13. Machito - Kenya [1957]
More jazz, did people not listen to anything else in the late 50s?
More Afro-Cuban jazz which I've only just listened to with the Sabu album. I guess this stuff must have been popular back then.
Obviously the Sabu album is my direct reference point here given that it's basically all I have to reference this against. While I think that album had more excitement and was more distinctive and grabbed you immediately, this album doesn't do that so much. That's not to say it doesn't, the opening track 'Wild Jungle' does that wonderfully well at making a statement about what this album is about. The following track 'Congo Mulence' keeps going in that direction but then when you get the the third track, the title track of the album 'Kenya' you get a better idea of what this album is about. This is more of a fusion with trad western jazz than the Sabu album. The bongos and the congas are still in abundance but more restrained. They are given a chance to shine in tracks such as 'Cannonology' and 'Frenzy'. 'Frenzy' is particular is just that, a frenzy of hyperactive bongo playing.
The thing this album has going for it is it's layers and it's musicianship. It seems much more polished and thought out than the Sabu album, this is kind of it's sensible brother. It's kind of strange really how I think this album is the better of the two and yet I think when it comes down to individual songs I'm more likely to listen to ones off the Sabu album. Weird.
A good album, well played with some great musicianship, I just don't see myself revisiting it too often.
Rating 3 / 5
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