Mauricio Smith – Old Shoes
Mauricio Smith – El Green Hornet
Mauricio Smith – Going Uptown
I’ve been on lockdown recently, obsessively focused on putting together a set for the upcoming Make It Funky Music & Arts Fest in Chinatown this Saturday, but I did want to share this swinging record from reedman Mauricio Smith. Smith cut his teeth with Joe Cuba and others, and for this album, which I believe was his debut as a leader, he hooked up with Joe Cain to produce a top notch blend of latin inspired go-go music. 
What’s always been a bit perplexing for me is the title, “Bitter Acid.” While this music certainly burns, there’s nothing bitter about it at all. The whole record is winner after winner after winner. Strangely the three tracks I chose follow one another (though not in this order) on side 2. “Old Shoes” is really the Nancy Sinatra classic “These Boots Were Made For Walking,” retaining only the opening signature bass line before busting out with a great and wild go-go beat. “El Green Hornet” is a straight ahead latin rocker, with stinging (pun intended) guitar work from Vinnie Bell. “Going Uptown” was actually the song that Cool Chris of Groove Merchant sold me on this record, with it’s fuzzy guitar and mid-tempo beat. When I first heard it I swore there was a hand-clap in there too, but subsequent listens have shown my ears to be wrong about that, but little else when it comes to this album.
Cheers,
Michael