Kenya

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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

#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.

(4/7) it's jazz

Неплохо

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.

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

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!

Fun Afro-Cuban fusion jazz. An easy listen.

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.

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

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!

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

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

Fav- frenzy 3/5

Smooth and fun. Never overly impressive but very enjoyable.

Typical 50s sound, easy listening, relaxing.

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

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

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.

2.5

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.

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.

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

Miles David cubano

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.

very vibey, interesting melodies here and there

Favorite Track: Congo Mulence

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

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

bueno para dejar de fondo

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

a bit repetitive but it was cool

Worthy of a GTA soundtrack. 3.5 stars

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.

Afro cuban jazz, PE

its ok

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

Cool, didn’t wow me but sounded good.

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.

I can dig it.

i like old stuff. Sue me!

Enjoyed it, but not my usual go to.

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.

A different sound but fun to listen to

Yea Im just that really into jazz. The drummings good. 6.4/10

It’s like Latin big band. It’s a great vibe, seems a little kitsch now. Great soundtrack, cabana bar fodder. Would be fun to spin for a party, but doesn’t offer me much else.

More jazz that all sounds the same. Still, it was a fun listen.

Good for background music. Didn’t hate it.

I almost gave this a two because I tired of it quickly, but the musicianship is just too good. I'm just not into uptempo jazz.

Highlights: Congo Mulence, Holiday, Minor Rama I mean... The description on the album cover says it all. But the Cuban part is way more noticeable than the African. Is it really just the bongo drums or am I missing something? Overall a nice package, but not something worth getting too crazy about. It works as a while and it is indeed a complete record. However it sounds relatively basic and not too special given the fact that, at least as far as I remember, Cuban jazz was well represented at the time. But it is a relatively early release so I guess it was severely influential for the later works. It never begged for my attention and it felt like a chore to sit through it trying to determine what was a highlight and what wasn't. Again, I'm not saying it's bad, just a bit of a bore.

Lift Jazz

3.5

Enjoyable. But I don't have a lot to compare it to. I have no idea if it was innovative. I like it, but I don't love it, so 3 stars. (I did notice that there's not a Wikipedia article about this album; the link is just to Machito. If it were "big", I would expect an article dedicated to the album.)

Fun! Though I wouldn’t say I had any tracks in particular that stood out to me, I listened through the whole thing feeling like dancing. 3/5

Good, if a bit dated.

So this was…good? Very fun and definitely put me in a good mood. I’m scared to rate this because this album sounds technically difficult to make but I honestly have no idea how impressive it is. Not much to comment here because there are obv no lyrics but yeah. Pretty solid and a nice intro to Latin jazz. Oh also the songs blend together a lot but that’s probably my bad for being just unfamiliar with the genre. Some pretty sick trumpet solos on here. Fav songs: Congo mulence, blues a la machito

Afro cuban jazz, what's not to like?

Honestly could be a great movie soundtrack? Need to listen more to detect the afro-cuban inspirations but it's great Jazz!

Very close to giving this a four, I'm glad I discovered it, great music to work to. Some songs slap more than others but overall great beats and an enjoyable listen.

Nothing overly exciting for me. Not bad, just not good either. No stand out songs. Fairly impressive musically, but not really to my taste.

lista znowu plata figle i chce mi pokazac, ze jednak jest reprezentacja czarnej muzyki na liscie, tym razem padlo na plyte kenya od pana machito i jego afro kubanskiej orkiestry, plyta wiekowa, bo az z 58, co slychac w surowosci nagrania, no i samym stylu granego jazzowania afrykansko kubanskiego, ktorego style okresla sie podobno jako cha cha, do tego dochodzi jeszcze mambo i swing, ktore rowniez sa tak samo antyczne i wychodza poza moje zainteresowania jazzowe, ciekawy jest jeszcze czemu wybrali akurat motyw afrykanskiej tematyki, chociaz nie jestem pewny czy wychodzi on poza tytuly i okladke, bo ciezko mi znalezc jakies referencje muzyczne, bo jest to stary kawalek grania, ale gdybym mial strzelac co najbardziej afrykansko mi sie kojarzy na tym nagraniu, to zdecydowanie bebnowanie, ktore ma w sobie cos naprawde dzika energie, zwlaszcza na trakach jak tytulowa kenya czy frenzy, ale glownie jest to przyjemnie garnie podchodzace pod jazzowa popowosc, co tez widac po trakliscie, bo na 35 minutach materialu jest az 12 trakow, co daje popowa dlugosc kawalkow, mnie urzekla ta bardziej szorstka i dzika wersja machito, wiec na plejke doda wspomniane traki kenya i frenzy

Just a blast the whole way and so easy to just flip back to the start when it’s done. In my two listens, I didn’t care too much for the back half. Really cool cover as well for 1957. Torn between three and four stars. Rating: 3.5

Well, it's fine. Sounds a lot like 50's TV background music. Not bad to have on, but hardly demanding. Don't know why this is essential -- there are much better (to my ear anyway) Afro-Cuban jazz examples. Buena Vista Social Club immediately pops to mind.

Don't mind jazz but at points this was giving me Christmas ahahah

Ik heb het album 6 keer geluisterd en ik weet nog steeds niet wat ik er van moet vinden. Ik wil het leuk vinden en dat vind ik ook wel, maar toch weet ik niet of ik het voor mijzelf op zou zetten. Ik vond de percussie leuk maar ik weet niet if het passend was. Ik vraag mij heel erg af hoe ze het hebben opgenomen op een 4 spoor in 1958. Het voelde als een big band jazzband die melodien speelde van een jazzquartet, maar daardoor voelde het als fanfaremuziek, maar wel hele goede fanfaremuziek. Nu nog 3 sterren aar als ik het vaker ga luisteren misschien 4

Niet slecht, er zijn wel veel andere afro/latin jazz muziekanten die ik veel liever luister dan dit. Als je de bongo's wegdenkt is het niet heel bijzonder. Word niet meegenomen kan er niet inkomen. Medium jazz met bongo gimick. Technisch ok.

🎺

I ken

cuban jazz okayyyyyyyy

This was something really, really new

It was a welcome change, yesterday, to hear a bright and excited set of mostly original songs, that was intentionally created to be an early, if not first, fusion album of Afro-Cuban rhythms and big band Jazz. 1957! I've been mired in rock-pop-soul-rnb-rap modernity, as the majority of the 1001 Albums project contains. I was happy and pleased in a simple way to hear such an early, whole-album document of not only Jazz, but a crucial ancestor of Salsa, as well. I know it has to do with a lack of listening comprehension when it comes to roots Jazz and Big Band type stuff, so any criticisms or negative-sounding observations I make of this album could easily be faults of mine, rather than of Machito and his band. The most exciting parts of this record, for me, are the songs where I'm not quite sure if the lowest notes are being played by upright bass, or from the low and well-tuned drums of the large percussion ensemble. I listen closely to the band, and sincerely can't tell. The rhythms themselves, as are the songs written and arranged to suit and feature the rhythms, are also special to hear in a time so much earlier than Salsa, Mambo, Boogaloo, Chacha and other Afro-Cuban rhythms and styles that would evolve later. Of other notable excitements, there is a call-and-response quality for the brass, in many of the arrangements, that comes across effortlessly and invigorating, like two friends yelling playfully at each other across a loud dancefloor. There are a number of times in the arrangements, where a sax or trumpet solo will run its allotted bars and end abruptly into sections of an accompanied percussion section. I can imagine on song charts, or led by a bandleader, these moments to present the Afro-Cuban rhythm section in the manner of a solo on a drum kit. In practice, it kind of sounds confused. It's amusing, for sure. Just not in the way that Machito probably intended.

01) Wild Jungle - 7,0 02) Congo Mulence - 6,5 03) Kenya - 7,0 04) Oyeme - 6,5 05) Holiday - 6,0 06) Cannonology - 5,5 07) Frenzy - 5,5 08) Blues A La Machito - 6,5 09) Conversation - 5,5 10) Tin Tin Deo - 7,5 11) Minor Rama - 6,5 12) Tururato - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,29 (63/100)

Rating: 6/10 This is an artistic and creative ass album from this time that I can appreciate. Got a little tiring for me to finish as it went on, so my highlights would be the first couple of tracks. Will I be going back and playing Machito in my off time, probably not, but it was a pretty good listen

Good but with the album title I hoped for a more African feel.

It has some highlights but generally it's hard for me to connect with this music

More Cuban Jazz. I swear I am getting a lot of that style to rate. This is great stuff though, furious bongos!

Even as I get more and more jazz exposure from these record the site throws my way I still knoe so little. Every jazz record has amazing snippets. And every jazz record has stuff thats doesnt grab my attention. Its a hard thing to put a score on. Are the great peices enough to give it a 5 or do I take into account that no full song is enough for me? Its a tough one. And I always meet in the middle. I never have a bad time but I still haven't had that aha moment. This record didnt do it to me. Maybe the next one will.

I’m not sure what the likelihood of me listening to this album again or its songs is, however I did enjoy listening to it whilst working my way through 1001 albums, it’s a nice break from all the rock. I feel like this music can certainly have its moment if you’re doing the salsa, samba or somewhere in a South American jazz café watching a live performance but I feel its energy is lost when you’re sat at a desk at work, drawing up a fire strategy plan. It’s not bad music and probably is pretty decent but it is very moment specific in my opinion. I do like a bit of jazz but more New Orleans sort of style rather than this more dance type, standout songs however were ‘Frenzy’, ‘Blues a la machito’ and ‘conversation’.

5/10… latin jazz / mambo / *1957

Jeg forventa Fela Kuti men fikk Cowboy Bebop. Frenzy er så lik åpningslåta, Tank!, at jeg tror den må ha blitt brukt som mal. Likevel er det noe som ikke helt sitter for min del. Mulig det er litt for mange tropiske partier med noodling.

Tenkte at jeg var i en golden age Hollywood-film hele plata. Koste meg, men det var ikke helt for meg.

Correcto

It’s fine

Enjoyable

looked better than it sounded

Fun album, infectious vibes. Put this one on and watch everybody in the room start to move

Good but not my cup of tea.

🙂

wava ra, axali da saintereso iyo. 3.5

41/1089 3.4002* It was interesting. I felt like we should be in a cabaret with a thick haze of smoke and a palpable air of light-hearted danger. The entire album was steady and I'd put it on in the background of game night.

Pleasant jazz album that’s a decent length. I enjoyed listening to it

Nice experience

Trevlig musik. Jag tänker mig en aftonsoaré i någon av Havannas finare hotell och casinon några år innan revolutionen - även om jag ser att själva skivan är inspelad efter den samma.

Jämfört med Sabu som vi hade tidigare gillar jag det här bättre. Rytmen finns fortfarande där men med betydligt mer jazziga inslag. Inte utan att tankarna går till tidig upplagor av Blakeys Messenger.

I love jazz but I’m not familiar with this combination. But I’m liking this more than I expected!

3.2

Sounds pretty good, but I don't know enough about Afro-Cuban jazz to rate it.

Not exactly an album I think was a necessary listen, but it was still kind of fun. I'm not a big jazz lover most days. However, I thought this was fun. My band kid heart loved the dynamic horn section, the groovy saxophone, and the drum beats. I can't confidently say this is an album I'll revisit, but it's one I enjoyed today.

Tää oli just sopiva instrumentaalilevy. Ihan ok, vaikka en jazzista välitä yhtään.

High-energy Cuban jazz. Very easy to dance to, and in many ways I enjoyed this more than “standard” jazz, but the album suffered because all the songs sounded nearly exactly the same as the one before it. Got very repetitive very fast. 3/5

Can’t find much info on this one. Mostly feels like the accompaniment to a dance troupe that became its own standalone art form. Super lively for sure! Razzle dazzle!

This is one of those albums that as far as for me unfortunately gets lumped into an association with what came after it. But this has pretty much all the hallmark tropes the type of jazz TV and movies would use to give an exotic feel. You can hear it in the John Barry Bond themes, you can hear a bit of it, leonard Bernstein would use music like this in West Side Story to signify The Sharks, Henry Mancini's work employs this sound at times, and I'm even getting some Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show Orchestra vibes. And even though none of that is bad I say unfortunate in that now it just kind of reminds me of those tropes more than it actually gives me a feel for how exciting that music was when it was fresh and new more like how it became, if you will, an audio meme of the sixties. (6.55) ★★★½

Too much drumming, but the horn section is cool. 3.5 stars

I thought Machito was pretty nice, if a little boring. I didn't like it as well as the Sabu album, which is from the same year and had a lot more character. 3.5 stars.

Zesty but also quite backgroundish. I can see Gene Deitch era Tom & Jerry happily jiving and whacking each other over the head to this.

Prett vibey

A nice taste of the Afro Cuban jazz scene. Great energy

It was fun enough

African latin cuba jazz...enjoyable to listen

Good ol' Machito, whoever he was. He managed to make an album that 90 minutes into it, I started to wonder when it was going to be over so checked Tidal. Turns out, it had ended 55 minutes prior, and I was listening to everyone who had made an Afro-Cuban jazz album since. I assume that's why we listened to it, he made the mold. Anyway, it was fine.

3/5 - if I need bongos and horns, now I know the genre to turn to. Giving the benefit of the doubt that this represents the style well, so I’ll give it a 3. This is background music for me, and I won’t be returning for more.

Wow such africa. Blir lite väl men generellt sett bra grejer

6.5 / 10

Listened to the whole album and I still don’t get jazz music. One track reminded me of pink panther films and one made me feel I was in a cocktail bar on a beach somewhere so I’ll give it a 3

Really fun fast paced jazz. Would listen again.

Stundtals lite för hetsigt, men ändå rätt najs

Ganska trevlig genomlyssning, kan definitivt tänka mig att ha på denna musik i framtiden, men inte så mycket starkare känslor för detta än så.

One of the better, if not the best, jazz albums of the 20+ that have come up so far, granted that is a low low bar to clear

Was alright, but not really my thing

I mean....it's fine, I guess.

Fine? Instrumental jazzy african music that was good but won’t listen to again.

I much prefer this big-band-adjacent jazz to the elevator-music jazz and cacophony-of-noise varieties.

It was an enjoyable listen.

It's albums like this that prove the fact that not all jazz sounds the same. Well, that is in relation to other jazz albums. If you just played this album for someone who thinks all jazz sounds the same, they'd probably complain that every song on Machito's Kenya sounds the same. That wouldn't be 100% inaccurate. This album is on the more repetitive side on its own. However, compare this to something lighter like Miles Davis's Kind of Blue or something more in the jazz fusion sphere and you get multiple different pictures painted in regards to what jazz can be. That's pretty cool. This album's nice. It's not super exciting, but it's still good. Even the weaker jazz albums on this list have things for me to enjoy about them. The compositions are good, though I wish the mixing was a bit better. The horns felt a bit too sharp at times. Still, this is a nice and short jazz affair. Not the genre at its peak, but my streak of having never heard a bad jazz album in my life has continued. 3/5.

60/100. I think it’s mainly good. That said, parts of it were way too screechy for me, especially in the horn sections. Also, I usually prefer slightly longer tracks on jazz records, just so the music can marinate a bit more.

Fine. Not in the right mood for this today. Clearly amazing musicians all around, but the songs just didn’t grab me or inspire me to want to listen again.

Fun! Not much more than fun, but fun!

It didn’t knock my socks off, but it was pleasant enough.

This was an interesting experience, but I have very mixed feelings about Kenya. I love the rhythm section throughout the album; it's just superb. The Afro-Cuban motifs are very catchy too, but I can't say they always blend well with, well, jazz as we know it. Parts of the album are both groovy and expressive, but in others, the wind section ruins the aesthetics for me, as it's just too jarring.

I like jazz, I like this album. It’s got energy flowing and bumping throughout, and sounds really fresh.

Nice background music

Loved the bongos and horns. Big bright sounds and driving rhythms. Felt very big band swing meets Latin or Caribbean jazz. It was a fun listen, reminded me of a soundtrack to a 70’s spy movie. I enjoyed this way more than I expected.

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.

Loving these jazz records.

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.

Für mich zu jazzig

Good music overall with a good upbeat rhythm. Just not my favorite type of music to listen to on a regular basis

It was fine

Wild ride but a nice mix up in my listening

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.

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.

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.

I've never listened to this album (23). Not really my taste but an easy listen.

Good music not my vibe

Bell’album tra il jazz e ritmi afro cubani, tuttavia nessun brano mi ha colpito particolarmente

Bel cambio di genere con un album strumentale, mi è sembrato di stare in un bar a cuba o cose così, un bel fatto

I enjoyed the blend of African and Cuban music. Although it became a bit repetitive by the end of the album. Still, fun listen

It was nice to hear music from a completely different culture, but it wasn’t it for me.

7,2/10

It was very forgettable african inspired jazz but it was decent

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

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.

Found myself dancing a little in my seat to this one.

would be something in the background for coloring, artistry, or cleaning. just some good background tracks.

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.

Tito puente is already on the list so I dont see why this is. Its fine but not life-changing.

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.

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.

Enjoyed the record, won't necessarily hit the regular rotation but it was good.

not a big jazz fan but this was nice

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.

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.

Fun

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.

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.

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.

Fun to listen to, very energetic.

Fun. Lovely range of beats and breaks, and jaunty. Not overly memorable, though nice for a quick listen.

Quite enjoyed it considering an aversion to jazz.

decent

Energy and beat are fun, but it does get a little same-y after a while.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Enjoyable but very samey. 3.4/5

So good, makes me want to dance!

Good but a bit manic for me

Pretty fun jazz

Spicy sims city 2000 music

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.

Congo Mulence // Kenya // Blues a La Machito // Tin Tin Deo //

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.

Fine, just a bit eh

Jazz…still don’t get it…maybe one day…

hyped me up to fall asleep

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

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.

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.

The music was good, but I felt like it was one long song. Very little to differentiate between one song and the next.

Jazzy Latin Dancehall music.

Sounds like 70s Scooby doo chase music. It's fun.

Loved the afro beats, got tired of the jazz...

Enjoyable not something I’d normally listen can’t see many repeat listens though

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⭐️

Brassy but awesome vibe!

Nice and varied. A style of music I'm not very familiar with but I liked this somewhat lo-fi recording.

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.