MONGO SANTAMARIA - Mongo's Way + Up From the Roots (1999) APE (image+.cue), lossless

With the exception of a soulful reading of the Box Tops' "The Letter," Mongo's Way abandons the pop covers that dominated Mongo Santamaria's late-'60s dates for Columbia in favor of a more far-reaching Latin jazz sensibility shaped by elements of soul, funk and rock. Working with producer Neal Creque, as well as a superior supporting cast featuring guitarist Eric Gale, tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Santamaria creates some of his most atmospheric and eclectic music, similar in spirit and scope to the myriad blaxploitation soundtracks jamming retail bins but executed with uncommon artistry. This two-fer reissue also features Up from the Roots, an exploration of the African origins of Caribbean music that prompts Santamaria to set aside his trademark conga drums in favor of traditional African percussion instruments. The LP features some of his most potent and artful playing, capturing the rhythms and textures of traditional African chants with masterful precision. As a primer in African musical history, Up from the Roots at times errs too much on the side of education over entertainment, but by the record's second-half, Santamaria returns to the funky Latin soul of his most popular efforts, unleashing the righteous "Jose Outside" and "Forked Tongue." by Jason Ankeny  
Tracklist :
Mongo's Way (featuring Armando Peraza) (1971)
1    Tell It 2:56
Grant Reed
2    The Letter 3:29
Wayne Carson
3    Listen Here 2:51
Eddie Harris
4    Sometimes Bread 5:31
Sonny Henry
5    Geechee Girl 3:08
Neal Creque
6    Hippo Walk 3:02
Neal Creque / Joel Dorn / Lewis Hahn / Marty Sheller
7    Featherbed Lane 2:49
Marty Sheller
8    Saoco 5:31
Armando Peraza
9    Afro Walk 2:49
Mongo Santamaria
10    Congo Blue 5:24
Mongo Santamaria
Up From The Roots (1972)
11    Ebora (Yeza) 1:27
Mongo Santamaria
12    En la Habana 3:19
Julio Collazo
13    Conga, Bata, y Chequere / Me Buele la Muela 5:09
Julio Collazo / Mongo Santamaria
14    Eco /Abacua 3:12
Julio Collazo / Mongo Santamaria
15    Pan de Maiz 1:24
Papaito Muñoz
16    Para Ti 3:00
Mongo Santamaria
17    Sofrito 3:15
Neal Creque
18    Little Angel 4:16
Eddy Martinez
19    Virtue 3:29
Alphonse Mouzon
20    Jose Outside 3:04
Marty Sheller
21    Forked Tongue 3:17
Marty Sheller
Credits :
Arranged By – Eddy Martinez (faixas: 18), Marty Sheller (faixas: 1 to 3, 6 to 10, 16, 19, 20 & 21), Mongo Santamaria (faixas: 11 to 15), Neal Creque (faixas: 5 & 17), Sonny Henry (faixas: 4)
Conductor, Percussion – Marty Sheller (faixas: 1 to 10)
Nota
Total Time: 73:28
Mongo's Way first issued by Atlantic Records in 1971 - ℗ 1971 Atlantic Recording Corp.
Up From The Roots first issued by Atlantic Records in 1972 - ℗ 1972 Atlantic Recording Corp.