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A legendary bit of Latin from the New York scene of the 60s – recorded by a host of youthful players working under the direction of percussionist Montego Joe! The group's name is a contraction of "Harlem Youth" – a program in which all players participated, as part of an effort to get kids involved in music uptown – spearheaded by Montego Joe, whose guidance in the set is greatly appreciated! There's a strong Latin Soul vibe running through the set – but one that's different than Joe's other work, a bit more rootsy at times, given all the percussion in the lineup – but warmed up nicely with bits of guitar, trumpet, and alto sax. The album's filled with great groovers – including the classic "Welcome To The Party", and the amazing "Oua-Train" jazz cut, which has a slightly spiritual feel. Other tracks include "Feed Me Good", "Barrets Bag", "Tico", "Ngoma", and "Santa Cruz".

Very cool and groovy bossa piano jams, given a modern twist by this Japanese group with one foot in the past and one foot in the future. Includes their great remake of Sivuca's arrangement of "Ain't No Sunshine", plus "Bayu Bayu", "Call Me Mr. Vibes", "Mambo Parisienne", and lots lots more.

A soaring stormer from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra – a contemporary group, but one who plays with some really classic Latin jazz modes! The group's always been great, but this may well be their best album to date – full of rich tones, bold colors, and tight rhythms that keep things lively throughout – all recorded in a no-nonsense way that reminds us of those excellent Latin jazz sessions we used to love from the Cubop label. Pianist Oscar Hernandez is at the head of a lineup that features two trumpets, two trombones, sax, flute, and plenty of percussion – on cuts that include "Linda", "Nuestra Cancion", "Si Me Quieres Te Quiero", "Son De Corazon", "La Salsa Dura", "La Fiesta Empezo", and "El Negro Tiene Tumbao".

Classic early European material by Dizzy Gillespie – recorded in Paris in the early 50s, and featuring backing by players that include Don Byas, Wade Legge, Jean-Jacques Tilche, and Bill Clark. The groove runs from straight bop to swing, with touches of Cubop in the mix, thanks to conga work by Humberto Canto Morales. There's a total of 21 tracks in all – and this is the best-ever compilation of the material we've ever seen, especially as much of it was issued on smaller eps, and always gets cast over different sets when it comes out. Titles include "Cognac Blues", "Sabla Y Blu", "Lullaby In Rhythm", "Blue Moon", "Mama's Blues", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Moon Nocturne".

Great Cuban grooves, with some heavy trumpet in the lead – as you'd guess from the sparkling cover of this vintage album! The set's got a nice raw feel throughout – and the strong use of lead trumpet almost gives some of the cuts the feel of Dizzy Gillespie's cubop experiments from the late 40s! Other numbers add in some great raspy saxophone (alto?) – which furthers the jazzy sound of the record, as proceedings continue with kind of a tighter take on the jazz descarga style. Wonderful throughout – and the group runs through Latin versions of some non-Latin tracks, like "Mack The Knife", "Almost Like Being In Love", and "It's All Right With Me" – plus other Latin material like "Es Diferente", "Leche Con Ron", "Cha Cha Cha De Los Pollos", and "Mucho Humo".