Mambomania: Talkin' Verve collects 16 hot Latin jazz tracks from the Verve vaults. Much of this is by artists who specialize in Latin jazz, such as
Cal Tjader and
Chico O'Farrill, but there are also cuts from the likes of
Wes Montgomery and
Lalo Schifrin, who only occasionally played Latin jazz. That may seem like a minor distinction, but the blend of specialists and dabblers makes Mambomania a varied, entertaining listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine