Island rhythms abound on Bad! Bossa Nova and the floating, flying, expansive tenor saxophone of Gene Ammons exploits them like "Air" Jordan soaring up and over an opposition defense. From the mellow strains of "Pagan Love Song" to the extended and extremely rhythmically-oriented "Ca'Purange" (a hit when first issued), Ammons takes us on a tour that stops in the Caribbean ("Yellow Bird"), an Italian film featuring Silvana Mangano ("Anna"), and the Brazilian jungle ("Moito Mato Grosso"). His powerful second solo on the last one is alone worth the price of admission.

Pagan Love Song, Ca'Purange (Jungle Soul), Anna, Cae'Cae', Moito Mato Grosso, Yellow Bird

with Kenny Burrell, Bucky Pizzarelli, Hank Jones, Norman Edge, Al Hayes, Oliver Jackson