Happy to add to my small collection of saved jazz albums.

Very good party ambiance/ background music. I liked it

Muito bom. Clássico!

Fookin jive innit

Enjoyable

Fíla þetta mjög vel. Fer í nánari rannsókn!

Very good, very lively, lots of energy

Luuuuuuucy… you have some 'splainin to do. I have to wonder if the Ricky Ricardo character is partially influenced by Machito. Regardless, it's nice hear more jazz on this list. Kenya sets the bar for afro-cuban jazz that it wasn't until today that I really see the connection to today's contemporary latin music. 4/5.

Not over-sure what this has got to do with Kenya, like. Or the Congo. Seems like some pretty good Latin jazz, occasionally veering a bit towards samba. I mean it's good Latin jazz, in that way you kind of expect it to be playing in a restaurant or a theme bar.

Jazz latino. Está bien. Un 4.

Great to have some variety in this listen. Fantastic in its genre, makes you want to dance!

Good energy, good fun.

Beautiful x

Probablemente de lo mas influyente en la historia de la música que he escuchado. Pd. Cuphead ahh music

Favourite tracks: wild jungle; Congo mulence

I dig it

Ooh I really like Cuban jazz but I’ve never heard it in this big band style before. Reminds me a little of the music in “I Love Lucy.” Really charming album with great brass solos and an energetic rhythm section with lots of small percussion.

Afro-Cuban jazz. The most fun version to play, and the most fun version to listen to. Favorite track: Cannonology

A fun little listen. Not something for every day, but it definitely creates a mood.

Without this project I would never have listened to this, so thank you albumsgenerator, I'm pleased to have heard it and broadened my horizons a little on a Sunday morning. Big band jazz with latin rhythms. Frenetic and cool. Instantly likable. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Wild Jungle Date listened: 09/07/23

Afro-Cuban jazz ensemble, Tito puente vibe zone, strong 4

honestly pretty good it sounds like music you'd hear in a movie set in Cuba

Fun listen, I can see myself putting this on for a smooth dinner party vibe!

This is cool! Reminds me of a Cuba casino scene from a Bond film.

If you aren’t tapping your feet to at least one of these songs, then what’s the point? Machito’s best-known album is bursting with life and endlessly appealing rhythms.

Fun!

J’aime bien, c’est dynamique et chill en même temps

The Mask soundtrack

Groovy

Extremely enjoyable to listen to, perfect for focusing and grooving. Had an immediate 2nd listen and will listen again later as well. Enjoyed the big band sound with the Afro-Cuban rhythms 8/10

It was really good and nothing like I’ve had before, but did start sounding the same towards the end

Not much better than big ol brass smacking you in the face with Cuban beats holding it down. This kind of record will make you want to be in the venue where they played it live, sitting with a daiquiri in one and and a Cohiba in the other.

Kinetic Latin jazz kindling ready and raring to spark the flame of any dance floor, house party, or, in my case, Wednesday morning.

Short and sweet. Maybe not the strongest 4 I’ll give but I liked it more than I thought I would so points for that

An unknown name to many a music listener (including myself before today), Machito is remembered by jazz aficionados as a pioneer in fusing Afro-Cuban music with big-band swing and jazz arrangements. The resulting extensive body of work includes this lively, exciting record from 1957, full of mostly original compositions. “Kenya” pivots effortlessly from bombast and noise to a cool, smooth breeze. It’s all instrumental: the “vocals” are provided by the endlessly expressive ensemble. Squealing trumpets, muted and moody trombones, breathless saxophones… they all combine to a bombastic horn section, often playing in unison to open and close each track. Each player has many a moment in the sun, and an impressive CV beyond “Kenya”: alto sax player Cannonball Adderly dominates “Cannonology” and “Frenzy”, and would go on to appear in Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue” sextet. Trumpet player Joe Newman worked regularly with Count Basie, and trombonist Eddie Bert was a regular for Charles Mingus. Listen to the dynamic opener “Wild Jungle” for all of them working in tandem, and perhaps the energetic high-point of the whole set. The best thing about “Kenya”, though- which sets it apart from a lot of other jazz I’ve heard- is the rhythm running through its veins. The Latin percussion- congas, bongos, claves- play in frantic syncopation and supply a dense base layer to every track, and it’s wonderful. To this end, there are great sequences across the whole record from all involved. The grandeur opening the title track as well as the sudden tempo switches in its final minute… the panache of the muted trumpets in the sublime “Holiday”… the rapid-fire refrains, stabs and punches punctuating “Frenzy”… the percussion break in “Tururato”. Occasionally, the sound buckles and distorts under the weight of the horns- this was 1957, after all- but somehow it only adds to raw power of this ensemble. Seeing them live must have been such a thrill. My knowledge of jazz is very limited, but today, I have to add that I’m currently staying on the Spanish island of Majorca with my family, and this music complemented my poolside relaxation perfectly. Solipsistic as it sounds, it’s easy to enjoy music more when it forms a soundtrack to our own lives and captures the places we’re in… and it’s easier to enjoy a holiday when the soundtrack is this good.

I love seeing something more unique like this coming out of the 50s here, since most of them are somewhat what you'd expect from that time period. This is a really cool mix of Cuban sounds with big beat. The cover is striking too.

A super enjoyable listen with great energy! I love the big band sound with the jazzy Latin flair

This was some top-tier Latin jazz. Every song was truly enjoyable.

This reminded me of I Love Lucy a little bit. Didn't hate it!

I didn’t at all expect bongo big band, what a crazy album. Really enjoyed this one.

Afro jazz cubain. Très agréable a l'écoute, comme le long générique d'intro d'un film d'espionnage des années 50 se passant dans un lieu exotique.

Dude this makes me want to put on a white jacket and go party in Havana in the 50s. Damn. I'm picturing the whole fancy club, everybody dressed up nice and drinking cocktails while the boys in the band lay down groovin beat after groovin beat.

Great genre 4.5

A whole vibe. If I had any talent in making music this would be the kind of band I’d want to be in.

Afro-Cuban jazz will always have my heat. Favorite track: Frenzy

Solid jazz, very upbeat

This was new to me. I'm not very into jazz, but this was a very pleasant surprise!

Another record wildly different from what I usually listen to. This one I found very enjoyable and put a smile of my face.

Stabil Jazzig, immer rein damit.

Cuban jazz - I don't know what to s good and what is bad, but I know I was shaking my behind to this. Really enjoyed it more than I ever expected!

pretty good, litt sassy jazz med litt afrikansk vibes solid 4.3

Great fun jazz bops

I really enjoyed this one. I have reasons.

Awesome big band jazz, will have to check this out again sometime.

7/10 my high school self definitely would’ve given this an 8 or even a 9/10 but for me the more dissonant tracks were grating, and the recording quality could’ve been better

7/10. Jazzy. A pretty fun time

Quite entertaining. It’s not as engaging or challenging as, say, Miles Davis or John Coltrane but this album has its worthy place in the jazz canon. Alternatively, Kenya fit these nuts in your mouth?? 8/10

I like this a lot. Especially the more up tempo tracks. Favorite track: Wild Jungle

Bien, bien, bien! Perfecto para el viernes! (ONB) Mover el culete mientras se trabaja (LNB)

Enjoyed the vibes of this one! Also enjoyed reading about the artist as I'd never heard of them before.

Great combination of Afro-Cuban rhythms and Jazz. Good energy and is just fun to listen all around. Feels both modern and old with a proper big band sound.

Thumping good Cuban Afro Jazz. Big sound, big impact.

ok

Great jazz album.

Nice! I always appreciate some cuban music and salsa on the list

Fun album. Amused to learn that Machito is the maraca player. I'm sure there's skill to maraca playing, but I feel it's a fairly entry level percussion instrument. One step above the triangle maybe. Percussion snobbery aside, this is great orchestra with excellent soloists and tight arrangements. Nice to finally hear 'Tin Tin Deo' after seeing it countless times in the Real Book. Also, an early Mingus tune and a Machito original that sounds suspiciously like 'Have You Met Miss Jones'.

A really enjoyable and infectious listen. Not come across Machito before, but this is great and gets your foot tapping immediately.

Yeah, always happy to get this sort of thing.

baita som, jazz latino e pa

cute

Love it. Big band meets jazz meets afro-cubano sound and rhythm.

Very cool, fun album. Love the tempo on this kind of jazz - Latin? Salsa? Whatever, it has that classic jazz feel without sounding dated. Felt like a party was going to break out any second.

Like this very much, more than I would have thought!

Parts of this reminded me of The Graduate, which is never a bad thing. Other parts reminded me of Desi Arnaz. It's an overall joy.

Groovy and fantastic. 4 stars.

This is really good, but doesn't seem hugely African to me.

A nice mix of jazz and African

Zeer tof, deze zomerse jazzklanken

This was the perfect music for a rainy morning. Sixty-five years old and still sounding fresh. Maybe I've been listening to too much Gilles Peterson of late. You can never listen to too much GP tbh. The horn stabs are so sharp that they leap out and grab you by the bollocks. OUCH! That hurt, but soulful pain is good pain, right? The rhythm helped out with the morning typing tasks. I had a very productive and enjoyable morning at the keyboard. The tunes and history here are special. They need to be remembered.

Boogie

Excellent afro-cuban jazz

Después de 4 días de gripe y fiebre que me atormentaron al punto de no poder escuchar ni una canción, este gran disco me hizo bailar hasta el baño.

Frenzied and fast. Kind of reminded me of those old 1940s movies or cartoons. Comparisons aside, this was a fun listen. Favorite track: Holiday

When I refreshed on yesterday's morning I couldn't hide disappointment. Couple of my previous albums were somewhat challenging, mostly instrumental, jazz-influenced. I was hoping for proper rock bangers or something similar. And I was proven so wrong! This was on fire, amazing, mood oozes all over the place.

Goloso, varia, bella musica strumentale. Percussione africana, musica occidentale sopra.

Lovely album! Smooth songs for a smooth Friday! I'm very impressed with never heard about "Machito" before. He made a real contribution to Latin culture and other Afro-Cuban cultures. I hope to get more of this kind of music here on this list!

Jazz

4/5. Quite a good collection of big band songs. It’s not perfect but great musicianship and instrumentation all around.

Good album with some great brass-work, but didn't really do anything too bold for me, but that is just because this album is so influential to other artists, that I feel like I have heard this album before.

This was a fun album. Short and different from what I am used too.

It seems rare that jazz can be fun, and usually because it incorporates a bit of a band feel, with commanding brass, aggressive yet rhythmic drumming, and sensical melodies not drowned within droll mathematics. This album is the former, a testament to lively culture and the capability of that to produce that pep in the step, a non-regrettable episode of excitement contained by what is also a master class in pure entertainment.

This kind of upbeat jazz isn't usually something I'd get excited about but this was just darn enjoyable. Kinda made me happy on a cold Monday morning. Not sure if I'd always reach for this but also seems too good to give it a 3 - I do like me some instrumental jazz combos and maybe as I get older I really am getting more open-minded :D At a minimum it's really good and productive work music. Try to be in a bad mood while this is playing. 8/10 4 stars.

incredible. every song sounds similar but has its own unique flavor to it. melodies are so catchy. almost perfect. One of the best ive heard so far from this list

4.5

This was cool

Really fun frenetic jazz, yes please

Absolutely loved this! This put a smile on my face and got my hips moving and my toes tapping. Over the past week I’ve listened to it several times and the feeling has been the same every time. I feel like this is music for the hard-working regular Joe or the hard-luck fool who just wants to cut loose and forget his troubles on a Saturday night, 'cause when the jazz gets hot and your feet start moving you can’t help but be happy in your very soul. Each song carried a positive, propulsive energy; I felt I could see each musician smiling behind his instrument. And it wasn’t just that it made me feel good - even though the Caribbean beats with a Glen Miller swing screamed post-war big city it still felt incredibly fresh to me. Wild Jungle - Well I don’t know how to dance to this but my feet and hips were doing something that felt so right. Is this mambo? Salsa? All I know is it transported me to some smokey club uptown where Mickey Mantle sits in the corner not slowly getting drunk. Kenya - big band start then driving island drums Holiday - brought a smile to face with its upbeat trumpeting Frenzy - lived up to its name with its frenetic background drumbeats that lingered before each soaring solo and duet Blues a la Machito - “Sometimes I feel bad. But when I play the blues, I feel good.” Tin Tin Deo - the screaming orchestra hits just keep coming Minor Rama - sax/trumpet call and response - in stereo! Feel like I don’t want to be throwing 5’s around yet but this is a 4.5 for me for sure! I could listen to this stuff all day.

Wow, I loved this! Fully instrumental is usually my jam for Jazz, and it was super uptempo/fun. Again, I don't really have standouts because the album really kind of blended together for me, but this one will definitely go into the Jazz rotation.

Not a genre id ever think to seek out, but this was really nice, made me just wanna groove and dance.

just so cool, no complaints, a very good time

I liked this a lot! I think I'm starting to become a fan of jazz. I would consider listening to this again because it was so fun. If the rating system allowed for half stars, I'd give this 4.5 stars.

Was fun to listen, very upbeat and engaging

Lots of fun - not what I expected, but was tapping my foot. Not entirely sure why this is afro Jazz, but whatever it was, I liked it

Very good instrumental album brah

Rating: 7/10

Perfect, blistering and crazy, repetitive sometimes

I'll be listening to this again.

Fun!

Jazz latino. Está bien. Un 4.

trilha sonora perfeita para filmes que se passam no caribe. boas músicas, mas não é o meu estilo, porém dá para perceber a influência que teve em sintetizar a música da região.

4/25/2022 Today's Album: "Kenya" by Machito - This album is one of afro-cuban jazz and it is done quite well. The highlights amongst these tracks stand out as amazing demonstration of jazz stylings with great representation of both African and Cuban percussion and a ton of really excellent improv performances. The others of the track list might not impress as much as the highlights, but they still do a great job as background music and the production is top notch. There's a lot to like in the instrumentation of this album and all of the horn players do a really great job with crescendos and fast stops. Some of the solos throughout the album are noticeably worse and it is a mystery to me whether or not it is intentional, but either way it just sounds less musically proficient than the others.. The mix places everything pretty much exactly where it would be in a usual jazz band, with sax in the front and trumpet blaring out from the back. I don't think there is too much to say outside of the fact that this is a really solid jazz album with a ton of personality. Give this one a listen if you like improv jazz and/or African percussion/Latin horns and you won't be disappointed. This is obviously a very talented group and I like a ton of the sounds here. Score: 8/10 Great Jazz with a few minor lacking performances Highlights: Congo Mulence, Kenya, Holiday, Cannonology, Frenzy, Blues a La Machito, Conversation, Tin Tin Deo, Minor Rama, Tururato

racous crowded Mafia-style afro-cuban big band jazz. musty old-school recording feel. Somehow reminds me of the Copacabana scene from Goodfellas

What a bucket of fun, this album! Right from Wild Jungle, I had to move along to these smooth sounds.

Very cool Latin jazz album. Not my immediate go to album, though I highly recommend checking it out.

Good jazz stuff

Just a wonderfully arranged album, a gem.

Great band! Like a lot that latinjazz.

I only got to listen to part of it rip but the ones I heard were awesome. I love music like this once in awhile but I have to be in the mood for it would be great dnd battle music for certain kinds of fights lol

I very fun listen! Kinda reminds me of the exotica genre that was also popular at the time, but more upbeat, more jazzy, and less cringe. Fave track - "Wild Jungle" is a great opener! "Blues / Machito" also stood out.

I listened to this whole thing, it held me in its grip the entire time and I feel like I ate a gallon of coffee. Jeezo.

pretty cool shit audio quality, 3.5

Liked this a lot. Will definitely throw this on again

👌

didn’t like instrumental music

This great upbeat, energetic jazz. I would love to here this again when I’m in the mood for jazz. I’m not in the mood for jazz very often, which I don’t want to hold against this album. So I’m breaking my mood a bit. It’s a 3.5, but I’ll round up. I’m not putting it in my library, but I recognize the skill.

Sounds exactly like it’s name

Really dig the variety that we get here, great background music

Loud horns smooth rhythm with high speed toe tapping beats and maracas. Whats not to like. Is this the speed metal of the 40's? Maybe, the cover art would pass.

This album is a great reminder on the impact that Louis Prima had on so many genres of music; storyteller, swing, jump blues, Orleans Jazz, pre-Rock and Roll. Most people would know his music by more recent versions by other artists, they likely would not recognize him as the voice of King Louie in the original Jungle Book and his great take on "I Wanna Be Like You". This is a compelling album and is easy to get hooked on, it puts a smile on your face and a jump in your step! Singer, songwriter, bandleader and trumpet player, he does it all. Hard to pick favorites but I will go with, "Just a Gigolo Medley", "Oh Marie", "Buena Sera", "Jump, Jive an Wail". 4 out of 5 stars

I really enjoy when this list introduces me to an album outside of the western canon, and Kenya took me off guard. Great playing, high energy, but also a little hard for me to rate, just because I'm not overly familiar with the genre. The production sometimes made it difficult to hear all of the parts, but that might have been on purpose. Fav tracks: Tin Tin Deo, Conversations, Kenya and Congo Mulence

Fun and ritzy, this was a welcome surprise!

This music makes you feel good.

Good background music for a party

A bit distracting for background work music, but pretty good. Good coffee shop music.

4/5 nice jazz sounds!

This is actually nice classic Cuban jazz. 8/10.

Altså det her, det kan jeg bare godt lide!

The album is peak jazz from start to finish. Not my favorite jazz album but impossible to dislike.

Megabangerzzzzzz

A straightforward, digestible kind of jazz that just sounds good. That might sound dismissive, but it’s really a treat when done well, as it is here

rätt episkt.... önskar att det var mer varierat dock.

Not jazz literate enough to understand it’s significance but it’s a great listen that’s for sure - one for repeats definitely

Spicy elevator music!!

LOved it. Great energy and beats. Really really good!

No puedo dejar de pensar lo actual que suena este álbum, y es de 1958. Personal: 8. Me ha gustado mucho Trascendencia: 8 Género: 10

Peppy, enjoyable music

Very enjoyable. Unknown to me

First album from the '50s. Lively and fun African/Latin jazz album that reminded me of '50s movies like Orson Welles' Touch of Evil and Hitchcock's Rear Window. The more jazzy parts reminded me of some of Charlie Parker's work. Best enjoyed on a hot summer night, but even on this cold November evening it lightened my mood.

Instrumental Jazz album, has a big of a "big band" vibe to it. Cuban influences are very strong, the "afro" part seems to mostly come through in the drums and the song titles. Good dinner music, or something in the background at a classy party.

Really enjoyed the Cuban Jazz rhythms

Reminded me of Mario Kart music.

Wow this is a really good big band jazz album. The brass is startling and sounds bright and warm at the same time. The rhythmic drive is intoxicating. Mmmm such wonderful playing. This adds another beautiful album to my collection of wonderful jazz albums of the 50s. 4.5 stars

Don’t know much of this music so hard to compare. But I enjoyed it.

I'm not much of a jazz kind of guy, but I very much enjoyed this. Every song blends well with one another, since this is purely a instrumental album in the 50s. So it makes sense. Analysing jazz... I find a bitch to do since it all sounds similar. I'd reccomend for any jazz lover out there, this is their bread and butter. I'm more of a rocker, so havn't got much to say sadly.

Sorprendido, muy alegre y la música se sigue escuchando interesante a pesar de tener más de 50 años el disco. El disco más antiguo que me ha tocado escuchar hasta el momento

Fun jazz to listen through, but didn't excite me as much as Take Five.

Great music......in the correct context.

Packs a lot of wallop into a brief package, though I see the objection I read in some reviews that the songs are so short that the musicians don't really have room to stretch and stand out.

Jazz met een Afrikaans tintje. Echt lollig

Good jams. This album really slaps.

The production on this is great, those horns sound CRISP

It's jazz. And it's pretty good.

Second listen. 4/5

Great big band jazz music heavy on percussion with cuban and Caribbean influence. Felt like a soundtrack for a three old oceans 11 or another fifties Hollywood blockbuster. Great for the background while cooking or cleaning.

-The drumming in "Frenzy" was pretty spiffy -Generally nice Jazz type stuff

Very enjoyable

Wild Jungle starts the party off right. Great trumpet tone. Kenya, Oyeme are excellent grooves. Holiday puts a smile on my face. Excellent album.

Timeless latin-jazz

buen juzz

Fun!

Big band Afro-Cuban jazz! Truly enjoyable.

Delightful

Unexpectedly good jazz album

! WOW. Really enjoyed.

Outside of my typical genre preference, but this was a great album!

Solid jazz sound!

Sounds like it could be modern

Different kind of vibe than I'm used to but it made for excellent work background music.

Pretty solid album. Would listen again.

Fun to listen to while working and enjoyed a second helping of the instrument quiz

Excellent Afro-Cuban Jazz Album. Would listen again. Great for active or passive listening. Great album to toss on to impress people with some jazz thats fun.

This album is the same age as Mervyn... but it's aged so much better. I think this is my favourite to come up so far. An album that I've never heard of that actually rips start to finish.

A relax song :)

Ten seconds in and this is already my favorite album of this journey. Not sure if I’ve listened to an album of afro-cuban Jazz except maybe Tito Puente, but I am loving it. I love the fast playing of bongos and trumpets. I also feel like this could be a worship album for the great god Damballa. What’s just as nice is that these songs are all less than three and a half minutes long. Lots of Jazz out there goes into the David Bowie range which isn’t a problem but this is a nice change of pace. These songs remind me of the late Cloris Leachman dancing with young Dewie in Malcom in the Middle. There honestly isn’t much more I can say about this album as I don’t know the vernacular for complimenting jazz. So I’ll say that I give this album three whiskeys, neat, two winks in a smoke filled dive bar, and six whistles from a mysterious sax man.

Don't have much to say - this was a pleasant listen. I wasn't paying too close attention and 4 songs went by before I even realized that it wasn't all one long song.

great Jazz album

Pretty good background jazz. Makes me wish I had someone to go to jazz bars and dance with.

nice

Very enjoyable album. Standard 4 for something I liked a lot, but didn't fall in love with.

loved it awesome jazz beats

This was a super fun Friday listen. At first I thought, omg I know this song. Then I listened to the second, and realised I just recognise the style of music... and they all are relatively similar. Still great though

Like a modern Perez Prado Orchestra

Very uplifting - made me want to go visit latin america

I am not a huge jazz fan but this album fucks.

Connor: African Jazz. lots of good horns. v much my genre

Really enjoyed this

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

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

Interesting but not something I’d seek out again.

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

silly

Sick

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.

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

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.

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 very good, upbeat, easy listening album

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

Great stuff!