{"product_id":"the-mantecas-yes-or-no","title":"The Mantecas - Yes or No","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn their fabulous fourth album, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Mantecas\u003c\/strong\u003e (formerly \u003cstrong\u003eManteca\u003c\/strong\u003e) have moved the needle all the way in the direction of Latin jazz (or jazz latino).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn their early years, the London-based eight-piece played a mix of salsa, Cuban timba, boogaloo, Latin funk and descarga (jazzy, improvised Latin jam session), with plenty of vocals, strictly geared for the dance floor. Along the way, the jazz-descarga aspect emerged as a stronger force, though all sorts of other ingredients, from afrobeat to Afro-Cuban, cumbia to samba, ebbed and flowed throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough there’s nothing new with the concept of doing an album of instrumental Latin tracks in a jazz mode that’s still dance-friendly (\u003cstrong\u003eMachito\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSabú Martínez\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eTito Puente\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eTito Rodríguez\u003c\/strong\u003e all waxed jazz latino albums like that long ago), what’s new here is The Mantecas’ very fresh and confident interpretation of the idiom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd while they share something in common with the accessible, danceable Latinized soul jazz of someone like \u003cstrong\u003eMongo Santamaría\u003c\/strong\u003e or \u003cstrong\u003eWillie Bobo\u003c\/strong\u003e, as well as the Afro-Cubop roots of \u003cstrong\u003eChano Pozo\u003c\/strong\u003e, they also bring to mind the more jazz-oriented improvisational legacy of Pozo’s amigo \u003cstrong\u003eDizzy Gillespie\u003c\/strong\u003e, which is reflected in The Mantecas’ explorations of a handful of 20th Century modern jazz giants as they rework timeless classics by \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Coltrane\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMiles Davis\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eOliver Nelson\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eWayne Shorter\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this release, all seven tracks are essentially Latin renditions of jazz standards or are Latin jazz originals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s a mix of jazz and Latin rhythmic structures, instrumentation, arranging, and sensibilities at play, and it’s a very natural sounding mélange. Like their previous albums, some of the tunes feature a club-ready blend of hot and cool, in a Latinized British acid jazz \/ soul jazz way.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROSSO","offers":[{"title":"Black Vinyl LP","offer_id":58188385583449,"sku":"SDZ-46699","price":34.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/0044866833_10.jpg?v=1780394468","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/the-mantecas-yes-or-no","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}