Mongo Santamaria : Mr Watermelon Man – La Bamba (LP, Vinyl record album) -- Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store
Skip navigation
Scripting is disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires JavaScript to function correctly.
Style sheets are disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires style sheets to function correctly.
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Enlarge       Note

Mr Watermelon Man – La Bamba

LP (Item 27101) Columbia, Late 60s — Condition: Very Good+
Mongo Santamaria at the height of his Latin Soul years – working on a cool Columbia session titled after an earlier hit, but served up with his new lean sound of the late 60s! The album's got that perfect Santamaria combo from the time – a group that features trumpet and these wonderfully sharp arrangements from the great Marty Sheller – plus very smoking reed work from a young Hubert Laws, wailing away on flute and tenor, and Bobby Capers on alto and baritone – both players who mix jazz and soul instrumental modes, to bring a hell of a lot of feeling to the overall sound of the band – in ways that really get past more familiar use of trumpet or trombone in other Latin combos. The band grooves nicely on original material like "Streak O Lean", "Ricky Tick", "Do It To It", "Fatback", "Coconut Milk", and "Jose Outside" – and they also reprise Mongo's big hit "Watermelon Man".  © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.

Very Good + (plus)

  • Vinyl should be very clean, but can have less luster than near mint.
  • Should still shine under a light, but one or two marks may show up when tilted.
  • Can have a few small marks that may show up easily, but which do not affect play at all. Most marks of this quality will disappear when the record is tilted, and will not be felt with the back of a fingernail.
  • This is the kind of record that will play "near mint", but which will have some signs of use (although not major ones).
  • May have slight surface noise when played.

Additional Marks & Notes

If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record. This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip, cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.



You might be interested


Columbia, 1958. Sealed
(Mono pressing, still sealed in loose shrink, with some yellowing from age and a slit in the top seam.) LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Loco

Mambo Moods
Tico, 1956. Near Mint-
Seemed like Joe was always in a mambo mood at the time he was making these sides for Tico – but that's A-OK with us, as the record's a corker – tight little grooves in Joe's best percussion/piano format! A few tracks even have some vibes, which makes for a nice sound – and titles ... LP, Vinyl record album

Pete Rodriguez & His Orchestra

Hot & Wild/Yo Vengo Soltando Chispas
Alegre, 1968. Very Good+
Hot and wild – two of the best words you could use to describe the late 60s Latin Soul material of Pete Rodriguez – especially on an album like this! This album has Pete and his combo at their best – stepping effortlessly between English-language, soul-based tracks – and ... LP, Vinyl record album
Vik, 1957. Very Good-
Titles include "Vacilon", "Negra Soy", "Mujer", "Samba Roll", "El Gato Montes", "Noche De Ronda", and "La Mocura". LP, Vinyl record album
Tropical, Late 1950s. Very Good-
(Orange label pressing with deep groove. Cover has a split bottom seam, splitting on the top seam, clear tape remnant, light wear & aging.) LP, Vinyl record album

Louie Bellson & Walfredo De Los Reyes

Ecue – Ritmos Cubanos (OJC pressing)
Pablo/OJC, 1978. Sealed
A strangely wonderful Latin set with a very drum-heavy approach! Cuban percussionist Walfredo plays in a large group with Louie Belson on the regular kit and "moog drum" – and the rest of the group features strong Latin players like Francisco Aguabella, Clare Fischer, Emil Richards ... LP, Vinyl record album

Tito Rodriguez

Live At The Palladium
United Artists, 1960. Very Good-
Wonderfully jazzy work from Tito Rodriguez – and further proof that his live albums are often some of the best he ever recorded! The set's got an earthy feel that's quite different than some of Tito's studio albums – still that tight groove he brought to Latin music at the end of the ... LP, Vinyl record album

Tito Puente

Bossa Nova By Puente
Roulette, Mid 60s. Near Mint-
A surprisingly groovy record! Although bossa nova isn't normally Tito's bag, he does a great job here moving into the format – picking up the pace of his usual group with some snapping beats that create a bit of a bossa flourish, even though the overall sound's still firmly in the New York ... LP, Vinyl record album
RCA, 1958. Very Good
One of the most hard-hitting Latin albums from the 50s on RCA – a set released with jokey liner notes from Frank Jacobs of Mad, next to some Jack Davis cartoons – but a set that's got smoking percussion, great horns, and even some very cool use of vibes! LP, Vinyl record album
Fania, 1964. Near Mint-
The first album on Fania Records – and a massive album that showcases Pacheco's new style – a shift from his earlier charanga grooves to a more solidly percussive style, with lots of timbales and trumpet! The album's a key turning point in 60s New York Latin – and still crackles ... LP, Vinyl record album

Billo's Caracas Boys

Lo Mejor De Billo's Caracas Boys
Tropical, 1960s. Very Good+
Lots of classics from this legendary group – including "Bombele", "Ya Te Olivide", "Cuando Florezcan Las Amapolas", "Mosaico No 1", "El Trago", "Coco Pleao", "Casi Te Muerdo", and "El Hombre Marinero". LP, Vinyl record album

Martin Denny

Quiet Village
Liberty, 1959. Very Good+
An undisputed classic in the exotica genre – and the record that yielded Martin Denny his biggest hit! The title track "Quiet Village" was originally written by Les Baxter, but it was Martin Denny's approach that really managed to send the tune over the top – using spare ... LP, Vinyl record album
 



⇑ Top