Mongo Santamaria's "Our Man In Havana"

[Larry Kart]

Picked this up on a whim, and wow. Two different recorded-in-Havana albums from 1960 -- the first with trumpets, flute, tres (both great players), some vocals, and rhythm; the second yoruba chants and gutty rumbas with rhythm. A highlight of the first date is an absolutely sick Willie Bobo timbales solo on "Barandanga"; the whole second date is solid gold, the singing/chanting flows like lava.

[Harold_Z]

Is this available?

Edit: I just check out amazon and ordered it. I know I'll dig this!

Edited November 24, 2010 by Harold_Z

[JSngry]

Yeah, it's been around in one form another for quite a while.

Allow me to suggest finding the live Fantasy albums of Mongo (at the Blackhaw?) and gradually introducing yourself to the subtle beauty that is Chombo Silva. I say gradually, becuase Snr. Silva's assets might at first be hidden behind a curtain of "obvious" "American influences". But be fooled ye not!

I'm also a strong advocate for Side One of this early 70s Mongo side:

Side two...not so much. But that Side One is in there.

[Larry Kart]

Oh yeah -- I know Chombo Silva. And Tito Puente in the '50s had a somewhat similarly inclined tenor player, Marty Holmes.

[JSngry]

Did Marty play off the clave like Chombo did?

[Larry Kart]

Did Marty play off the clave like Chombo did?

I'm not enough of an expert there to say for sure, but there's a good deal of recorded evidence, and I would think it's likely, given that Tito featured Holmes as much he did.

I know -- Marty Holmes, but why not? It's a big country.

[JSngry]

Cuba?

[Larry Kart]

Cuba?

No -- but a lot of Cubans et al. end up here and listen to and make what they wish of American music before they get here, if they do; and a lot of people in this big country have big ears, plus semi-innate affinities. For example, don't know how you feel about Brew Moore's playing with Machito, but if you dig him there, as I do, Brew was from Indianola, Miss. Also, you spoke of Chombo Silva's artistry being "hidden behind a curtain of "obvious" "American influences." Hidden to some listeners is what I think you meant, but those American influences were certainly a notable part of who Silva was. Maybe I should have said, "It's a big, fluid world."

[JSngry]

That's more like it!

With Chombo, the American influences were the branches. The roots were in Cuba, in the clave, the son, the Cuban articulation of the Spanish language (and that's a whole 'nother game right there, Cuban Spanish...). The cat was equally adept playing violin in a charanga band as he was playing All The Things You Are with Mongo. And the more one becomes familiar with the more "native" influences, the more distinct the character of his playing becomes. A lot of "homework", to be sure, and ultimately it might only matter some, but...it's there for the taking if one is interested. Cuba is not a secondary world of music, it is a fundamental, one of the world's primal sources.

I'm a big (enough) fan of melting pot, but melting and erasing are not the same thing and should not be confused (not saying you are, Larry, just making a general statement). I know Marty Holmes' work with Puente, it's fine, same with Brew/Machito, but they both definitely sound "American" at root, whereas Chombo does not, which is as it should be, I'm just saying that Chombo = Marty only in the sense of good tenor players playing in "Latin" bands.

[mikeweil]

There are examples of Chombo's violin playing on the Blackhawk recordings and on another Mongo Fantasy twofer, Arriba:

Edited November 24, 2010 by mikeweil