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Already an established bandleader after playing alongside Count Basie, Lester Young, Lena Horne and others, drummer Chico Hamilton reached a point of stylistic expansion with 1966’s El Chico.
As bossa nova galvanized jazz listeners, Hamilton responded in his own distinctive way, incorporating its sound alongside his avant-garde touches.
The line-up features Jimmy Cheatham on trombone, Sadao Watanabe on alto saxophone, guitarist Gábor Szabó and bassist Albert Stinson, with Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja joining Hamilton on percussion. Together they give the album its vivid character, combining melodic openness with richly layered rhythm and texture.
Tracklist
El Chico
People
Marcheta
This Dream
Conquistadores = The Conquerors
El Moors
Strange
Helena