JACK COSTANZO - COSTANZO , CANO & BONGOS !
Jack Costanzo for GNP from 1956.
Jack Costanzo: Bongos and Leader/ John Anderson, Paul López, Tony Terran: Trumpets
Willy Gallardo: Timbales/ Manuel Ochoa (Kaskara): Vocals and Maracas /Eddie Gómez: Claves/
Ramón Rivera: Conga/Eddie Cano: Piano/Ernesto Montez: Bass/Marda Saxon: Vocal
Hard as nails latin banger - All Killer No Filler - highly recommended!
"Abaniquito" was the dance floor destroyer back in the day - you needed an oxygen mask after cutting the rug to that one!
Here's a review by John Child:
Dubbed "Mr. Bongo" by the eminent jazz critic Leonard Feather, Jack Costanzo is credited with introducing the bongos into American popular music when he joined Stan Kenton's band in 1947.
He deliberately emulated the trumpet conjunto format of Cuba's La Sonora Matancera to achieve the album's fat sound and tips his hat to the group by covering their hit "Melao de Caña". Personnel include the incredible pianist Eddie Cano and trumpeter Paul López, who wrote most of the arrangements and features on "Caravan" and "Just One Of Those Things". Jack describes Eddie as"an exciting soloist taking after the master Noro Morales, who played like a conga drum player and I know the pianos yelled for help when he hit them." Eddie particularly shines on the novelty "Chopsticks Mambo". In fact, we are spoilt for Cano solos, by my count, he features on another six tracks. Jack's keeps his soloing to a minimum, but the driving "Abaniquito" showcases a fine example of his hard-hitting bongo pyrotechnics. Singing lead vocals on Mr. Bongo are Kaskara (Manuel Ochoa) and Jack's wife at the time, Ohio-born Marda Saxon. Kaskara was born in Holguin, Cuba, and relocated to the US in 1945 where he worked with Pérez Prado and René Touzet prior to his association with Costanzo.
Jack Costanzo: Bongos and Leader/ John Anderson, Paul López, Tony Terran: Trumpets
Willy Gallardo: Timbales/ Manuel Ochoa (Kaskara): Vocals and Maracas /Eddie Gómez: Claves/
Ramón Rivera: Conga/Eddie Cano: Piano/Ernesto Montez: Bass/Marda Saxon: Vocal
Hard as nails latin banger - All Killer No Filler - highly recommended!
"Abaniquito" was the dance floor destroyer back in the day - you needed an oxygen mask after cutting the rug to that one!
Here's a review by John Child:
Dubbed "Mr. Bongo" by the eminent jazz critic Leonard Feather, Jack Costanzo is credited with introducing the bongos into American popular music when he joined Stan Kenton's band in 1947.
He deliberately emulated the trumpet conjunto format of Cuba's La Sonora Matancera to achieve the album's fat sound and tips his hat to the group by covering their hit "Melao de Caña". Personnel include the incredible pianist Eddie Cano and trumpeter Paul López, who wrote most of the arrangements and features on "Caravan" and "Just One Of Those Things". Jack describes Eddie as"an exciting soloist taking after the master Noro Morales, who played like a conga drum player and I know the pianos yelled for help when he hit them." Eddie particularly shines on the novelty "Chopsticks Mambo". In fact, we are spoilt for Cano solos, by my count, he features on another six tracks. Jack's keeps his soloing to a minimum, but the driving "Abaniquito" showcases a fine example of his hard-hitting bongo pyrotechnics. Singing lead vocals on Mr. Bongo are Kaskara (Manuel Ochoa) and Jack's wife at the time, Ohio-born Marda Saxon. Kaskara was born in Holguin, Cuba, and relocated to the US in 1945 where he worked with Pérez Prado and René Touzet prior to his association with Costanzo.
