Customer Reviews

Talkin' Verve: Roots Of Acid Jazz

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

 

 

I have to admit I never heard of Willie Bobo until a couple of weeks ago when I rented the film VERY BAD THINGS. Just for the record, my screen name was not inspired by him. However if people choose to think I adopted his last name for my moniker that is ok by me. Wilie Bobo is now on my list of favorite Jazz artists. I love the loungy feel of Bobos music. It captured that feel of a laid back bar of the 60's. What sets him apart from other lounge artists of his day is his versatility. There seems to be a melding of funk, rock, jazz and the Latin sounds. Willie Bobo is like Getz/Gilberto meets Burt Bacharach.

In the 60's, Willie Bobo created a bridge between Popular and Latin music using an ensemble of instruments that included electric bass and guitar and no keyboards. He used Popular songs and transformed them with Latin rhythms to create a truly unique sound. This allowed for an entire industry of songs to be created by many great artists and composers. Using Willie as an inspiration, Santana created many of his signature styles from these early recordings. If you listen to the music used in the first Austin Powers movie, you will hear Willie's style being used to signify the 60's culture. This man was never given credit for his contribution to the American Pop Culture of the 60's and beyond.

While I'd heard of Willie Bobo, it wasn't until I read somewhere that Santana covered his "Evil Ways" (written by one of his band members) that I was sufficiently intrigued and plunked down fifteen for this great, fun, greasy set of latin-jazz r&b/soul lounge music. It's got the feel of a lava lamp, the smell of patchouli, the hip of Peter Sellers' "The Party" written all over it. It's just a notch above Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (and believe me, in Keswick, I've seen every sixties album Herbie put out at garage sales!) and a level below Pancho Sanchez. That said, it's immensely fun and disarmingly toe-tapping. I repainted a backyard deck while listening to this CD last summer and it made the experience ENJOYABLE! A forgotten slice of sixties pop. Here's where you catch up...

I've listened to Willie Bobo for years but was a little disappointed in this particular arrangmemt.

I'm still looking for "Fairy Tales for Two" can't seem to find it, but If any of you do.. You WON"T be disappointed...

The only thing wrong with this album is the hype. Acid jazz it aint. Psychedelic it aint. Tripped out hippy babes, I wish.

Trippy Bobo first cut is a genome for Sheryl Crow's soft top thingo about Melrose Place or whatever boogaloo on Santa Monica Boulevard.

"Evil Ways" hangs lower than the woman who hangs out with Jean and John and who knows who. Santana botched it for everyone but so did the seventies.

Willie had a line in latino versions of mainstream pop hits that proves Elvis Costello is derivative. Hear it with Bobo's does Bacharach with "Look of Love". No wonder Burt had his best years with Angie Dickinson (aka undercover police woman "Pepper Anderson") when Willie did his best work making covers and under the covers too.

On another Bobo classic hear him shame Tom Jones' sappy, arhythmic version of "It's Not Unusual".

Pop this CD in your 10 stacker in the boot of your 1995 Audi A6 and your whole Saturday is a goner.