"Rumba Doowop" Vol. 2 - 1955-1956

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 second of a two-volume collection looking at the influence of Latin rhythms, 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 the heyday of the booming doowop fraternity that was a key element of the R&B market in the mid- ‘50s, as popular music made its 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. Help Me - The Aladdins 2. Somebody Changed the Lock - The Empires 3. Zindy Lou - The Chimes 4. Jingle Jangle - The Penguins 5. That's the Way I Like It - The Queens 6. When You Dance - The Turbans 7. Mardi Gras Mambo - The Hawketts 8. Hot Mama - The Chanters 9. You Know I Can't Refuse - The Five Dollars 10. Do-Be-Do-Be-Wop-Wop - The Squires 11. Witchcraft - The Spiders 12. Lips Red As Wine - The Colts 13. Don't Do That - The Five Tinos 14. Day By Day - The Four Freshmen 15. Rollin' Stone - The Marigolds 16. Gumbo Mambo - The Larke Sisters 17. Grand, Nice, Swell - The Ebony Moods 18. Chop Chop Boom - The Danderliers 19. Morocco Chant - The Moroccos 20. Going Down to Tia Juana - The Don Juans 21. Rock It, Davy, Rock It - The Jaguars 22. Cha Cha Baby - The New Yorkers 5 23. Yacka Hoom Boom - The Savoys 24. Cigareetos - The Orioles 25. Laverne - The Earls 26. Ay Si Si - The Dootones 27. Mambo Baby To-Nite - The Falcons 28. Watussi Wussi Wu - The Tenderfoots 29. Cool, Mambo - The Sheppards 30. Red Hots and Chili Mac - The Moroccos 31. Man from Utopia - The Vel-Aires

trax CD 2:

1. Brazil - The Coasters 2. Goin' Goin' Gone - The Jewels 3. Patricia - The Rhythm Masters 4. Choo Choo - The Cardinals 5. Everybody's Whalin' - Huey 'Piano' Smith And His Rhythm Aces 6. Gift O' Gabbin' Woman - The Nutmegs 7. Stranded In The Jungle - The Jayhawks 8. Don't Worry About A Thing - The Sweet Teens 9. Cha Jezabel - The Notes 10. All My Love Belongs To You - The Joytones 11. A Fallen Tear - The El Dorados 12. Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Wop-cr2 - The El Capris 13. A-1 In My Heart - The Spiders 14. Mambo Fiesta - The Calvaes 15. Watusi - The Pharaohs 16. Gotta have you baby - The Combonettes 17. Let's Do The Razzle-Dazzle - The Rip Chords 18. I'm Yours - The Mellows 19. Last Night - The Starlighters 20. Cotton Picking Hands - The Dukes 21. Show Me The Merengue - The Hearts 22. It Was a Night Like This - The Turbans 23. So Good - The Playboys 24. Tonight - The Supremes 25. Mexico Bound - The Champions 26. Out Of The Picture - The Robins 27. Smooth, Slow & Easy - The Drivers 28. Ain't She Got Nerve - The Mellows 29. Last Ride - The Dukes 30. Down In Mexico - The Coasters 31. In Paradise - The Cookies

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