Re: [Harp-L] Coltrane/Afro Blue




On Apr 13, 2009, at 10:13 PM, THOMAS FIACCO wrote:



Mongo Santamaria was a percussionist-if not for Coltrane,the song would have remained relativley obscure.


That may be true.

I first ran into Mongo at Trader Vic's in the Caribe Hilton, San Juan Puerto Rico. It was Christmas 1962 and we had just done
44 days of picket duty during the Cuban missle crisis. I remember we both lamented at the state of affairs that had befallen Cuba..probably one my favorite countries.


Of course I have heard both versions (as well as others). Afro Blue is one of my most favorite tunes and I (personally..humbly) feel that this is definitely a percussion tune. I also feel that Coltrane's version (on sop sax) is a bit too pinchy and looses the overall vibrance of the tune. I feel that the original version, especially done on logs instead of drums, is the boss.

Coltrane's version is like listening to Quiet Village without the birds, or Los Indios Tabaljares without the spaces between the guitar frets 'scooped out'. Or the Ventures without the 'Wah-Wah' bars.

smo-joe



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