Fania, 1982. Very Good+
A compelling later collaboration between Willie Colon and Ruben Blades – recorded as the soundtrack for a film that starred Blades as a boxer and Colon as his shady manager! The music's much better than the movie, though – and represents a mature meeting of these two talents from the
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Fania, 1981. Very Good+
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Pimienta, 2002. Used
Trombonist Juan Pablo Torres is consistently putting out some of the best Latin jazz these days – and this excellent album is complete proof of that fact! The set features Torres working with an all-star cast that includes Arturo Sandoval, Chucho Valdes, Steve Turre, and others –
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Multinational, Mid 70s. New Copy
Plenty burning here – a smoking set of 70s salsa from Raphy Leavitt – one of the key figures of the Latin underground at the time! The album's got a righteous feel right from the start – thanks to the percussive overtones of "Voces Del Africa" – a great way to
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Gema/Disco Hit, Early 70s. New Copy
It's always a treat to hear from the team of Kako and Totico – and this album's no exception! The pair have a way of coming up with lively interplay right from the start – the energy that would formerly build over time in Kako's early jam session records, nicely brought to the
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Tania, 1985. New Copy
A killer jam session from the 80s – a surprisingly great record from a decade in which we didn't hear much from Cachao – which makes this set even more essential! All the best elements of Cachao's early descarga modes are in place – but there's also a richer Latin jazz vibe too
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Secret Stash, Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy
Killer cuts from the glory days of the Latin Soul scene – and a really nice little set that goes way beyond other collections of this nature! All tunes are hard-burning Latin groovers, with plenty of jazz in the instrumentation, and lots of soul in the vocals – but what really makes
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Hit Parade/Disco Hit, Late 60s. New Copy
A pretty darn obscure one – with a wild cover, wild title, and a goofy looking bandleader who definitely had a great sense of humor! Pijuan leads the group, sings, and plays organ – and the record's a weird mix of groovy 60s pop, shing-a-ling/boogaloo tracks, and other Latin groovers.
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Nascente (UK), Late 60s/1970s/1980s. New Copy 2CD
A wicked dip into Colombian music – focused around the work of two true giants of the scene! CD1 features 21 massive tracks from Fruko – one of the hardest-hitting artists working in Colombia in the 70s – often in a sound that starts out in New York salsa, but takes all these
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Vaya, 1974. Very Good Gatefold
One of the many great recordings that Celia and Johnny cut together during the 70s – in a really great combination that had her soulful vocals giving a new injection of energy to the Pacheco sound of the time! The result was a great blend of new styles and respectful traditionalism –
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Fania, 1981. Very Good Gatefold
A brilliant new move for Willie Colon – a set that goes even further than his mid 70s classics with Ruben Blades, and pushes Willie into a Pan-American consciousness carried off with ambitious musical vision! The sound is still salsa at the core, but Willie's also brought in bits of other
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Fania, 1974. Very Good Gatefold
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
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Disco Hit, Mid 60s. New Copy
A rare early Latin session from Charles Fox – an artist who's best known for his TV and film soundtrack work of the 70s – but who really cooks nicely on this sweet 60s set! The album's got an all-star crew – including flute from Johnny Pacheco, and rhythms from Louie Ramirez
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Borinquen, 1974. New Copy
Smoking salsa, but with a heartbreaking undercurrent – thanks to the vocals in the set! The grooves are already great – raw, youthful 70s material, played by a group who are clearly excited to be stepping out into fresh territory – but when the vocals come into the mix, things
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Antilla, Early 60s. New Copy
Great instrumental grooves from Fajardo – played with a group that's a bit fuller than the usual charanga, but which keeps things lean and tight throughout! Fajardo's flute is at the lead of all tracks – played with a style that's quite sharp, even when sweet – this edge that
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Antilla, Early 60s. New Copy
Amazing flute work from the legendary Fajardo – a player who was right up there with Pacheco in his pre-percussion years! The set's got a great sharp edge right from the start – a quality that might well come from the production, but which definitely keeps things from ever sounding too
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Tania, 1986. New Copy
A killer set from the legendary Cachao – recorded during some lesser-known years in the 80s, but done with a rich sound that really hearkens back to his Havana roots! Most tracks are instrumental descargas, with a very bass-heavy groove – recorded in a way that really lets you hear
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Rumba, Early 60s. New Copy
Lively pachanga work from the early 60s – one of the cookingest albums we've ever heard from Ruddy Calzado! Instrumentation is in the usual charanga mode from the time, but there's a focus on the rhythms that really drives the album along nicely – the kind of sharp-edge blend that you'd
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Maype, Early 60s. New Copy
Pachanga and plenty more – thanks to a nice blend of rhythms that really make the album sparkle! Instrumentation is heavy on horns, and not the usual mix you might expect from a pachanga album – and the percussion kicks along strongly on most numbers, grooving a good number of tracks
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Disco Hit, Early 70s. New Copy
Kako and Totico do way more than jump start the car with this killer collaboration – and really make the record burn brightly with a classic 70s salsa sound! There's lots of dark twists and turns to the set – not just from the horn parts and the way they roll along the grooves easily
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