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That's a pretty festive pig roast taking place on the cover of this one – and the band's got an equally festive groove to match! The set bristles with all the sharp energy we love from the early Cortijo albums – a tight, percussion-heavy approach to Latin grooves – one that's a rougher contrast to some of the polish on the New York scene of the early 60s – speared through with soulful vocals from a young Ismael Rivera! The album's a cracker throughout – filled with lively tracks that never seem to let up the groove – and titles include a great Latin jazz version of "Volare", plus "Oriza", "Que Le Paso?", "Mofongo Pelao", and "Solavaya".

A totally great little group – actually a quartet instead of a quintet, and one who work with the tight energy of some of the best Brazilian jazz combos of the bossa nova generation! The sound here isn't exactly bossa, but the groove is characterized by the same tight work on the drums you'd find in hard bossa jazz – and the piano has this wonderfully fluid quality – more than able to keep up with the rhythms, but also taking off in its own lyrical ways too! The set also features a bit of alto and tenor, pushed forward by these warm rolling basslines – and titles include "Zimbo Samba", "Nightingale", "Muita A Vontade", "Se Voce Pensa", "Fiesta Espagnole", and "Clouds".

A totally great little group – actually a quartet instead of a quintet, and one who work with the tight energy of some of the best Brazilian jazz combos of the bossa nova generation! The sound here isn't exactly bossa, but the groove is characterized by the same tight work on the drums you'd find in hard bossa jazz – and the piano has this wonderfully fluid quality – more than able to keep up with the rhythms, but also taking off in its own lyrical ways too! The set also features a bit of alto and tenor, pushed forward by these warm rolling basslines – and titles include "Zimbo Samba", "Nightingale", "Muita A Vontade", "Se Voce Pensa", "Fiesta Espagnole", and "Clouds".

A great example of why we always reach for our Rodney Franklin records time and time again over the years – as there's few other players who could serve up a blend of soul and jazz this well! The album's got a great balance of electric and acoustic, that instantly-warm style that Franklin virtually invented on these classic Columbia recordings – with plenty of care to avoid falling into fusion cliches that were either too jamming, or too clunkily commercial. Rodney plays a host of keys himself – including Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano – and the set features some nice lead vocals from Darryl Coley and Phyllis St James – but also gives plenty of space for instrumental focus, with some tracks that are longer than usual for Franklin. Titles include the gentle stepper "One From The Heart", plus "Fiesta", "Destiny", "Song For You", "Skydance", and "Children".

A wicked album that's one of Stan Getz's best from the 70s! The record features Stan reunited with Chick Corea, whose warm lyricism was the lynchpin in Getz's landmark Sweet Rain – the stunning session from 1968 that is perhaps our favorite-ever Getz album. Corea plays electric piano here, but with none of the indulgence that he was lapsing into at the time. His blocky chords stake out a stark new territory, into which Getz solos beautifully, into a range yet untapped at that time in his career. Tony Williams augments the group on drums, giving the whole thing a sense of freedom, but also a nice tight swing. Tracks include "La Fiesta", "Five Hundred Miles High", "Times Lie", and "Day Waves".

19 tracks in all, including "TP-2", "R&B Thug", "The Greatest Sex", "Like A Real Freak", "Fiesta", "I Wish", "I Wish (rmx – To The Homies That We Lost)" and"Feelin' On Yo Booty".

One of the first albums ever by this legendary jazz vocal group! LHR do the incredible – and create a set of vocal renditions of standards by the Basie band, putting jazzy lyrics in to replace the instrumental solos, but keeping the same vibe as the original tracks. The sound and approach is amazing – and it's no wonder this record made them instant legends. Titles include "Down For The Count", "Fiesta In Blue", "Blues Backstage", and "It's Sand, Man!"

Weird and wild sounds from contemporary Bogota – music that's got a very old school quality at its core, yet which also mixes in plenty of experimentation with the rhythms! Think of this as an old Colombian record with analogue electronics and sound samples – or some other-worldly sounds from the left side of the Peruvian scene – still with plenty of Latin elements at the core, especially in the grooves – but done with some really cool keyboards, tape tricks, and other nice bits! Titles include "Fiesta", "Guarach UFO", "Desesperanza", "Salsa Caliente", and "Salsa Del Zombie".

A pretty darn rare Lalo Schifrin soundtrack – to a lost crime thriller that starred David McCallum, Stella Stevens, and Telly Savalas – all of whom are pictured in a nice collage-type movie painting on the front cover! The tracks run from mellow bossa to fast and jazzy, and the album also includes a few mellower Latin-tinged numbers to set the scene of the action. There's not as much funk as in Schifrin's other scores from the time – but it makes up for it with groovy passages and many great moments that make the album worth seeking out! Titles include "Charanga", "The Golden Trip", "Sol Madrid", "Fiesta", "Adagietto", and "Villanova's Chase".

This album's like a funky 45 party! Senor Soul first started out as one of those fake Latin acts in the LA scene – kind of a soul jazz version of the Tijuana Brass – but by the time of this album, they've turned into a hot funky combo, with a really wonderful sound! The groove here is a wonderful blend of piano, vibes, percussion, and some totally great funky flute – with a blown-out sound that reminds us of the way the instrument sounds on later work by groups like SOUL or The Duke Of Burlington. The group groove hard on the album's cuts – a great mix of original funky 45 type numbers, plus a few well-chosen covers that keep the groove hard. Titles include "The Mouse", "It's Your Thing", "Soul Sermon", "Make The Funk Jump", "Hypnotizer", "Soul Fiesta", "El Loco", and "Love Has Two Faces".

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".

Titles include "Dame Tu Craino" by Los Destellos, "El Solitario" by Alfredo Gutierrez, "Para Bailar" by El Hijo De La Cumbia, "La Canillona" by Juan Pina & La Revelacion, and "Fiesta En Corraleja" by Los Caporales Del Magdalena.

England was a surprisingly funky place in the 60s and 70s – home to a rich array of great grooves created by the scene's important sound library labels – staffed by the cream of the crop of the British jazz musicians and soundtrack composers of the time! The work of these cats often backed bigger names in film and TV – James Bond, The Avengers, Dave Allen, and others – but this set digs even deeper, to uncover a host of great instrumental moments that go way beyond famous movie themes – a wealth of excellent cuts from the late 50s through the late 70s – starting with exotic jazz modes, moving into 60s mod swingers, and including a fair bit of 70s electric funk as well! This scene's been reissued a bit before, but never this well – as Soul Jazz do their usual top-shelf job of bringing the music together – and offering up detailed notes and a great package that really sends the whole thing home. 2CD version features 36 tracks that include "Condition Red" by Barry Stoller, "Light Flight" by Pentangle, "Man Alive" by Tony Hatch, "The Contract Man" by Bullet, "Echo Four Two" by Laurie Johnson, "Man Friday" by Syd Dale, "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth, "Fragment Of Fear" by Johnny Harris, "Sort Of Soul" by Birds & Brass, "Fiesta Numero Uno" by The Marleybone Orchestra, "The Persuaders" by John Barry, "Getting Nowhere In A Hurry" by Roy Budd, "Canvas" by Brian Bennett, "Death Line" by Will Malone, "Folk Song" by James Clarke, "Steam Heat" by Barbara Moore, "Artful Dodger" by Syd Dale, "Jaguar" by John Gregory, "Whole Lotta Love" by CCS, "Face Up" by Alan Moorehouse, "Angels" by Alan Parker, and "Soul Thing" by Keith Mansfield.

England was a surprisingly funky place in the 60s and 70s – home to a rich array of great grooves created by the scene's important sound library labels – staffed by the cream of the crop of the British jazz musicians and soundtrack composers of the time! The work of these cats often backed bigger names in film and TV – James Bond, The Avengers, Dave Allen, and others – but this set digs even deeper, to uncover a host of great instrumental moments that go way beyond famous movie themes – a wealth of excellent cuts from the late 50s through the late 70s – starting with exotic jazz modes, moving into 60s mod swingers, and including a fair bit of 70s electric funk as well! This scene's been reissued a bit before, but never this well – as Soul Jazz do their usual top-shelf job of bringing the music together – and offering up detailed notes and a great package that really sends the whole thing home. Part 1 – 2LP version features 19 tracks that include "Condition Red" by Barry Stoller, "Light Flight" by Pentangle, "Man Alive" by Tony Hatch, "The Contract Man" by Bullet, "Echo Four Two" by Laurie Johnson, "Man Friday" by Syd Dale, "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth, "Fragment Of Fear" by Johnny Harris, "Sort Of Soul" by Birds & Brass, "Fiesta Numero Uno" by The Marleybone Orchestra, "The Persuaders" by John Barry, and "Getting Nowhere In A Hurry" by Roy Budd.

One of Les Baxter's greatest records – and one of his rarest too, one of the few he cut for Reprise after leaving Capitol! The record is a continuation of Baxter's exotica sound of the late 50s – played with some great help that includes Larry Bunker on vibes and percussion, Clare Fischer on celeste and piano, and Leo Acosta on gourd! The sweetly dreamy sound of Fischer is an especially nice addition – and often creates a gentle flow to tunes that have a more driving approach overall – but it's Les' genius with the arrangements that make the album sparkle most of all, because even familiar tunes are transformed by his exotica magic! Titles include "Slave Ship", "Congale", "Via Veneto", "Night With Cleopatra", "Peking Tiger", and "Fiesta Brava".

Birds, brass, and plenty of grooves – two sublime UK sound library sets, back to back on a single CD! "Birds" here is used in the UK slang for women – and the combo sports wordless female vocals sliding along with the grooves – sneaking in and out of the brassier bits on the top with a "yeh yeh" sort of chorus approach, but one that's pretty musical overall! The best part of the music, though, is below the birds and the brass – the bottom, which is often quite funky, and has a soundtrack-styled sort of groove – rolling bass, snapping drums, bits of keyboards – all used in the best gently funky ways of the glory days of the Brit Easy scene. Most of the work here is the brainchild of arranger Keith Roberts – a lesser-known UK sound library figure, one who did a bit of work on Scott Walker's fourth album, but who really shines brightly here on his own. Titles include "Sort Of Soul", "Return To Montana", "Sunspot", "All Souled Out", "Time Key", "Pop Off The Tops", "New Dawn", "Melanie", "Sugar Sugar", "Funky Splanky", "The Kung Fu Kid", "Mexico Fiesta", "Fritzy Baby", and "Swamp Water".

A Latin monster – and one of our favorite albums from the New York scene! The record is the only one we've ever seen from pianist Earl Coleman – and it's a groove-happy fiesta that's every bit Spanish Harlem at its best. Earl's piano is flowing and free, and the band grooves through tracks that dip, turn, and soar like some of the best hard-jamming numbers from Joe Cuba, Ray Barretto, or Joe Bataan from the time. Some tracks feature soulful English vocals, and the titles alone should give you the feel of the set – "Hippy Heaven", "Latin Love-In", "Banana-Loo", and "What You Gonna Do".

A wicked album that's one of Stan Getz's best from the 70s! The record features Stan reunited with Chick Corea, whose warm lyricism was the lynchpin in Getz's landmark Sweet Rain – the stunning session from 1968 that is perhaps our favorite-ever Getz album. Corea plays electric piano here, but with none of the indulgence that he was lapsing into at the time. His blocky chords stake out a stark new territory, into which Getz solos beautifully, into a range yet untapped at that time in his career. Tony Williams augments the group on drums, giving the whole thing a sense of freedom, but also a nice tight swing. Tracks include "La Fiesta", "Five Hundred Miles High", "Times Lie", and "Day Waves". Great stuff – and expanded here with the new track "Crystal Silence", plus bonus alternates of "Five Hundred Miles High" and "Captain Marvel".

A set with younger players – "New Faces" – including Kenny Kirkland on piano, Branford Marsalis on tenor, and Lonnie Plaxico on bass! Ttiles include "Birk's Works", "Tin Tin Deo", "Fiesta Mojo", and "Tenor Song".

Genius 70s work from Woody Herman – funky big band with electric touches, served up on a range of wonderful tunes! Woody's still at the helm of the group on saxes and clarinet – but as with other Fantasy and Cadet albums, the real thanks here goes to arrangers – who include Bill Stapleton, Alan Broadbent, Tony Klatka, and Richard Evans – who's making a brief post-Cadet appearance here to serve up a fierce version of his classic "First Thing I Do" – a jazzy reworking of the Joyce Williams tune, done here with a nice break, wah-wah guitar, and a real badass soundtrack style! Rhythm players include Joe Beck and Ray Barretto – and the whole album's great throughout. Titles include "Think On Me", "A Child Is Born", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "First Thing I Do", "Giant Steps", and a great take on Chick Corea's "La Fiesta", complete with electric piano!

Genius 70s work from Woody Herman – funky big band with electric touches, served up on a range of wonderful tunes! Woody's still at the helm of the group on saxes and clarinet – but as with other Fantasy and Cadet albums, the real thanks here goes to arrangers – who include Bill Stapleton, Alan Broadbent, Tony Klatka, and Richard Evans – who's making a brief post-Cadet appearance here to serve up a fierce version of his classic "First Thing I Do" – a jazzy reworking of the Joyce Williams tune, done here with a nice break, wah-wah guitar, and a real badass soundtrack style! Rhythm players include Joe Beck and Ray Barretto – and the whole album's great throughout. Titles include "Think On Me", "A Child Is Born", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "First Thing I Do", "Giant Steps", and a great take on Chick Corea's "La Fiesta", complete with electric piano!

Given what a freewheeling, open-minded, and lyrical jazz singer Mark Murphy is, it's hard to imagine him really loving "the blues" – and fortunately, most of that love is extended in the title, because the album itself is less of the blues effort that you might think. True, the tracks are numbers that often have "blues" in the title – but the arrangements are by Al Cohn, and have a swinging approach that's in keeping with Murphy's other early 50s work. Titles include "Blues You're The Mother Of Sin", "Blues In My Heart", "Fiesta In Blue", "That's How I Love The Blues", "Blues In The Night", and a reading of "Senor Blues" that's worth the price of the record alone!

One of Chick Corea's greatest moments on record – the self-titled album by the legendary Return To Forever group – a combo that included Joe Farrell on saxes, Flora Purim on vocals, Airto on percussion, and Stanley Clarke on bass! The sound is archetypal 70s fusion at its best – filled with soaring electric keyboard work from Chick, and plenty of great Brazilian touches by Airto and Flora. Farrell's reeds help the tunes get a really sharp edge, especially once they get going – and the whole album is an electric piano classic through and through, filled with great titles that include "Sometime Ago/La Fiesta", "Return To Forever", "Crystal Silence", and "What Game Shall We Play Today".

Twin-piano magic – on long tracks that include "Maiden Voyage", "Button Up", "Liza", "La Fiesta", and "February Moment".

Jumpin' rhythm & blues from Johnny Jones – excellent, exciting recordings in more of an r&b revue sound than the more definitively blues based numbers later on – big collection of numbers devided between sessions with The Jimmy Beck Orchestra and The Imperial Seven, aka The Beat Boys. Given the largeish backing, the numbers have a jumpin' groove, but the players keeping it tight enough that some bluesy intimacy is still there in the fabric. Some sessions feature alternate lead vocalists, a few with Earl Gaines, a couple with Larry Birdsong, plus Charles Walker, Levert Allison and others. 35 tracks in all! "Every Night In The Week", "Now That We're Together", "Best Of Luck Baby", "Slave To Love", "Fiesta", "Oh Baby", "I'm Going Home", "Slow Down Baby", "Mercy On My Soul". "24 Hours A Day", "Pickin' Berries" and more.

Enough funk to stop a truck – and a rare collection of tracks made by Senor Soul, a heavy-hitting LA group from the 60s – and the precursor to War! The tunes on the set are pulled from the group's sessions for the Whiz and Double Shot labels, plus a few previously unissued tracks – and the sound is completely sublime for fans who like their funk hard, heavy, and instrumental! Beats are rough, bass is fierce, and there's a good smattering of some Latinized elements – like percussion, flute, and tasy guitar. A few tracks have vocals, but the overall feel is mostly instrumental – and together, the tracks make the set feel like you've just stumbled upon a whole box of rare funky 45s sitting in the basement of a shop on Central Ave! 20 tracks in all – including "The Mouse", "Soul Fiesta", "Make The Funk Jump", "El Loco", "I Dig Rock & Roll Music", "I Ain't Got No Soul Today (What It Is, Y'All)", "Get On Up", "Hypnotizer", "The Sneak", "Poquito Soul", and "Don't Lay Your Funky Trip On Me".

Weird and wild sounds from contemporary Bogota – music that's got a very old school quality at its core, yet which also mixes in plenty of experimentation with the rhythms! Think of this as an old Colombian record with analogue electronics and sound samples – or some other-worldly sounds from the left side of the Peruvian scene – still with plenty of Latin elements at the core, especially in the grooves – but done with some really cool keyboards, tape tricks, and other nice bits! Titles include "Fiesta", "Guarach UFO", "Desesperanza", "Salsa Caliente", and "Salsa Del Zombie".

Arguably the best album that Philly Joe Jones ever cut as a leader – and a straight ahead set of soulful hardbop tunes played in the company of an excellent group! The set fits with with some of the super-hip soul jazz sides coming out on Riverside and Jazzland during the late 50s – and the sextet on the album features players who also made their mark for the label, like Julian Priester, Johnny Griffin, and Nat Adderley, who play here with Tommy Flanagan and Jimmy Garrison. The interplay between Garrison and Jones is worth the price of the record alone, and Jimmy pushes Philly into territory that's a bit more sophisticated than his usual groove. Tracks are all pretty long – and titles include "Blues For Dracula", "Ow", "Tune Up", and "Fiesta", written by the great Cal Massey!

A wonderful tribute to Dizzy Gillespie – put together by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval – who can not only claim a big influence from Diz, but a number of past musical partnerships as well! The setting is great – not the simple bop mode that you'd usually get from other Diz tributes – and instead, a rich, vivid painting in jazz – full of thoughtful tones and colors that echo the Gillespie tradition, yet flesh things out into a much more vivid portrait of his spirit and soul! There's definitely a few Latin touches in the rhythms at times, mixed with some great larger horn passages that recall some of Dizzy's work with larger orchestras – yet handled here with a complexity that's more in a 21st Century mode. Gary Burton adds some nice vibes to the record – and other players include Bob Mintzer on tenor, Joe DeFrancesco on Hammond, and Shelly Berg on piano. Titles include "And Then She Stopped", "Birk's Works Ala Mancini", "Things To Come", "Con Alma With Soul", "Fiesta Mojo", and "Algu Bueno".

The great second album from Ghana's K. Frimpong – backed by the group Vis-a-Vis (though billed in the title as his Cubano Fiestas) – a stunning blend of Ghanian Highlife music and rawer Afro Funk & soul! A few K. Frimpong numbers appeared on some of our favorite African compilations of the late 90s & 00s – but this original album from 1977 has remained rare. K. Frimpong sings and he's backed up by the fairly large Vis-A-Vis players, but they deliver a pretty tight groove – drums, congas and other percussion, trumpet and sax, some really soulful electric guitar, some piano, and occasional waves of spacey synth. Amazing stuff! Includes "Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena", "Asaase Yi So", "Awisa" and the side-long "Adama Nana (Medley)".

The great K Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas self-titled set from 1976 – trailblazing work that helped cement Frimpong's legend! The singer is backed on it by the group Vis-a-Vis, as he would be on the equally great and similarly titled album from the following year, appearing as his Cubano Fiestas. The opening track, "Kyenkyen Bi Adi M'Awu" is positively revelatory, and pretty much the starting point for Frimpong discovery and fandom for many of us. Just for that, the full album can be considered something of a lost treasure, so it's wonderful to be able to say that it's just as great from beginning-to-end! Soul shaking lead and chorus vocals, funky drums and keyboards, feverish rhythms, guitar, percussion, sax and some flute. Other tracks include "Gyae Mensu", "Yaw Barimah", "Susu Ne Won Nka", "Baabi A Obi Awuo", "Afe Nkyere Ba", "Obi Nnim" and "Koforidua Nsuo".

Incredible late work from the great West African dance band Vis-A-Vis – a brilliant set from 1977 that demonstrates good and well why the band were so greatly in demand both live and in the studio! The group had spent quite a bit of time backing the great Ghanaian singer K. Frimpong in the mid-to-late 70s, sometimes billed as the Cubano Fiestas, but as you're hear on this great set, they're just as great out on their own. They show a pretty amazing range – with a raw, yet dexterous African funk sound on some numbers and the entwining melodies of high life on others. The 12-piece group features a trio of vocalists led by "Superstar" Isaac Yeboah, plus Anthony Yeboah and Ayim Bediako, with Sammy Cropper on guitar, Slim Mau on bass, drummer Gybson "Shaolin Kung-Fu" Papra, George Asante on conga, Tonny Dozis on keys and synth, Kofi Abrokwaa on tenor sax, Paul Winter on trumpet, Daniel Asare on maracas and Alex Jubin on cowbells. Includes "Obi Agye Me Dofo", "Kankyema", "Gyae Su", "Gladys Mmbobor" and "Susan Suo".

This series keeps on getting better and better – and this fourth installment may well be the best illustration to date of the birth of soul music! As hinted by the title, the collection features tracks from the late 50s and early 60s that marked a key transition from earlier R&B and blues into soul music – work that pulled a bit more strongly from the church than some of its predecessors, and which also put over a groove that was a bit more sophisticated, sometimes a bit more polished – all to set the stage for the huge soul music explosion to come later in the 60s! A number of the artists here are familiar from R&B years, but they're represented by tracks that show a real change in their styles – and others are known from later successes, but stand out here with early work that's a lot more formative – making them a perfect choice for the collection. CD features 24 tracks in all – including "Come On & Stomp" by Marv Johnson, "Lil Valley" by The MMs & The Peanuts, "Bossa Nova Baby" by Tippie & The Clovers, "Irresistible You" by Bobby Peterson, "Take Your Heart" by Betty Willis, "Puff" by Kenny Lynch, "Jack Be Nimble" by The Intruders, "A Clock That's Got No Hands" by Della Reese, "I Came Running" by Wade Flemons, "You'd Be Crying Too" by The Matadors, "The Gypsy Said" by The Fiestas, "Please Don't Cry Anymore" by Ketty Lester, "Pretty Little Girl Next Door" by Bobby Day, and "Trouble I've Had" by Clarence Ashe.

A classic compilation of "oldies", put together back in the day when most of the tunes were only a few years old! The compilation was done by Chess in conjunction with Chicago pop powerhouse station WLS – and it's got a great goofy photo on the front that features all of the young rock DJs at LS in front of a large silver dollar! Titles include "But I Do" by Clarence Henry, "So Fine" by The Fiestas, "A Thousand Stars" by Kathy Young, "Money" by Barrett Strong, "Tonight I Fell In Love" by The Tokens, and "Oh Julie" by The Crescendos.

A great side of southern soul that almost never gets its due – work from the mighty Malaco studios in Jackson, Miss – arguably the 3rd great source of southern soul after Memphis and Muscle Shoals! This package goes farther than even the first great set on the Grapevine label – as it pulls together overlooked singles and album tracks from Malaco's first big run in the 70s, plus other previously unissued tracks from the same time, and even a few more recent numbers that show that the sound of southern soul is still alive and doing extremely well! The set features a total of 21 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Can Stand A Little Bit More" by Anita Robbins, "Never Been In Love Before" by CP Love, "You've Got Me" by Right Combination, "So Glad You Happened To Me" by George Soule, "Please Give Your Love To Me" by Chad, "Is That Long Enough For You" by The Fiestas, "Give Me Your Love" by GC Cameron, "I'm So Glad" by Mel Waiters, "I Better Walk Away" by Vick Allen, "Illogical Impossible" by Carol Bell, and "Phenomenon" by Antoinique.

The great second album from Ghana's K. Frimpong – backed by the group Vis-a-Vis (though billed in the title as his Cubano Fiestas) – a stunning blend of Ghanian Highlife music and rawer Afro Funk & soul! A few K. Frimpong numbers appeared on some of our favorite African compilations of the late 90s & 00s – but this original album from 1977 has remained rare. K. Frimpong sings and he's backed up by the fairly large Vis-A-Vis players, but they deliver a pretty tight groove – drums, congas and other percussion, trumpet and sax, some really soulful electric guitar, some piano, and occasional waves of spacey synth. Amazing stuff! Includes "Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena", "Asaase Yi So", "Awisa" and the side-long "Adama Nana (Medley)".

The great K Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas self-titled set from 1976 – trailblazing work that helped cement Frimpong's legend! The singer is backed on it by the group Vis-a-Vis, as he would be on the equally great and similarly titled album from the following year, appearing as his Cubano Fiestas. The opening track, "Kyenkyen Bi Adi M'Awu" is positively revelatory, and pretty much the starting point for Frimpong discovery and fandom for many of us. Just for that, the full album can be considered something of a lost treasure, so it's wonderful to be able to say that it's just as great from beginning-to-end! Soul shaking lead and chorus vocals, funky drums and keyboards, feverish rhythms, guitar, percussion, sax and some flute. Other tracks include "Gyae Mensu", "Yaw Barimah", "Susu Ne Won Nka", "Baabi A Obi Awuo", "Afe Nkyere Ba", "Obi Nnim" and "Koforidua Nsuo".