All Categories — LPs  

A great little back to basics effort from the Fania All Stars – one that shakes off some of the electric and clubby influences that were creeping in during their years at Columbia, and returns the group to a mostly salsa groove! The sound here is bold and bright throughout – traditional at one level, but colored with modern inflections and a deepening sense of sophistication that may well make it one of the group's most cohesive records ever! Members of the ensemble include Roberto Roena, Johnny Pacheco, Luie Ramirez, and Papo Lucca – and vocals are by Celia Cruz, Adalberto Santiago, Ruben Blades, Santos Colon, Hector Lavoe, and Cheo Feliciano. Titles include "Dinamita", "Dime", "Ublabadu", "Cuando Despiertes", "La Borinquena", and "Encantigo".

A landmark album – one that has the Fania All-Stars playing in a Latin club style that greatly influenced dance music for years to come! The title "Cross-Over" might make you think of this one as a sell-out attempt, but it's not – it's a brilliant effort by the New York Latin scene to reach a much larger audience, and at the time, it really really worked! The album's actually got a surprisingly strong jazz basis to a lot of the playing – mixed with soul, disco, and funk influences that helped make this one a big album in the crates of plenty of non-Latin listeners. Features work by Eric Gale, Ruben Blades, Louie Ramirez, and Johnny Pacheco – and includes the cuts "You Want It You Got It", "Brazilian Paradise", "What A Big Thing", "Los Bravos", and "Prepara".

After a disastrous attempt at recording a live show, the Fania All-Stars went in the studio with guests like Billy Cobham and Manu Dibango and created their funkiest and one of their finest albums of the seventies! A few cuts are more straight Latin sounding, some of these tracks have a nice hard funky jazz feel, and sound like they could have been recorded for Prestige. There's great versions of "Soul Makossa" and "Viva Tirado", plus a very nice track called "Smoke". Other titles include ""El Raton", "Congo Bongo", "Chanchullo", "There You Go" and "Mama Guela".

A Latin soul party – beyond compare! The album's a completely wonderful live set that really captures the energy, excitement, and warm sociability of the hip New York scene at the end of the 60s. The music is stunning – a freewheeling blend of jazz, soul, and Latin themes – played with effortless ease by a lineup that includes Joe Bataan, Ray Barretto, Willie Colon, Larry Harlow, Bobby Quesada, Louie Ramirez, Ralph Robles, and some of the other heavy-hitters of the Latin soul years. (Just imagine trying to get so many jazz or rock talents together on one stage – it would never happen!) The album's incredible – and even the spoken introductions and crowd noise really help set the feel of the era's mighty magic power! Titles on this second volume include "Kikapoo Joy Juice", "If This World Were Mine", "Richie's Bag", "Red Garter Strut", and "Son Cuero Y Boogaloo". Firey stuff, and one of their best records!

A sprawling collection of classic Fania – featuring a pretty adventurous set of salsa, boogaloo, Afro-Latin, funkier numbers and all around incredible material put together by our friends at Strut Records – going beyond the classics! It features numbers by many of the most iconic names on Fania – Johnny Pacheco, Joe Bataan, Ray Barreto, Willie Colon, Bobby Valentin, Hector Lavoe and more – loosely chronicling the stylistic genesis at Fania during the time period, but compiled with an ear to the dancefloor rather than academia. A great set of classics on an uber-iconic label, put together by one of our favorite contemporary labels! 19 tracks on the 2LP version: "Dakar, Punto Final" by Johnny Pacheco, "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Anacaona" by Cheo Feliciano, "Quimbara" by Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco, "Bomba Carambomba" by Sonora Poncena, "Pedro Navaja" by Willie Colon & Ruben Blades, "Cuando Despiertes" by Fania All Stars feat Celia Cruz and more.

A monster! If you buy one Latin record this year – make it this one – because it's one of the greatest ever recorded! Ray's late 60s Acid album is a landmark recording – a sublime mixture of Latin jazz, percussion, and soul – grooving hard in a variety of styles, and always hitting the money on every single track. The title cut "Acid" is one of those tunes you'll be playing until you're locked up in a nursing home – and the rest of the record is equally great – with cuts like the bouncy groover "Soul Drummers", the tasty boogaloo "El Nuevo Barretto", and the extended "Espiritu Libre", a great Latin jazz track, with very "out" piano!

An early 70s killer from Ray – recorded right in the same era as most of his best albums! The feel here is strongly in the salsa mode – as Ray steps effortlessly from the Latin Soul era into a whole new decade of musical magic. And like the best of his 60s work, Ray's salsa cooks at a level that's far hotter than most of his contemporaries – with lots and lots of incredibly tight percussion, impeccable instrumentation, and even a more soulful approach to the vocals than usual. The album's got a short Latin soul groover called "Together", which has tight bass and a very catchy lyric; an extended Latin jazz version of "Tin Tin Deo", with some incredible piano that goes way way out over the groove; and plenty of other great Latin numbers, like "Invitacion Al Son", "Vive Y Vacila", "De Donde Vengo", and "Hipocresia y Falsedad".

A real killer from the legendary Joe Bataan – an album of righteous power that really lives up to the dynamic promise of the title and cover! Joe Bataan's in top form throughout – serving up a blend of Latin grooves and 60s soul influences that few other artists of the time could touch – soaring and upbeat one minute, but mellow and laidback the next. There's a number of longer tracks on here that really move past the standard Latin Soul modes – bringing in bits of descarga jazz, instrumental soul, and mellower ballads to Joe's already-great blend of styles. The depth here is tremendous, and nearly every track's a winner! Titles include the slamming "It's A Good Feeling (Riot)", "Muneca", and "Mambo De Bataan" – plus the soul tracks "What Good Is A Castle", "My Cloud", "Daddy's Coming Home", "Ordinary Guy", and "For Your Love".

Great stuff – and a very sharp album cut by Willie during the Latin soul era, featuring a bunch of tracks that veer more towards the boogaloo side of things than his later albums! The groove is nice and hard – stripped down with the youthful energy that Willie brought to the scene at the time – and the record features great vocals by Hector Lavoe, Yayo El Indo, and Elliot Romero. Features the wonderful piano-bassed groover – "Jazzy" – which spirals out with descarga-like energy! Other great tracks include the boogaloo numbers "Skinny Papa", "Willie Baby", "Willie Whopper", and "El Malo" – but the whole album's a winner!

A roots-oriented 70s classic from Willie Colon – one of his standout albums of the decade! Willie continues his "life of crime" approach for the early 70s – moving into an old west look on the cover, and matching that with a slightly rootsier sound on the album! The real difference is the presence of Yomo Toro – who plays cuatro on the album, and gives it a sound that stretches back to earlier Afro-Cuban styles – a groove that's a lot more rootsy, mixed in with the soaring salsa style of Colon in the 70s. Lead vocals are by Willie, Hector Lavoe, and Ruben Blades – and arrangements are by Marty Sheller and Willie. Tracks include "Toma", "Dona Tona", "Potpourri III", "Cua Cua Ra, Cua Cua", "I Feel Campesino", and "Que Bien Te Ves".

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 solid 70s session from Willie Colon – a combination of a few tracks from previous efforts, mixed with other new ones, all featuring lead vocals by the wonderful Hector Lavoe! The work on the album's the kind that was so influential at the time, it's almost hard to hear how important it was from this angle – because Willie's working in a tight, hard style that so many other groups copped afterward – yet this one's still the original, and a good solid listen will remind you of the power in these grooves! Tracks include the groovy "Ah Ah/O-No", "La Banda", "Ghana'e", "Pirana", and "Abuelita".

An obscure little album from Jack "Mr Bongo" Constanzo – his only entry into the Latin Soul genre, and a really nice batch of grooves! Jacko's working here with singer Gerrie Woo – who sings in English on about half of the album's tracks, giving the set a nice pop-styled Latin groove that reminds us a lot of Willie Bobo's work for Verve, and some of the more unusual indie Latin albums of the time. The set's filled with loads of great numbers – including Hector Rivera compositions "Recuerdos", "Que Vengo Acabando", "Don't Squeeze The Peaches", and "Mambo Jack" – plus covers of "Jive Samba", "Words", and "Green Onions".

A beautiful little record from Hector Lavoe – one deepens his sound and emotion, but manages to do so without going into any schmaltzy territory! Some tracks here are full-on groovers, and others are mellower – but even these have a depth of feeling that really commands our attention – a style that's perhaps almost a re-emergence of a new Latin soul aesthetic in the mid 80s – one that's certainly far more Latin than soul, but a new level of expression that's filled with feeling, and which really puts things on the line. Jose Madera, Isidro Infante and Luis Ramirez share arranging credits and Johnny Pacheco directed the recording – with a groove that's somewhere in the trombone-led style of Hector's work with Willie Colon, but which also has some rootsier elements in the guiro and guitar used on the set. Players include Joe Torres on piano, Milton Cardona on percussion, and Lewis Kahn on trombone – and tracks include "De Que Tamano", "Don Fulano De Tal", "La Fama", "Cancer", and "Porque No Puedo Ser Feliz".

IThe great early 70s solo album from Ismael Miranda! Ismael fronting his own excellent Orquestra here – singing lead vocals and playing a bit of percussion, with an ensemble that includes Nicky Marrero on timbales, Nelson Gonzalez on tres, Oscar Hernandez on piano, and Carlos De Leon on trumpet. Hip shaking rhythms and danceable numbers of top shelf quality on Fania with arrangements by Louie Ramirez, Marty Sheller, Carlos De Leon, and others! Tracks include "Sonerito", "Ahora Si", "Cuidate Bien", "Asi Se Compone Un Son", "Nicolas", "Salvame", and "Mulence" and more.

A stunning album from Orquesta Harlow – one of their wildest of the 60s, and filled with delights! The record starts with this strange sound of a train pulling into a station, then rolls into a massive boogaloo groove that really sets the pace for the album – hitting hard with some heavy percussion, and really pushing the group through a great blend of English and Spanish language numbers! The whole thing's great – easily one of the best by the group – and titles include "Be Free", "El Exigente", "That Groovy Shingaling", "Mess Around", "Freak Off", and "Groovin' to the Afro-Twist".

A great testament to the depth and versatility of Orquestra Harlow in the 70s – and a record that shift easily between traditional modes and more contemporary styles! Larry Harlow is at the top of his game here – working with careful sensitivity on some of the more fragile numbers, but still letting the group hit with the power that made their fame on others – and in doing so, Harlow continues to move right in pace with the changes on the New York scene at the time, particularly the return to charanga modes and its use of violin and flute. But in addition to that instrumentation, the album also features a wider range of sounds – including bits of moog and celeste from Larry himself, plus tres, guiro, and plenty of percussion. Vocals are by Junior Gonzalez, and titles include "El Negrito Nengere", "El Lugar", "El Dolorcito De Mi China", "Buenavista Guaguan O", "Agonia", and "Latin Roots", which is a fantastic NuYorican groover, with plenty of percussion, touches of funk, and a sweet electric groove!

A great early record by Larry Harlow's famous combo – every bit the "smokin" set that the title might imply! Harlow and the group are in full force here – ripping through a set of short tracks that really groove with a darkly percussive edge. There's a surprising amount of traditional instrumentation in the set – especially considering the stoned out image on the cover – but that's no problem for us, given the overall quality of the set! Tracks include "Chancletas", "Orchestra Harlow", "Mi Guaguanco", "Adios Mama", and "Rica Combinacion".

Another tasty batch of short firey Latin tracks from Tito's immediate post-RCA years! The cuts are a nice mix of mambo jazz numbers and guarachas, with a few cha chas thrown in – and they all have that tight raw sound that made Tito's Tico work so much better than most of his 50s stuff. Here's your chance to hear the master bandleader in action – especially on the cuts "Samba-Roco", "Agua-Nile", "Vaya Puente", "Timbalero", and "Chino". Tough to find on wax!

Louie Vega on Fania Records – a long-overdue match that really makes for some amazing sounds on this set! The pairing isn't that much of a surprise – given that Louie's done plenty to keep Latin music alive in the past few decades in the clubs – from his own Nuyorican Soul experiments, to some of the key remixes he's done for other artists. Yet this time around, there's something extra-special going on – not only a presentation of the Vega sound that's even tighter than before, but which has a way of pulling together a rich array of historical strands – and not just the salsa you might expect from Fania! Rootsy elements mix perfectly with tight club instrumentation – and the set features great guest work from Josh Milan, Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, and Anane – on cuts that include some very cool covers – including "Overtake Don Overtake Overtake", "Barbara Ann", "I Believe In Miracles", "Sodade", "I Dream A World", "Harlem River Drive", "Berimbau", and "Children Of The World".

Classic Latin, beautifully remixed – as a host of Fania Records gems are given a fresh twist by Louie Vega, Joe Claussell, Gilles Peterson, and others! The package is way more than you might expect – not clunky remixes of Latin styles, but some beautiful numbers that really expand the warmth and spontaneous energy of the originals – mostly keeping a strong 70s vibe intact, and approaching the project with a really loving feel overall! In fact, the sound is almost as if Schema got their hands on Fania – since there's echoes here of some of the updated Latin modes you'd find on that label too. Vinyl version features four of the best long mixes from the CD – including "Saona (Gilles Peterson & Simbad rmx)" by Noro Morales, "Siembra (Joe Claussell rmx)" by Ruben Blades, "Mi Gente (Louie Vega eol rmx)" by Hector Lavoe, and "Take Five (Nicola Conte rmx)" by Roberto Roena.

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.

One of Ray Barretto's hardest-hitting salsa albums of the 70s – a raw set of grooves that's got Ray moving away from the playfulness of the Latin Soul years, into a more righteous mode that's easily guessed at from the title of the set! The vibe here is very straightforward – with Ray coming down hard on conga, and working with a group that features Adalberto Santiago on lead vocals, plus Orestes Vilato on timbales, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Luis Cruz on piano. The sound is spare and raw – and titles include the wonderfully echoey tune "O Elefante", with some great elephant-like work on trumpet – plus "Con El Cimarron", "Se Traba", "Arrepientete", and "Te Traigo Mi Son".

Amazing work from the Spanish Harlem underground of the late 60s! From the title, to the cover, to the beautiful blend of songs, this album perfectly sums up the rich energy and raw power bubbling in the NuYorican scene of the time – effortlessly blending together soul, Latin, jazz, and funk – making the whole thing work perfectly because that's the way it was! These cats didn't know anything about rules – at least not until the big bad older Latin mafia snapped them in place – and the result is a freewheeling album of hard grooving jammers and sweetly emotive soul tunes! Tracks include "Puerto Rico Me Llama", "Make Me Smile", "Es Tu Cosa", "The Prayer", "Aguanta La Lengua", and "Chili Beans".

Stone slamming boogaloo – and one of the greatest albums from a young Bobby Valentin! Bobby's really cooking on all burners here – mixing together a bit of Latin jazz with a headier, trippier style of Latin soul – one that features lots of sinister undercurrents in the rhythms, making for a sense of darkness that's really counterbalanced by the joyous feel of the grooves. This sublime mix can be heard to perfect effect in the amazing "Use It Before You Lose It", a monster track that's sure to fill any dancefloor – but the whole album's wonderful, and other tracks include "Boogaloo y Shingaling", "Keep the Faith", "Funky Big Feet", and "Descarga En Mozambique".

A great Ray Barretto album from 1972 – one that beautifully showcases the master percussionist as he effortlessly shifts between Latin soul and 70's salsa styles! The group's nice and lean – with Adalberto Santiago on vocals, Papy Roman on trumpet, Louis Cruz on piano, and the great Andy Gonzalez on bass – a heck of a player whose solid rhythmic pulse was a big part of so many great albums of the time. Two great tracks make the album totally worth owning – "Right On" and "Power", both of are funky Latin soul numbers that are right out of Ray's Hard Hands period! Other tracks are equally great salsa numbers – and titles include "Y Dicen", "Perla Del Sur", and "Oye La Noticia".

Killer stuff all around! This album's a monster – one of Ray's greatest, with the same sort of Latin Soul groove heard famously on his classic Acid LP. The record has Ray cutting across many genres – blending Latin, soul, jazz, and a slight bit of funk – all into a set of grooves that never stops pleasing, and which will make you start digging through the Latin racks like mad, just to find another LP this great! Titles include "Hard Hands", "Abidjan", "Got to Have You", "New York Soul", and the fantastic track "Love Beads", which has a cool rolling piano line that sounds like a great De La Soul sample. It's a great track, and makes the entire album worth the price!

"Head Sounds" is a heck of a great way to describe this album – as it's filled with some of Ray's most mind-expanding cuts! The album kicks off with the tune "Acid", which you probably know from the album of the same name, but which still really does a great job of setting the pace here – and then it rolls into some fantastic longer cuts that really have a very strong jazz component. Ray and the group stretch out tremendously, hitting off-color notes and tones that almost make the record feel like one of Eddie Palmieri's jammers from the same time. 3 tracks on the set are over 8 minutes long, which should give you a good feel of the openness of the work – and titles include "Abidjan", "Espiritu Libre", "Drum Poem", and "Tin Tin Deo".

A real turning point for Joe Bataan – and the beginning of his funky Latin sound of the 70s! The album was one of the first in Joe's "Salsoul" style – a sweet blend of Latin rhythms, late 60s Latin soul influences, and some of the hipper styles bubbling through the NuYorican scene. A few cuts are in the sweet soul ballad mode of Joe's earlier years – but there's others that pick up the groove nicely, and add in some guitar and vibes for a sweet electrified groove. Includes a great remake of "Theme From Shaft", plus the two-part "I Wish You Love", "If I Were A King", "Coco E", "El Regreso", and "Charangaringa".

A monster album of 70s salsa – and one that has bad boy Willie Colon taking the Latin world by storm – forging the new sound that would push him and the New York scene into the frontline of 70s Latin! Willie's got a strength on the set that's very much in keeping with his machine gun pose on the cover – a no-nonsense salsa groove that's overflowing with righteous pride and youthful energy – consciously aware of its new direction, and not afraid to show it! The album features the classic dancefloor groover "Che Che Cole", plus the tracks "Lo Me Llores Mas", "Sonero Mayor", "Sangrigorda", "Ausencia", and "Te Conozco".

A killer bit of Latin Soul – one of the few albums ever recorded by conga player George Guzman, working here with a very cool, very hip, late 60s ensemble! The group sport 3 trumpets, piano, bass, and some very strong percussion – plus vocals in both English and Spanish, which makes for a perfect back and forth mood to the set, handling both straight Latin and Latin Soul numbers with ease! Loads of great tracks – including "Diggin' Rice & Beans", "Manteca", "Really Bad Scene", La Banda Ya Llego", and "Winter Love". Nice, tight, and very very groovy.

Stone funky Latin soul from the younger member of the Santamaria family! Black Out is one of Monguito's greatest – a hip album of groovy late 60s tracks that perfectly blend the Latin and soul sides of the Spanish Harlem scene. Marty Sheller handled arrangements on some of the album's best cuts, giving them the same tight funky feel as his best work with the senior member of the Santamaria clan – and Ronnie Marks sings English language lyrics on the tracks "All Your Talk", "I've Got To Find", "Crying Time", and "You Need Help". Other tracks are Latin, and titles include "Guarara", "Sueno Contigo", and "Todo Es Todo".

Oooooo-weee – a monster album by one of our favorite talents of the Latin soul era! Monguito Santamaria had a really great way of putting the electric bass right up front in his tracks – kicking things up with a bouncing groove that's as sock-boogaloo as boogaloo can get, and which makes for some of the most outta site tracks of his era! Nearly ever number's a winner – and the album's stuffed with killer groovers like "Groovetime", "Work Out", "Monguito's Theme", "Mambo New", "Chango", "Hey Sister", and "El Dorado".

One of the most soulful records ever recorded by Joe Bataan – a sweet blend of harmony soul and east coast styles, done in a mode that's a bit less Latin than some of his earlier records – but really wonderful overall! The style here is almost late 60s Philly soul – particularly that of the Intruders, O'Jays, or other harmony-heavy groups – and the production has a rootsy edge that really gets at the honesty in Joe's approach. And given Joe's wonderful approach to these heartfelt tunes, we hardly miss the Latin rhythms at all – as we're really in love with his soul tunes here! Titles include "Ordinary Guy", "Unwed Mother", "Young Gifted and Brown", "Under the Street Lamp", and "I'm No Stranger". This great remastered, limited edition vinyl version has 2 bonus tracks: "Latin Soul Square Dance" and "Call Me".

About as tight as you can get from the team of Pacheco and vocalist Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez – a record cut after a strong run of sides from Pacheco's Nuevo Tumbao, a finely-honed unit that moved with supple grace few other groups could match! Pete's great here on both the mellower cuts and uptempo numbers – a singer who brought a new depth to Latin music in the 60s, really working here at the height of his powers. Titles include "Dulce Con Dulce", "Moreno", "Yolanda", "Mujer Ingrata", and "De Que Te Vale".

Ahhhhh . . . The wonderful sounds of Joey Pastrana – the hip Latin Soul bandleader who was known to the kids as "Hot" Pastrana! This album's one of his best for Cotique – a strong mix of boogaloo numbers and straighter Latin tracks, all played with the kind of fire that was making Joey and his generation draw big crowds in New York – causing the older leaders to quake in their boots and plot their revenge! The album's filled with nice Latin soul numbers – including the groovers "Afro Azul", "My Victrola", "How Sweet It Is", and "Problems".

A nice entry in the Hammock House series of hip remixes of Latin classics from the Fania canon – this one featuring Twin Shadow, Whiskey Barons, Toy Selectah and Isa GT nicely mixing up classics by Ray Barretto, Justo Betancourt, Ismael Rivera and Hector Lavoe & Willie Colon! Includes "Acid (Twin Shadow Remix)", "Power (Whiskey Barons Heavy Funk Mix)" and Right On (Whiskey Barons Got Some Afro Mix)" all by Ray Barretto, plus "Catano (Whiskey Barons Cumbia Dub Mix)" by Justo Betancourt, "Aguanile (Toy Selectah 2013 Cosmico Remix)" by Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon and "Las Caras Lindas (Isa GT Remix)" by Ismael Rivera.

Smoking salsa from the legendary Fania Records – a hip batch of numbers that focuses on the groundbreaking sounds of the New York Latin scene in the 70s! The track selection here is pretty classic, but that's ok with us – given the strength of the grooves – and there's also a nice touch of Latin Soul at times, showing the full range of the Fania sound. Titles include "A Mi Nena" by Rafi Val & La Differente, "Che Che Cole" by Willie Colon, "El Todopodoeroso" by Hector Lavoe, "O Mi Shango" by Mongo Santamaria, "Pachito Eche" by Tito Puente & Celia Cruz, "Tu Lo Sientes" by Joe Cuba, "Cucala" by Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco, "Brother Where Are You" by Ralfi Pagan, "Bilongo" by Eddie Palmieri, "Guaguanco Arsenio" by Tito Puente & Azuquita, "El Nuevo Barretto" by Ray Barretto, and "Ahora Es El Tiempo" by Louie Ramirez.

The first-ever full length set from Bronx River Parkway – a wonderful blend of Latin and funk styles that follows beautifully from their strong run of funky 45s! The groove here is sort of a deeper, dirtier take on the Fania sound of the 70s – almost a re-imagining of the late 60s Latin Soul vibe, pretending that it still held on strongly through the following decade – and picked up all sort of weird little twists, turns, and unusual instrumental elements! The group's ties to the El Michels Affair show strongly at points – no surprise, as Leon Michels is in both groups, and produced this set – but the sound is nicely different too, with a bit more of an east coast Latin vibe. Wonderful stuff overall – and proof that the right corners of the deep funk underground still know how to keep things fresh! Titles include "Song For Ray", "Agua Con Sal", "La Valla", "El Resbalon", "San Sebastian 152", "Me Toca", "Mi Corazon", "Para Los Rumberos", "Donde", and "Nora Se Ve".

A second amazing set of grooves from the Peruvian scene of the 60s – upbeat Latin sides that easily rival the greatness of work at the time from New York, Colombia, or Puerto Rico! The Peruvian approach is a bit different than the rest – often a hybrid of outside influences, recast slightly with some local flavor – in ways that make these tunes sound a fair bit different than 60s Latin on Fania or Tico – which makes for a very fresh sound throughout! Instrumentation includes trumpet, guitar, vibes, and plenty of percussion – often recorded with a sharp-edged quality that uses a bit of echo as well. The package features a whopping 28 tracks in all, plus full notes in Spanish and English – and titles include Humo" by La Sonora De Lucho Macedo, "El Diri Bop" by Tito Chicoma, "Las Guitarras Tropicales" by Silvestre Montez, "El Conductor" by Carlos Munoz, "Arroz Con Coco" by Pedro Miguel, "Boogaloo Del Perro" by Enrique Delgado, "Descargando" by Mario Allison, "Mulata Rumbera" by Compay Quinto, "Aqui" by Tito Chicoma, "Ciquita Bonita" by Luis Duran, "Dejen Bailar Al Loco" byMelochita, and "Guajira Boogaloo" by Coco Lagos.

A Latin soul treasure from Bobby Matos – quite different than his straighter jazzy work of recent years, and a stone cooker to rival the best of the New York indies in the late 60s! Like cookers on Fania and Cotique, the set's got a groove that's rooted in descarga – with loads of great percussion and jazzy instrumentation – then mixed with a heady dose of late 60s Spanish Harlem soul, which means that there's some good boogaloo elements on the set that really start things on fire – a massive groove that goes way beyond standard Latin, and which has made the record a treasure for years! Nearly ever cut's a killer – and titles include "Raices", "Mambo Maxims", "Trailo A Casa", "Caliente Y Grasoso", "Up In Alfred's Pad", and "Ritchie's Boogaloo". Essential

A monster album of Latin soul – arguably the greatest record ever cut by Hector Rivera! The record's a rare cooker that never lets up at all – a non-stop boogaloo party that definitely lives up to its swinging cover image – and which is quite different than most other albums from Hector! English language lyrics are at the lead on most numbers – and the rhythms have a romping blend of soul and Latin that's right up there with the same Spanish Harlem groove as work on Fania or Cotique, although arguably even better! There's lots of heavy piano in the grooves, and vocals on some cuts are sung by David Coleman – a singer we only know from this record, but who really makes it shine. Titles include "Playing It Cool", "At The Party", "Shingaling Baby", "I Got My Eye On You", "Pra Voz Wilma", and "Asia Minor".

Sweet fusiony work by Mongo Santamaria – the New York Latin sound inflected with major label jazzed-up electricity, in the style that was also employed by Ray Barretto and the Fania All Stars at the same time. Mongo's working here with a great group of CTI players – including Bob James, Eric Gale, and Hubert Laws – and the record includes a nice electric remake of "Watermelon Man", plus the cuts "Afro Cuban Fantasy", "Jamaican Sunrise", "Jai Alai", and "Sambita".

A wicked album of Latin Soul tunes – recorded by Harvey Averne, one of the heaviest hitting producers of the New York scene of the late 60s! The album's one of the few that Harvey issued under his own name, and it features him on piano and vibes, working with arrangements by Marty Sheller, and a tight batch of studio players who cook up the grooves in a classic Fania/Tico style! The album's got some very groovy originals – like "The Micro Mini", "You're No Good", "My Dream", and "You Mess My Mind Up" – plus some sweet little covers, like "The Think Drink Theme", "The Word", and "Wishing & Hoping" – all of which come off like some of Willie Bobo's best work of the time!

One of our favorite albums ever by El Gran Combo – largely because it's a smoking Latin Soul set! The group were known for a more traditional groove on other records, but here they nicely jump on the younger bandwagon of the time – and step out with a crackling batch of boogaloo numbers that groove with the best of the Fania and Tico scene of the time! The sound is tight, right, and outta site – mostly instrumental with lots of heavy percussion and soaring horns – plus both English and Spanish vocals that really keep the soulful spirit of the session! Tracks include "Clap Your Hands", "Como Tu", "Sabor", "Combolu", "Shake It Baby", "Gran Combo's Boogaloo", "Vas Bien", "Chua Chua Boogaloo", and "Avelino Plumon".