Latin, French, Italian Mongo Santamaria Mongo Santamaria - Red Hot (1979)
Mongo Santamaria - Red Hot (1979)
Mongo Santamaria - Red Hot (1979)
A1 Watermelon Man 6:34 A2 A Mi No Me Engañan (You Better Believe It) 4:40 A3 Jai Alai (Rena) 7:38 B1 Jamaican Sunrise 5:54 B2 Afro-Cuban Fantasy 7:36 B3 Sambita 5:45 Hector Aponte Vocals Steve Berrios Drums, Timbales Michael Brecker Sax (Tenor), Vocals (Background) Randy Brecker Trumpet Vivian Cherry Vocals (Background) Julio Collazo Drums Sal Cuevas Bass Jon Faddis Trumpet Frank Floyd Vocals Brenda Frazier Vocals (Background) Steve Gadd Drums Eric Gale Guitar Gwen Guthrie Vocals (Background) Héctor Hernández Drums Bob James Percussion, Piano, Synthesizer Gary King Bass La Lupe Vocals Hubert Laws Flute Jeff Layton Guitar Jimmy Maelen Percussion Barry Miles Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer Red Miles Keyboards Idris Muhammad Drums Bill O'Connell Piano Charlie Palmieri Piano Thelmo Porto Drums, Percussion Lance Quinn Guitar Zachary Sanders Vocals Mongo Santamaria Bongos, Composer, Congas, Primary Artist Ray Simpson Vocals Lee Smith Bass Harry Vigiano Tres Jimmy Young Drums
In reaching for another shot at the big time, Mongo Santamaria sold much of the heart out of his music by turning himself over to producer Bob James, his arranger Jay Chattaway, and the fading disco fad. The result is a near disaster, an overproduced, overdubbed, rhythmically overbearing affair, staffed largely by James and his family of New York session players (including the Brecker Brothers, Eric Gale, and Steve Gadd) with only a handful of Mongo's sidemen, polished to a slick fare-thee-well. "You Better Believe It" is the sole Marty Sheller-arranged track; despite the Anglo-sounding chorus, the Guajiro groove conquers the production. Mongo alumni Hubert Laws has some nice moments in the Brazil-flavored "Sambita," but when you hear "Watermelon Man" redone to a horrible disco beat ... goodbye. --- Richard S. Ginell, AllMusic Review
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