Hugo Montenegro – Rocket Man & Mammy Blue (1975/1971) [Reissue 2018] {SACD ISO + FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz}

A pair of 70s albums from Hugo Montenegro – back to back on a single CD! Rocket Man is excellent – very groovy stuff! After paying tribute to Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan on other LPs, Hugo Montenegro turns his talents to the groovy compositions of Elton John in this nice album of moogy instrumentals – a set that’s got some upbeat material that almost hits a funky club style – graced with loads of work on Arp by John Montenegro! The tune are all big ones by Elton, mostly – and the presentation here is pretty cool, with a very different vibe than the big hits. There’s also a few solos by trumpeters Chuck Findley and Gary Barone – and titles include “Rocket Man”, “Bitch Is Back”, “Daniel”, “Take Me To The Pilot”, “Philadelphia Freedom”, and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” – plus the originals “Splashdown” and “Blastoff”, which bracket the album in a “rocket” theme. Mammy Blue is funky moogy material from Hugo Montenegro, recorded during the time when he was making the shift from crime jazz and vocal themes to more electronic stuff with a 70s groove! The record’s got some very nice Arp on it in parts, and even though the tracks are mostly pop ones, they’re given the usual Montenegro twist, and have a nice nutty edge. Titles include “Peace Train”, “Zingaro”, “Movin On”, “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”, “Superstar”, and “I Feel The Earth Move”.

Tracklist:
01. Blastoff
02. Rocket Man
03. The Bitch is Back
04. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
05. Philadelphia Freedom
06. Take Me to the Pilot
07. Your Song
08. Lowdown Hoedown
09. Daniel
10. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
11. Splashdown
12. All I Can Do
13. Uncle Albert & Admiral Halsey
14. Superstar
15. If I Were a Rich Man Fiddler on the Roof
16. Mammy Blue
17. I Feel the Earth Move
18. Peace Train
19. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
20. Zingaro
21. Yo Yo
22. Movin On