Mongo Santamaria – Explodes at the Village Gate (1967/2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Mongo Santamaria – Explodes at the Village Gate (1967/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 41:08 minutes | 1,54 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Columbia – Legacy

Rare live album recorded at New York’s Village Gate. Includes a 10 minute jamming version of Mongo’s classic number Afro Blue. The band include: Marty Sheller, Ray Maldonado, Rogers Grant, Bobby Capers, Hubert Laws and others. Lots of greats solos from Mongo and his band.

Mongo bores at the Village Gate until “Afro Blue.” His ten-minute Afro-Cuban smoker recovers all the melodic impact, engaging solos, and general feel that have been missing from his work for years. The early Chants album on Tico never sounded this good. Still, the song might have been slowed and stretched a bit further. Side two opens with the album’s only uptempo number, but more interesting are the lazier “Springtime” and “Elephant Pants,” a laid-back cousin of “Baby Elephant Walk” complete with trumpeted elephant sounds. Live is probably how most of the earlier Columbia material ought to have been recorded. Explodes at the Village Gate has the intensity and sound, but most of the tunes are not especially strong. ~ Tony Wilds

Tracklist:
1. Mongo Santamaria – Philadelphia (04:27)
2. Mongo Santamaria – Juan Jose (04:00)
3. Mongo Santamaria – Bloodshot (03:54)
4. Mongo Santamaria – Afro Blue (10:35)
5. Mongo Santamaria – Yes It Do (03:31)
6. Mongo Santamaria – Mongoettes (03:32)
7. Mongo Santamaria – Springtime (04:10)
8. Mongo Santamaria – No More (03:08)
9. Mongo Santamaria – Elephant Pants (03:47)

Personnel:
Mongo Santamaria – congas, bongas
Hubert Laws – saxophone, flute, piccolo flute
Bobby Porcelli – saxophone, flute
Ray Maldonado – trumpet
Rodgers Grant – piano
Victor Venegas – bass
Hungria Garcia – drums, cimbales

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