Mongo Santamaria

• 180 gr. VINYL–AUDIOPHILE PRESSING

• THE COMPLETE ALBUM + 1 BONUS TRACK

• 4 1/2 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

This release presents the complete original Mongo Santamaría LP Watermelon Man! (Battle BS-96120), the 12-inch album that came after the enormous success of the single containing the title tune backed with “Don’t Bother Me No More”. Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría Rodríguez (“Mongo” is Cuban slang for Ramón) was born on April 7, 1917 in Havana, Cuba. (He died on February 1, 2003 in Miami, Florida).

He is best known for being the composer of the jazz standard “Afro Blue”, recorded by John Coltrane among others. In 1950 he moved to New York where he became an integral figure in the fusion of Afro- Cuban rhythms with R&B and soul, paving the way for the boogaloo era of the late 1960s. Santamaría was one of a handful of Cuban congueros (‘conga players’) who came to the United States in the 1940s and ‘50s.

PERSONNEL:

• ON A1, A6:
• Marty Sheller (tp), Pat Patrick (as, fl), Bobby Capers (ts, fl), Rodgers Grant (p),
• Victor Venegas (b), Frank Hernandez, Kalil Madi (d), Mongo Santamaria (Conga drums),
• Kako, Joseph Gorgas (percussion), Osvaldo “Chihuahua” Martinez (percussion & vocals).
• Plaza Sound Studios, New York City, December 17, 1962.

• ON A2-A5 & B1-B6:
• Same as above but Mauricio Smith (fl) added on A5 & B6;
• Ray Lucas (d) replaces Kalil Madi & Frank Hernandez.
• Plaza Sound Studios, New York City, late 1962.

• (*) Bonus track (B7):
• MONGO SANTAMARÍA (conga drums), Louis Valizán, Marcus Cabuto (tp), Rolando Lozano (fl),
• José “Chombo” Silva (ts, vln), René Hernández (p), Félix “Pupi” Legarreta (vln),
• Víctor Venegas (b), Willie Bobo (timbales), Bayardo Verlardi, Pete Escovedo (perc, vcl),
• Rudy Calzado (vcl).
• San Francisco, 1960.

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1 WATERMELON MAN
• A2 FUNNY MONEY
• A3 CUT THAT CANE!
• A4 GET THE MONEY
• A5 THE BOOGIE CHA CHA BLUES
• A6 DON’T BOTHER ME NO MORE

• SIDE B:
• B1 LOVE, OH LOVE
• B2 YEH-YEH!
• B3 THE PEANUT VENDOR
• B4 GO GIT IT!
• B5 BAYOU ROOTS
• B6 SUAVITO
• B7 TULI BAMBA (*)