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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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

"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... read more

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... read more

Fantastic stuff from Ray Barretto – and one of his most sophisticated albums of the 70s! The album mixes together rootsy percussion and smoother jazzy arrangements – in a manner that keeps things fresh at all points, and which shifts the focus nicely from track to track –... read more

A great album of salsa tracks recorded at the end of the 70s – when Ray was returning to the scene after a prolonged hand injury kept him out of music for a while. Despite this time off, though, Ray's in top top form – coming back to basics with a really heavy groove, picking up right... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

A really top-shelf album from Justo Betancourt – a perfect illustration of the power of his vocals at their height! The set's got a really classic 70s salsa feel – a horn-heavy groove that almost effortlessly flows from a combo of strong players, topped by majestic vocals from Justo... read more

An amazing achievement for Ruben Blades – a full suite of tracks conceived and composed by Ruben as a "disco drama" on wax! The work isn't the disco-styled album you might think from this description – and is more of a mini-opera or concept album by Blades, one that features... read more

A landmark record that should be in any Latin collection! At the time of this album, Johnny Colon was a young trombonist just getting his start – working in the turbulent late 60s Spanish Harlem scene, and picking up on the wide range of styles going down in the hood. At one level, he was a... read more

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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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

Wild early work from Willie Colon – a record that's equally poised between the Latin Soul and later salsa era, and which features great lead vocals from Hector Lavoe! The album's got some very strong tracks that percolate in Willie's dark trombone-led groove – like the mighty 7 minute... read more

Brilliant early work from a young Willie Colon – a true hustler if there ever was one! The album has an amazing energy that really bridges a number of Latin scenes – it's part descarga jamming, part Latin soul, and part traditional Latin – put together with a no-nonsense approach... read more

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... read more

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... read more

Willie Colon helps Ismael Miranda get a new sense of energy in his music – backing the vocalist here with a tight set of salsa backings that are every bit the best Colon sound of the late 70s! The arrangers here are varied – and include Luis Cruz, Marty Sheller, and Luis Garcia –... read more

A classic collection of grooves from the legendary Cortijo – most of which feature lead vocals from Ismael Rivera – mixed with a few other great tracks from later years too! Cortijo's combo was one of the leading lights of the pre-salsa scene – and his firey percussion really... read more

A classic collection of grooves from the legendary Cortijo – most of which feature lead vocals from Ismael Rivera – mixed with a few other great tracks from later years too! Cortijo's combo was one of the leading lights of the pre-salsa scene – and his firey percussion really... read more

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... read more

A landmark moment in the New York scene of the 70s – and a mindblowing document of the energy and lifestyle of the city's growing Latin scene at the time! The film combines live performances from the legendary Cheetah nightclub with amazing street footage – woven together in a rich... read more

A cheesy cover, but a killer album from the Fania All-Stars – one that's quite different than most of their other work at the time, with an open-ended jam session feel that really takes us back to the old days! The group here is really just a sextet – the core combo used to launch the... read more

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 –... read more

A stellar box set of live Fania All Stars – recorded around the world and spanning the decades – on 4CDs that organize sets recorded Live In NYC, Live From El Barrio To San Juan, Live Around The World and a bonus for 4th disc of Studio Recordings – Three Decades! Includes tracks... read more

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... read more

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 –... read more

By the mid 70s, the New York Latin scene was boomin' so large it could easily fill venues like Yankee Stadium – as you'll hear on this excellent live set from the Fania All-Stars, a monster record that easily ranks with the best live Latin sides of the time – like Eddie Palmieri at Sing... read more

A key 70s moment of pride for the New York Latin scene – and one of a number of crucial live sets cut by the legendary Fania All Stars! The group were invited to play a three day music festival in Zaire in 1974 – timed to coincide with the Rumble In The Jungle Ali/Foreman fight –... read more

A landmark moment in the New York scene of the 70s – and a mindblowing document of the energy and lifestyle of the city's growing Latin scene at the time! The film combines live performances from the legendary Cheetah nightclub with amazing street footage – woven together in a rich... read more

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... read more

A killer of a mid 70s album from Hector Lavoe – recording here as a solo act after his split from the Willie Colon group, but still with strong backings and musical supervision from Willie himself! The style here is very similar to the last few albums Lavoe recorded with Colon – a... read more

A killer of a mid 70s album from Hector Lavoe – recording here as a solo act after his split from the Willie Colon group, but still with strong backings and musical supervision from Willie himself! The style here is very similar to the last few albums Lavoe recorded with Colon – a... read more

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A classic bit of 70s salsa gold from vocalist Hector Lavoe – a record done in close collaboration with Willie Colon, with whom Lavoe had worked on a great run of albums during the late 60s and early 70s! The set's got a slightly warmer and more straightforward feel than some of Willie's... read more

A classic bit of 70s salsa gold from vocalist Hector Lavoe – a record done in close collaboration with Willie Colon, with whom Lavoe had worked on a great run of albums during the late 60s and early 70s! The set's got a slightly warmer and more straightforward feel than some of Willie's... read more

A tribute to the famous romantic singer Felipe Pierela – once known as the Bolero Star Of The Americas! Given Hector LaVoe's warmth and charisma at the time, he was a perfect choice for such a project – and working here with producer Willie Colon, Hector steps into an older mode of... read more

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... read more

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"Corazon" is an excellent Latin groover, with a great Nu Yorica sound! The tune's a cover of a Carol King song – which might make it an unlikely candidate for the groove-worthy – but it's done here with some really snapping rhythms that have a tight 70s Latin funk feel –... read more

Ostensibly the first album to feature Graciela as a lead act – but a set that still features the vocalist working with the band of her brother Machito, in which she'd risen to fame since the 40s! The sound here is perhaps a bit more focused on the vocals than some of the pair's previous... read more

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... read more

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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... read 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... read more

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... read more

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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... read more

Beautiful falsetto soul from the great Ralfi Pagan – one of the most enduring singers of the Latin Soul era! Unlike some of his contemporaries, who were a bit rough-hewn in their style – Ralfi had a wonderful voice, and he sung in a mode that placed him right up there with some of the... read more

A 70s masterpiece from Eddie Palmieri – a brilliant set of Latin tracks with a modern jazz edge that's really astounding! From the first note of the record, Eddie's piano makes a bold statement of difference – edging into the rest of the group with slight modern touches, and a slightly... read more

Brilliant 70s work by Eddie Palmieri – easily one of his greatest records of the decade! The album features Eddie really showing off his jazz chops on a number of longer tracks – tunes that bring together some of the spirit forged during the Harlem River Drive era, with some of the... read more

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... read more

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. ... read more

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The front image here isn't really one you'd want to put in a book of Latin Record cover art – but the record's another strong one from the time from Ricardo Ray & Bobby Cruz – a continuation of their blend of salsa rhythms and spiritual themes – quite unique for any artists of... read more

One of the real standouts in the career of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz – a record of incredible tightness, and one that set a whole new level for Puerto Rican salsa in the 70s! There's still a few traces here of the Latin Soul years – sometimes in the rhythms, at other times in the... read more

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Very soulful work from singer Ismael Rivera – working here with some sharp arrangements by Javier Vazquez, in a groove that's totally great! As with other Vaya sessions of the time, there's a strong undercurrent of tradition in the rhythms – a return to Latin roots at the height of the... read more

A classic Mongo Santamaria record from the late 70's – one of the best of his albums for Vaya, filled with nice electric-tinged grooves, and some great work in the Latin fusion mode! The sound's different from his 60's recordings, with more of a jazzy vibe, and a sound that's a little bit... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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The third LP from supremo salsa combo Sonora Poncena under Papo Lucca's direction and a wonderful early production effort from the great Larry Harlow, to boot! Algo De Locura is a great record that's been overlooked for decades and it sounds as great to us as their earlier couple of albums –... read more

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,... read more

Bobby Valentin was certainly the king of the bass by the time of this record – and a player who'd helped bring the electric instrument from its strong 60s use in Latin Soul to one of the key components in salsa rhythms of the 70s! The set follows very strongly in bold sound of Valentin's... read more

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... read more

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... read more

A very different side of the sound of Fania Records – tracks that draw heavily from the club and disco rhythms of the New York scene of the 70s, but serve up the music with a sweet little Latin twist! The set really illustrates the evolution of Latin Soul from the 60s – showing a... read more

Heavy funk with a Latin groove – a wonderful mixing of modes that's completely fresh and unique! The set follows nicely off other El Barrio explorations of late 60s Latin Soul, and traces the groove that emerged in its wake – a blending of hipper funky styles in the 70s with some of... read more

A killer batch of boogaloo and Latin Soul – and a set that even features 2 unissued gems from the vaults of Fania Records! As with the previous entry in this series, the sound here is plenty darn soulful throughout – lyrics that are often in English, and rhythms that borrow heavily... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more

A heavy-hitting batch of salsa from the legendary Fania Records catalog – and a collection that's almost more on fire than the first volume in the series! As before, the tracks here showcase the best sounds of New York's glory days for Latin music – that point in the 70s when the scene... read more

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... read more

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... read more

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... read more