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".

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 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 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!

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".

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".