The Watermelon Man

What a great song to have on your desert island, I mean.., it’s just made for it. I’ve always loved this song, it gets your feet tappin’ and that’s what it’s all about. It’s a nice bit of Latin Jazz which is perfect to have playing through the laptop while I’m working on my new abode, and cracking open the watermelons I’ve harvested.., oh yes!.. this is desert island paradise music alright.

The song was originally written and recorded by Herbie Hancock in 1962, excellent record. But my favourite version is the one I’m posting here, recorded one year later by Ramón “Mongo” Santamaria, a Cuban latin jazz purcussionist. His version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998…, and deservedly so, I reckon. It’s a totally cool track and would have to be in my island collection without a doubt. It was a surprise hit when he realeased it…, surprise?…., why??… it’s brilliant, and if this doesn’t get your hips swaying then you must be made of wood.

Watermelon for tea tonight on the beach, accompanied by ol’ Mongo and his jazzband, does it get any better?… so if you’d care to join me for a quick Rumba, I’ll be on the shoreline up there.

It takes a few seconds before the song starts playing on this (12 to be exact) so give it chance to get going, it’s worth it.

A Wonderful Collaboration

Slight delay between posts, I’ve been sorting out the mp3 hosting but I think I’ve done it out now… I don’t like links that don’t work… Anyway, on to the next track in the desert island collection.

JJ Cale and Eric Clapton…, two huge names in the music world. They’ve had a mutual respect for each other for years, Eric Clapton having recorded some of Cale’s songs… Cocaine, After Midnight… very good songs, and in 2006 they released a joint album called The Road To Escondido, not particularly the best album I ever heard but there are some great tracks on it non the less.

Others were impressed with it though, because it won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues album, and why wouldn’t it with two fantastic musicians collaborating on it? It also has on it the final recordings of Billy Preston, to whom the album is dedicated…, awesome keyboard player. It also features Pino Palladino who’s an equally awesome bass player, look him up and you’ll be amazed at the bands he’s worked with over the years.., he currently plays bass for The Who…. more of them later.

When I listened to the album one song instantly got my attention, great song, and that’s the one I’m posting for the next track. The song is called Danger…, and I absolutely love it. It’s just the sort of song I expected from these two fine musicians. I’ll come back to them in later posts but for now this will do to get me in weekend mode in my little beach shack.