Latin — All Formats  

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 – bold, soaring, and really complex – often mixing larger string passages with some incredible work on sax and flute from players who include Mauricio Smith, Ronnie Cuber, and Bobby Porcelli – all coming together here with a sense of dynamism that reminds us of some of our favorite work at the time from Bobby Vince Paunetto. The scope of the record is really amazing and very powerful, and titles include "Nueva York", "Chinacubana", "Juancito", "Urubatan", "Julia", "Tu Eres Tu", and "Sin Poderte Habiar".

A rare early Latin session from Charles Fox – an artist who's best known for his TV and film soundtrack work of the 70s – but who really cooks nicely on this sweet 60s set! The album's got an all-star crew – including flute from Johnny Pacheco, and rhythms from Louie Ramirez – and the groove is a much jazzier take on charanga styles than usual – filled with the kind of vivid twists and turns you might expect from Charles' soundtrack work! Elliot Romero handles most of the vocals, but it's the instrumental interplay that really grabs us – complex and swinging at the same time, with lots of dark notes that really deepen the sound of the album. Titles include "Contento Estoy", "Matilda Y Maceo", "Chiquita", "Viene Acabando", "El Melao", "Que Rica Pachanga", and "No Me Dejes De Querer" – plus the totally killer "Blue Pachanga" – worth the price of the album alone!

A double-header to die for – two of the rarest albums from Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – back to back on a single CD! First up is Saffron & Soul – one of the first albums from the legendary Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – a wonderful little record that evenly blends together jazz, Latin, and soul music! There's a stronger soul jazz vibe here than on some later Pucho sets – partly due to the strong use of jazz in the rhythms, but also to the record's excellent horn work – not by the Pazant Brothers, but by Harold Alexander on tenor and flute, Claude Bartee on tenor, and Vicent McEwan on trumpet – all players who really make the record sparkle! The set's heavy on vibes too – a Pucho trademark, played here by Willie Bivins – and titles include the excellent "Soul Yamie", plus "Something Black", "The Groover", "Caravan", "Aye Ma Ma", and "What A Piece". Shuckin & Jivin is one of the most soulful albums ever recorded by Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – a set that really shows the changing sound of Latin music in the late 60s – with some fresh vocals added to the group by Jackie Soul! Jackie only sings on a few cuts, but really brings in a raw Spanish Harlem vibe – one that gives the set a bit more of a Fania/Cotique sort of groove than usual – even when the group are leaping ahead on tight instrumentals – tunes that really sparkle with piano from Neal Creque, vibes from Willy Bivens, and tenor sax from Claude Bartee! Vocal gems include "Shuckin & Jivin", "CC Rider", and "You Are My Sunshine" – instrumental tracks include "Return To Me", "Swing Thing", "Maiden Voyage", and "How Insensitive".

An incredible double-length set from Soul Jazz – a collection of Latin tunes that's easily as important as their groundbreaking NuYorica collection from a decade before! Like that one, most of the work here is from the 70s – and showcases a time in New York Latin when the music was really opening up to new changes – not just the Latin Soul modes picked up in the previous decades, but also new elements of jazz, funk, disco, and even some more traditional styles from Cuba and Puerto Rico. The grooves aren't just standard Latin, but often have some very surprising bits in the mix – funky instrumental riffing, soulful vocals, and more – all often in a mode that's perfect for the dancefloor! 2CD set features 23 tracks in all – with titles that include "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by Louie Ramirez, "Tighten Up" by Al Escobar, "Snidely Whiplash" by The Alexander Review, "Joe Cuba's Madness" by Joe Cuba, "Control" by Ismael Quinones, "Abidjan" by Ray Barretto, "Porcupine" by Nature Zone, "Soul Makossa" by Johnny Zamot, "No Nos Pararan" by La Charanga 76, "Sorongo" by Cortijo, "Mala Calunga" by Johnny Sedes, "Angustia Maternal" by Willie Colon, "Mai Kinshasa" by Jose Mangual, "Shoot The Pump" by J Walter Negro & The Loose Jointz, "Mi Mambo Conga" by Eddie Palmieri, "Om Marrero" by Seguida, "Alex Mambo" by Machito, "Dancin & Prancin" by Candido, "El Bollinski En D7" by Charlie Santiago & Eddie Montalvo, "Doug's Room" by Mauricio Smith, and "I Had A Friend" by The Family Affair.

A seminal bit of 70s Latin from Eddie Palmieri – a full, rich session that really earns the "sun" in its title! Eddie's working here in that complicated approach to jazzy rhythms from the later Tico years – inflected by a bit of straighter salsa rhythms – in a style that proved that it never hurt to put a bit of intellectual approach in the grooves! The album's got one wonderful standout track in the 14 minute long "Una Dia Bonita" – a massively complex number that initially features some really dark, spare piano – but then has Eddie stretching out a highly progressive groove. Players on the set include Victor Paz, Ronnie Cuber, and Jose Rodriguez – and the album also features a bit of vocals from Lalo Rodriguez. Other tracks include "Mi Cumbia", "Nada De Ti", "Deseo Salvaje", and "Nunca Contigo".

A landmark in 70s jazz and Latin – one of 2 legendary sets cut during the decade by composer/arranger Bobby Vince Paunetto – easily one of the most unique voices of his generation! Bobby's got an approach to melody that's all tied up in the rhythms – one that has most of the instruments in the group vamping along with the grooves, while solos take off in wonderful flights that soar to the skies on waves of sound and soul – echoing a sense of joy and life that few other albums of the period can match, and hitting a groove that's complex, yet instantly moving and deeply personal. Players include Tom Harrell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, Billy Drewes on soprano sax, and Bobby himself on vibes – sounding wonderful throughout the album, matching the 70s brilliance of Roy Ayers or Bobby Hutcherson! Also features percussion by Manny Oquendo, Jerry Gonzale, and Milton Cardona – and titles include "Osiris", "Fenway Funk", "In Time's Time", "Spanish Maiden" and "Brother Will". Essential!

An obscure post-Cotique album from the great Joey Pastrana – one that shows an even stronger groove than his last years at his former label! The set was produced by Larry Harlow, and it's got a depth that's really wonderful – a complex approach to the arrangements on many numbers, and a wider-ranging sound than we might have expected from Joey a few years before – clearly part of the global Latin focus that he and other New York artists were picking up on during the 70s. The horn parts are especially great – really soaring out with a sense of warm on most numbers – and arrangements are by Mauricio Smith, Sonny Bravo, and Marty Sheller. The record's also got some great 70s Latin Soul numbers – like the saxophone-heavy "Dance Donna Dance", and the soulful "Tight & Loose" – plus the more club-sounding title "Until The Real Thing". Other tracks include "Gonna Cry", "Chico East", "Pensamiento", and "Monte Pastrana".

A wonderful tribute to Dizzy Gillespie – put together by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval – who can not only claim a big influence from Diz, but a number of past musical partnerships as well! The setting is great – not the simple bop mode that you'd usually get from other Diz tributes – and instead, a rich, vivid painting in jazz – full of thoughtful tones and colors that echo the Gillespie tradition, yet flesh things out into a much more vivid portrait of his spirit and soul! There's definitely a few Latin touches in the rhythms at times, mixed with some great larger horn passages that recall some of Dizzy's work with larger orchestras – yet handled here with a complexity that's more in a 21st Century mode. Gary Burton adds some nice vibes to the record – and other players include Bob Mintzer on tenor, Joe DeFrancesco on Hammond, and Shelly Berg on piano. Titles include "And Then She Stopped", "Birk's Works Ala Mancini", "Things To Come", "Con Alma With Soul", "Fiesta Mojo", and "Algu Bueno".