One of the most hard-hitting Latin albums from the 50s on RCA – a set released with jokey liner notes from Frank Jacobs of Mad, next to some Jack Davis cartoons – but a set that's got smoking percussion, great horns, and even some very cool use of vibes! LP, Vinyl record album

Dreamy sounds from Luiz Arcaraz – a mixture of Latin rhythms, orchestrations, and his own solos. LP, Vinyl record album

Not a Fred Astaire vocal record – and instead some very groovy Latin material recorded under his name! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record – and a prime example of the strong Jewish/Latin crossover that was going on in the late 50s and early 60s. The record features the kind of crack cha cha sound that was bringing couples into the Palladium from Long Island, but it's also touched with occasional yiddish bits, like snaking clarinet or choppy percussion. Far from being goofy, these elements actually add a rich shade of emotion to the work, and the result is an extremely complicated Latin session that sparkles with excitement. Titles include "Merengue Mania", "Serching", "Mambo A Bisel", "Sher Cha Cha", "Dates & Figs", and "Sirocco". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 50s work from vocalist Abbe Lane – and a record that's made all the better by some great arrangements from Tito Puente! Abbe's getting past the sexy tricks of other records here – and singing in a dusky tone that works perfect with Tito's tight, choppy, and highly percussive arrangements. The set's got a wonderful blend of Latin and torch – with tracks that include "Take It Easy", "Green Eyes", "The River Seine", "Babalu", "Pan, Amore & Cha Cha Cha", "Noche De Ronda", and "Whatever Lola Wants". (Vocalists, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff by Noro – featuring his haunting piano lines spun out over spare backing by percussion only, in a manner that you don't always find on his other recordings. A few tracks have larger orchestrations, but they're still pretty darn tight, and have a great hard sound to them. The set's a nice one, and was put out by the Latin branch of RCA in the early 60s. Titles include "Quien Sara", "Piel Canela", "Campanitas De Cristal", "Silencio", and "Serenata Ritmica". LP, Vinyl record album

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A great collaboration between Perez Prado and trumpeter Shorty Rogers – one in which Rogers' solos sparkle brilliantly over the top of Perez's tight Latin rhythms – all in a style that's as moody as it is evocative and rhythmic! Side one features the extended "Voodoo Suite" – a side-long track that builds nicely on rootsy Latin rhythms that are much freer than Prado's pop work of the 50s – and which features a growing jazz horizon at the edges, filled with players who include Bud Shank on alto and flute, Bob Cooper on tenor, Shelly Manne on drums, and Pete Candoli on trumpet – in a larger section underneath Shorty Rogers' solos. Side two features shorter tracks recorded a year later – a bit more in the standard Prado mode, but still with a really dynamic feel, and contributions from jazz players like Candoli and Rolf Erikson on trumpets, Willie Maiden on tenor, and Jay Hill on trombone. Titles include "Music Makers", "In The Mood", "St. James Infirmary", and "Jumpin At The Woodside". LP, Vinyl record album

Hardly the Broadway album you might expect from the title – and instead, a constant cooker from Tito Puente's 50s years on RCA! The album's got a really lively feel from the get-go, and lots of jazzy instrumentation in the mix as well – tight horns over snapping percussion from Tito – and a bit of vocals from Vincentico Valdes on 4 of the album's 12 tracks. Horn players aren't credited, but do a superb job here – really emphasizing a jazzy sound that's totally great – on titles that include the classic "Ran Kan Kan", one of Tito's all time greatest hits – plus "Lare Lare", "Swinging The Mambo", "Donde Estabas Tu", "Cao Cao Mani Picao", and "Tito Timbero". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record – a heck of a lot nicer than Tito's work in the 50s, with a much more hard driving mambo sound, touched by a bit of jazz. The style here's not dissimilar to Tito Puente's work at the time – and titles include "Ay No No No", "A Little Bit Of Mambo", "El Tunel", "My Reverie", "Oh My Pa Pa", "Why Do I Love You", and "Chika Ni Lambo". LP, Vinyl record album

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Killer Latin from South American drummer Frank Hernandez – easily the king of the scene on his side of the globe! Frank's taking a key cue here from the harder sound of the New York scene of the time – and the record's overflowing with great little tracks that mix together heavy percussion, sinister piano, and soulful chorus vocals that leap and dance along with the grooves. A few cuts are instrumentals, done with some great horn work in place – and the whole album's a cooker that can't be denied! Includes a great remake of "El Pito", plus "Dame Tu Carino", "Sabor A Miel", "Potpourri Judio", "Cafe", "Bombonchara", "Rumba Brava", and "Dulce Veneno". LP, Vinyl record album

This one's a bit subdued, but it's still classic RCA material by Tito – with a strong easy Latin vibe, of the sort that went down very big with the Catskills crowd. The record's got plenty of Cha Cha and Mambo Latin jazz tracks, most of which are covers, apart from the originals "Dancing Under Latin Skies", "Port Au Pleasure", and "Acapulco". LP, Vinyl record album