Percussionist Willie Bobo’s latin-jazz is the stuff of rare-groove legend. Countless tracks that the maestro created or touched during his late 60s, early 70s heyday were hallmarks of that scene. And Bobo could funk with the best of them. His most sought after album, Willie Bobo and The Bogents’ Do What You Want To Do, released on the Sussex label, always held its weight with DJs, collectors and those conscious enough to realize its infectious grooves were worth the $100 price-of-admission.
Sad that Sussex never released the obvious seven inch single from the album – the superbly funky “Broasted or Fried” and the psychedelically inflected “Soul Foo Young.” Thirty years later, Now-Again Records stands ready to correct the historical books.
Willie Bobo’s son, Eric Bobo (known most commonly as a congero recording under his surname), is no stranger to funk – he’s toured and recorded with hip hop supergroup Cypress Hill since the early 90s. Sometime in the mid 90s he teamed up with producer Mario C. (most famous for his seminal work with the Beastie Boys) to sort through piles of his father’s reel to reel tapes. The result? Hours of unreleased recordings from Willie Bobo’s heyday – including alternate takes of “Broasted or Fried” and “Soul Foo Young.” These versions – recorded as Willie Bobo was sorting through demos for his Sussex LP in the early 70s – swing differently – perhaps heavier – than their previously released counterparts. The mix downs – tastefully blessed and mastered by Mario C. from the original multitrack tapes – hit harder, and present these tunes anew.