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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!

Great stuff – and a very sharp album cut by Willie during the Latin soul era, featuring a bunch of tracks that veers 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 seminal bit of Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the early 70s – the second album from Malo, and an even harder-hitting jam session than the first! The group are really in top form here – taking off with Santana-inspired riffs that are filled with heavy percussion, soaring organ, and guitar from Carlos' brother Jorge – all matched by some incredible horn work from trumpeter Forrest Bachtel and a young Hadley Caliman – sounding especially great here before his solo years as a jazz artist! The legendary Francisco Aguabella is on conga, and tracks include "Momolombo", "Oye Mama", "I'm For Real", "Midnight Thoughts", "Hela", and "Latin Bugaloo".

Wonderful 70s Latin soul from the legendary Bay Area combo that included Jorge Santana, Luis Gasca, and Coke Escovedo! This first album's a masterpiece in the California Latin Soul style – a sweet blend of Latin, jazz, funk, and rock that took up where the New York groups left off at the end of the 60s. The tracks are all pretty long – with some extremely tight instrumental playing, and plenty of room for long jamming solos. But the best part is the vocals – sung by Arcelio Garcia Jr, with a sweet style that's totally excellent. You probably already know that if you've heard the band's big hit "Suavecito", which is included here in a longer version than the original single – but you'll also hear that on the tracks "Café", "Pana", and "Peace".

An album that definitely lives up to its title – as congolero Francisco Aguabella comes on hard, hitting strong throughout – and serving up a wicked blend of Latin, funk, and soul! The mid 70s set is a standout recording from Aguabella – done after he left the group Malo, and one of the best west coast takes on the modes that scene was changing up from New York at the time – really transforming the sound of contemporary Latin with a trans-genre vibe that was easily some of the most revolutionary music of the period. Rhythms are acoustic, but there's a nice dose of electric energy too, thanks to some sweet keyboards. Some cuts have English vocals, others are instrumental – and titles include "Hitting Hard", "I Wanna Know", "Cisco", "Image of a Star" and a nice version of Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte".

Lost Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and an album that may well blow away better-known work by groups like Malo, Azteca, or El Chicano! The album's near-perfect right from the start – and brings in plenty of New York elements to the groove, thanks to the inclusion of a heady amount of jazz alongside the soul, Latin, and funk elements in the grooves! The legendary Teo Macero produced and arranged – and really takes a lot of care in the studio to focus the overall energy of the tremendous talents on the record – players who include Hadley Caliman on flute and tenor, Steve Marcus on soprano sax, Benny Velarde on timbales, and Francisco Aguabella on congas – plus the trio of Cesar, Mark Levine, and Merl Sanders on keyboards. Most numbers have this really full, flowing groove – jazzy, but with a strong emphasis on the rhythms – and often touched with some great work on guitar that echoes the Santana-inspired sound of the generation, yet never in a rock way at all. Linda Tillery sings vocals on a few numbers, but the main focus is definitely instrumental – and the whole album's great – with cuts that include "See Saw Affair", "Azucar", "Descarga", "The Devil & Montezuma", "Gotta Get Away", and "Bridges".

Classic work from Willie Colon – the "payoff" of his youthful hoodlum routine, and a hard-hitting batch of salsa tunes pulled from earlier records – all in a package that defines his groove of the 70s! Hector LaVoe's on vocals with Willie's group – and he's also standing with Willie on the cover, a nice image that has the two of them dressed as big-time gangsters, standing next to a Rolls Royce! (Wonder what it cost them to rent that for the cover shoot?) But more important than Willie's perpetuation of himself as the bad boy of Latin music, is the overall sound of the record – fierce salsa, with a really strong approach that's as bold and proud as the image which supports it. Solid all the way through, and tracks include "El Malo", "Jazzy", "El Titan", and "Che Che Cole", a nice groover.

A thick, photo heavy book dedicated to the greats of Latin rock – from the creative firestorm that burst from the 60s San Franisco Haight scene, up to Santana's surprise commercial juggernaut Supernatural in the late 90s. The book goes far deeper Santana, though, with reminiscences from a number of pivotal figures, and reintroduction to greats such as Malo, Azteca and many more, plus the funkier side of things with Mandrill and others. Definitely not an academic tome, either, this is a visual feast for both fans and neophytes. Large, kind of coffee table style paperback, beautifully illustrated with tons of amazing photographs (black & white). Forward by Carlos Santana.

A stone 70s classic from Carlos Santana's lesser-known brother – a set that effortlessly brings together Latin and soul, often with the same sort of vibe as the Coke Escovedo records on Mercury from the same time! Jorge plays guitar, but lead vocals are from Richard Bean (of Malo and Sapo fame) – often in a sweetly crackling style that's kind of a smoother 70s update of Latin Soul modes from a few years before. Tunes are all lively, with nice hooks – never too uptempo, and carried off with a jazzy edge on most numbers. Titles include "Sandy", "Seychells", "Nobody's Perfect", "Love The Way", "We Were There", and "Tonight You're Mine".

A crowning moment for the west coast Latin scene in the 70s – a wonderful Bay Area set that brings together some of the best talents working on that scene at the time! The set's got a great blend of modes – Latin soul, touches of funk, and plenty of the jazzy inflections you'd expect from a lineup that includes Coke Escovedo on timbales, Paul Jackson on bass, Lenny White on drums, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, Tom Harrell on trumpet, and Victor Pantoja on congas! Vocals are by Pete Escovedo – who brings in a heady soulful sound to the set – and the vibe is a bit like work by Malo or El Chicano, but even more jazz-based overall! Titles include "Peace Everybody", "Empty Prophet", "Can't Take The Funk Out Of Me", "Azteca", "Ah! Ah!", and "Mamita Linda". CD features two bonus tracks – single versions of "Mamita Linda" and "Ain't Got No Special Woman".

Sweet Latin grooves from Bronx River Parkway – two great numbers back to back! "Aqua Con Sal" has a soulful stepping bassline at the bottom – one that sets the groove with almost a bit of early 70s west coast Latin – in contrast to the more New York-sounding horns on the top! Vocals are held to a minimum, and the cut's also got a nice percussion bit in the middle! "Me Toca" is nice and mellow too – slowly snapping timbales, bits of bass and keyboards, and a Malo-styled soulful vocal in Spanish!

Wonderful warm Latin grooves from the west coast scene of the 70s! After the burst of New York Latin soul in the late 60s, the west coast groups answered with their own sound in the next decade – a blend of Latin, funk, jazz, and soul – played mostly by Chicano groups in LA, San Francisco, and other points west – a sublime blend of bass, keyboards, congas, and right-on vocals! The set is a fantastic collection of work in this tradition – featuring some of the best tunes by some of the movement's more famous acts, plus a few rarer numbers from left field that complement the set nicely. Titles include "Mazatlan" by Azteca, "Sabroso" by Malon, "Fried Neck Bones & Home Fries" by Coke Escovedo, "Rompe Con Todo" by Caceres, "Ritmo Del Corazon" by Sapo, "Maz Zacate" by El Chicano, "Caminando" by Chango, "Sibu Sibu" by Massada, and "Latin Boogaloo" by Malo.

One of the most compelling albums we've ever heard from Jimi Tenor – and that's saying a lot, given the rich body of music he's given us over the past decade or two! This set mixes the cosmic spiritualism of Jimi's Kabu Kabu sessions with an even earthier, almost ethnographic element – one that comes no doubt from the percussion of Abdissa Assefa, whose working with Jimi here in a relatively spare setting – yet one that's got complex layers of sound filtered down underneath – odd electronics, earthy instrumentation, and other unusual elements – all wrapped gently into a rough tapestry of music. Titles include "Medea", "Fully Charged", "Ouroboros", "Mitaliruno", "Malo E Lelei", and "Nuditas Virtualis". Plus, Nicole Willis guests on the tune "Leatheries"!

A righteous bit of soul – one of the only non-jazz albums we've seen on the Muse label, and a really great session that reminds us of work by Alice Clark and Esther Marrow – two other overlooked 70s soul singers who also recorded for jazz labels! Rickie's got a deep soul approach to the vocals that's nicely inflected with jazzy work by players that include Tom Malone, Kalaparusha, Buddy Terry, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – the last of whom arranged and conducted the backings, and gives the album a full-on and progressive feel. Rickie's vocals have lots of nice gentle tones, making for some sweet little numbers that sparkle nicely – titles that include "Baby Won't You Stay", "To Be Needed", "In A Little While", "At The Clinic", "What Could It Be", and "I Won't See Yesterday".

Great work from Ron Carter's Golden Striker trio – a group with a really unique sound that comes from the careful balance of Carter's bass, Mulgrew Miller's piano, and Russell Malone's guitar! All three players have just the right amount of individuality and maturity to work together perfectly on the set – creating interplay that really makes you feel as if the trio belongs to no core musician – and instead is one of those rare moments then the three pointed star really shines equally brightly from all corners! Miller's piano is wonderfully restrained at points, yet still full of feeling – and titles include "Candle Light", "Saudade", "Samba De Orpheu", "The Golden Striker", and "My Funny Valentine". Also features a bonus DVD – with one extra song, "Laverne Walk" – and a DVD audio sampler of other releases.

Gil plays Jimi? Sounds like a gimmick, but it comes off pretty darn great – and it helps you forgive him for trying to convince the kids that he's not as old as his grey hair might make you think! As always with Evans, the key to the album is a beautiful balance between the strength of the players and vision of the arrangements – a hip mix of musicians who include Billy Harper on tenor and flute, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, and both Ryo Kawasaki and John Abercrombie on guitars! Arrangements are great too – handled by Tom Malone, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – all of whom make the album way more than just an instrumental reading of Jimi Hendrix tunes – and instead a great platform for improvisation that uses tunes that include "Up From The Skies", "Foxy Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "Voodoo Chile", "Angel", "Crosstown Traffic", and "Castles Made of Sand".

Frank Zappa live in the 70s – working with a surprisingly hip large ensemble, with all the sharp changes and unusual moments of his classic studio albums! Like some of Zappa's other concert performances, there's an approach that steps a few years back – clearly to please the group coming to hear their favorites, but in a way that also offers up a nice sharpening-up of the music too – especially given that the whole thing's happening live on stage! There's some great jazz help here – horns from The Brecker Brothers, Lou Marini, Ronnie Cuber, and Tom Malone – plus wonderful vibes from Dave Samuels and keyboards from Eddie Jobson – and even a bit of narration from Don Pardo. Titles include "I'm The Slime", "Titties & Beer", "Cruisin For Burgers", "The Illinois Enema Bandit", "Punky's Whips", "Big Leg Emma", and "Sofa".

Nothing rough here – as the set's one of the smoothest we've ever heard in this legendary series – a tight collection of vintage tracks that really serve up an African take on the sound of American disco! Rhythms are tight and quick, but the overall approach is still very much in the best spirit of the 70s Afro Funk generation – lots of live percussion keeping things kicking, tight instrumental solos on keyboards and guitar, and mighty soulful vocals all around! Titles include "Dance The Body Music" by Osibisa, "Brand New Wayo" by Mixed Grill, "Kazet" by Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens, "Be Africa" by Bibi Tanga & The Selenites, and "Oh Yeh Soweto" by Teaspoon & The Waves. Also features a bonus CD – vintage takes on the work of Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, James Brown, Otis Redding, and others – all transformed into a soukous style by Vincent Nguini & Maloko!

Tripped-out sounds from the 60s and 70s, plus a few key contemporary cuts too – all a great way of serving up the sound of Latin music at its trippiest! New York Latin acts borrowed plenty from psychedelia early on – and the groove kept growing and changing as it made its way down the South American scene – then back up to the US in recent years, where crate diggers and record collectors have come up with a whole new variant on the sound! This smoking selection of tracks is put together by Pablo Yglesias – who's given us some great sets in recent years – and titles include "Pastel En Descarga" by Juan Pablo Torres, "Piratas En El Titicaca" by Conjunto El Opio, "Drink Or Two" by Wild Wind, "Olivdalo" by Brownout, "Cloud Nine" by Johnny Rivera, "Tomalo O Dejalo" by Los Pakines, and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba. Also features a bonus CD – rare work from Peruvian combo Los Destellos from the late 60s and early 70s – 13 more tracks that include "El Electrico", "El Campesino", "Noche De Garua", "Tu Jugaste", "La Cumbia Del Sol", and "Volando Alto".

Another incredible batch of soulful disco – a set curated by legendary DJs/groove junkies Joey Negro and Sean P! Joey and Sean previously served as the architects of BBE's stellar Disco Spectrum series – and they've brought their A-game over to Z Records from what we can only hope will be another long-living series! The set skews to the obscure numbers – applying the disco tag liberally, really focusing on tight, punchy string-laden soul numbers – mostly from the tail end of the 70s and even spilling into the early 80s for a few numbers! It's that incredible period with Curtom and Stax influenced soul, funky drums and percussion, groovy early fusion, first school hip hop and the deeper dance music of the era melded into pure magic! 23 tracks on 2CDs, featuring a handful of Joey Negro re-edits for consistency! Titles include "Got To Keep On Trying (Joey Negro re-edit)" by Tenderness. "Ebonite (Joey Negro re-edit) " by Disco Fox, "La Sunshine" by Aura, "Changes" by Chain Reaction, "You Got Me Hung Up" by King Tut, "Happy" by Sandi Havens, "Kilimanjaro" by Letta Mbulu, "Manhattan" by Laura Greene, "My Chance To Dance" by Mahogany, "Love Message" by Sargeant & Malone and more!

An excellent collection of funky tracks from South Africa – most of them with a slightly different feel than work you'd get on other Afro Funk compilations – and we mean that in a good way, too! Some of the artists are names you'd recognize from later recordings of the big South African crossover years of the 80s and 90s – but they're represented here by harder, edgier cuts from the early days – and mixed up with some more obscure acts, too – which really helps bring a freshness to the set, especially given the interweaving of genres that goes on – as you might guess from the extended sub-title of the CD! Titles include "Sangoma" by Malombo, "Oh Yeh Soweto" by Teaspoon & The Waves, "Intombi Ibhinca Isidwaba" by Phuzushukela, "Kikzelani" by Nelcy Sedibe, "Hula Hoop Jive" by Kataki, "Andromeda" by Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath, "Malume" by Abafakasi, "Baloyi" by Dudu Pukwana & Spear, "Lily's Express" by Gwigwi Mrwebi, "Wozan Mahipi" by Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens, and "Bayeza" by Soul Brothers.

Tracks by Vivian Green, Goapele, Joe McDuphrey, Lizz Fields, Jay Z, Common Thread, Urban Ave 31, India Arie, Venus Malone, Detroit Experiment, Floetry, Little Brother, Angela Johnson, Fertile Ground, Jazzanova, Donnie, Common, Blaze, and Peven Everett. 35 tracks in all!!

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 2 – 2LP version features 17 tracks that include "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.

The world needs changing – and plenty of these tunes may well do it – thanks to infectious grooves and some very righteous message-oriented lyrics! The set's a great document of the positive, progressive energy going down in soul music during the heady days of the late 60s and early 70s – a time when the country was changing heavily, and the music was as well – moving into new styles, themes, and ideas – expressed here by a hip batch of cats who were working on some of the best indie labels of the underground! This set offers up a great mix of cool cuts from a variety of sources – a few gems from the Flying Dutchman label, some other obscure 45s, and even a few southern soul numbers that fit surprisingly well with the northern vibe of most of these numbers. Titles include "Walk Tall" by Esther Marrow, "Get Ready/Uptight" by Little Eva Harris, "All Power To The People (part 1)" by Joe Savage & The Soul People, "Soul Patrol" by The Original Soul Patrol, "Do It (inst)" by Johnny Griffith, "The World Needs Changin" by Hank Jacobs & Don Malone, "Sea Saw Affair" by Cesar 830, "Love Tones" by Melvin Sparks, "That's The Way It Goes" by Elaine Armstrong, "This Is The Me Me" by Brenda Jones with Groove Holmes, "Sissy Strut N American Woman" by The Willard Posey Reunion, and "Rudypoot" by Huck & The Soul Patrol.

Another incredible batch of soulful disco – a set curated by legendary DJs/groove junkies Joey Negro and Sean P! Joey and Sean previously served as the architects of BBE's stellar Disco Spectrum series – and they've brought their A-game over to Z Records from what we can only hope will be another long-living series! The set skews to the obscure numbers – applying the disco tag liberally, really focusing on tight, punchy string-laden soul numbers – mostly from the tail end of the 70s and even spilling into the early 80s for a few numbers! It's that incredible period with Curtom and Stax influenced soul, funky drums and percussion, groovy early fusion, first school hip hop and the deeper dance music of the era melded into pure magic! 23 tracks on 2CDs, featuring a handful of Joey Negro re-edits for consistency! Titles include "Got To Keep On Trying (Joey Negro re-edit)" by Tenderness. "Ebonite (Joey Negro re-edit) " by Disco Fox, "La Sunshine" by Aura, "Changes" by Chain Reaction, "You Got Me Hung Up" by King Tut, "Happy" by Sandi Havens, "Kilimanjaro" by Letta Mbulu, "Manhattan" by Laura Greene, "My Chance To Dance" by Mahogany, "Love Message" by Sargeant & Malone and more!

A killer little soundtrack – and one that's quite different than the usual blacksploitation set, but still pretty funky overall! The film Black Girl was a surprisingly sensitive movie directed by Ossie Davis in the early 70s – not as much about action as it was about the everyday life, and the hopes and dreams of the lead characters – all of which made for some really well-rounded music, of the sort you'd find on some of the other great Fantasy Records soundtracks of the time, especially the classic Cornbread Earl & Me score. Ed Bogas and Ray Shanklin put together the whole thing, and the album's a mix of hip instrumental tracks with some other vocal ones – a really nice range that draws from singers like Betty Everett, Rodger Collins, and JJ Malone – and jazz players like Sonny Stitt and John Hunt (plus organ from Merl Saunders on one cut.) Titles include "BJ's Step", "Black Girl", "Sister", "Earl (Still A Pearl)", "Mothers Day Song", "Power", "Get Me To The Bridge", "Chock-lite Puddin", and "Black Girl Cue".

Gil plays Jimi? Sounds like a gimmick, but it comes off pretty darn great – and it helps you forgive him for trying to convince the kids that he's not as old as his grey hair might make you think! As always with Evans, the key to the album is a beautiful balance between the strength of the players and vision of the arrangements – a hip mix of musicians who include Billy Harper on tenor and flute, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, and both Ryo Kawasaki and John Abercrombie on guitars! Arrangements are great too – handled by Tom Malone, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – all of whom make the album way more than just an instrumental reading of Jimi Hendrix tunes – and instead a great platform for improvisation that uses tunes that include "Up From The Skies", "Foxy Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "Voodoo Chile", "Angel", "Crosstown Traffic", and "Castles Made of Sand". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes, too!