Customer Reviews

Afro-Cuban Influence

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The only reason to get this album is for the Wuayacanjanga suite.The other tracks are a mainstream commercial jazz that rightly never made Shorty Rogers too famous.It's hard to find afro-cuban type music that got recorded. I don't know what happens to those guys in a recording studio where they seem to loose all their juices.But Wuayacanjanga snuck it's way onto this obscure album.Wonderful african vocals anticipate deep solid drums then afro-cuban which moves into fusing with a big band sound that eventually takes over,insisting on the prevailing melody theme.The big- band jazz sound gives the afro-cuban one greater sophisicated scope while the afro-cuban keeps the jazz's feet on the ground against becoming too flashy.This is great one for turning a soiree into a party as the drums under-lining the suites are mesmerisingly dancable.

I bought this as a record years and years ago. Seeing that it came out in 1958, I have probably owned it for over 40 years. I'll probably never pull out the record again so I'm getting the CD. It's a favorite album that belongs in my regularly listening collection.

Huge sound, powers your whole body. easier to whistle to than rap. always lifts my spirit and gets my day going.

Though a very ambitious undertaking, this big-band album by Shorty Rogers, recorded in 1958, doesn't quite come off as successfully as other Rogers recordings. He's beefed up the band with a large Latin-leaning percussion section, which is prominently featured on the 20-minute, 5-part suite WUAYACANJANGA. This suite is a mixed bag: parts are rather heavy-handed, even bombastic (a la Stan Kenton at his worst moments), though others swing nicely. Bill Holman, Bob Cooper, Bud Shank, Herb Geller, Frank Rosolino, and Shorty all have good solo spots, and the Afro-Cuban rhythms are energetic and hypnotic. The vocal sections, however, are not very impressive.

The other selections offer more straight-ahead jazz in the Latin setting, with the way up-tempo UN POCO LOCO, with the short (4-bars each) solos by all the principal players being particularly effective, and VIVA PUENTE, with good solos by trombonist Rosolino and tenor saxophonist Bill Holman (I believe) being the best. Manteca is spoiled by a very long drum interlude, first by congas and then by Shelly Manne on regular drums. Manne, who is a master drummer, among the best who ever played, plays a solo that just doesn't seem to fit with the fiery tune and the momentum is disrupted. Shorty was an innovative musician and it's no surprise he'd attempt an album such as this; it's just not among his best.