Another week, another album from 1957 that fits somewhere on the jazz continuum. It’s not that I am getting disillusioned by this project at all but there has been such a high concentration of jazz albums in the last week of so that it’s hard to differentiate some from the others.After the car-wreck that was Palo Congo I began to fret what ‘wonders’ that Machito’s Kenya would bring. Would I be reaching for the ibuprofen once more and finding solace in late-night reruns of Family Guy on BBC Three? The short answer to that is simply, no.
Unlike Palo Congo Kenya is able to walk the jazz tightrope between dull and frenzied without falling off. Also it never chooses to regale us with some caterwauling moron as a means to make the music feel more ‘ethnic‘. This album is in fact a vibrant celebration of music that seems reminiscent of those found in classy film noir of the late forties, such as Gilda and Notorious, that were all apparently set in South America due to Hollywood’s need to de-vilify the continent after World War Two.
Right I really should stop going on such tangents. While I found the music highly enjoyable this is something that I could never listen to for the music. This is something that I would probably relegate to the realm of background music if I ever needed some alternative jazz or was planning a Golden Age of Hollywood style of party as it would be absolutely perfect.
Therefore I shall be giving this album a rating that reflects this sad fact. This should not detract from the fantastic range of arrangements presented here that never venture into such a spate of discordance that tends to plague a lot of jazz. At least in my opinion.
6.5/10
Fab Four:
Wild Jungle
Holiday
Frenzy
Conversation
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