Just like the postal service’s motto, “Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds”, we record collectors won’t let a little Tokyo drizzle keep us from the record store, or in this case, with my ace bud and Tokyo Record Style super repeater, Michael Warren, from an actual Record Fair, especially when you can find Edmundo Ros and his Orchestra’s “Hollywood Cha Cha Cha”, replete with percussive “Shekere” of West African (i.e. gourd dressed in woven beads, painted lightning bolt?), a fish-sonified “Güiro” etched wash-board-gourd from Cuba, Puerto Rico, or from Brazil where it’s called the “Reco-Reco! (NOICE!) or from Colombia where it’s called the “Guacharaca”, a loominous “Conga”, or “Tumbadora” of Afro-Cuban rumba fame, and Cha Cha Cha herself, a classy-chassis dollface with a pair of ripe Caribbean, ahem, “Maracas”!
Maybe you actually can judge a record by its cover, but I probably have passed this record 100 times over the decades, maybe first in my grandfather’s jazz collection (that was next to my grandmother’s organ, where on some red, yellow, green, or white pre-loaded cheesy rhythm machine buttons, I might have first read words like “Samba”, “Rumba”, “Bossanova” “Mambo” and “Cha Cha”. For whatever reason, it’s easy for my brain to register this album and immediately dismiss it, and maybe even think to myself “Who would buy this record?” Well, Michal answers that question. HE would, and did! Having grown up with a jukebox that his dad kept loaded up with tons of good tunes like some kinda musical equivalent to being born with a silver spoon in your mouth, there seems to be no album or artist, or some obscure musician on said records that he doesn’t know a story or something about. When I dig for records, I only vaguely recognize 10% of what crosses my eyes. For Michael, I guess the opposite must be true, only NOT recognizing 10% of what he sees. In other words, he’s a darn good person to go digging with. You can learn a lot!
Anyway, always a fun rendezvous with him, this time on the east side of town with a little rain and some Sky Tree action in the background. See you next time bud!
Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra – Hollywood Cha Cha Cha
Label: Decca – LK 4298
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: UK
Released: 1959
Genre: Jazz, Latin
Style: Latin Jazz, Cha-Cha, Easy Listening
https://www.discogs.com/release/3323662-Edmundo-Ros-His-Orchestra-Hollywood-Cha-Cha-Cha
Bonus Fact:
According to Wikipedia, the original saying (“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep…) was spoken about 2500 years ago by the Greek historian, Herodotus. He actually said “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” and it was said during the war between the Greeks and Persians about 500 B.C. in reference to the Persian mounted postal couriers whom he observed and held in high esteem! Cool! Mail carriers go WAY BACK! Learn something new every day!
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