Search - Various Artists :: Mambo Fever: Ultra Lounge 2

A Cha-Cha Cavalcade Kramer would approve of!

Jason Zoellers | St. Charles, Missouri USA | 12/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Between Capitol's fine "Ultra Lounge" series and RCA's wacky "History of Space Age Pop" series, I am a happy, swingin' cat these days!The reason I chose this particular CD to write a review one is twofold. First off, it's just such fun to hear music that is all about a good time as opposed to angst. Secondly, the song "Manana (Is Soon Enough For Me) by Jackie Davis". I love the Hammond Organ as well as the TV show "Seinfeld". A few years back, there was an episode on where Kramer and Newman were making sausages in Jerry's apartment with this as their theme song. I don't know why, but I just found it all so hilarious. I then became obsessed with finding the song. After I had all but given up, I was record shopping one day and found a record called "Hammond Gone Cha-Cha" by Jackie Davis. I recognized the name and some of the songs from the Ultra Lounge "Organs in Orbit" CD. (I initially bought the CD hoping this song would be on it!) I figured for $5 it was worth a shot. I get it home and throw it on the turntable. The songs were great, but I the one I wanted wasn't on there...or so I thought. As the needle hit the groove on the last song, I was overcome. After 2 years, I had found it! Since then, I have kept an eye out for more copies of it, but, in 5 years, have yet to run across another copy. But it matter no more because it's here with a lot of other great music! May many more Kramer fans and music lovers alike enjoy these swingin', sausage grindin' tunes! Giddy Up!!!"

Mambo your way to fun

Patrick Kucera | Phoenix, AZ | 04/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine yourself on a wrap-around porch of some grand house basking in the warmth of a summer sunset. Maybe you are simply lounging on a beach with a cocktail in one hand and the hand of the one you love in the other. Perhaps you are in a tuxedo or flaming red cocktail dress and having a wonderfully dry martini (shaken, not stirred) before you get ready to head to the dance floor.If any of those situations are real or just party of your dreams, this CD from Ultra-Lounge is for you. Rare is the day when you will find some neon decorated, pseudo-tropical paradise lounge or restaurant where drinks were served in coconut cups with little umbrellas. But you can hear the music from them. This CD has the Mambo interwoven in each and every song. You can literally see the band in their white jackets and the lavish costumes on the showgirls as they entertain you.Yma Sumac drops in for a two song trip down memory lane. You can hear the passion and the fun in her voice. Mariah Carey eat your heart out. The organ tracks are quite amusing, and the Glow Worm Cha Cha will change your life. (Well, not really, but it shouldn't be missed.)If you ever wanted to visit the famed Coconut Grove or be part of the action with Ricky Ricardo's Band, you need to order this CD. Even if you find that the music is just a throw-back to the days when people in limos were movie stars (and not two girls from Encino using daddy's credit card), it is still a hilarious and joyour romp threw yesteryear.Fix a highball, add a slice of pineapple, play this CD, and enjoy life."

Let's DANCE !!!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 2: Mambo Fever is a solid installment in this CD series of lounge music mostly from the 1950s and 1960s. The quality of the recordings is excellent; they've been polished up nicely. The artwork is wonderful; and don't forget to look for those drink recipes in the liner notes!



Don Swan & His Orchestra start things off with their cha cha version of "Hooray For Hollywood (Cha-Cha)." This really sounds great and it's still perfect for dancing with your sweetheart late at night in the privacy of your living room all alone. The melody gets a lot of strength from the drums and percussion, too. Jackie Davis and his musicians perform a lively rendition of Peggy Lee and David Barbour's "Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me)." "Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me)" sounds very strong with the organ leading the musical arrangement and it's a fun tune to hear even when there are no vocals.



Luis Oliveria & His Bandodalau Boys perform a rousing version of "Chihuahua;" this sounds so good you'll be dancing for sure! There's also The John Buzon Trio, one of my very favorite groups from this era of lounge music, doing a great job on "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me." The group's trademark use of the organ works wonders for this tune and the percussion also adds a lot to the melody. I love it!



"Mambo Jambo (Que Rico El Mambo)" by Dave Barbour and his buddies sounds very much like Mexican music from that era; it's also great for dancing. "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans Mambo" by Van Alexander & His Orchestra has a fresh and new flavor to it and again I think you'll want to jump up and dance practically wherever you are--it's all THAT good.



Billy May's Rico Mambo Orchestra weighs in with their rendition of "Hernando's Hideaway;" they never miss a beat and it all works very well. "Hernando's Hideaway" is easily one of the highlights of this album. "Malambo #1" features the vocals if Yma Sumac--she was never really my favorite but you just might like this very much as she was popular back in the day.



Jack Costanzo & His Orchestra perform a wonderful tune called "Can-Can Overture;" they really do this one up right! The album also closes nicely with Terry Snyder and his buddies performing "Oye Negra." This strong tune makes the perfect ending for this CD!



If you like lounge music from the 50's and 60s, you're going to love this album. The Spanish influence upon these classic tunes enhances their beauty quite a bit; and I recommend this for people who enjoy classic Spanish music as well.

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