Jukebox Mambo

Jukebox Mambo is a fascinating compilation on the U.K.-based Jazzman label, tracing the influence of Latin music on American R&B of the ‘40s and ‘50s. Though many listeners revere the R&B pioneers featured here for their influence on the frantic beats of early rock 'n' roll, the importance of what Jelly Roll Morton called the “Spanish tinge”—the introduction of Latin syncopation into straight-ahead 4/4 rhythms—on the development of R&B has been comparatively overlooked. Jukebox Mambo redresses this oversight by collecting 22 sides deeply influenced by Afro-Latin music, challenging traditional notions about R&B's lineage. The set includes selections from high-profile performers like Percy Mayfield and Dave Bartholomew, whose explosive “Shrimp & Gumbo” reproduces the musical cries of New Orleans street vendors. But some of the wildest selections here come from relative unknowns. Take the incredibly obscure “Snake Charmer": a deranged Latin vamp from the appropriately named Chicago singer Mad Man Jones that must be heard to be believed.