Day XXXV

Mambo

     There were live bands at those clubs back then, and so many, many clubs too. It was an amazing time for Latin Jazz, a genre created in New York City by Boricuas. True they were Afro Cuban rhythms, but Latin Jazz was, and is a New York City thing. I get tired of Cubans getting all the damned credit. It was created in the City by Nooyorican musicians, hip Puerto Ricans, so we could dance and socialize. We were the major patrons of those clubs.  Ever heard of a New York mambo?

     Anyway, the clubs were all over the city. The Palladium, home of the mambo, was on Broadway, and 54th Street. Celebrities from Hollywood, and Broadway danced there, cats like Marlon Brando, George Hamilton, and many others. You can Wikie it, see Palladium Era. I guess my generation was spoiled because we were used to live bands. I never got used to the idea of DJs. There were usually two bands at the clubs, and sometimes three.

     It was so festive during the summers back then too. Clubs had gigs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. Some places even had a Wednesday gig too. The legal age in the City was 18, and man, it was a blast. There were even after hour joints where we could dance till the sun came up, and many of us did.

     Cats dressed up to club, man. We knew the difference between shark skin, and gabardine, tweeds, silk, and satin. I always had a few spendoodits, and when I went to a club, I was vined to the nines. Every once in a while some dude would be hawking tickets in school to a dance, and would say:

     “Puente’s gonna be da man, soooo ya na womens gon be da… all ova da place, man!”