Mongo Santamaria strikes again, this time covering The Temptations’ “I Can’t Get Next to You”:
As usual, Mongo takes a Funky Soul track above and beyond with Latin flavor and his trademark aggressive Latin percussions throughout.
Dig the original version of “I Can’t Get Next to You” by The Temptations:
From a review @ The Devil’s Music:
…If you haven’t heard this wicked Temptations cover done in a funky ass Latin style, man are you in for a treat! This tune just jumps out at you with some seriously tight playing by all involved and really moves.Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría (April 7, 1917 in Havana, Cuba – February 1, 2003) was an Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard “Afro Blue,” recorded by John Coltrane among others. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All Stars, etc. He was an integral figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with R&B and soul, paving the way for the boogaloo era of the late 1960s. His 1963 hit rendition of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.
