Personnel:
Machito (lead, maracas), Doc Cheatham, Joe Newman, Francis Williams, Frank 'Paquito' Davila (tp), Eddie Bert, Sonny Russo, Curtis Fuller, Rex Peer (tb), Cannonball Adderley, Joe Livramento, José Madera, Ray Santos, Herbie Mann, Johnny Griffin (reeds), René Hernández (p), Roberto Rodríguez (b), Candido, Carlos Patato Valdés, José Mangual, Ubaldo Nieto, Jose Silva (perc), Mario Bauzá (cond)
Reference: BMCD 859
Bar code: 8427328008594
· Collectors Edition
· Issued in Digipack
· 2 Original LPs on 1 CD
· Original Cover Art and Liner Notes
· Stereo Recordings
· Newly Remastered in 24-Bit
In these two albums, Machito combined all the elements needed to bring the true meaning of Afro-Cuban jazz music to the listener. Kenya is a collection of original tunes composed by A.K. Salim, and by pianist René Hernández along with Mario Bauzáthe bands musical director. The incredible bite of the brass in this album, paired with the rhythmic freedom carried by the congas, bongos, timbales, guiros, claves and maracas, are what really make the band and featured soloists shine.
Among them are arresting solos by Cannonball Adderley on alto sax and Joe Newman on trumpet, both at their best, and a remarkably crisp performance by the under-rated trumpeter, Doc Cheatham, on Chano Pozos classic Tin Tin Deo, the only tune not written for this album.
The second album, With Flute to Boot (aka Afro-Jazziac), also emphasises the colorful percussion employed in a varied ranges of rhythms, enhanced by Machitos powerful brass section. All the material here was written and arranged by the featured flutist, Herbie Mann. Not only is his talent as a flutist always evident, but throughout, his keen awareness of authenticity also marks this album as a unique jazz accomplishment. Along the way, Johnny Griffin on tenor and Curtis Fuller on trombone are given enough room to grace almost every piece with emotionally strong improvisations.
—Jordi Pujol
-Kenya
"Classic Afro-Cuban jazz albums are not so plentiful that any can escape being called "essential." By 1958 the idiom had lost its original spontaneity and excitement, but new life had come from the recording possibilities of high-fidelity stereo. Kenya belongs to the style typified by Tito Puente's great work for Victor in this period. There are colorful African masks on the jacket, the obligatory dozen tight arrangements, three first-call percussionists, and a horn section guaranteed to be heard at least from one edge of Manhattan to the other. While Kenya can be thought of as formulaic, at least the formula was still relatively fresh and highly desirable. For all its homegrown, New York credibility, Kenya sounds very much like 1950s Hollywood. Television and film crime dramas of the period relied heavily on Latin and jazz, which helped to popularize Afro-Cuban jazz. The bombastic horns created suspense and excitement, while the bongos and congas signaled the exoticism and feverishness of a world slipping out of control. But the old complaint about Afro-Cuban jazz is the same as for other Hollywood jazz and even standard pop albums of the period: The tight arrangements and rhythm are fine for ensemble playing, but the horn solos fail to communicate the individualism and passion one expects from jazz. Consequently the most successful pieces, such as "Manteca," have a live, gritty sound, like a riot in an old New York nightclub. Kenya ranges in tempo from a Cuban blues "Blues á la Machito," to a fast rumba "Wild Jungle." "Congo Mulence" is played in the "bata" style (though probably without bata drums), and "Tin Tin Deo" is the Chano Pozo classic. "Minor Rama" and "Tuturato" are the most adventurous pieces [...]"
—Tony Wilds (All Music Guide)
