Candido

• 4 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Drum Fever ranks alongside the funkiest records in the Candido canon. The songs are brief, diamond-hard, and tighter than a magnet's coil. Credit its success in large part to Chico O'Farrill, whose blaxploitation-inspired arrangements position Candido's ferocious conga playing alongside swirling keyboards, stiletto-sharp horns, and wah-wah guitar licks. The opening "Candido's Funk" is a jaw-dropping jam that's a virtual primer in Latin percussion, while more mid-tempo tunes like "Succulent" and "St. Louis Blues" possess the sinuous soul-jazz grooves associated with Candido's dates for Blue Note. Irresistible.

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. Candido's Funk
• A2. Succulent
• A3. Mighty Mouth
• A4. St. Louis Blues
• A5. Yolanda

• SIDE B
• B1. St. Thomas
• B2. Sultry
• B3. Kushy
• B4. Soulwanco