Talkin' Verve: Roots Of Acid Jazz

Talkin' Verve: Roots Of Acid Jazz (Series), Willie Bobo

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 24, 1997)
• Original Release Date: June 24, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000047EZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,803 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Willie Bobo was cool--and hot. This music swings in a boogaloo/Latin soul/'60s sort of way. Swing by definition means not staying in one place. Some of Bobo's music slow, some is fast, some is sappy, and some is just plain greasy. "Fried Neck Bones and Some Homefries," anyone? Open your ears as Bobo tackles Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass" and Bacharach's and David's "The Look of Love" (with the bandleader tackling vocals as well as percussion). "Evil Ways" and "Spanish Grease" are a couple of songs that any Santana fan will recognize, but Bobo stamps them with his daring and idiosyncratic charm. --Jonathan E.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Acid Lounge perhaps?, June 16, 1999

By	Mike (Scranton, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Forgotten Icon of 60's Pop Culture, March 21, 2003

By	Luis Correa (Bergen County, NJ) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tasty!, May 2, 2000

By	Ralph Quirino (Keswick, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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...