The bongo may not have become a dominant instrument in rock and roll, but Preston Epps very nearly made it so. Epps, who recorded for the Original Sounds label, had a Top 20 hit in 1959 with "Bongo Rock", a driving instrumental that spotlighted his frantic hand percussion over drums, bass, and guitar. This overview of his recordings for Original Sound demonstrates his unique style.

Liner Note Author: Mark Marymont.

Besides Sandy Nelson's "Teen Beat," can you name another instrumental rock & roll hit from the '50s that features the drums as its lead instrument? The answer is Preston Epps' "Bongo Rock," which put Epps' frantic bongo-slapping in the Top 15 in 1959. The follow-up single, "Bongo Bongo Bongo," was a minor hit that set Epps' bongo artistry to a lazy boogie beat. Bongo Rock reissues Epps' Top 40 album Bongo Bongo Bongo in its entirety along with a few cuts from singles. Many of the tracks exude a mellow exotica vibe with flutes and, in one case, jungle sound effects, placing the emphasis on the "bongo" rather than the "rock." The disc is just a little over a half-hour in length, which leads one to wonder why Epps' 1963 album, Surfin' Bongos -- which was made for the same label as the rest of the material here -- wasn't included. ~ Greg Adams

Genre:

• Pop / Rock

Labels:

• Collectables Records

Music Categories:

• Oldies: Rock 'N' Roll

Product Groupings:

• Clearance CDs
• Collectables Records - Audio CDs