DJ Rata and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at the Mambo Jambo.

Our pal DJ Rata hosts a groovy night at Otto’s Shrunken Head called Mambo Jambo. It usually takes place on the third Saturday of the month (and sometimes it takes place at the Robert Bar!). At the Mambo Jambo, one may expect to hear plenty of mambo records, that’s for sure… but also Jambo! What does that mean? It means basically that Rata and his guest DJs play all sorts of reet music on these nights—especially jumpin’ blues, Fifties R&B, ska, rocksteady, surf, boogaloo, calypso and rock’n’roll. Otto’s Shrunken Head is the perfect place for such an affair—this kind of music sits well with the punk rock tiki motif of the venue and the clientele bop along with it all night.

For Saturday March 18, Rata invited Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to come swing with him. This is a gig The Boog looks forward to. He has a box marked, “mambo,” where he places records that he feels may be appropriate for the Mambo Jambo. Some of them are new acquisitions; others are those that he comes across in his collection that he thinks will be appropriate for the night. Most of these records are cha-chas, latin soul, boogaloos, skas, or somehow mambo-influenced—records that have that certain Spanish tinge. So, when it comes time for an appearance at the Mambo Jambo, The Boog grabs a handful or two of the records in the Mambo Box, then adds some assorted favorite records and/or recent finds into his play box.

DJ Rata spins a boss mambo record at the Mambo Jambo!

During the afternoon of March 18, it came to the attention of The Phast Man that one of the architects of rock’n’roll had died: Chuck Berry. A truly sad turn of events, sure, but it meant that Chuck Berry’s records must be played at the Mambo Jambo that evening! And so they were. The Boog played seven and Rata played at least five, if not six or seven. (At the end of the night, Rata put on a side of The Great Twenty-Eight and let it rip!)

Don’t let us forget that another musical giant passed away during the week—James Cotton, the great blues harmonica player. So a track by him was played in tribute.

Since this was ostensibly a mambo night of sorts, Phast also played four versions of “Caravan”—one to lead off each of his sets (the first set starting after a three song salute to Chuck Berry). Of course, “Caravan” isn’t really a mambo, however it is often played with a seriously syncopated rhythm that brings to mind Caribbean cultures. For the final hour, Rata and Phast traded spins, playing reggae, cumbia and other jams with exotic rhythms. The vibe of the evening was enhanced further by the presence of two spectacular DJs who showed up to groove: Tony Salvaje and DJ Xerox.

Here is a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Mambo Jambo:

• Chuck Berry–Havana Moon (Chess)
• Chuck Berry–I Got to Find My Baby (Chess)
• Chuck Berry–Oh Baby Doll (Chess)
• Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra–Caravan (Decca)
• Unit Four Plus Two–Concrete and Clay (London)
• Carmen Rivero y Su Conjunto–Pata Pata (Discos Columbia)
• Chicken y sus Comandos–Guacamole con Chile (Discos Columbia)
• The Gladiolas–Run Run Little Joe (Excello)
• The James Cotton Blues Band—Don’t Start Me Talkin’ (Verve/Forecast)
• Ted Heath and His Music–Tequila (Decca; UK)
• Buddy Morrow and His Orchestra–One-Two-Three Kick – Part 1 (The Original Conga) (RCA Victor)
• Boston Pops Orchestra; Arthur Fiedler conductor–Batman Theme (RCA Victor)
• Ralph Marterie–Caravan Twist (United Artists)
• Sly Stewart–Scat Swim (Autumn)
• Earl Bostic and His Orchestra–Mambolino (King)
• Hermanos Armas Y su Conjunto – Canta: Fernando Armas–El Barquillero (Triunfo; Peru)
• Hugh Masekela & the Union of South Africa–Dyambo (Weary Day Is Over) (Chisa)
• Jodarettes—What’s in De Box (Jocida)
• Skatalites–Latin Goes Ska (Treasure Isle)
• Lloyd Price–The Truth (JAD)
• Dick Moorehead & the Paramounts–Spanish Batman (Cloud)
• Bobby Bland–Blue Moon (Duke)
• Eddie Cano & His Quintet–El Pito (I’ll Never Go Back to Georgia) (Dunhill)
• Los Rockin Devil’s–Mi Carcachita (Honky Tonk Women) (Orfeon; Mexico)
• Los Johnny Jets–Un Poquito de Alma (Little Bit o’ Soul) (CBS; Costa Rica)
• Kela Gates–Te Alcanzare (Reach Out) (Virrey; Peru)
• George Jenkins and His Orchestra; featuring ‘Plas’ Johnson on tenor sax–Caravan (Tampa)
• Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez–Summertime (Cha-Cha-Cha) (Roulette)
• John Lee Hooker–Mambo Chillun (Vee-Jay)
• Chuck Berry–Hey Pedro (Chess)
• Chuck Berry–Promised Land (Chess)
• Chuck Berry–Let It Rock (Chess)
• Jeff Gordon and the Summits–Freeway (Decca)
• Frankie Stein & His Ghouls–Goon River (Power)
• Los Salvajes–Es La Edad (Regal; Spain)
• The Buffalo Springfield–Un-Mundo (Atco)
• Flash and the Dynamics–Chango (Roulette; France)
• Grupo Santa Cecilia–Africa Bump (Orfeon)
• Henry Stephen–Nuesto Grupo (RCA Victor; Spain)
• Joe Bataan—Johnny’s No Good (Fania)
• Grupo Guerra-78–Soul Makossa (Discoland; Venezuela)
• Mike Laure y sus Cometas–Tabaco Mascao (Musart; Mexico)
• Los Hispanos–Macondo (Fuentes; Colombia)
• Professor Longhair–Big Chief – Part 2 (Watch)
• The Epics–Caravan (His Master’s Voice; Australia)
• Chuck Berry–Go Bobby Soxer (Chess)
• The Addrisi Brothers–Un Jarro (Del-Fi)
• Preston Epps–Bongo Rocket (Original Sound)
• The El Torros–Dance With Me (Duke)
• Cuco Valtierra–Hay Que Bailar Rock and Roll (Musart; Colombia)
• Ganim’s Asia Minors–Daddy Lolo (Oriental Rock and Roll) (East West)
• The Ikettes (Robbie – Vanetta & Jessie)–Sally Go Round the Roses (Modern)
• Dion Di Mucci–Unloved Unwanted Me (Columbia)
• Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five–Run Joe (Decca)
• Four Happy Fellas—It’s Illegal It’s Immoral (Or It Makes You Fat) (Tabb)
• The Alcons–Mambo Jambo (Coral)
• Red West Combo–Bossa Nova Momza (Santo)
• Harry James and His Orchestra–Blue Baiao (M-G-M)
• Mighty Sparrow–Calypso Boogaloo (RA; West Indies)
• The American Rock Revival–Stompin’ It (Bell)
• Young William and the Jamaicans–Limbo Drum Part I (Dimension)
• The Driftwoods–The Antillean Mango (Laurie)
• Music Specialists–Dynamic Pressure (Steady)
• Los Destellos–Bailando Con Mi Nena (Odeon; Peru)
• Los Dinamicos–La Dinamica (Impacto)
• Carlos Malcolm–The Royal Ska (Amy)
• Ernie Smith–Bend Down (FRM; Jamaica)
• The Meditations–Life Is Not Easy (Scandal)
• Milt Sealey–Jelly Bean (Philips)
• The Valrays–Yo Me Pregunto (Parkway)
• The Lifeguards–Everybody Out’ta the Pool (ABC-Paramount)

None of these records are for sale. Some of the songs listed above have links to the youtubes—click on them and one may recreate the Mambo Jambo experience in the privacy of your own home. All photos by Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner.