MONGO SANTAMARIA - Skins (1976-1989) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This single CD has all of the contents of the two Mongo Santamaria Riverside albums originally titled Mongo Explodes and Go, Mongo! The music was last available as a two-LP set also titled Skins. The 1964 session, oddly programmed first, finds Santamaria on conga and bongos at the head of a ten-piece band also including trumpeter Marty Sheller, then-unknown flutist Hubert Laws (also featured on piccolo and tenor), Bobby Capers on alto and baritone, and a seven-piece rhythm section with five percussionists. Cornetist Nat Adderley guests on three of the ten numbers, which are all group originals, including four songs from Sheller. The early dates (Mongo's first as the leader of a fairly jazz-oriented Latin group) have Santamaria leading a completely different band, a nonet with just three percussionists. Most notable among the personnel are the young Chick Corea on piano and Pat Patrick, on leave from Sun Ra's band, as one of the two saxophonists. This time around, Mongo contributed four of the nine fairly obscure numbers. Although some of the songs on the 1964 date were put together in hopes of duplicating the commercial success of "Watermelon Man" (none succeeded), the music still sounds fairly fresh and lively. An excellent introduction to Mongo Santamaria's viable brand of Afro-Cuban jazz. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Skins 3:31
Marty Sheller
2     Fatback 2:29
Bobby Capers
3     Hammer Head 3:25
Marty Sheller / Wayne Shorter
4     Dot, Dot, Dot 5:07
Marty Sheller
5     Dirty Willie 5:25
Marty Sheller
6     Sweet 'Tater Pie 2:40
Rodgers Grant
7     Bembe Blue 6:38
Hubert Laws
8     Dulce Amor 5:07
Rodgers Grant
9     Tacos 2:33
Hubert Laws
10     Corn Bread Guajira 2:37
Bobby Capers
11     Tuma le Le 4:15
Netto
12     Happy Now 3:08
Mongo Santamaria
13     Country Song 3:26
Bez / Paul Davis / Mark Day / Paul Ryder / Shaun Ryder / Gary Whelan
14     Congo Blue 5:45
Mongo Santamaria
15     Carmela 5:22
Mongo Santamaria
16     Hombre 3:33
Marcelino Guerra
17     Chombolero 4:17
João Donato
18     Not Hardly 4:17
Pat Patrick
19     African Song 3:24
Mongo Santamaria
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Bobby Capers (faixas: 1 to 10)
Bass – Victor Venegas
Congas [Conga Drums], Bongos – Mongo Santamaria
Cornet – Nat Adderley (faixas: 1, 3, 10)
Drums – Carmelo Garcia (faixas: 7), Jimmy Cobb (faixas: 3, 10), Ray Lucas (faixas: 1, 2, 4 to 9)
Flute, Saxophone – Al Abreu (faixas: 11 to 19), Pat Patrick (faixas: 11 to 19)
Guitar, Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Jose De Paulo (faixas: 11 to 19)
Mastered By [Digital Mastering, 1989] – Joe Tarantino
Percussion [Latin Percussion] – "To-Tiko" (faixas: 11 to 19), "Chihuaha" Martinez (faixas: 1 to 10), Wito Kortwright (faixas: 1 to 10)
Piano – Chick Corea (faixas: 11 to 19), Rodgers Grant (faixas: 1 to 10)
Piccolo Flute, Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Hubert Laws (faixas: 1 to 10)
Producer [Original Recordings] – Orrin Keepnews
Timbales – Carmelo Garcia (faixas: 1 to 10), Julio Collazo (faixas: 11 to 19)
Trumpet – Paul Serrano (faixas: 11 to 19)
Trumpet, Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Marty Sheller (faixas: 1 to 10)
Vocals – Carmen Costa (faixas: 11), Elliot Romero (faixas: 13), Marcellino Guerra (faixas: 13, 16)