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Great work by one of the grooviest groups on the LA 60s scene! The Afro Blues Quintet have a blend of soul jazz and Latin styles that's similar to the best 60s work by Cal Tjader, or to records by small combos like the Quartette Tres Bien or The Latin Jazz Quintet. Lots of grooves have a nice... read more

A cool collection of very unusual grooves from Argentine composer/guitarist Rodolfo Alchourron -- part of a generation of groundbreaking musicians in his homeland that also included Lalo Schifrin and Gato Barbieri -- yet unlike those artists, a talent that never achieved greater global fame! The... read more

A cool collection of very unusual grooves from Argentine composer/guitarist Rodolfo Alchourron -- part of a generation of groundbreaking musicians in his homeland that also included Lalo Schifrin and Gato Barbieri -- yet unlike those artists, a talent that never achieved greater global fame! The... read more

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An excellent album by Latin Soul arranger Harvey Averne! This set is miles ahead of Harvey's work from the 60s -- a heavy set of 70s grooves that has a lot of Chicano rock influences, and which mixes together percussion, electric guitar, soulful vocals, and plenty of other tasty instrumental... read more

A wicked album of Latin Soul tunes -- recorded by Harvey Averne, one of the heaviest hitting producers of the New York scene of the late 60s! The album's one of the few that Harvey issued under his own name, and it features him on piano and vibes, working with arrangements by Marty Sheller, and a... read more

Excellent bit of west coast Latin fusion -- featuring an all star band that includes such massive talents as Pete Escovedo, George Muribus, Paul Jackson, Lenny White, Coke Escovedo, and Victor Pantoja. The groove is nice and smooth, with a Bay Area early 70s sound on the production tip -- and in a... read more

Really lovely work from Susana Baca -- more of an EP than a full-length set, but a record that has more than enough depth in each tune to make up for its brevity! Baca's vocals are wonderful -- even more filled with feeling than the last time we'd heard from her -- and the instrumentation is... read more

Amazing work from Gato Barbieri's legendary exploration of Latin American sounds for Impulse Records -- a set that's heavy on Cuban influences, thanks to arrangements from the mighty Chico O'Farrill! The sound is sublime -- a bit fuller than some of Gato's other albums in the run, but never with... read more

A great Ray Barretto album from 1972 -- one that beautifully showcases the master percussionist as he effortlessly shifts between Latin soul and 70's salsa styles! The group's nice and lean -- with Adalberto Santiago on vocals, Papy Roman on trumpet, Louis Cruz on piano, and the great Andy... read more

A stormer from the days when the New York scene was bursting all over, and Ray Barretto had a big contract with Atlantic. Ray dropped his first name for the albums, and emerged as the sexy "Barretto", at the helm of a tight Latin club sound that was part disco part salsa, and very nicely... read more

Two of Ray Barretto's earliest albums, both recorded for the Riverside label at the start of his career! Latino has an approach to Latin jazz that's certainly informed by the charanga sound of the New York scene in the early 60s -- but one that's also opened up a bit more to new ideas -- bits of... read more

A really smoking set from Ray Barretto -- recorded at a later date than his Latin Soul classics, but a beautifully imaginative batch of tracks that shows that Ray never stopped perfecting his art! The centerpiece of the album is the long track "Canto Abacuba", which has an incredibly... read more

Killer stuff all around! This album's a monster -- one of Ray's greatest, with the same sort of Latin Soul groove heard famously on his classic Acid LP. The record has Ray cutting across many genres -- blending Latin, soul, jazz, and a slight bit of funk -- all into a set of grooves that never... read more

Killer material from the mid 60s -- recorded for United Artists after Ray's initial watusi work for Tico -- and in a similar style that has mixes together Ray's Charanga Moderna sound with some more boogaloo and Latin Soul numbers! The record's a key bridge between these two chapters of Ray's... read more

Wonderful early work from Ray Barretto -- proof that he was one heck of a hip cat, even at the start! The album's got an approach to Latin jazz that's certainly informed by the charanga sound of the New York scene in the early 60s -- but one that's also opened up a bit more to new ideas -- bits of... read more

An early 70s killer from Ray -- recorded right in the same era as most of his best albums! The feel here is strongly in the salsa mode -- as Ray steps effortlessly from the Latin Soul era into a whole new decade of musical magic. And like the best of his 60s work, Ray's salsa cooks at a level... read more

Joe Bataan is alive and well -- and to our ears, the king of Latin Soul is sounding better than he has in decades! This tasty little set really takes us back to Joe's classic work for Fania -- but it's also got a slightly different twist -- one that shows a new younger appreciation of the funk... read more

Stunning soul from the great Joe Bataan -- a really groundbreaking mix of modes that's right up there with the best of the Spanish Harlem scene of the late 60s! The album is Joe Bataan's debut for the Fania Records label -- and the start of an incendiary run of Latin classics that forever changed... read more

A landmark album from Joe Bataan -- so great, that it made the entire record company change its name! The record has Joe really bursting out after his seminal Latin Soul work of the late 60s -- blending Latin rhythms and American soul into a whole new style of music -- one that Joe called "Sal... read more

One of our favorite Latin soul albums ever -- a rollicking mix of upbeat party tracks, gentle ballads, and more -- all handled with the undeniable magic that is Joe Bataan at his best! The album kicks off with the fantastic groover "Subway Joe" -- a hilarious tune about Joe trying to... read more

Recent genius from the true king of Latin Soul -- the mighty Joe Bataan, sounding every bit as great now as he did back in the day! Bataan gets some very hip backing from Los Fulanos -- a Barcelona-based combo who help recreate the tight sound of Joe's early grooves from the late 60s, with just a... read more

2 tremendous 70s albums from Eddie Benitez -- both of them a great mix of jazz, funk, and Latin soul! Eddie's style here is totally great, and very unique -- a laidback approach to the groove that has echoes of the Chicano soul coming out of LA in the early 70s -- but which is often a lot more... read more

Boogaloo -- and nothing but! This is the kind of groovy Latin soul record you always hope to find when digging for Latin sides -- and it's got that perfect mix of soul vocals and sock-boogaloo grooves that some of the best young combos were turning out in the late 60s. Bennito and crew have a... read more

The second great album from Black Sugar, and every bit as great as the first -- perhaps even more so from a keyboard perspective, given the sweet organ and moog that filter through the set! The record's got the group sounding even tighter than before -- mixing Latin rhythms with some great... read more

A brilliant set of jazzy Latin fusion -- one of Willie Bobo's best of the 70s, and a seminal crossover LP! The album takes the heavy Latin soul of Willie's earlier work, and gives it a sweet 70s twist -- adding in larger arrangements, impeccable production, and plenty of space to let the jazzy... read more

An obscure album by Willie Bobo -- and a great one too! The session predates Willie's more famous work on Verve, and it catches the percussionist as he's coming off of some very successful years in the Cal Tjader band -- a place where he really picked up a flair for jazzy and lyrical grooves. ... read more

Havin trouble doin the Willie Bobo? Here's the best way to get started -- an hour-long set of classic tracks from Willie's years at Verve, home to some of his finest recordings! Most of these gems were cut in the mid to late 60s -- and they offer a unique blend of jazz, soul, and Latin rhythms --... read more

Incredible work by Willie Bobo -- a slamming record of hard funky instrumentals, one that sounds different than any of his other albums! The record's a killer all the way through -- a mixture of Latin and deep 70s funk, one of the few perfect fusions of the styles, held up beautifully all the way... read more

Incredible work by Willie Bobo -- a slamming record of hard funky instrumentals, one that sounds different than any of his other albums! The record's a killer all the way through -- a mixture of Latin and deep 70s funk, one of the few perfect fusions of the styles, held up beautifully all the way... read more

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A smokin bit of salsa from 70s Brooklyn -- one of a rare few albums cut by The Brooklyn Sounds, a totally great group with a really firey spirit! The set grooves hard from the first moment -- with tight horn blasts over fast rhythm, and soulful vocals that really capture the spirit of the time. ... read more

Heavy Latin funk from Brownout -- a group who've really carved out their own unique space in the deep funk underground -- a rich blend of Latin rhythms, funky instrumentation, and razor-sharp production -- never slick, but totally tight all the way through! One of the group's key members is Adrian... read more

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An insanely wonderful bit of Latin funk! The groove is super heavy, and falls somewhere in between NuYorican soul and Chicano Power rock -- with a sound that's pretty close to Black Sugar, but a little bit more psychedelic, due to the heavy guitars and keyboards in the grooves. Hard congas take... read more

An insanely wonderful bit of Latin funk! The groove is super heavy, and falls somewhere in between NuYorican soul and Chicano Power rock -- with a sound that's pretty close to Black Sugar, but a little bit more psychedelic, due to the heavy guitars and keyboards in the grooves. Hard congas take... read more

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A great return to form for the legendary Cachao -- and a session that seeks to recapture the Cuban Jam Session energy of his recordings from a few decades before! Production is by Andy Garcia, and is somewhat more sentimental than in the old days -- although certainly still free from any sort of... read more

A great return to form for the legendary Cachao -- and a session that seeks to recapture the Cuban Jam Session energy of his recordings from a few decades before! Production is by Andy Garcia, and is somewhat more sentimental than in the old days -- although certainly still free from any sort of... read more

Israel Cachao Lopez may have left us in recent years, but the spirit of his music lives on beautifully -- thanks to the work of his Mambo All Stars group! The combo's directed by Germain Piferrer, who also handles the arrangements -- and most of the music here echoes with the older Cuban sounds... read more

One of the few albums ever issued as a leader by the great Joe Cain -- a wonderful Latin arranger with a really mad ear for a groove! Cain's approach is often quite choppy in the rhythms -- short, hard, and very very sharp -- then topped with sweeter, jazzier lines -- played on this set by Clark... read more

One of the few albums ever issued as a leader by the great Joe Cain -- a wonderful Latin arranger with a really mad ear for a groove! Cain's approach is often quite choppy in the rhythms -- short, hard, and very very sharp -- then topped with sweeter, jazzier lines -- played on this set by Clark... read more

A nice little album -- despite what might be a gimmicky concept! The set offers up Latin versions of Jewish tunes -- but even that's not much of a gimmick, when you consider how important the Jewish audiences were to the growth of Latin music in the New York in the 50s and 60s. From DJs like... read more

One of the jazziest Candido albums ever -- a tight little 50s set that features the master congolero working with a small combo that includes Al Cohn on tenor, Dick Katz on piano, and Joe Puma on guitar! The sound is nice and stripped-down -- bristling with a percussive approach to the grooves... read more

An excellent early session from Candido -- and one of his first to move from straighter Latin into a much groovier vein! The session's done in collaboration with Lalo Schifrin -- who was also working for Roulette at the time -- and it's got a style that links Candido's older 50s-styled Latin conga... read more

Stunning stuff -- and one of the best-ever Latin soul albums of all time! Despite the fact that Eddie Cano's earlier albums are more in a Latin easy mode, this late 60's side for Dunhill is totally smoking -- and probably his greatest album ever! Forgive the superlatives, but we're totally... read more

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A mad mix of Latin and funky rhythms -- a 70s classic from the Belgian group Chakachas! The album's best known for its title hit "Jungle Fever" -- an insane cut that features heavy drums, choppy guitar, and a stop/start action that's peppered with sounds of female pleasure! The track... read more

A mad mix of Latin and funky rhythms -- a 70s classic from the Belgian group Chakachas! The album's best known for its title hit "Jungle Fever" -- an insane cut that features heavy drums, choppy guitar, and a stop/start action that's peppered with sounds of female pleasure! The track... read more

Chaparro's The Godfather on the cover of this cool early 70s set -- adding in a heavy cover image to back up the record's tight salsa groove! Chaparro was never as much of a bad boy or gangster as Willie Colon, but his group here romps along in similar territory -- with Chaparro's trumpet in the... read more

Heavy trumpet lines from Chaparro -- an overlooked player from the early days of the salsa scene, and a great one too! The album's got just as much fire as you'd find on an early 70s cooker from Fania -- a driving groove on nearly every track, topped with shimmering trumpet from Chaparro, ahnd... read more

Heavy salsa with a touch of jazz -- thanks to a lineup that matches the trumpet of Chaparro with that of Doc Cheatam and Jose Riollano! The three-horn frontline is nice and bright -- over tight rhythms on timbales, bongos, and congas -- not to mention piano from Eddie Lebron and some well-rounded... read more

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Funky Latin breaks and very groovy grooves -- the kind of record that you hear for only a second, and say "oh yeah, this is the stuff!" Coke were an obscure Florida combo who mixed together Latin, funk, and soul -- served up in a crossover style that's halfway between the sound of the... read more

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Supposedly the end of Willie Colon's early "crime" career -- as the title and cover imply that he's finally been brought to trial! Don't worry about Willie being beaten down, though, because the music on the album is every bit as fierce and powerful as ever -- and features a number of... read more

Great stuff -- and a very sharp album cut by Willie during the Latin soul era, featuring a bunch of tracks that veer more towards the boogaloo side of things than his later albums! The groove is nice and hard -- stripped down with the youthful energy that Willie brought to the scene at the time --... read more

An amazing little record from Willie Colon -- one that has him stepping forth into the limelight as both singer and leader -- after years of working with better-known vocalists like Hector LaVoe and Ruben Blades! But even more than the vocals the thing we really love here are the arrangements --... read more

A classic 70s salsa jammer from Willie Colon -- working here with his best vocalist ever, Ruben Blades, back before he'd crossed over to super-huge success! The album really marked a departure for Willie -- moving past the bad boy style of earlier records, that kind of "tough guy in the... read more

One of the last classic efforts from the team of Willie Colon and Ruben Blades -- a subtle but effective set of tracks that showcases both Blades' increasingly political concerns and the growing pan-Latin sound of Colon! The core approach is still mostly salsa, but you can hear plenty of other... read more

Rootsy rhythms from contemporary Cuba -- a beautiful package of work presented on this new Soul Jazz sub-label! Although recorded recently, the record has a really timeless feel -- no surprise, given the long history of the percussion group -- which stretches back over a century, and incorporates... read more

There's a slightly rootsy groove to this 70s set from Conjunto Candela -- a cool mix of salsa-styled trumpet lines with tres from Tony Velez -- a mode that's similar to some of the groups working on the Vaya and International labels at the time! Vocals are by Louie Rodriguez and Charlie Romero --... read more

Lush Cuban material, recorded by the Conjunto Casino in the years before Castro's regime, when RCA could still get its hands on material like this, and package it for release in the US. The tracks have a fairly traditional approach -- with a mix of romantic numbers and mambos -- and titles include... read more

Heavy funk from the Peruvian scene -- the massive first album from Cosa Nostra, and a burning blend of soul, Latin, and psychedelic influences! Cosa Nostra clearly come from the rock end of the spectrum, but have picked up plenty of funky grooves along the way -- and hit a genre-blending style... read more

Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco join forces with vocalist Justo Betancourt and pianist Papo Lucca -- the latter of whom was making plenty big waves in music with Sonora Poncena at the time! Pacheco's the leader of the group on flute and percussion, but Lucca's piano has plenty of force in the set... read more

Romantic Latin from the Cuarteto Mayari and trumpeter Placido Acevedo -- a set of well-recorded material from the group, possibly from the later years of their reformation! Acevedo's trumpet blows a warmly muted tone over the top of the tunes -- and most numbers have vocals by a male singer, who... read more

The Soul of Spanish Harlem -- and the upbeat sound of the Joe Cuba Sextet -- a hard-to-find album recorded just before the dawn of the classic Latin soul era! This one has been underappreciated for years, which is a shame, because it's got a lot of very nice grooves with that tight Joe Cuba Sextet... read more

Seminal early work from the legendary Joe Cuba -- highly percussive Latin tracks, served up in a small combo mode that really helped pave the way for the Latin Soul generation! Joe's shaking off most of Latin tradition here -- going for a tightly focused sound that features plenty of timbales and... read more

The group were certainly doing something right -- as this album has Joe Cuba's sextet at the top of their game, easily showing why they were one of the best groups on the New York scene of the 60s! The album's a pivotal one in the development of Latin Soul -- as it sports the incredible track... read more

Not to be confused with Cugat's Favorite Rhumbas, his best-selling album on Columbia -- this set's a batch of mambo and rhumba tunes of similar vintage, recorded for Mercury, and featuring Cugie at his big band Latin best! Titles include "A Gay Ranchero", "Miami Beach Rhumba",... read more

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Great jazzy work from keyboardist Jorge Dalto -- a set that's got a warmer, more acoustic feel than some of his other fusion-based material from the time! Jorge still plays both electric and acoustic keyboards for the date -- but the overall format is a lot more stripped down, and strongly rooted... read more

Great jazzy work from keyboardist Jorge Dalto -- a set that's got a warmer, more acoustic feel than some of his other fusion-based material from the time! Jorge still plays both electric and acoustic keyboards for the date -- but the overall format is a lot more stripped down, and strongly rooted... read more

An obscure but excellent session -- recorded at the end of the 70s with some of the best players in the New York salsa underground! The music is extremely vibrant -- and the styles of the tracks range from hard Afro-Cuban percussion grooving to tight Latin jazz in a classic mode -- with... read more

An excellent album of 70s work by this legendary musician from Tipica 73! The record is the debut of Alfredo De La Fe -- a great percussionist and string player with a keen ear for a salsa groove that's steeped in tradition, yet has a forward thinking approach to rhythm. Alfredo's style is a... read more

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One of the weirdest, coolest Latin Soul albums we've ever heard -- the only offering ever from the duo of Dianne & Carole -- two female singers who come off with a great deal of enthusiasm on the set! That's our way of saying that the ladies are a bit rough on the vocals -- but that's also... read more

Jose Echaniz performs three compositions for piano that were written by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona. The three pieces are "Andalucia (Suite Espagnole)", "Danzas Afro-Cubanas" and "Danzas Cubanos". Each piece is divided into six parts and the dance pieces are... read more

Sweet LA Latin soul from the great El Chicano! The album's still very much in the classic mode of their early years -- with smoking organ and firey guitar chopped up by heavy timbales and percussion -- and the band grooves hard in a stone Chicano groove that's great on just about every cut! ... read more

Great early work from El Gran Combo -- already grooving with a really unique sort of sound, one that comes from mixing saxes with trumpets -- in a style that's a bit different than other small combos of the time! Piano is handled by Rafael Ithier, who also directs the group -- and vocals are by... read more

One of our favorite albums ever from El Gran Combo -- largely because it's a smoking Latin Soul set! The group were known for a more traditional groove on other records, but here they nicely jump on the younger bandwagon of the time -- and step out with a crackling batch of boogaloo numbers that... read more

A horse's head that would make Don Corleone proud -- and a batch of grooves that has as much kick as you might find in the back end of the animal too! The album's an early groover from El Gran Combo -- recorded with a nice raw edge on most numbers, and an upbeat groove that shows the group as... read more

Smoking 70s material from El Gran Combo -- exactly the kind of set that shows why they received so much well-deserved attention at the time! There's a simple, understated quality to the record -- one that has the group working in a rock-solid blend of saxes and trumpets, plus a bit of trombone --... read more

Plenty of action from El Gran Combo -- a cooker that has their tight group formation at the top of its 70s powers! Rafael Ithier's piano really sets the tone for most tunes -- straightforward and grooving, but often with some hints of darkness -- odd little tones that turn compelling musical... read more

Plenty of swing on this early cooker from El Gran Combo -- a great little record that has all the lively energy you might find on mid 60s work by Ray Barretto or the Joe Cuba Sextet! The tracks are all nice and short -- really packed with a lot of rhythmic energy at the bottom, and topped with a... read more

The cover's alone is almost enough to make us fall in love with this one -- but the grooves on the inside are even better -- and are more than enough of an apology for the very silly image on the front! El Gran Combo are at the height of their early power here -- really romping in a pre-boogaloo... read more

An excellent bit of funky acoustic Latin from South America -- with a sound that's quite unique! At some level, these guys sound like acoustic guitar-driven US Latin soul acts -- like Jose Feliciano or Alzo & Udine -- but at another level, there's a lot more complicated instrumentation going... read more

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Some of the finest Peruvian grooves of the 60s and 70s -- served up by three different groups headed by reedman Nilo Espinosa, plus a few other combos as well! Nilo's got a way with a groove that's totally unique -- a bit soul jazz a times, influenced by bossa at others, and sometimes even moving... read more

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A fresh new groove from The Fania All Stars -- one that definitely has them picking up some of the Spanish elements mentioned in the title -- the fusing them into the tight mix of Latin, club, and jazz they were doing at Columbia Records in the late 70s! These new elements are often light -- a bit... read more

A surprisingly hard to find (and surprisingly great!) album by Jose Feliciano. Packaged in a beautiful gatefold cover, and with stellar LA production that gives Jose's voice and guitar a beautiful platform to speak from. The LP includes an excellent remake of Stevie Wonder's "Golden... read more

Early 70s psychedelia from Sevile's Flamenco -- a group that's by no means a traditional flamenco music group by any stretch of the imagination -- actually a hard grooving 5 piece that mixed psyche, folk and Latin rock impressively! Fuzzed out guitars, heavy organ grooves and bass, boisterous... read more

The one and only album we've ever seen from this ultra-hip Latin Soul combo -- an outfit that has a sweet swinging sound, soulful lead vocals, and some nicely tripped-out guitar! The style here is a bit different than some of the other New York groups of the time -- as these guys bring the focus... read more

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Vamping guitar grooves, soulful lead and group vocals, and Latin funky rhythms from the legendary NYC Ghetto Brothers! "Ghetto Brothers Anthem" is their hard grooving mission statement, a heavy groove that starts with some wah wah guitar leading to the pummeling drums and rhythms --... read more

One of the most unique Latin groups of their time -- as you might guess from the group's name and their look on the cover! In a world where most Latin combos were going for class and poise, the Ghetto Brothers moved in another direction entirely -- working here with a fair bit of electric guitar... read more

A stone cooker from Rene Grand -- much heavier and harder-hitting than some of his other records from the time -- and a set that's done with plenty of jazzy touches! The group's a small combo, and they pack a tight punch that recalls similar work by labelmate Joe Cuba during the time -- a stripped-... read more

A landmark set of highly percussive tracks! Back in the mid-70's, when Salsoul was still recording Latin music and not disco, they put out this great double album of traditional Latin percussion playing by the new revivalist Grupo Folklorico, which featured Virgilo Marti and other great New York... read more