Reviews (page 7 of 8)
As exciting as the percussion is, the rest is some instrumental big band jazz. I would have appreciated some vocals to break up the horns.
Opção para jazz cubano instrumental.
Decently enjoyed most of it. A few of the faster songs didn’t really do much for me and the squealing horns sometimes got a bit grating. I did definitely enjoy the incorporation of African drums in many of the songs though. 5/10
It's essentially big band with Cuban percussion and groove lines. Cool stuff. I got several complaints, like the excessive horn injections. Would prefer longer more developed tracks. Favorites: Congo Mulence, Oyeme, Holiday, Frenzy
Not my thing, I don't know how to rate this. Not bad I guess, it was fun to listen to.
Competent Afro-Cuban Jazz.
Kenya and Blues À La Machito go pretty hard, I like that. Otherwise, some pretty ordinary Afro-Cuban big band stuff. Enjoyable. 3 / 5 stars.
Groovy
Very different kinda jazz that i usually listen to, but it great so far
Very enjoyable jazz album, very tight. Jazz requires a lot of focus to really appreciate and I tried hard to give this as much as I could. It’s an exciting album that could have soundtracked a number of car chase scenes (was this in French Connection?). I think I’d need at least 10 more spins to truly appreciate this and I intend to come back, but for now it’s about a 3.5.
Pura arqueología para mí. Suena muy bien, me alegra escuchar música bien grabada hace tiempo.
A good one for cooking in the kitchen! Nice mix of jazz & exotica 👍
Fun in a random way.
Zesty! I enjoyed this amuse-bouche but forgive me, I found it just that - something to whet my appetite for something more full-spectrum.
Groovy drums
"We are currently experiencing a higher-than-normal volume of calls. Please stay on the line. Your call is important to us. We will connect you when one of our operators becomes available."
Nice!
Jazz with some island-ey influence (bongos and heavy horns)
A genre I didn't know existed, and one I probably won't be going back to - I like a lyric once in a while
good latin jazz
Nice 1950s jazz album for the background
I enjoyed the drums the most and the other instruments were pleasant but my brain associates this style of music too much with old Hollywood movies
"Kenya" is an African-Cuban jazz album by Cuban jazz musician Machito (Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo). The musicians and instruments include three percussionists, a horn section, bongos and congas. Yes, the rhythm section was prominent. The album was recorded at Metropolitan Studios in New York City. "Wild Jungle" comes out strong. A fast rumba. A very fast beat. It sounds like a marching band with the horns and the multiple percussion. The second song "Congo Mulence" is more traditional jazz. "Frenzy" lives up to its name with crazy percussion. "Blues a La Machito" is described as Cuban blues. Hmmm. This slows down things a bit. The seductive horns makes this song sound like it belongs in a private eye movie (i.e. "The Pink Panther"). The album ends with "Turutao." A rumba beat. A complex horn arrangement and horn solos. Interesting. This album reminded me a lot of Hollywood movie music. I don't have enough of a Latin jazz background/listening experience to compare, to say a Tito Puente. The highlight for me was the multiple percussions and the beats they created making this worth a listen.
I can definitely here the African rhythms paired with American Jazz and latin energy. Nice to be exposed to be a exposed to this!
Standard 3 Star world music rating
Yup
Listened Before? N An unexpected treat. Great jazz album with additional tribal beats behind it. I really liked the complex horns here and the fast pacing. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Wild Jungle
Very brass heavy cuban African jazz. It is intense and in your face. Can't think when I would ever play t except to annoy the neighbors.
un après-midi diversifié et ce n'est pas pour me déplaire
I enjoyed this enough but wonder if a bosa nova revival 50 years after the fact is that essential
Je pensais pas que j’etais pret pour autant de samba ;p tout de meme j’ai apprecie .3
cool!
I respect this culturally, but it's just not really my thing.
Not really my taste but I enjoyed it
Another Cuban hitting NYC and finding cool fusions in the 50s. I have the last one a high rating although who knows who was first. Oh well the 1001 order influences the ratings.
If memory serves me correctly, I gave Willie Colón & Rubén Blades high marks because their 70s salsa was devoid of piercing horns. Tito Puente, I scored high in spite of the brassy horns because the music was danceable and I enjoyed the smooth vocalists. This music is piercing, but not danceable and without vocals so it gets a lower mark from me. Some of the pieces sound like they would be perfect for a James Bond car chase scene. I like the occasional sax and trumpet solos. This would have been quite a waker-upper in 1957 & Machito was certainly a major influence on the emerging Latin Jazz scene.
looks and sounds influential but not much happens during this, and that’s pretty much about it. might have to dive deeper into the genre before judging this particular release though
I’m not much for Jazz. And this jazz fusion with Afro Cuban sensibilities while totally fine was in fact so damned cool. I’d probably grade this up a notch because of the cool factor. The coalescence of the horns and percussion all give way to some joyful noise that’s hard to predict.
I thought this was a pretty impressive jazz album. It was primarily high temp and had some amazing brass sounds. I felt the album did a good job of providing a unique jazz sound that in 57 was new to a lot of people. Would listen to some of this again. 7.1/10
Interesting
Picture yourself in a hot, sweaty Cuban nightclub, 1957, sipping on a Cuba Libre, beautiful people dancing close. This is the music I hear in my mind. Not necessarily my favorite type of music, but it's a nice change of pace occasionally. 3 stars.
Really good listen, the album as a whole. Really enjoyed “Congo Mulence” and “Wild Jungle.”
Afro-Cuban-Latin-Jazz. You know what it sounds like. Perfect for a BBQ or montages of arriving and driving around the streets of Cuba. Best Tracks: Congo Mulence; Kenya; Holiday
Very introspective and calm. Enjoyed it throughly. I don’t know what introspective means. 3/5
Loved the energy and rhythms. Not sure my hips and feet could keep up if I ever tried to actually dance to it but my toes were definitely tapping the whole time.
you like afro-cuban jazz?
Good to listen to.
Ei tää nyt huono ollut, mutta ei toistekaan tuu kuunneltua. Paikoin tuli mieleen Ihmeperheen score, mistä plussaa.
джаз и трубы! ничего не запомнила
Strong start, descends into something quite samey. I don't say this unkindly - I could pick any of the tracks on the latter half of the album and enjoy them, but after a few I'd zone out. Coherent - but needs more flare.
This is my kind of jazz; concise, uptempo, and heavy on brass and percussion. I don't generally care for the long-winded, improvisational, "it's the notes they don't play" sort of jazz, so this was a refreshing deviation from that style. No single track truly stood out, which is why it gets 3 stars instead of 4, but if someone threw this on I'd happily listen to it in its entirety (especially if some tropical drinks were part of the equation).
Reminded me of West Side Story. Not something I'd actively listening to.
3,5/5
Je trouve l'écoute agréable, mais je ne suis pas assez connaisseuse pour apprécier l'innovation ou la maîtrise. Ne me laisse pas un souvenir marquant.
Tight band and great percussion.
Not a huge fan of Jazz, but this had a lot of interesting themes in the music
Jazz, 1957. A funny and danceable record with a really good afro-cuban rythm. Even though I prefere other genres, I found it quite interesting and also enjoyable.
I should be listening to this album being played by a big band, not through bluetooth speakers. This is not my genre, but I have to appreciate how Machito makes me feel like I'm on the set of a 1950s film noir, with Humphrey Bogart handing me an old fashioned before we go solve a murder. As a whole, the album can be a bit samey but with the right mood and venue, this record is - in modern terms, a banger. Standout tracks are Congo Mulence & the titular Kenya.
Predicted the mid to late Sixties in the mid to late Fifties.
the gumshoe and the hepcat, original soundtrack recording
It's some really nice jazz with the African/Cuban influences, especially on the drums. At times some relaxed jazz to have on in the background, other times uplifting jazz to dance to, but it never really gets special for me. I appreciate the importance of this album in music history and am glad I listened to it a few times, but will likely never put it on again.
It’s the sound track of every 1950-60 movie in the most perfect way. Be it beatnik or love story- incredibly fun. Enough energy to move, not the ideal album for me to relax to. It makes me want to wear all my pin-up clothes.
I’m into it. I’ll give it another couple of listens, but it’s abstract- but not too abstract
From 70s Disco to 50s Afro-Cuban Jazz. Yeppers. - Wild Jungle – About what I’d expect from Afro-Cuban Jazz. Lots of hand-drums percussion. The original trumpet solo is fine. Tone is not my favorite. The first percussion solo is nifty, but not varied enough to be particularly notable. Kinda blends together. Second percussion solo is a bit better. Then it ends. Kinda without a climax. - Congo Mulence – A slower track. Smoother too. I like the trumpet solos in this one. - Kenya - Another lower mid-tempo track, though not as smooth as Congo. Feels like the opening to a 50s sitcom or cartoon, lol. The longest track on the album. The transition to faster percussion and more aggressive brass doesn’t really work for me. - Oyeme – Defining sound here is the da-da-DA! trumpet riff. Lots of trumpet soloing, but no real climax. - Holiday – This one is more distinctive, which I appreciate. The sassy/cocky trumpet riff is fun. - Cannonology – A more dancy track with stronger bass. Kinda forgettable though. - Frenzy - another one where the bass takes an active role, giving this one a stronger feel. The frantic percussion lets an energy to this lacking in some of the others. This one is probably the best percussion of the bunch, with the trumpets often serving as accents instead of being the driving force. The extended percussion solo is quite nice. Like a lot of the songs, though, the climax either isn’t there, or comes too abruptly and ends. - Blues a La Machito – A slower track with a fair bit of swagger. Smooth like Congo Mulence, but not quite as memorable. The chorus of brass is kind of a grating sound too. Not sure if it’s the mastering or what, but I really don’t like that. This one does at least have a proper climax. - Conversation – Good balance with the percussion and brass. The different brass sounds do sound like they’re having a conversation, hence the name. It mostly works as a concept. A pretty good song. - Tin Tin Deo – Sounds a lot like the other songs on this album tbh. Not sure if there’s anything new here. - Minor Rama – Lots of trumpet work, and it’s hit or miss. A lot of the tones, I’m not a fan of, but the groove is really nice, as is the solo. - Turuato – The rhythm of the brass is kinda jarring. I don’t really like it. A lot of short songs on this one. Most under 3 minutes and longest is 3:28. That’s different from what I’ve come to expect from jazz, but brevity is nice for easy listening. There’s not a lot of variety on this record. It’s all trumpet and percussion music, and not much to distinguish each track, outside of Congo Mulence’s super smooth solos and Holiday’s cocky trumpet riff. The trumpet playing is nice, but I’m not the biggest trumpet fan, so a number of the tracks fall flat. This is more of an every-other-track album than a consistently good one. From reading about Machito, it sounds like he’s genuinely insanely innovative in terms of music, so it’s a bit surprising that so many of the songs here come off sounding so similar. Then again, about half the songs are really good, so… Overall, this was an enjoyable experience to listen too, though nothing just is rushing up as my favorite. It’s in a weird spot where it’s probably too good to be a 3/5 but not good enough to be a 4/5. I can’t do half stars, though, so I guess it’s a 3? To be a 4 it’d need a bit more variety or WOW moments, I think.
Good example of Afro-Cuban jazz. Lots of horns and drums.
Good old-fashioned jazz.
Nice arrangements and tasteful playing, but it all blends together.
It’s ok for jazz, not a big fan of the genre but it’s an easy listen.
Very fun, but not one I could appreciate fully because I don't understand why it is so good. I really enjoyed it, but jazz just isn't my thing.
What a great album. That is "feel good" music 100%. 3.5
Holy shit this is awesome I don't listen to jazz often but I'm a sucker for Afro-Cuban percussion It did end up getting a little old for me personally though
Good
Congo/salsa music. Was not expecting to enjoy this at all but I had it on in the background while I was working and found myself swaying along to the music. Still not really my style or anything I would listen to on a regular basis but it makes you want to move.
Bright and splashy, exactly what you'd expect from this. I'll take it
Awesome album for productivity 4 3
I've never heard of Machito or any of the music on Kenya. I enjoyed listening to something different that I would pick for myself. I probably don't understand enough about the music to fully enjoy what is offered. There were tracks that grabbed more of my attention ("Blues a la Machito", "Holiday", "Congo Mulence") but there were also tracks that made me feel impatient to move on to the next thing ("Wild Jungle"). Kenya was good enough.
very upbeat
On one listen it doesn’t transcend high quality late night TV talk show jazz. Frenzy was a highlight.
I enjoyed it
3/5
I’ll be on a Latin jazz kick for a week now.
Latin jazz. Agradable.
More like a soundtrack, but fun
Enjoyed listening to it but wouldn’t rush back again. Imagine if an episode of Tom & Jerry was set in Nandos.
Fun listen. Cool album, very different to the rest of the albums listened to so far.
Kenya came across a bit too soundtrack-y, though the rhythms were neat and the playing high-quality. Seems like many of the players never really opened up, at least not in any way I could pick up.
Yes, funky, and yes, complex rhythmically, but personally, I find too much going on here, especially percussion-wise. Title track, “Holiday” and “Blues la Machito” are tops for me but there is a large amount of sameness, inclusive of much impressive playing and soloing. Plus it all sounds good. But it’s almost too jazzy, too typically popular big band (as Machito aimed for the charts and broad acceptance, one supposes). One wishes for a bit more of a world music feel. Compare this to say Ethiopiques albums and you see what I mean. File under “not quite my thing.”
Pretty good Afro-Cuban jazz album, I’m not the biggest fan of big band jazz but these guys were swinging.
Great cleaning music or if you have a bongo fetish. Lots of fun, but the music Apple provided after the album ended was equally fun. A high 3 but didn't add.
Frank Grillo "Machito" was one of the first guys to bring afro-cuban rhythms into jazz. This was a distinct style point that brought new life into the genre by focusing on the excellent percussion from Cuba (congas, bongo, timbales) while also utilizing the 2-3 son and 3-2 son clave rhythms with the horns and melodies of big band jazz. Kenya is a prime example of this work, as best shown in the song Frenzy, which is aptly named. I love the energy and blend of styles on display here, it's a real treat. It's not the most varied or excellent show of jazz in general, but based on the stylistic premise I can still enjoy this album and what it has to offer. I do wish, however, that an album called "Kenya" featured more music styling from East Africa, such as Taarab.
Upbeat lounge music? Very cool afro jazz vibes and what on earth is Cubop.
Svidile su mi se vise ove smooth pjesme nego ove s intenzivnim bongosima. Tako da trojka
Znači, baš sam uživao u ovom albumu na neki način. Nije čista četvorka, ali je solidno.
Fine easy going jazz. Smooth and fun.
Enjoyable at first but the horn blasts start to grate on me after awhile. Can you imagine listening to this with a hangover?
Kind of fun but gets a bit exhausting to listen as an album.
Dang, this album is tight! All so locked in, and there are some real complicated polyrhythms happening. It's all a bit too frenetic for my ears at the moment -- maybe after another mug of coffee? -- but I can see why this album made the list. The Wikipedia entry on Machito lists quite a few innovations this band created, and that's super cool. Jazz in the 50s. What a time!
This is one of the first jazz albums I’ve listened to all the way through, and I liked it pretty well! Percussion is really fun and the songs all groove.
3.5
Once again, jazz which I have no ability to work out whether it's good or bad. Nice groove.
I felt like I was in Vegas in 1964.
Catchy and fun. Very easy listening. I enjoyed it for what it is, but I don't think I'll be coming back to it.
Not my style at all but this was pretty fun and cinematic to me.
Like if Herb Alpert had a little different flavor. Love it. 3.5
Not really my style. I'm sure this album was really important and influential but I didn't really enjoy listening to it that much, and probably won't revisit it.
This must have been one of Bernstein's influences for West Side Story. Cool stuff if not what I normally listen to
Curiously fun jazz x big band stylings that grab the attention early but don't really hold it. Similarly, a strong start to the album doesn't always hold up down the line but this is a very easy listen, 3/5 from me.
Enjoyable and glad I heard it. Cover art 3/5
Good album
I want to see this band live. That horn section is only rivaled by that rhythm section. Is this what westerners call "world music" because we don't know how to differentiate music with horns and polyrhythms? I know I'm ignorant on the topic. But I also know that I love it. If I were to criticize this in compraison to the other "world music" I heard (much of it has come from this list), I'd say that there are more drum breaks here and they aren't always interesting for the duration. "Congo Mulence" and "Blues a la Machito" pure groovy goodness though. Did I mention those horns?
So, I know I am overly critical of jazz albums on here, but this one hit me different. It reminded me of the "fun" stuff we used to play in my high school jazz band. It's more structure (and less jazz), but it's good.
A fun album. I enjoyed it. I don't really listen to stuff like this but this project has taught me that maybe I should have more jazz in my life. In reality I will probably stick to a healthy diet of metal, punk and genres adjacent to them.
Good music
A fun album. Sounds like what I imagine a supper club in Miami the 1930s-1960s to sound like. Definitely have to like brass, as there is an ample amount of trumpeting throughout.
It was good but I would probably not listen again. It’s just not a style I really dig
Good
I thought it was an interesting album, gave me a real 80s las vegas vibe but I didn't think it was anything too special
Je ne connaissais pas Machito et n’avait même jamais entendu son nom. J’ai bien aimé et particulièrement la prise de son.
It's a lot of fun but you can't shake the feeling there is something better out there
It is definitely a jazz album. It was relatively short. It was ok.
Ich mein das ist chillig, aber da passiert halt einfach nicht so viel. Kann mich an keinen Song so wirklich erinnern, das passiert halt einfach. Klangtechnisch aber halt ganz schön. 6/10
nicht besonders schlecht... wird irgendwann langweilig (kenne mich mit big band aber überhaupt nicht aus)
War ganz Chillig aber hat mich auch auf den wenigsten Songs umgehauen. Kann ich mir aber gut für nen geselligen Abend vorstellen ist angenehm zu hören.
Da ich echt wenig Ahnung von Jazz habe, und auch bis ein paar Ausnahmen es auch relativ wenig höre bzw. gehört habe, muss ich echt zugeben, dass ich das Album gar nicht so richtig begreifen kann. Vor allem mit dem Hintergrund, wie einflussreich diese Band für das Genre war. Auch die Einflüsse aus Latin culture und Afro culture kommen hier auf jeden Fall durch, vor allem bei den drums, aber irgendwie hab ich das Gefühl, dass ich es nicht ordentlich wertschätzen kann. Ist vielleicht mal eine Motivation, in das Genre nochmal richtig einzutauchen. Vielleicht ists aber auch einfach nicht mein Ding und ich finde mich einfach damit, dass ich lediglich Jazz Einflüsse in anderen Genres abfeier und purer Jazz mich einfach nicht ganz so stark abholt. Möchte aber, auch wenn mich das Album jetzt nicht umgehauen hat (und das wahrscheinlich weil ichs nicht verstehe(n) (kann)), sagen, dass der Sound interessant ist und an manchen Stellen sau cool ist. Aber hab ehrlich gesagt keine Ahnung wie ich hier raten soll, weil ich nicht das Gefühl hab dass ichs wirklich bewerten kann. aber ich sag mal 2,5-3.
ist mir irgendwie ganz schön egal
Weirder Pick. Ich find die Auswahl einserseits cool, anderseits weird bei der wenigen Anzahl von Jazz Alben auf der Liste. Aber cool dass es mehr ~Exotica~ einflüsse hat, da hätte man schlimmeres nehmen können. Ich bin schon Fan von so Easy Listening Samba, Bossanova, auch mit Big Band Elementen, ich finde hier fehlen nur irgendwie die richtigen Highlights. Richtig gut fand ich aber die Percussions, das war ne nette Abwechslung. Also es ist cool aber nicht WOAAAAHH und davon gibts ja irgendwie mehr als genug im Jazz. Ich empfehle Quincy Jones mit Big Jazz Bossa Nova, das ist find ich deutlich cooler in nem ähnlichen Stil.
Great album to break up the monotony. Had some good times listening to this even though I have no idea what they're saying and tracks at first listen are nearly indistinguishable. This has potential and I could listen to this over and over in a setting that doesn't require me to pay attention to it.
This was enjoyable.
Very catchy jazz. Need to listen again. 3
This was a lively, groovy record, sure to get people out of their seats. I loved the early blend of big band and latin American styles. At the same time, I felt like the bombastic horns detracted from some of the nuanced playing. Rating 3.5/5 Favourite tracks: Kenya and Conversation
Great for the most part, but began to get a bit irritating.
African rhythms meet big band jazz (horns) in a high-energy album. Interesting listen and historically defining album. Later combinations of African rhythmic music and jazz, e.g. Fela Kuti's afrobeat, speaks more to me though.
Very jazzy, felt like I was in a Bond film.
Kind of passed by in the background - decent enough to work to though.
Another performer and album I'm not familiar with. That being said, it was an enjoyable listen, though I didn't love it. I really should expand my musical range and listen to more of this genre, then I might appreciate it more.
Fun, fun, fun! Packed with energy and joy. A smashing way to start a work day! Percussion is insane btw… Top tracks: Congo Mulence, Kenya
Det helt gamle latin jazz, rytmisk, improviserende, specielt, men egentlig cool nok
This was a surprisingly fun listen.
Not bad at all for some Latin beats.
Lively and fun
Fun but not great depth or quality
It swings...
Put this one on while making dinner. 2 thoughts: 1. It sounds like the happy party time music used in kids animated films. 2. Both Miss Nine and I thought it was one long song, rather than individual tracks. Enjoyed/tolerated it in the background. Immediately on finishing, I was unable to recall any of the melodies. Didn't dislike it, wasn't crazy about it. Smack bang on a 3.
Tin Tin Deo was my favorite song of this album. Each song had a lot of character to it that makes the album hard to wrap up as a whole but the brass was excellent overall. If I had to say however, each song reminds me something being done with confidence.
Similar to C&W and Bob Dylan, I think at some point you reach an age when jazz becomes a genre of interest. It's there, there's a lot of it, it's been around for decades, lots of people like it, there must be something in it, right? Spending time in Japan also probably helped plant the seed as jazz is the choice of background music everywhere you go. In the last few years I've had the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and more playing when at work. It's not a something to have purely as background noise but more for the typing groove purposes. Despite never having heard of Machito before today, I could see myself listening to this more regularly as an audio aid to pumping out a bunch of lengthy reports.
Infectious. Top flight stuff from a killer ensemble, even though Afro-Cuban jazz isn't my thing.
Ganz cool! Aber Jazz immer schwer für mich!
Nicht ohne aber auch ziemlich Latino und damit für mich ziemlich anstrengend
7/10
Entertaining, best for a night out rather than sat in a chair at home!
I don’t really have the tools to rate this one in any objective way. I enjoyed it as a fun listen though.
Really nice and interesting for the most part. It just sounds too much like background music for an old cartoon show or and advert.
3.5
Enjoyable escape from today's lyrical diarrhea. Put a little hop in my step after a lunch break listen. Really though; does anyone finish a song as strong as these guys? A true instrumental sploogefest.
Ritmo orquestal, con energía y vitalidad. Bailongo
The original Afro-Cuban jazz. The Wikipedia article was fascinating - Machito basically invented the 3/2 and 2/3 rhythms that make this style of music so identifiable. Interesting time capsule.
Entertaining and I like the diversity in instruments
6.4/10 Fav track: wild jungle
Enjoyed it more than I expected but not so much that I finished it.
Too busy for me. Like a fruit machine: too much stimulus it’s overwhelming!
Fast swinging basa nova jazz.
3
It was what I expected. Not bad but not my taste. Quality recording.
The sound is si relaxing, typical of Caribbean sound ❤️
Not my usual, but good
Was ok. Not my type of music but clearly talented musicians
Feel like I should be all suited up in a smoky lounge with some dame in a red dress 💃 Not bad indeed. It's unique. Has a bit of a tribal feel to it every once in a while
The instrumental album without vocals. It reminds Tom&Jery soundtracks.
I enjoyed listening to this
Dope but also boring
Not really my style, but a good listen.
Nice, easy listening.
Fun good motivating background music
Cuban jazz. Nice!
Om eoa rare reden heb ik deze plaat helemaal afgedraaid en vond ik het best leuk. Verder ga ik dit nooit meer aanzetten natuurlijk, maar blijkbaar wel leuk voor 1x.
Enjoyed this album and would probably stick a couple of tunes on a summer playlist.
I enjoy this album even if it isn't music I would generally tend towards or listen to of my own volition. 7/10, but I can't award half stars, so three stars will have to do.
Nice to have something a bit different to listen to, not something I'd usually be into but I did quite like it. I bet Giles Peterson is well into this 😂 I'm astounded at how old it is. I'm sure the remastering helped, but it sounds sick! They pioneered some important technical musical advancements that had a profound and lasting impact on several genres and Afro-Cuban music in general, as well as the social/political environment surrounding it. Random observation: some parts of it sounds like a Tom & Jerry soundtrack (eg start of Holiday). 7/10
I feel like it's a victim of its own success. So pioneering and influential on certain genres that it now feels like something I've heard before. As others mention, it sounds like a soundtrack or background music, but still fun to listen to.
Good kitchen drinks vibes
Couldn’t name this or any other album in this genre. I enjoyed listening to it. Not really sure in what setting I would listen to it again.
This is an album I swear I have heard in the background of sitcoms and movies from the 70’s and 80’s. Great trumpet and bongos! Good album to use in movies to date the times to those spicy Cuban scenes.
Party time! Never heard of Afro-Cuban Jazz before, quite a toe tapper.
enjoyable
Cool latin jazz album with African vibes. More latin than jazz and African
Kenya by Machito (1957) In the vein (if not quite the league) of Tito Puente and Xavier Cugat, this recording is Latin (‘Afro-Cuban’) jazz—the kind of music you’d hear as background in black & white film noir detective movies in the late 1950s. Cool. No lyrics, just endless layers of semi-progressive jazz produced and arranged in the big band style. There is an under emphasis on melody in favor of the variations—yet not the sometimes incomprehensible variations of pure progressive jazz. We hear steady rhythms dominated by unadorned congas, bongo, and timbales; but the spotlight is on the horns (mostly a bouquet of trumpets, with plenty of alto sax lead licks and other woodwind color). The musicians are uniformly superb, flawlessly executing standard stylings. There are many opportunities on this album to sit back and admire the technical proficiency of band members. But the primary weakness here is a lack of variety in arrangement—Machito has a successful formula and he sticks with it, but it’s not the kind of music you’d want to listen to for hours, and it doesn’t inspire much thought (or passion, for that matter). It’s just cool. But very, very cool. This the music that rich New Yorkers paid to listen to on their summer vacations in the Catskills, spicing their evenings with formal attire and pizazz while putting down cocktails and planning God-knows-what. You know, the post-WWII ‘victory’ culture. They paid for it—we get to enjoy it. Thanks, guys. 3/5
Honestly, not his best.
This was interesting and enjoyable
Can't go wrong with a bit of jazz. Enjoyed it.
Jazz cubano. Bien.
Nice mambo-y latam vibes
Nice Music, but not my taste, good for what it is
I'm mostly giving props for the energy and engaging sound. The cuban influence of lots of brass and brasher jazz limits how much i want to listen to it again, but overall the african-cuban jazz sound is pretty cool.
Very lively, these are the deeps cuts that I was looking for. Not my favorite jazz/samba album that we’ve had so far but nonetheless it’s solid.
Full of bops
Good cuban thingy. I wouldn't listen to it all the time, but I've enjoeyd it. 3.5
Nice listening. Instrumental. Positive vibes.
This was enjoyable enough, nice to bop to. In the right circumstances this would be great fun, unfortunately not as fun just sitting at a desk listening.
Thought it was good and would like to listen to it again, to get a better feel for it
Big band x salsa/afro-cubano. No words, just horns and drums.
Not for me but it certainly wasn't annoying. Funky beats had my toe tapping at times so must have been hitting a spot, somewhere. 2.7/5
Not my thing. Nice horn work. Mambo style.
Frantic and fun. Not sure how I'd be able to dance to some of these songs without absolutely destroying my hips. Trumpet is definitely the star here. Favorite tracks: "Wild Jungle", "Kenya", "Cannonology"
Recording quality was really poor
On essaie de me faire dire que je n'aime pas le jazz alors que j'ai vu 2 fois La La Land
Understand why this is here and it’s a vibe, but outside of a specific themed party I would not listen again
This was a fun world listen
Look I know you 1001 Albums guys like to demonstrate how all encompassing and right on you are, but this is just a kinda monotonous meandering, I dunno, bongo-jazz fest with virtually nothing to commend it. How on earth can this be on the list when, oooh shall we say, Year Of The Cat by Al Stewart isn't?
A jazz album. Great musically just not for me
Album #172: Machito – Kenya ⭐⭐ Two Latin albums in a row, albeit very different ones. Santana yesterday, which I really enjoyed, but that was more rock. And now this. Which is more Jazz. I suppose it gives me two reviews in a row where I’m going to mention Sabu Martinez’s Palo Congo, which seems to be the only Latin-style album that I actually like. I think it’s a phenomenal record. Highly underrated on the generators rating. Reading about Kenya on the Wiki before I listened to it, I thought this was going to be something in the same vein. Those kind of pulsating African rhythms, an incessant style of music. But I was wrong. This is actually totally, totally not my bag. It’s exceptionally far from my bag, to be honest with you. And I am here to broaden my horizons, so I do feel bad for giving it a bad review here, but I just didn’t enjoy it at all. It’s big-band jazz with some African drums in it. And I love African rhythms, I love Fela Kuti, and any band that really incorporates afrobeat, I love. And this is the ’50s, so swinging ’50s jazz mixed with those rhythms is probably a cool juxtaposition in that sense. But this is just so not my type of music. Personally, I don’t know why I would ever be in the mood to listen to something like this. Maybe I’m a miserable fucker, but I never feel like swinging around to swingy jazz music. I felt like I was stuck in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator. It’s really in-your-face to the point of being extremely grating. There are cool passages where the drums kind of take over and it does get a bit feverish, sounding similar to Palo Congo. But Palo Congo is a really sweaty, raw, lo-fi album, whereas this is quite clean and sanitised jazz, big-band stuff. It’s apparently hugely influential on the music of Salsa and while that’s very interesting, sadly as a listener today, it means very little to me. So I’m going to have to give this one two stars. My exploration into Latin music, which I’ve found an awful lot of on this list, continues. And it’s not going well.
It's OK ... I imagine this is what rich people in the 50s played for their friends at parties in their Tiki themed basements.
Pretty pleasant but I wouldn’t put it on again, not really my thing
My stars that's brassy.
Silly
Better than the other Jazz, but still just sounds like a bunch of people playing whatever they want on stage
This was exactly the kind of jazz that the album description said it would be and there were no surprises. The whole album rolled along nicely like a train and the flow is great and smooth. Some people like this and some don't. This didn't really hit home for me, but I had a good time with the album.
On the cover of the album it said “Afro-Cuban jazz” and that couldn’t be a more fitting description. Most songs felt like they could be in a George Clooney “Ocean’s” movie score.
Kind of shocked I didn’t like any of these considering I love jazz and Latin music.. I think it’s too contemporary for me
Fun for a one time listen, but not enough variety to make me want to come back for more (at least to my untrained musical ears).
It was fine...I suppose
If this was the first ever album like this then I could see it being special, but it’s jazz. It sounds like jazz. Bravo to the wonderful musicians who make the music, but I hear no distinction between tracks and I couldn’t tell where one ends and the other begins
Cuban Jazz from 1957? Ok that is way out of my comfort zone. Hearing it gives some summer vibes which is good as we are in a heatwave as we speak. The Cuban Jazz of Machito appears to me as a bunch of old TV program opening tunes. Ok for one spin but that’s it. As I don’t have any knowledge of the genre I can not judge the quality
A Latino style jazz. Not really for me but I’m sure it’s technically good
It was fine, but nothing about it stood out as jazz so remarkable that it would be a 1001 album.
Not a huge fan of this one.
I just don't go for the "let's make brass bands go as loud and frenetic as we can." Not my kind of entertainment. 2/5
If you like track 1, you'll like all of it. But youi'll probably grow exhausted it by track 3.
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
Ik vind het Latin-achtige wel geinig. Het bigband jazz-achtige kan me dan weer wel compleet gestolen worden. En dat laatste heeft flink de overhand, helaas. Snelle, zenuwachtige saxofoonloopjes, snerpende trompetten met dempers enzo. Ik vind hier niet zo veel aan. Ik heb eigenlijk net zo lief geen muziek aanstaan en dat is geen goed teken. Ik ga dit een wat harde 2 sterren geven.
Not my cup of tea
Meejjj... muy latino y soy latino pero no asi de latino...
2/5. Bra jazz men lite snabb.
not my favourite
generic jazzslop
at the risk of losing my Cuban card, I still don't like jazz.
ok one or two of these songs is like yahoo yay fun samba chacha!! a whole album of this made me tense and nervous and not happy anymore :( so idk it’s like one of these songs would get a 3-4 but the whole record made me upsetty so it’s a 2-3 :/
Although Latin jazz has played a major role in my big band career, I’d never heard of Machito, and I didn’t recognize any of the tracks on *Kenya*. What I’m trying to say is: this certainly isn’t a bad album, but I don’t see it as particularly significant. On top of that—unsurprisingly—it’s quite heavy on the bongos, which I personally always find a bit annoying after a few minutes. Technically, the musicians are good, but the arrangements are extremely predictable and yet not catchy. Overall, “Kenya” just doesn’t strike a chord with me at all.
jazz
Sounds like a soundtrack to a dated movie
Not listened
wow so many things happening and I dont know if I like it or hate it hahah
I’m not a fan of jazz, I’m not going to listen to the album again but I can appreciate the talent the artists are with the instruments just not my thing
Not my taste
I think I am more of a smooth jazz gal. Clearly talented musicians but not for me.
I felt like I was in the opening wedding scene from Coming to America. Not bad but I’ll never listen to it again.
Not my thing.
Very hectic, good for specific atmosphere but not for relaxing listening :)
Too much drumming
Best Track - "Congo Mulence"
Something like this is better listened to on the silver screen than on Spotify. For pure listening, I'm not in the mood for this kind of music most of the time. Like today. 2/5
29.01.2025
I think this album gave me ADHD. Also who actually thought there was this much jazz produced in the last 60 years. Forget what I think, did Nick like jazz today? I can't wait to find out. I'll cut this album some slack as it was made in the 50s before music was really invented and it was pretty decent, but also almost stressful to listen to and I'm not itching for a second round with it 4.5/10
It was ok for background music whilst I was working
well i can put this as background music
Big band is not the flavor of jazz I tend towards, but this gets a little gritty in a way that's missing from most big band. And the drums! Lots of nice rhythms. But the longer I listen, the less I care; it all sort of blends together into the background the way big band jazz can.
I think it lives up to the 'Afro-Cuban Jazz' moniker. If that's what you like, then you'll like this.
2.3 2x a few great tracks but overall not my jam
An interesting change from the recent albums but not really my jam.
2- Stars (4/15)
I didn't much care for this album - it reminded me of those old movies with a tropical themed cabaret. I guess it deserves it's place on this list as it was pretty influential.
it’s alright like, good instrumentation, but not my bag
Ojämnt och spretigt. Tycker inte det jazziga och det rytmiska gifter sig riktigt, så den får problem med vilket ben den ska stå på. Men det är aldrig dåligt.
Det är svårt att få storbandsjazz att låta bra på skiva. Albumet är väl mest med för Machitos inflytande på den amerikanska jazzscenen. Men då tycker jag det finns mer intressanta album i genren; till exempel Afro av Dizzy Gillespie. Skivan slutar väldigt tvärt. Undrar om det är medvetet eller tekniskt avbrott?
This quickly descended into background music. Didn’t really do much for me at all. Big bland.
Bongo Big Band
505/1001
Not great, definitely not an album I needed to listen to at any point. Big band playing the same punchy notes all together, while impressive I guess, just really isn’t that good. I can imagine this would be cool to see live, because then the band adds an element of excitement to it, and maybe you can hear each instrument better. But the whole band playing a quick melody and then a solo instrument playing a counterpoint just isn’t really a sustainable conversation. The soloist is free to solo, but the band has to play their well rehearsed part. It’s not actually engaging. There were interesting moments in the album where there were some good solos, but those were only like 15 seconds long. There is some good drumming. That punchy blare of the band is just really repetitive and grating. This is a product of its time though and so it’s complicated to judge it now. It’s interesting to think about where this falls in the history of music before recording and after recording. And before advanced microphones and after advanced microphones. I’m guessing the band size grew as venue and crowd sizes grew, not because a big band sounded better per se, or there was something missing artistically or expressively that a smaller band couldn’t do, but more to do with being loud for a big audience. So that makes this something of an artifact, not necessarily a good artwork as far as the album genre goes. This has its roots firmly in music traditions that were meant to be played live without sophisticated sound systems.
Sounded nothing like Kenya
Best Song: Frenzy. With the rapid bongos, this really did feel frenzied. Worst Song: Holiday. Seems like an aggressive amount of trumpet mute. Overall: This feels old in a way that I cannot relate to. Maybe it is great for the genre that it represents, but I found it a long and largely uninteresting 40 minutes.
I don't have enough knowledge or experience with this kind of music. It's like the music was a foreign language that I don't understand. I heard the bongos which reminded me of Little Ricky on I love Lucy singing Babaloo.
Funkade!
Afro-Cuban Jazz from 1957. I'm not a Jazz fan so not really a fan of this album.
Not for me
Could be decent background music but nothing I would listen to just to listen to it.
There's nothing wrong with this really but I just couldn't get into it no matter how many times I tried.
Machito’s Kenya is often praised as a landmark Afro-Cuban jazz album, blending Latin rhythms with big band arrangements. While it showcases tight musicianship and energetic horn sections, this listen doesn’t fully deliver on its promise. The production feels uneven, and the tracks - though vibrant - tend to blur together without much variation. Despite flashes of brilliance from the percussion and brass, the album can feel more like a historical curiosity than a compelling experience start to finish. Technically solid but ultimately repetitive and dated in its impact.
Very interesting! Busy and atmospheric.
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.
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
Not my type of music, but not a terrible album. Some unique beats and rhythms that I respect. Interesting, but not inspirational or moving.
I can safely say that I don't understand this music
I didn't hate it, but Jack found it unbearable. Made me think of Cuba Revs
Afro-Cuban jazz from the 50's! Cool to hear it one-time, but it didnt hook me enough to play it again
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
Kenya? More like an uneventful trip through the safer parts of Miami.
Not for me
Sounds great but gets a bit samey
I don't like Jazz
I’m sure this crushed at cocktail parties in the late ‘50s but it’s not for me.
I'm bored.
two non Anglo albums in a row!! Latin Jazz apparently this time. inoffensive but not my thing.
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.
Maybe this was a reveation back in 1957, but it didn’t do it for me.
Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Braucht kein Mensch.
Kind of interesting, but all in all not something I'll go back to.
Fun but I think ultimately lost on me.
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.
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.
Bit too repetitive, not my genre
Ikke særlig spennende på noen som helst måte.