Customer Reviews

Kenya

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As it says above, truly a "MUST HAVE" CD for any lover / true collector of Afro-Cuban-Be-Bop Jazz. One of, if not "the best" recordings of the perfect combination of Afro-Cuban and 1957 Be-Bop!
AWESOME big band arrangements by pianist Rene Hernandez and A.K. Salim! Doc Cheatham in the Trumpet section, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley plays a KILLER Be-Bop alto-sax! And of course the percussion mastery of 'Candido Camero', 'Jose Mangual', and 'Ubaldo Nieto'
The beauty of the Kenya sessions is that they were done in 1957... when hard Bop and Afro-Cuban ruled! This CD for under $7.00 is a steal! Rated 10 stars! **********

This recording doesn't come close to showing its age. Sound quality is fabulous, and the sizzling Cuban beats and hot musicianship will have you up and dancing.

I don't know a lot about Afro-Cuban Jazz, but hearing Kenya has me raring to learn a whole lot more.

With its blasting horn orchestrations and rhythm atop rhythm atop rhythm, this music is win-win. Listening to these extremely graceful, melodic, yet searing arrangements is matched only by soaking in the barrage of percussion.

Most of us have heard this music, sometime: in a film or even some of Desi Arnez's arrangements on I Love Lucy. But we are far underexposed to this suave, layered, sexy, complex genre.

I keep stopping, looking at the adjectives I'm using to describe Kenya and I am humbled. Saying words don't do music justice is too simple, especially for a music reviewer.

But it's true here. This music is so passionate and pleasing, so driv...............see, there I go again.

Just get Kenya. Play it.

And when you play it, here is one more adjective for you: LOUD!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CD. IT'S FUNKY, IT'S HIP, IT'S ALL OF THOSE OLD SAYINGS AND THEN SOME. BUY IT, YOU'LL LOVE IT.

I was a little disappointed in this. I thought the CD would have an African flair, or at the very least, would sound "latin". I thought it sounded more like just big band jazz, but with no latin sound. For example, Machito's "Tanga" I really love, but there was nothing remotely like this on this CD.