Mondo Cane, No. 2 complements its best-selling predecessor by shifting from surf to soil. The Ondioline takes center stage driving the melody, while Les Spann replaces Kenny Burrell on guitar. (Enough Ondioline and Kenny Burrell starts to be missed.) As fine as anything else by Winding or Ogerman in the mod idiom, Winding's original "Simian Theme" is worth the price of admission alone. Ogerman's "Python" weirdly sets a serpentine buzz and blues guitar against horns churning away in the background. Some tunes such as "Theme From Nowhere" combine an overt rock beat with a spacey electronic chorus of sorts. Les Baxter's "Blue Star" is a nice inclusion, particularly since, as the liners claim, Creed Taylor's formula was to push the melody, melody, melody. The eerie space theme, very appropriate for Ondioline, would have made an excellent alternate choice for this album. Is the sequel better than the original? Yes, if you prefer originality in composition and arrangement as well as plenty of Ondioline. No, if you want surf, standards, and Kenny Burrell.
(by Tony Wilds, http://www.allmusic.com/)Tracks:01. Mondo Cane #2
02. Simian Theme
03. Till
04. Python
05. The Mouldau
06. Now and Forever
07. Portrait of My Love
08. Warm
09. The Gospel Truth
10. Theme from Nowhere
11. Blue Star
12. The Struggle
Musician/personnel:Kai Winding (tb, arr)
Jean Jacques Perrey (ondioline)
Les Spann (g)
Claus Ogerman/Billy Byers (arr)
Artwork IncludedLINK
