... LP, Vinyl record album

A soul jazz Latin classic – one that matches the searing tenor work of Eddie Lockjaw Davis with the hard-hitting conga of a young Ray Barretto! The core group of the set is a soul jazz one – with Lockjaw blowing over rhythm by Lloyd Mayers on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – plus a small added trumpet section on a few tracks. Ray comes into the mix with some really tight percussion on the bottom, aided by a few other players at times – kicking up the tunes and giving them a lot of fire – something that Davis seems to really respond to in his horn. Thanks should also be given to arranger Gil Lopez, who put together the overall sound of the set – and the album's a hard groover all the way through, filled with Latin jammers like "Wild Rice", "Jazz-a-Samba", "Guanco Lament", "Afro Jaws", and "Tin Tin Deo". (Jazz, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

A raw early cooker from Mongo Santamaria – a real standout album from the Riverside years, thanks to a live performance that goes far beyond his studio work of the time! The set was caught live at the Village Gate – in a way that lets the band open up and really jam on the tunes – an especially great thing, given that players include Pat Patrick, Marty Sheller, and Bobby Capers on horns, all of whom bring a lot of fire to the session. Mongo's great on congas, as you might expect – and the album's even got a cool little introduction of the group by Symphony Sid! Tracks include "Mongo's Groove", "The Jungle Bit", "Fatback", and "Nothing For Nothing", a nice long track written by Patrick! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Noro Morales' hippest albums of the time – a tight set done for Riverside Records, with a jazzier edge than some of his other records! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice Prestige 2-fer collecting two early sides Mongo cut for Fantasy in the late 50s. The first, released under the title Mongo, is a no-nonsense batch of Latin jazz tracks, arranged by himself and Francisco Aguabella, who's sort of the co-leader of the group on the set! Players include Emil Richards, Paul Horn, Armando Pereza, Carlos Vidal, and Willie Bobo – and as you can imagine by that lineup, there's plenty of heavy duty percussive action! Jose Chombo Silva plays a bit of tenor – and titles include "Chano Pozo", "Mazacote", "Los Conguitos", and "Afro Blue". Yambu, another of Mongo's great early records, is the second LP of the set. It's got a spooky Afro-Cuban sound, and a great assortment of drummers that includes Francisco Aquabella, Carlos Vidal, Willie Bobo, and Modesto Duran. The overall vibe is much more traditional than Mongo's other albums – and there's none of the pop Latin jazz of his years at Columbia records, or his "Watermelon Man" era at Riverside. Cuts include "Mi Guanguanco", "Timbales & Bongo", "Yeye", and "Columbia", and the sound is nice and raw. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Mongo's great early records, with a spooky Afro-Cuban sound, and a great assortment of drummers that includes Francisco Aquabella, Carlos Vidal, Willie Bobo, and Modesto Duran. The overall vibe is much more traditional than Mongo's other albums – and there's none of the pop Latin jazz of his years at Columbia records, or his "Watermelon Man" era at Riverside. Cuts include "Mi Guanguanco", "Timbales & Bongo", "Yeye", and "Columbia", and the sound is nice and raw. LP, Vinyl record album