A mighty nice little package – one that's overflowing with the special sort of Latin and soul music hybrids that rose up from the Spanish Harlem scene in the late 60s – the kind of cuts that helped establish Fania Records as one of the most important Latin labels around – and one of the grooviest too! These aren't the 70s salsa tracks that Fania spread across the globe – but the more New York-styled numbers that often had English language lyrics in the lead, sung by a soulful vocalist – and set to small combo rhythms that were overflowing with energy, and plenty of touches of jazz, soul, and funk! These are all the mixes from the rare 45rpm singles issued by Fania back in the day – and although the songs are wonderful, the collection together is even cooler as a whole – dozens of tracks, including some really rare ones – all bound up in a 7" book-styled cover, with 60 pages of notes, and a bonus funky 45! Titles include "Silent Heart" by 125th Street Candy Store, "Micro Mini" and "Make Out" by Harvey Averne, "Too Much Lovin" and "So Fine" by Joe Bataan, "Willie Baby" by Willie Colon, "Soul Drummers" and "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Geronimo" and "Funky Big Feet" by Bobby Valentin, "Mercie" by Ralph Robles, "Camel Walk" by The Latinaires, "Batola Boogaloo" by Bobby Quesada, "Grazin In The Grass" by Orchestra Harlow, "Spinning Wheel" by El Apollo Sound, "Hey Sister" by Monguito Santamaria, "Who Is The Girl For Me" and "Look At Her" by Ralfi Pagan, "New York Soul" by Ray Barretto, "Some Lonely Heart" by ronnie Marks, "Let's Get It Together This Christmas" by Harvey Averne, "Shaft" and "If I Were A King" by Joe Bataan, "Johnny's No Good" and "Blonde Latin Blues" by WRLC, and "Today" and "Try Just a Little Harder" by Butter Scotch. Lots more too – and the bonus 7" single features two promo tracks recorded for DJ Symphony Sid – one by Joe Bataan, the other by Bobby Valentin! CD

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan. (Funky Compilations, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan. (Funky Compilations, Latin) CD

Vocalist Bobby Cruz gets some great backings from Ricardo Ray – on titles that include "Nina", "El Roble", "Shu La La", "Sin Explicacion", "No Puedo", "Patricia", and "Get It All". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of Latin fusion from the 70s – one of the few albums ever recorded by vibist Bobby Vince Paunetto, and a monster! The session was recorded in New York with a cream-of-the-crop group that includes Tom Harrell, Ronnie Cuber, and Ed Byrne – but the real highlight of the session is Bobby, whose work on vibes, and unique angular way of cutting a groove is simply amazing. The record is a sublime blend of electric and acoustic playing – soaring with the majesty of an underground soul jazz release, but beats with the heart of a smoking Latin combo! The album's incredible all the way through – and tracks include "Spanish Maiden", "Good Bucks", "Delta", "Taz", and "Dragon Breath". CD

A smoking killer from Latin trumpeter Bobby Quesada – recorded during the Latin soul era, with vocals from Luis Rodriguez – and titles that include "Ritmo Canga", "Boogaloo Jala Jala", "Pelu Y Pelao", "Guaguanco A Las Mamis", "Pollo Frisao", and "Sueltame Ya". LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking salsa from one of its greatest proponents in the 70s – the crowd-pleasing Ricardo Ray & Bobby Cruz ensemble, heard here at the height of their powers! Tracks here are mostly tight and lively – arranged by Ray and Cruz with help from Russel Farnsworth – but a few numbers also move into mellower modes too, and have Bobby's vocals taking on mainstream hits "My Way", "Soul & Inspiration", and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" – but in a very different way than such hits might have been handled during the late 60s Latin Soul years. The approach here is more boundary-less – kind of a "hey, all music can be ours" sort of approach – and Bobby and Ricardo really move past simple boogaloo-ification of soul tracks into the more expansive territory that was their right. Other titles include "Aguzate", "Guaguanco Raro", "Traigo De Todo", and "Amparo Arrebato". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Latin jazz albums ever – and a truly amazing record! Bobby Pauntteo, aka Bobby Vince Paunetto, is probably best known for his groundbreaking Latin fusion albums of the NuYorican era – but this rare gem from the 60s shows that he was a really forward thinker, even at a younger age! The sound is incredibly hard to define – a blend of modal jazz, Latin rhythms, and a uniquely lyrical approach to the percussion that makes the record take off to places you'd never expect. Bobby's conception is mindblowing from start to finish – and the record's even got some wonderful tracks that feature English vocals on top of the hip vibes-driven sound of the instrumentation. A gem throughout – and the kind of record we'll take to the grave! Titles include "Aguantando", "Why Is Woody Sad?", "Mambo Sevilla", "El Senor Sid", and "Dig It Like It Is". Great stuff! CD

One of the standout records from the second era of Bobby Valentin's career – a smoking 70s salsa set, bubbling over with great bass work by Bobby, and featuring some great instrumental touches, like tenor sax and vibes, which really push the sound past the usual! Lead vocals are by Marvin Santiago, but the strongest aspect of the record is the unity of the band's instrumentation – stepping together with incredible tightness, pulling the vocals in as an essential, part of the groove! Titles include "Pobre Soy", "Besos Brujos", "El Matakan", "Papel De Payaso", "Vete Pa'Lla", and "Amolador". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost grooves from Spanish Harlem – an incredible set of Latin Soul from The 107th Street Stickball Team! With a name like that, the group certainly aren't as well-remembered as contemporaries like Joe Bataan or Willie Colon, but they've got a soulful groove that definitely fits the style of the time – a sweet uptown blend of Harlem soul and Latin rhythms – with the same blend of sweet soul ballads and uptempo groovers you'd find on some of Bataan's classic albums for Fania Records! Bobby Marin put the whole album together, with a tight groove that's very similar to his work for Speed Records – played here by a group that includes Orlando Marin, Louie Ramirez, Ozzie Torrens, and Joey Pastrana – all kings of Latin Soul at the time! Vocalists include Butch Johnson and Danny Agosto – but there's a real group feel to the record, with lots of harmonies behind the lead – the kind of streetcorner soul you might have heard while catching a stickball game on one of the side streets up north of Harlem. Titles include "Toma Guajira", "Look To Me", "You Put A Hurt In My Heart", "Rhythm & Soul", "Mojo Shingaling", "Barbara With The Kooky Eyes", "Tell Her I Love Her", and "Let Me Do My Thing". CD features 3 bonus tracks by The Nitty Sextet, all previously unissued – "Nitty Boo Boo", "Something New", and "Say Listen". CD

Smoking early work from the team of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz – the kind of record that marked the pair as one of the freshest new voices to hit Latin music in the New York scene of the 60s! The rhythms and modes are all familiar ones, but they're delivered with a different sort of edge here – partly because of Ricardo's heavy use of dark notes on the piano, but also because there's a nice sense of space in the arrangements that almost points the way towards some of the freer thinkers of the Latin Soul years. Bobby's vocals are well-placed, and very soulful – and Chivirico Davila and Felo Brito also sing a bit on the record too. Titles include an incredible mambo reworking of "Parisian Thoroughfare", done as a longer descarga number that's really great – and other tracks include "Chachita", "Mirame", and "Yenyere". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album from the Fania All-Stars – one that's quite different than most of their other work at the time, with an open-ended jam session feel that really takes us back to the old days! The group here is really just a sextet – the core combo used to launch the group name on Columbia Records – and the session is one that was originally done for Columbia in 1976, when Gene Page had to cancel a studio date, and the band got the chance to jam by themselves in the studio! The result is a groove that's strongly jazzy, with lots of descarga energy – played by a group that features Johnny Pacheco on flute, Papo Lucca on piano, Nicky Marrero on timbales, Ray Barretto on congas, Bobby Valentin on bass, and Roberto Roena on bongos and assorted percussion. Roena sings on one track, but most of the set is instrumental – with nice long cuts that include "The War Gods", "Seis Con El Mismo Sabor", "Vento Conmigo", "Taxi To Aguadilla", and "Guajira Para Los Pollos". LP, Vinyl record album

A later date – but proof that the Fania All Stars groove can always be strong, no matter what the setting! This album's actually recorded by a smaller ensemble from the larger group – a sextet that includes Ray Barretto on congas, Roberto Roena on bongos, Nicky Marrero on timbales, Bobby Valentin on bass, Papo Lucca on keyboards, and Johnny Pacheco on flute and guiro – a very percussive ensemble working here in a strongly jazz-based mode! The sound is great – and even at the few points when the keyboards are slightly modern, there's always an overall sound that preserves an older Latin jazz approach. Some numbers have chorus vocals, but these really don't dominate – and the main focus here is instrumental work – on titles that include "The Click","Allegria", "Guasasa", "Quasedito", "De Nuevo A La Carga", and a great cover of Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s corker from Charlie Palmieri – and a record that has him stretching out from piano, playing a bit of organ, and a bit of Fender Rhodes! The tracks are relatively straight salsa, but the use of these different keys really gives them an edge – one that's honed even further by Bobby Nelson, who plays both flute and tenor sax in Charlie's band. The percussion is also quite tight on the set – making for a jumpy groove that hangs on even in the mellower cuts! Titles include "Tema De Maria Cervantes", "Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado", "Cachita", "La Fuente", "El Susto", and "Que te Vas - Pues Vete". LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking early work from the team of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz – the kind of record that marked the pair as one of the freshest new voices to hit Latin music in the New York scene of the 60s! The rhythms and modes are all familiar ones, but they're delivered with a different sort of edge here – partly because of Ricardo's heavy use of dark notes on the piano, but also because there's a nice sense of space in the arrangements that almost points the way towards some of the freer thinkers of the Latin Soul years. Bobby's vocals are well-placed, and very soulful – and Chivirico Davila and Felo Brito also sing a bit on the record too. Titles include an incredible mambo reworking of "Parisian Thoroughfare", done as a longer descarga number that's really great – and other tracks include "Chachita", "Mirame", and "Yenyere". LP, Vinyl record album

A really pivotal album in the career of Mongo Santamaria – one that has Mongo stripping down the groove, kicking up some jazz, and mixing together soulful styles that brought him to the top of the Latin crowd of the 1960s! There's a tightness here that goes beyond any of Santamaria's previous albums – a no-nonsense approach that makes for some incredibly hard-hitting numbers – heavy on the conga, but also featuring strong piano lines from Rodger Grand, trumpet from Marty Sheller, flute and tenor from Hubert Laws, and alto sax and baritone from Bobby Capers! This small combo provides pretty much all of the instrumentation for the record – and there's no added tricks or gimmicks, just hard-grooving Latin jazz at its best! Titles include "El Pussy Cat", "Together", "Black Eyed Peas", "Ritmo Negro", "Sarai", "Hammer Head", and "Afro Lypso". LP, Vinyl record album

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 of acoustic guitar here, maracas there, or some slightly different rhythms – and they're warmed up nicely by the mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation used by the group – who are definitely at the height of their disco powers here! Core players include Papo Lucca on keyboards, Nicky Marrero on timbales, Johnny Pacheco and Roberto Roena on percussion, and Bobby Valentin on bass – and other players include Hubert Laws on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Luie Ramirez on vibes, and Luiz Perico Ortiz on trumpet. Vocals are by Ismael Miranda, Pacheco, and Ruben Blades – and titles include "Spanish Fever", "Que Pasa", "Space Machine", "Donde", "Your Sereneness", and "Sin Tu Carino". LP, Vinyl record album

A really pivotal album in the career of Mongo Santamaria – one that has Mongo stripping down the groove, kicking up some jazz, and mixing together soulful styles that brought him to the top of the Latin crowd of the 1960s! There's a tightness here that goes beyond any of Santamaria's previous albums – a no-nonsense approach that makes for some incredibly hard-hitting numbers – heavy on the conga, but also featuring strong piano lines from Rodger Grand, trumpet from Marty Sheller, flute and tenor from Hubert Laws, and alto sax and baritone from Bobby Capers! This small combo provides pretty much all of the instrumentation for the record – and there's no added tricks or gimmicks, just hard-grooving Latin jazz at its best! Titles include "El Pussy Cat", "Together", "Black Eyed Peas", "Ritmo Negro", "Sarai", "Hammer Head", and "Afro Lypso". LP, Vinyl record album

A real cooker – filled with tasty Latin grooves! The sound of the barrio is in full effect – from late 60s Latin Soul to early 70s Latin Funk, all very well-selected from a variety of labels, and put together with a range of grooves that will keep your ears dancing all the way through! The tunes go way past the obvious – enough that the album includes a few tracks we've never heard before, the kind of soulful Latin sides that always keep us looking for more. Titles include "Lay An Oz On Me Baby" by The Latin Blues Band, "The New Breed" by Louie Ramirez, "Ponte Duro" by Roberto Roena, "I'm Satisfied" by Joe Bataan, "Yroco" by Jimmy Sabater, "La Verdad" by Cortijo & His Time Machine, "Cisco Kid" by La Crema, "Return To Spanish Harlem" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "You Need Help" by Mongo Santamaria, and "Yo" by Bobby Valentin. (Funky Compilations, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

The great Joe Quijano was still cutting some killer music in the 80s – as you'll hear on this cooking set with lots of great arrangements from Paquito Pastor! Features flute and baritone from Mario Rivera, and flute and alto from Bobby Nelson – both of whom bring in some nice jazzy currents – on titles that include "Me Hace Falta", "El Muerto Se Fue De Rumba", "Alla En Mi Tierra", and "La Media Vuelta". LP, Vinyl record album

Mongo Santamaria at the height of his Latin Soul years – working on a cool Columbia session titled after an earlier hit, but served up with his new lean sound of the late 60s! The album's got that perfect Santamaria combo from the time – a group that features trumpet and these wonderfully sharp arrangements from the great Marty Sheller – plus very smoking reed work from a young Hubert Laws, wailing away on flute and tenor, and Bobby Capers on alto and baritone – both players who mix jazz and soul instrumental modes, to bring a hell of a lot of feeling to the overall sound of the band – in ways that really get past more familiar use of trumpet or trombone in other Latin combos. The band grooves nicely on original material like "Streak O Lean", "Ricky Tick", "Do It To It", "Fatback", "Coconut Milk", and "Jose Outside" – and they also reprise Mongo's big hit "Watermelon Man". LP, Vinyl record album