- Format: CD
- Label: Fantasy
- Genre: Jazz
A musician of many gifts, the undervalued Victor Feldman was a first-rank pianist and vibist, a first-call studio player in Los Angeles (often as a percussionist), and a first-rate arranger and composer. The British-born Feldman (1934-1987) also had a pronounced affinity for various Latin jazz-dance styles, as witness this long-deleted gem. Recorded at a time when fellow vibist Cal Tjader's Afro-Cuban grooves had begun to catch fire, Feldman here leads three ensembles, two quintets plus a ten-piece unit boasting Tjader's stellar percussion section of Willie Bobo, Armando Peraza, and Mongo Santamaria. Essaying a thoroughly danceable program of Latin-flavored standards, mostly from Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood, Feldman, whose bubbling vibraharp is at the forefront, also has some of the West Coast's strongest soloists at his disposal. Of special interest are four previously unissued cuts, wherein Feldman is also heard on piano and the brilliant bassist Scott LaFaro solos twice.
Track listing:South of the Border, She's a Latin from Manhattan, Flying Down to Rio, Cuban Pete, The Gypsy, Poinciana, Lady of Spain, Spain, Cuban Love Song, In a Little Spanish Town, Fiesta, Woody'n You, plus CD bonus tracks Poinciana, Pancho, The Breeze and I, Bullues Bullose, Lady of Spain
