This one's a bit tighter than some of the group's earlier albums – but still equally funky, and still very nice! Malo are at the top of their form here – grooving hard with great guitar from Jorge Santana, tight congas from Francisco Aquabella, sweet organ from Ron De Masi, and great vocals by the whole group – all wrapped up with a warm sound that's totally great. The best cuts have that choppy Chicano funk sound that was the West Coast's best contribution to Latin music during the 70s – and many numbers have strong jazzy elements on the solos. Titles include "Tiempo De Recordar", "Chevere", "A La Escuela", "Offerings", and "Latin Woman". LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cut corner.)
5
Malo —
Malo ... CD Warner, 1972. Used ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Wonderful 70s Latin soul from the legendary Bay Area combo that included Jorge Santana, Luis Gasca, and Coke Escovedo – all players who'd go onto great solo fame on their own, working together here as a youthfully inventive group that really set the tone for the west coast sound of the decade! This first album's a masterpiece in the California Latin Soul style – a sweet blend of Latin, jazz, funk, and rock that took up where the New York groups left off at the end of the 60s. The tracks are all pretty long – with some extremely tight instrumental playing, and plenty of room for long jamming solos. But the best part is the vocals – sung by Arcelio Garcia Jr, with a sweet style that's totally excellent. You probably already know that if you've heard the band's big hit "Suavecito", which is included here in a longer version than the original single – but you'll also hear that on the tracks "Cafe", "Pana", and "Peace". CD