Latin — In Stock — LPs  

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

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Excellent compilation of some of the best tracks recorded by the Alegre All Stars. One of the greatest recording projects in Latin music, the Alegre All Stars was a loose collective of great talents like Charlie Palmieri, Bobby Rodriguez, Chombo, Jo Quijano, Kako, Johnny Pacheco, and lots of... read more

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Amazing work from a legendary Peruvian guitarist – an electric player who works here with a really wonderful sense of groove – and often an echoey tone that's completely sublime! Most numbers have this bouncy, tropical sort of vibe – but the guitar really gives them all an edge,... read more

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 monster! If you buy one Latin record this year – make it this one – because it's one of the greatest ever recorded! Ray's late 60s Acid album is a landmark recording – a sublime mixture of Latin jazz, percussion, and soul – grooving hard in a variety of styles, and... 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... read more

A great little album from Ray – even if it is a bit different than some of his other work from earlier years. The feel is kind of 70s R&B, with a jazzy touch, and if you're not looking for straight Latin stuff, this is actually a pretty great album – as Ray gets the group to work... 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... read more

A nice jammer from the "second wind" period of CTI – and a strong return to Latin jazz for Ray! The set's a great mixture of smooth CTI electric funk and Latin-oriented grooves – and it features work by Ray on congas and percussion, plus a list of players that includes Tito... 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... read more

One of Ray Barretto's hardest-hitting salsa albums of the 70s – a raw set of grooves that's got Ray moving away from the playfulness of the Latin Soul years, into a more righteous mode that's easily guessed at from the title of the set! The vibe here is very straightforward – with Ray... 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... 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... 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... read more

Amazing work from the Spanish Harlem underground of the late 60s! From the title, to the cover, to the beautiful blend of songs, this album perfectly sums up the rich energy and raw power bubbling in the NuYorican scene of the time – effortlessly blending together soul, Latin, jazz, and funk... read more

A real killer from the legendary Joe Bataan – an album of righteous power that really lives up to the dynamic promise of the title and cover! Joe Bataan's in top form throughout – serving up a blend of Latin grooves and 60s soul influences that few other artists of the time could touch... read more

A real turning point for Joe Bataan – and the beginning of his funky Latin sound of the 70s! The album was one of the first in Joe's "Salsoul" style – a sweet blend of Latin rhythms, late 60s Latin soul influences, and some of the hipper styles bubbling through the NuYorican... 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... 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... 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... read more

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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... read more

A classic vocal set from Justo Betancourt – sung to arrangements by Bobby Valentin and Javier Vazquez, both of whom really set him up with some nice little tracks! The album is Justo's first solo album for Fania away from the group La Sonora Matancera, and it's mostly traditionally styled... read more

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An excellent set from Willie – recorded in the years before he moved to Verve, with a very different sound! The Willie Bobo here is less of the pop instrumentalist on some of his later sides – and is more of a hard-hitting Latin leader with a heck of a lot of soul. There's an early... read more

A rare rare jam from Willie Bobo – a lively little set with a really mod groove! This pre-Verve album has Willie working in a variety of styles – from straight Latin jazz to a mode that's got some groovier 60s touches – emphasized by a bit of electric guitar on a few numbers, and... 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... 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... 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... read more

Candido cut sooo many great Latin records over the years, spanning a wide range of styles, we have a hard time deciding which we love the best. We like to think this may be his best album from the early part of his career, specifically because it features the master conga player amidst a tight... 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-styl... read more

One of Candido's funkiest albums! The record's got a similar sound to Candido's great albums for Blue Note and Solid State – with short, hard funky tunes that have a really great 70s edge! Chico O'Farrill did the arrangements, and the record chops along nicely with some very funky tracks... read more

Stone lost Latin funk! This is Candido's rarest – and it's a killer batch of conga-heavy grooves, recorded in the late 60s for Solid State, and featuring a very groovy set of mod Latin arrangements by Joe Cain. The band features organ, guitar, bass, horns, and some upfront conga solos from... 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... 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! ... read more

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... read more

A little bit Latin, a little bit jazz, a little bit loungey – and a lotta bit groovy! LA flute jazzer Buddy Collette leads the session, and it's got a nice groove that mixes the piano of Eddie Cano with guitar by Tommy Tedesco and a blend of jazz drumming and Latin percussion. The record... read more

One of the best boogaloo sessions of the late 60s – and an early expression of genius from Johnny Colon! The album's got an electric bass sitting right at the middle – plucking with strong and soulful lines that set the pace for the record from the very first note. Johnny's hip young... read more

A landmark record that should be in any Latin collection! At the time of this album, Johnny Colon was a young trombonist just getting his start – working in the turbulent late 60s Spanish Harlem scene, and picking up on the wide range of styles going down in the hood. At one level, he was a... read more

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A monster album of 70s salsa – and one that has bad boy Willie Colon taking the Latin world by storm – forging the new sound that would push him and the New York scene into the frontline of 70s Latin! Willie's got a strength on the set that's very much in keeping with his machine gun... 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... read more

A roots-oriented 70s classic from Willie Colon – one of his standout albums of the decade! Willie continues his "life of crime" approach for the early 70s – moving into an old west look on the cover, and matching that with a slightly rootsier sound on the album! The real... read more

Brilliant early work from a young Willie Colon – a true hustler if there ever was one! The album has an amazing energy that really bridges a number of Latin scenes – it's part descarga jamming, part Latin soul, and part traditional Latin – put together with a no-nonsense approach... read more

A solid 70s session from Willie Colon – a combination of a few tracks from previous efforts, mixed with other new ones, all featuring lead vocals by the wonderful Hector Lavoe! The work on the album's the kind that was so influential at the time, it's almost hard to hear how important it was... 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... read more

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An obscure little album from Jack "Mr Bongo" Constanzo – his only entry into the Latin Soul genre, and a really nice batch of grooves! Jacko's working here with singer Gerrie Woo – who sings in English on about half of the album's tracks, giving the set a nice pop-styled... read more

Great Latin work by one of the most enigmatic Latin bandleaders on the west coast! The record is the same as the one that was issued on the TOPS label – but is issued here on the also-budget Golden Tone imprint. The package looks cheap, but the record is a strong batch of tracks that shows... read more

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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... 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... read more

A Latin classic from the word "bang"! This album was the one that busted Joe Cuba out of the Latin ghetto – into the sound of 60s soul, early funk, and beyond. The record's a stone winner – filled with boogaloo tracks delivered by Joe's firey young sextet, a killer ensemble... read more

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... read more

Loads of salsa classics from this great bassist – including "Chipi Chipi", "Sun Sun Babae", "El Frutero", "Ven Morena", "Para Chango", "Monta Mi Caballo", and "El Manicero".... read more

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It's the start of the 70s, but the classic sound of El Gran Combo is still very firmly in place – coming across with almost a timeless feel on this well-known album in their catalog! As before, the group's directed by pianist Rafael Ithier, and vocals are shared by Andy Montanez and Pellin... read more

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A great little back to basics effort from the Fania All Stars – one that shakes off some of the electric and clubby influences that were creeping in during their years at Columbia, and returns the group to a mostly salsa groove! The sound here is bold and bright throughout –... read more

After a disastrous attempt at recording a live show, the Fania All-Stars went in the studio with guests like Billy Cobham and Manu Dibango and created their funkiest and one of their finest albums of the seventies! A few cuts are more straight Latin sounding, some of these tracks have a nice hard... read more

A Latin soul party – beyond compare! The album's a completely wonderful live set that really captures the energy, excitement, and warm sociability of the hip New York scene at the end of the 60s. The music is stunning – a freewheeling blend of jazz, soul, and Latin themes –... read more

One of the proudest moments of the New York Latin underground – a time when some of its best players wound up playing for Columbia, through a brief affiliation between Fania and the larger label! And although you might think that the album would totally sell out the group's best points, it's... read more

Oh, the feeling here is more than good – as the album's a stunner from the legendary Jose Feliciano, the kind of set that never fails to make us smile when we hear it! Jose's really evolved here from his earliest days – going even farther past the genius of his late 60s work for RCA,... read more

A dozen hard early 60s Latin numbers – performed by Rene Grand and his combo, with some occasional vocals by Frankie Rodriguez – but also a number of great instrumentals with a sweet jazzy finish! The groove is very strong, with lots of mambo jazz in the mix, and a hard New York groove... read more

Heavy funk from the Mexican scene of the early 70s – a great little combo that blends together equal parts soul, rock, and jazz! Grupo Oz are clearly influenced by some of the jazzier groups going down on the west coast Latin scene of the time – and like many of those groups, they also... read more

The coolest grooves we've ever heard from percussionist Henri Guedon – a really wonderful blend of Latin, Caribbean, and jazz-based influences – all filtered into a very special sound! There's plenty of percussion at the core, but there's also some sweet keyboards too – used... read more

A killer bit of Latin Soul – one of the few albums ever recorded by conga player George Guzman, working here with a very cool, very hip, late 60s ensemble! The group sport 3 trumpets, piano, bass, and some very strong percussion – plus vocals in both English and Spanish, which makes... read more

A legendary Latin funk album – spearheaded by Eddie Palmieri! The record is a landmark crossover album from the early 70s – cut at the end of the Latin soul era, but featuring that genre's wonderful mix of Puerto Rican soul, Spanish Harlem Latin, and New York funk. The grooves are all... read more

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A smoking descarga session from the 60s – one of the best albums ever by percussionist Kako! The album explodes with wonderful jazzy playing, and features 4 very long tracks that are stuffed with great solo work on piano and sax – bubbling over in heavy percussive excitement, with the... read more

One of the best collaborations between Puerto Rican bandleader Kako and swingin' Panamanian vocalist Azuquita – and one of the seminal albums from the amazing late 60s era of West Side Latino Records! The record's got a number of nice tracks written by Louie Ramirez, including a few groovy... read more

An amazing album that's one of the greatest-ever descarga sessions to come out of the New York scene! The album's supposedly a tribute to pianist Noro Morales – but it's got a fire and energy that goes way beyond even Morales' best work, one that has the group recording in a long-format... read more

This famous Latin combo hits the early 60s, and lays down a stock session of pachanga and charanga cuts, infused with lively guitar parts, and some lovely female vocals. Tracks include "Yo No Se", "Cafe Y Pan", "The Don Jose Pachanga", "Pachanga Pa'Gozar",... read more

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A lost treasure – one of the few albums ever cut by this fantastic Latin Jazz ensemble, an ultra-hip group led by congolero Juan Amalbert, with a modal vibes/piano groove that's simply wonderful! The combo were one of the hippest early 60s Latin acts – and took equal part inspiration... read more

A wonderful batch of Latin Jazz grooves – played by a group who more than deserved the right to call themselves the Latin Jazz Quintet! The core sound features vibes and piano jamming away nicely, really hitting some great modal rhythms – but this album's also got an added bonus in the... read more

Killer Latin soul! This record is one of the hardest to find from the late 60's boogaloo era, and it's a massive stormer filled with tasty grooves! The band is small and tight, with a 2-sax frontline, for an extra-soulful sound. Vocals are in English and Spanish, and the album wails away like a... read more

A beautiful little record from Hector Lavoe – one deepens his sound and emotion, but manages to do so without going into any schmaltzy territory! Some tracks here are full-on groovers, and others are mellower – but even these have a depth of feeling that really commands our attention... read more

Amazing work from the New York underground of the late 60s – an album that's as magical as its title implies! Latin definitely goes psychedelic on this one – burning through a cloud of smoke with a brilliant blend of soul, jazz, and the hipper rhythms of the Spanish Harlem scene at the... read more

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A pivotal early 70s set of Peruvian Cumbia from Enrique Delgado and Los Destellos – the rare Constelacion LP from 1971 – a great album that's definitely in the more cosmic realm of the style! Guitarist Delgado was one of more creative forces in cumbia, credited as one of the first, if... read more

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A contemporary Latin combo, but one with a really unique feel as well – a mix of 60s charanga modes, 50s Cuban roots, and some definite modern phrasing! The group has a really wonderful blend of flute, violin, trombone, tres, and percussion – and congolero Hector "Papote"... read more

Funky fusion with plenty of Latin touches – a really compelling set from the Nicaraguan scene of the 70s! The album's got the same criss-crossing of influences you'd hear in some of the best Bay Area projects of this type – no surprise since Jose Chepito Areas is a key member of the... read more

By the end of the 50s, Machito was a king of the Latin scene – and had an ability to both groove hard, and lay down sophisticated arrangements that were a lot stronger than those of other throwaway cha cha cha groups. This album's one of his best from the era – and it includes lots of... read more

A seminal bit of Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the early 70s – the second album from Malo, and an even harder-hitting jam session than the first! The group are really in top form here – taking off with Santana-inspired riffs that are filled with heavy percussion, soaring organ,... read more

An excellent album of Latin material from Herbie Mann – and proof that he's equally great in just about any setting! The album's a rare Columbia Records outing from Herbie – but it's easily one of his greatest of the 60s, thanks to some really smoking arrangements from Oliver Nelson... read more

A killer bit of Latin jazz from the 70s – one of the first records issued under the name of percussionist Ray Mantilla, and a really smoking set that features funky flute from Jeremy Steig, bass from Eddie Gomez, and both drums and keyboards from the mighty Joe Chambers! The tunes have a... read more

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Percussionist Sabu Martinez is one of the all-time greats of Latin music – and this record is probably the rarest he ever cut! The album came out of Sweden, where Sabu was residing during the 70s – enjoying some success as an expatriot jazz player in the European scene. The album... read more

A masterpiece of Latin jazz – and one of the truest expressions of the genre we can think of! The album's quite unique, especially for the time – a spare, stripped-down presentation of Latin-influenced jazz – a sound that has its roots in the cubop experiments of a decade before,... read more

A Latin soul treasure from Bobby Matos – quite different than his straighter jazzy work of recent years, and a stone cooker to rival the best of the New York indies in the late 60s! Like cookers on Fania and Cotique, the set's got a groove that's rooted in descarga – with loads of... read more

A killer little set from Les McCann – one of his greatest records of the 60s, thanks to a fair bit of Latin Soul influences! The album's got a groove that's much grittier than Les' other work – a solid, soulful emphasis on bottom rhythms – which are mostly in a boogaloo and shing-... read more

IThe great early 70s solo album from Ismael Miranda! Ismael fronting his own excellent Orquestra here – singing lead vocals and playing a bit of percussion, with an ensemble that includes Nicky Marrero on timbales, Nelson Gonzalez on tres, Oscar Hernandez on piano, and Carlos De Leon on... read more