MONGO SANTAMARIA - Mongo's Greatest Hits (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is a excellent single-disc sampler of what Mongo Santamaria was like before "Watermelon Man" catapulted him into the charts. Some of the Fantasy tracks sound like the musicians were just off the boat from Havana, and are a bit primitive in contrast to the brassy Santamaria of the mid- to late '60s, but they have overwhelming charm. The revered "Afro-Blue" can be heard in its original, spooky, stripped-down form, and it would be hard for anyone to resist the voodoo spell that the ten-plus minute "Mazacote" conveys. Besides Santamaria himself, included among the world-class percussionists on this record are Willie Bobo and Armando Peraza. The CD version adds four tracks, including "Watermelon Man" from the Battle/Riverside period and an alternate take of "Para Ti."  by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :   
1     Afro Blue 3:55
Mongo Santamaria
2     Mi Novia 2:50
Alicia Correa
3     Linda Guajira 3:06
Mongo Santamaria
4     Pito Pito 2:43
Mongo Santamaria
5     Mazacote 10:38
Mongo Santamaria
6     Para Ti 3:01
Mongo Santamaria
7     Watermelon Man 2:20
Herbie Hancock
8     Manteca 5:25
Gil Fuller / Dizzy Gillespie
9     Sabroso 3:40
Mongo Santamaria
10     Conga Pa Gozar 4:05
Mongo Santamaria
11     Federico 3:25
Mongo Santamaria
12     Mi Guaguanco 4:35
Mongo Santamaria
13     Para Ti 6:02
Mongo Santamaria
14     Las Guajiras 7:44
Mongo Santamaria
Credits :
Featuring – The Mongo Santamaria Orchestra, Willie Bobo