"Rumba Doowop" Vol. 1 - 1933-1954

In jazz music, the Latin tinge is well-documented, but its influence on pop music has been given far less space; although it's not often hard to connect the dots between Cuban or Brazilian rhythms in early swing, it's far more difficult to see how those rhythms eventually filtered through the rest of popular music, especially R&B and rock & roll. The astonishingly thorough compilation Rumba DooWop, Vol. 1: 1933-1954 provides no less than 64 examples of how vocal groups (nearly all of them black) incorporated Latin rhythms into their recordings, nearly always easily and naturally. The set begins in the mid-'30s, with early vocal groups or gospel combos like the Mills Brothers, Delta Rhythm Boys, Golden Gate Quartet, and the Ravens -- groups that weren't doo wop, but certainly paved the way for all the Coastersand Platters and Robins to come. The rock & roll era is accounted for too, both here on the second disc of the set, as well as on volume two (Rumba DooWop, Vol. 2: 1955-1956), mostly with lesser-known songs and artists. (Only one song on the second disc, "Ling Ting Tong" by the Charms, is well-known.) Aside from containing dozens of great songs by talented groups, listeners shouldn't assume that many of these sides from the '50s are radical departures from standard doo wop; in fact, the fusion of Latin and American was so complete by the late '40s that scads of doo wop sides could use Latin rhythms without even sounding exotic -- which works slightly to the detriment of the compilation, at least as a concept. The best course of action is to treat it simply as a repository for great sides by a variety of doo wop groups, both popular and obscure. (Allmusic)This 2-CD set is the first of a two-volume collection looking at the influence of latin rhythms, and notably the rumba, in the doowop vocal group strand of American R&B music during the decades either side of the Second World War. Africa and Latin America together have moulded American popular music since the beginning of the twentieth century. African influences have led to the development of jazz, gospel and blues while their rhythms have been largely determined by successive waves of dance music from Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. Every American musical genre from Broadway stage, Hollywood film, Tin Pan Alley pop and even country music has been affected to some degree. Dance forms and musical stylings such as habanera, bolero, tango, rumba, conga, samba, baion all have their origins in the Caribbean or in Latin America. New Orleans has been responsible more than any other city in the world for shaping the sound of twentieth century popular music. A sweeping statement that may seem, but as the birthplace of jazz, funk and arguably rock’n’roll, it really has no other contenders. At the heart of these three widely different varieties of music lies the rhythmic complexity of second line parade drumming. Its two-beat patterns combining military band and Caribbean rhythms underpin early jazz recordings much as they do those of Little Richard and James Brown. It is in this parade band beat that the first intimations of early funk drumming can be heard. This collection brings together over sixty recordings featuring vocal groups from every facet of American popular music, including of course the ubiquitous gospel quartets and the barber shop styled groups of the 30s, through to the groups that were at the heart of the booming R&B market in the early ‘50s, who would provide part of the transition to rock ‘n’ roll. With carefully restored recordings and complete with a comprehensive 24-page booklet providing a detailed background narrative and discography, this is once again an absolute must for enthusiasts and collectors of classic R&B. (R&B Review)

trax CD 1:

1. I Got Rhythm - The Five Spirits Of Rhythm 2. Tiger Rag - The Mills Brothers 3. Jesus Is A Rock In A Weary Land - The Charioteers 4. La Cucaracha - The Delta Rhythm Boys 5. Packing Up - Getting Ready To Go - The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet 6. St Louis Blues - The Jubalaires 7. Brother Bill - The Five Blind Boys Of Montana 8. Choo Choo - The Four Vagabonds 9. Shadrack - The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet 10. Casey Jones - The Jubalaires 11. Dry Bones - The Missionary Quintet 12. Jesus Met The Woman At The Well - The Pilgrim Travelers 13. Swing Down Chariot - The Jubalaires 14. Ol' Man River - The Ravens 15. Wanda - The Heartbreakers 16. Roll Roll Pretty Baby - The Swallows 17. Besame Mucho - The Ray-O-Vacs 18. Don't You Know I Love You? - The Clovers 19. I'm So High - The Five Keys 20. My Baby's Gone - The Ray-O-Vacs 21. Be Bop Wino - The Lamplighters 22. Let Me Come Back - The Checkerse 23. I Didn't Want To Do It - The Spiders 24. Softly And Tenderly - The Prisonaires 25. Good Lovin' - The Clovers 26. Calypso Song - The Ravens 27. Geechie Goomie - The Mello-Tones 28. Whop - The Squires 29. Baby Doll - The Four Dukes 30. Bicycle Tillie - The Swallows 31. Chee Koo Baby - The Dukes

trax CD 2:

1. It's Too Late Now - The Hawks 2. Be Bop Baby - The Peacheroos 3. Real Gone Mama - The Moonglows 4. I've Got My Eyes On You - The Clovers 5. Such A Night - The Drifters 6. Mambo Shevitz - The Crows 7. All Night Mambo - The Cookies 8. Shake It Up Mambo - The Platters 9. Natural Natural Ditty - The Jewels 10. Irene - The Holidays 11. Sweet Lulu - The Love Notes 12. Boppin' With The Mambo - The Sultans 13. White Cliffs Of Dover - The Pelicans 14. Drunk, Drunk, Drunk - The Kidds 15. Down In Mexico - The Pelicans 16. I Want You To Be My Baby - The Royals 17. Five Minutes Longer - The Lamplighters 18. Mambo Sh-Mambo - The Charms 19. Bye Bye - The Dreamers 20. Ain't Gonna Do It - The Spiders 21. Trying To Get To You - The Eagles 22. Give It Up - The Hawks 23. All I Do Is Rock - The Robins 24. Sweet Sue - The Starlighters 25. Watts - The Chanters 26. Ling Ting Tong - The Charms 27. I Wanna Love - The Crowns 28. You Made Me Cry - The Platters 29. White Christmas - The Drifters 30. Hey Senorita - The Penguins 31. Tempting - The Moonglows 32. Ko Ko Mo - The Flamingos

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