Beautiful by Candido

14 Feb

Written by Mark Keresman
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Conga drum wizard Candido Camero has been the percussionist of choice when jazz players [like Gene Ammons, David Amram, and Elvin Jones] wanted/needed a specialist in Afro-Cuban rhythms, but albums under his own name haven’t been easy to come by. Take heed, you crate-diggers, groove-masters/mistresses, sample-ers, unearthers of Lost Vinyl: Blue Note has rescued Candido’s 1970 Afro-Cuban/jazz/pop fusion LP Beautiful [originally on the Solid State label] from the clutches of expensive collectors’ shops and the luck of flea marketers. This disc goes from the silly: "New World In The Morning" has a horn arrangement so stiff, corny and dated that Blood Sweet & Tears sounds like Sun Ra by comparison - to the sublime: "Ghana Spice Pts. One & Two" is a subtly mesmerizing, minimalist Afro-Cuban vortex and a sly, sexy, funky recasting of Artie Shaw’s "Serenade To A Savage," featuring bluesy, ultra-restrained guitar from David Spinozza. While calling this a Lost Classic would be a bit of a stretch, collectors of Afro-Cuban-descended sounds and rhythm fiends will likely be put into orbit with this.

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Candido
CD Title: Beautiful
Genre: Latin Jazz / Latin Funk
Year Released: 2003
Reissue Original Release: 1970
Record Label: Blue Note
Musicians: Candido: congas, bongos; David Spinozza: electric guitar; Richard Davis: electric bass; Bernie Glow: trumpet; Frank Anderson: keyboards; Joe Cain: arranger; others.
Label Website: http://www.bluenote.com
Rating: Three Stars