Whatever the meaning of the word "talkin," this is still a most valuable release because it succinctly sums up
Willie Bobo's Verve recordings, most of which have yet to see the light of the laser. By this time,
Bobo had followed
Mongo Santamaria into the marketplace as an energetic exponent of the Latin boogaloo, even scoring a minor hit with "Spanish Grease." But
Bobo went even further than
Mongo toward an accommodation with the '60s scene, adding the R&B-oriented electric rhythm guitar of
Sonny Henry, dropping the piano, incorporating strings and even an occasional graceful vocal now and then. While there are a few covers of '60s standards here, like "The Look of Love" and "Grazing in the Grass" -- and he had the great sense to seek out and record a hip-shaking version of
Eddie Harris' "Sham Time" --
Bobo's biggest contribution on these tracks was in providing the inspiration for the Latin rock boom to come. "Evil Ways" is almost an exact blueprint for
Carlos Santana's career-launching hit version; "Spanish Grease" reappeared uncredited six years later as
Santana's "No One to Depend On," and
Santana also played
Bobo's lowdown "Fried Neck Bones and Some Homefries" in the band's early days. With
Bobo's galvanic congas and timbales swinging at all times, few CDs by a single artist capture the ambience of late-'60s jazz radio in the evening as well as this one. ~ Richard S. Ginell