El Rego Et Ses Commandos - El Rego (2011)

Pioneer Benin funk and soul musician Theophile Do-Rego, known to most as “El Rego,” along with his crackerjack band the Commandos, blended hard American R&B, soul, and funk with rhumba trappings, Latin percussion, wah-wah guitar, a whole lot of amazingly wild accordion, thick basslines, and traditional tribal rhythms to form a raw and exciting musical template from the mid-'60s through the early '70s. This set from Daptone Records selects several of the sides el Rego et Ses Commandos recorded and released during those years, and assembled by Afro-soul collector and DJ Frank Gossner, it makes for a fun, joyous, and combustible playlist and functions as well as a solid introduction to this charismatic performer. Things dig right in with the opening track, "Feeling You Got," and keep roaring from there. A delight. -- Steve Leggett ~