Calypso Jazz
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"Calypso jazz" may be an uncommon term, but the combination makes sense, even though jazz is mostly instrumental and calypso mostly lyrical. Jazz and calypso share African origins, as Duke Ellington pointed out in A Drum is a Woman and other explorations of jazz tradition. In their exploration of all rhythms and cultures, particularly those of direct African descent, jazz players have long borrowed the calypso rhythm. Most "calypsos" in jazz are merely instrumental soloing over a West Indian rhythm (similar to much Latin jazz). Improvisation is central to both traditions, but the emphasis on improvisation does not extend to either the lyrical tradition in vocal jazz or the rare "instrumental calypso." More interesting, perhaps, is when calypsonians take a break from singing and improvise instrumentally. After Duke Ellington, Don Elliott's Calypso Jazz is the definitive hybrid album on a major label. Also there are fine efforts on smaller jazz labels (Freddy Grant on Bethlehem) and calypso labels (Cook). Anita O'Day and other jazz thrushes have done interesting things with calypso. |
[Partly] Calypso-Jazz LPs
| Rating | |
| 4 | Maya Angelou: Miss Calypso; Liberty LRP-3028; 1956 |
| 7 | The Blue Notes at the Rum Keg; Carib LP-2033-S; 1962 (2 caribeat cuts & one w/scat, "Calypso Be Bop") |
| 7 | Odell Brown & the Organ-izers: Raisin' the Roof; Cadet LPS-775; 1966 ("Enchilada Joe") |
| 7 | Mickey O'Bryan Quartet: Jamaica's Gift to the World; Ivanhoe IV-12345 (Caribeat, calypso jazz, mod soul, twist, calypso, bossa) |
| 8 | Candido, Calypso, & Girl: Calypso Dance Party; ABC-178; 1957 (w/Johnny Careisi, the Twintones, Claudia Swann, Frantz Casseus) |
| 8 | Candido: Candido's Comparsa; ABC-Paramount ABCS-453 ("St. Thomas"; w/Frank Wess, Chocolate Armenteros, Patato Valdez, Armando Peraza..) |
| 8 | Candido: Brujerias de Candido/Candido's Latin McGuffa's Dust; Tico SLP-1142; 1966 (w/Cachao & Tito Puente; Latin/-jazz/-soul/calypso) |
| 7 | Rupert Clemendore/John Buddy Williams: Le Jazz Primitif; Cook 1082 |
| 8 | Rupert Clemendore: Le Jazz Trinidad; Cook 10850 |
| 7 | Tino Contreras: Percusiones Mexicanas; Capitol of the World T-10310 ("Matilda") |
| 8 | L'Orchestre Creole Folklorique: Dance Music of Martinique 10"; Dial Ethnic Series 402 |
| 7 | Anita O'Day ("Jamaica Mon"); Tomo TJ-6003; 1984/? |
| Eugene Delouche & his Martinique Jazz-Beguine Orchestra: Martinique [Creole] Carnival; Monogram | |
| 8 | Bill Doggett: "On Tour"; King 667 (not live; "Ocean Liner") |
| 7 | Syl Dopson et al: Kaiso; RA-4301 (w/John Buddy Williams) |
| 8 | [The Drums of Trinidad/Equatorial Jazz:] Drums of Trinidad; Cook 1045 |
| 6 | Duke Ellington & his Orchestra: A Drum is a Woman; Columbia CL-951 |
| 6 | The Don Elliott Octet with Candido: Jamaica Jazz; ABC-Paramount ABCS-228 (arr. Gil Evans; tunes from the Broadway production "Jamaica") |
| 8 | King Errison w/the Lou Adams Orchestra: Drums of Nassau; Bahamian Rhythms BRH-52 (Latin jazz/bongo/conga/calypso jazz) |
| 8 | Lord Flea & his Calypsonians: Swingin' Calypsos; Capitol T-842; 1957 ("Calypso Be Bop") |
| 8 | Sandy Gamory w/Syd Joe & his Caribbean All Stars Orchestra: The Calypso Man; San Joe SJ-4667 |
| 8 | Dizzy Gillespie: Jambo Caribe; Philips/Limelight LM-82007; 1964 |
| 8 | Sir Freddy Grant's Caribbean Troubadours: Calypso ("Calypso Jam Session"); Bethlehem BCP-7001; 1957 |
| 7 | [The Black Beret Presents] The Islanders; BB-333 |
| 7 | Maurice Jallier, Original Biguine Creole Band: Biguines; Barclay 82004 |
| 8 | Montego Joe: Arriba! Con Montego Joe; Prestige PRST-7336; 1964 ("Fat Man") |
| 7 | Joey Lewis: Jump with Joey; RCA Victor Trinidad LPB-2050 ("calypso jump-up"/kaiso/instrumental calypso jazz) |
| 7 | Joey Lewis & his Orchestra; Charlie's/JoeVan JVL-1007 (caribeat/calypso jazz/soca; jacket: Joey Lewis at the Lion's Den) |
| 7 | Enoch Light & the Light Brigade: Future Sound Shock; Project 3 PR-5077-SD; 1972 ("St. Thomas! Everybody!"; conga, some sitar) |
| 7 | Mano Marcelin: Kaiso Power; Straker's GS-8896 (kaiso) |
| 5 | Augustine Mercer & his Jaragua Merengue Orchestra: The Jaragua Presents Merengues; Ritmo 805 ("La Salve de Guachupita"; Dominican Republic; Latin/calypso/calypso jazz) |
| 7 | Harold McNair: Bahama Bash Featuring the Voice & Saxophone of "Little G"; Top Rank RM-316 |
| 7 | Baba Motta: Jamaican Carnival at the Myrtle Bank; Caribe LP-2006; 1958 |
| 6 | Bill La Motta: Themes from a Sunny Isle; Westindy ST-1008 (calypso jazz/calypso, Latin jazz) |
| 7 | The Mighty Panther & Lad Richards: West Indian Calypso Magic; Art ALP-18 ("Zoop, Zoop, Zoop") |
| 7 | Freddie Munnings: Nassau Holiday [at the Cat & Fiddle Nightclub]; Famo LP-1001 (w/Dudley Capon; calypso/calypso jazz/Latin jazz) |
| 8 | Houston Person: The Real Thing; Eastbound 2EB-9010; 1973 (2-LP; live; "Kittitian Carnival") |
| 7 | Dave Pike: Limbo Carnival; New Jazz NJ-8284; 1962 (w/Ray Barretto, Ahmed Abdul-Malik) |
| 7 | Pritchard's Orchestra w/Fats Greene: Fats Shake 'em Up; Camille LP-9021 |
| 7 | Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones: Sweetback; Joka; 1975 ("Jamaica Farewell"; Ubiquity/Luv N' Haight LHLP-020; 1995) |
| 7 | Carlos Malcolm: Don't Walk, Dance!; Roulette SR-25359; c.1964 (mod Latin/Latin soul/calypso-jazz) |
| 8 | Emil Richards & the Microtonal Blues Band: Spirit of 1976; Impulse A-9182; 1969 ("Peek-A-Boo") |
| 8 | Hector Rivera: At the Party; Barry BAR-101; 1966 ("Calypso #10"; 5 outtakes include "I Wanna Chance for Romance"; canta John Fernandez; at least 1 pressing does not indicate stereo but is) |
| 8 | The Milt Robinson Trio: Wanna Be With You; MR-70 |
| 7 | Guy Durosier: Haitian Rhythms; Decca DL-8602; 1957 (or "du Rosier"; w/Ti Ro Ro) |
| 7 | Stamma & the Clubbites: Montego Beat; Federal Record Mfg. FRM-134 ("What's the Idea"; mainly Caribeat/reggae) |
| 9 | The Seven Shadows directed by Derrick Vaughan: Seven Shades of Sound; Bosworth BLP-139; 1975 ("Hello Calypso, Goodbye Blues"; production) |
| 7 | Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor & his Goombay Drums; Bahamian Rhythms BRH-31; 1960 |
| 7 | [Berkley] "Peanuts" Taylor: Moods of Peanuts; Tropical 2740; 1964 |
| 6 | Buddy Terry: Natural Soul; Prestige PRST-7541; 1968 ("Pedro, the one Arm Bandit"; w/Larry Young, Wally Richardson, Joe Thomas..) |
| 7 | Joe Thomas: Comin' Home; Buddah/Cobblestone CBS-7001 ("Monique") |
| 7 | The Jimmy Thurston Quintet at the Balmoral Club; Elite LPOES-16 (calypo, Latin jazz, calypso jazz; Bahamas) |
| 8 | Trinidad Limbo Orchestra: Limbo from Trinidad; RCA Victor LPS-3013/LPB-3013 (Cyril Diaz, Lord Brynner, Andrew Beddoe Chorus & Drummers) |
| 7 | Jack Trombey & the International Studio Group: Living Power 10"; De Wolfe DWLP-2970; 1966 ("Jazzamatic No.2"; otherwise spy/crime) |
| 6 | The Tropical Islanders: Musical Adventure; Wirl W-009 (instrumental caribbeat similar to Sparrow's Troubadours) |
| 6 | The Tropical Islanders: Musical Pot-Pourri; Wirl W-017 |
| 7 | Harold Vick: The Caribbean Suite; RCA Victor LSP-3677; 1967 (w/Blue Mitchell, Montego Joe, Bobby Hutcherson..) |
| 7 | Uncredited: Percussive Calypso; Oleander OLP-103 (instrumental/calypso jazz/bongos/voodoo; Bermudan; prod. Al Donahue/Frank Walsh; possibly features King Trott/Stan Seymour/Lloyd Simmons) |
| 7 | Various: Calypso Jazz; Cook XX-2 (compilation) |
| 9 | Various: Calypso Magic 10"; Monogram/Supertone 802 (Duke of Iron, Lord Kitchener, MacBeth, Lord Invader; possibly reissued as 12" Monogram 820 w/Marie Bryant) |
| 7 | Various: Dancing Calypso; Cook 930 (instrumental, partly jazz/vibes; Clarence Curvan, Johnny Gomez, Vin Cardinal, Tom Charles, Fitz Vaughn Bryan) |
| 7 | Various: Showtime at the Drumbeat; Tropical CLP-2470 (much overlap w/2471; Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor, Richie Delamore, Johnny Kemp, Carl Brice) |
| 7 | Various: Showtime at the Drumbeat; Tropical CLP-2471 (much overlap w/2470; Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor, Richie Delamore, Eloise Lewis, Luis Perez, Pat Rolle, Bullumba Landostoy) |
| 8 | Various: Souvenir of Jamaica; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-738; 1972 ("Jamaican Mambo"; reissues Monogram, original unknown) |
| 6 | Various: Waikiki Swings; Hula HS-520 (Zulu: "The Coed Song"; Capitol/Tower ST-5101) |
[Partly] Calypso-Jazz 45s
| Rating | |
| 8 | Chaino & his Slave Boys: Trinidad/The Slide; Tampa TP-142 (calypso jazz/African; not on LP) |
| 6 | Lionel Hampton & his New York Jazz All-Stars: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes/Matilda; Glad-Hamp GH-3001; 1979 (disco jazz; B-side "discolypso"; co-prod. Chico O'Farrill) |
Hyp Records is a 3-part guide:
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