Los Admiradores – Bongos
This record is actually better than I remembered, which is always nice. It’s an Enoch Light production loosely disguised as a latin record. The bongo stylings are provided by Willie Rodriguez and Don Lamond who basically go bongo mad over backings provided by a pretty sweet jazzy Enoch Light band that features the usual suspects (Tony Mottola, Ted Sommer, Pee Wee Erwin etc.). You get a bunch of jazz/pop standards with pretty cool arrangements and bongo breaks galore. Bluesy guitar lines and tight orchestration actually make this record quite listenable and there even a couple sampleable loops and breaks. Overall a pretty nice LP for what it is. Released on Universal here, but probably findable to you US guys on Command/Grand Award.
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It’s the era of digital downloads and video cell phones, right? Those under about 30 aren’t even able to remember Al Gore’s invention of the internet. So it may be thought-provoking that this L.P. harkens back to the golden age when stereo sound was quite novel. And one Enoch Light was a maven of recording big band jazz in tight stereo separation with highly distinctive arrangements. If you can’t tell, B-B-Bongos is one of my favorite albums.
Another of Enoch Light’s Command masterpieces is the L.P. that features Heatwave (from 1958’s Alexander’s Ragtime Band). Anyone heard it? Did Enoch Light realize, in arranging and producing this cut, that it was destined to be stolen and sliced-up by radio stations all over the country for use as authoritative, intimidating news intro signature? Heat Wave introduced the news on the great Storz stations WQAM, Miami and KXOK, St. Louis as well as the legendary WKNR, Detroit.
Enoch Light: one of the world’s early stereo studio geniuses!
Absolutely fabulous !
How do I purchase this recorcing????
I have been searching for Bongos Bongos Bongos
for 2 years.
Thanx for any info
I remember my parents buying this album with their new “stereo” in the late 50’s or early 60’s. It was a Stromberg Carlson and the largest piece of furniture in the living room. We were all fascinated by the channel separation – the bongos on the right, then the bongos on the left. This album brings back so many happy memories and sounds just as great as it did 50mmm years ago…
Listened to this back in the 50’s with my big sister. I was only about 4 and I’ve been in love with this music since then.