Supposedly the end of Willie Colon's early "crime" career – as the title and cover imply that he's finally been brought to trial! Don't worry about Willie being beaten down, though, because the music on the album is every bit as fierce and powerful as ever – and features a number of long tracks that really stretch out in a highly percussive groove! The group's great – with Jose Mangual on bongos, Joe Torres on piano, and Milton Cardona on conga – as well as Hector Lavoe still in the lead on vocals. Titles include "Aguanile", "Pan y Agua", "Seguire Sin Ti", "Timbalero", "Pirana", "Ah Ah O No", "Si La Ves", and "Sonando Despierto". LP, Vinyl record album

A confusing title, but a wonderful little record! The album's as much a Herbie Mann Latin session as it is a record by Johnny Rae – which is probably why the album's titled as such – and the group on the set features Rae on vibes, Herbie on flute, Jack Six on bass, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Bobby Corwin on piano, and Jose Mangual, Patato Valdes, and Victor Pantoja on an assortment of Latin and African percussion. The groove is tremendous – Latinized jazz, but with a real tension between the heavy percussion on the bottom and the ligher flute and vibes on the top – especially on the album's more tribal, African-styled numbers. The "suite" features 7 tracks in all – 5 composed by Herbie ("Sorimao", "Beouin", "Sudan", "Ekunda", "Guinean"), plus a version of Sonny Rollins' "St Thomas", and the track "Jungle Fantasy" by Noro Morales. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sarah Vaughan's first albums of Latin-tinged tracks – showing the roots of her interest in Brazilian music that would develop even more fully into the 70s. The record features a large group arranged and conducted by Frank Foster – with a host of jazz soloists, plus Latin percussion by the likes of Willie Bobo, Jose Mangual, and Willie Rodriguez. Titles include lively versions of "Jive Samba", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Mr Lucky", "Quiet Nights", and "Moment Of Truth". Tasty stuff – and very groovy! LP, Vinyl record album

Erroll Garner on piano, Ike Isaacs on bass, Jimmie Smith on drums, and Jose Mangual on percussion. CD

Great jazzy work from keyboardist Jorge Dalto – a set that's got a warmer, more acoustic feel than some of his other fusion-based material from the time! Jorge still plays both electric and acoustic keyboards for the date – but the overall format is a lot more stripped down, and strongly rooted in Latin jazz – with great work from Nicky Marrero on timbales, Carlos Patato Valdez on congas, and Art Webb on flute! Adela sings a bit on the record, but things are mostly instrumental – and other guests include Jose Mangual on bongos and Jose Neto on guitar – on titles that include "Killer Joe", "Samba All Day Long", "Ease My Pain", "Skydive", and "La Costa". CD

Magician features Bob Cranshaw on fender and acoustic bass, Grady Tate on percussion, Jose Mangual on congas, Norman Gold on organ and Jackie Williams on tambourine. The second album features Eddie Calhoun on bass, Kelly Martin on drums, and Charles Ike Isaacs on bass. CD

Two nicely offbeat sessions from Erroll Garner – both with some slightly unusual aspects, yet all the great choppy grooves we've always loved in his music! That's My Kick features a cool lineup that's somewhere in territory you might find on Verve or Prestige Records at the time – some nice added percussion at the bottom, thanks to congas from Jose Mangual and Johnny Pacheco – and a cool guitar-accented sound, played by the always-great Wally Richardson! Garner's piano is still very strongly in the lead of the tunes – strutting away with plenty of soul – and titles include "Gaslight", "Nervous Waltz", "More", "Like It Is", "That's My Kick", and "Shadow Of Your Smile". On Gemini, Erroll Garner gets a great added boost – thanks to Jose Mangual Jr, who plays congas on this great date from 1971! The presence of Mangual's congas make the album sound a bit like some of the George Shearing Amigos albums on MPS – a sound that still echoes the older modes of the players, but which has a slightly more contemporary groove – one that's almost slightly funky at points. Titles include "Eldorado", "Something", "Gemini", "How High The Moon", "It Could Happen To You", and "These Foolish Things". CD

Seminal session that was virtually one of the only west coast attempts to replicate the famous "cubop" mix of bebop and Latin that had been evolving over the years in the New York scene. Machito percussionists like Jose Mangual and Ubaldo Nieto join a west coast group that includes alto player Frank Morgan, trumpeter Conte Candoli, pianist Carl Perkins, and other LA boppers. The back of the record proclaims that with the death of Charlie Parker, someone must step in as the new bop genius – and Morgan does a capable job on tracks like "Wippet", "Chooch", "The Champ", and "Bernie's Tune" – and on the record's non-Latin numbers, included here to expand the release to a 12" format. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sarah Vaughan's first albums of Latin-tinged tracks – showing the roots of her interest in Brazilian music that would develop even more fully into the 70s. The record features a large group arranged and conducted by Frank Foster – with a host of jazz soloists, plus Latin percussion by the likes of Willie Bobo, Jose Mangual, and Willie Rodriguez. Titles include lively versions of "Jive Samba", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Mr Lucky", "Quiet Nights", and "Moment Of Truth". Tasty stuff – and very groovy! CD

A great second session of Christmas music from Willie Colon in the 70s – served up with the same warm spirits and earthy energy as the first! As before, Hector Lavoe's on vocals, Yomo Toro plays cuatro, and the group's got a rootsy sort of feel that recalls Willie's excellent Good Band & Ugly album – that rootsy style that Willie Colon used a bit in the mid 70s, after charging things up with his youthful break from tradition at the end of the 60s! The cover has a great image of Santa and his helpers gangstering a car mechanic – and Joe Torres turns out some great piano lines, next to the percussion of Milton Cardona and Jose Mangual. Titles include "Cantemos", "Pescado", "Tranquilidad", "Arbolito", "La Banda" and "Recomendacion". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Dizzy Gillespie's finest Afro-Cuban moments! The material on this album has been issued under a few different titles over the years, but this is the early Afro package – the one that features a beautiful David Stone Martin cover, and a title that really gets at the Latin influences in the material. The centerpiece of the record is a side-long workout on the "Manteca" theme, played by Diz and a group that includes Lucky Thompson, Wade Legge, Charlie Persip, and Jose Mangual – all grooving hard in a sound that virtually defines the term of cubop! The other tracks on the album are great too – versions of "Caravan", "Con Alma", and "Night In Tunisia" – all done in a Latin jazz mode, with some nice flute solos by Gilberto Valdes. And if that's not enough, the reissue features a tiny 5" record sleeve cover – just like the original! CD

Excellent 2LP set that brings together a whole bunch of great Machito sides from the late 40s. This is classic stuff that defined the Latin jazz idiom, and stood as an inspiration to players for years. The group includes Mario Bauza on trumpet, Jose Madera on tenor, Frank Davila on trumpet, Jose Mangual on bongos, and Machito and Graciela on vocals. The set includes 24 tracks, with the titles "Asia Minor", "Jungle Drums", "Donkey Serenade", "Mambo Jambo", "Babalu", and "Gone City". Great stuff, and very hard to find otherwise. LP, Vinyl record album

A rock-solid swinger from the great Carmen McRae – working here in a live setting with a very cool combo! The group's more than just a trio – although it is grounded by excellent piano work from Norman Simmons – and the record features nice use of flute from Ray Bernstein, guitar from Joe Puma, and bongos from Jose Mangual – all of whom bring some additional instrumental flourishes that work perfectly with that amazing range that McRae was exploring in the 60s – a way of moving past some of the more traditional (but still great) recordings of the late 50s, to find a voice in her style that's almost conversational at times, and extremely powerful without ever overstating itself. The subtlety of Carmen's genius is something that still blows us away after all these years – and it definitely comes through here, on titles that include "Woman Talk", "Kick Off Your Shoes", "Run Run Run", "Look At That Face", "Feelin Good", and "The Sweetest Sounds". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget any biases you might have against Clark Terry – this album is a super-hip killer! The arrangements were handled by Joe Cain, a mad mad mad Latin arranger who brings a strange sense of rhythm to the session, and a unique way of inserting instrumental flourishes. There's some nice organ and firey piano, Jerome Richardson plays excellent bits on flute and sax, and Vince Bell and Eric Gale both play guitars. Jose Mangual and Willie Bobo kick it in with percussion, and Terry plays in a tight jaunty style, with occasional mad vocal moments. Titles include "El Blues Latino", "The Cat From Cadiz", "Rum & Mumbles", and "Never". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer Verve Records set from vibist Cal Tjader – a set that brings together both his Latin inclinations and his groovier 60s mod style – all in a blend that's handled perfectly by arranger Oliver Nelson! Other players include Jerry Dodgion and Jerome Richardson on flutes, Attila Zoller on guitar, Chick Corea on piano, and Jose Mangual, Patato Valdez, and Victor Pantoja on Latin percussion! Titles include "Descarga Cubana", "Morning", "Oran", "Curacao", and "Chuchy Frito Man". Very nice! CD

A killer Verve Records set from vibist Cal Tjader – a set that brings together both his Latin inclinations and his groovier 60s mod style – all in a blend that's handled perfectly by arranger Oliver Nelson! Other players include Jerry Dodgion and Jerome Richardson on flutes, Attila Zoller on guitar, Chick Corea on piano, and Jose Mangual, Patato Valdez, and Victor Pantoja on Latin percussion! Titles include "Descarga Cubana", "Morning", "Oran", "Curacao", and "Chuchy Frito Man". Very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

A never-heard studio session from the great Erroll Garner – recorded in Berlin in 1967, and with a vibe that's right up there with some of his best 60s material issued in the US! The group has that special kick that Garner would sometimes use in the decade – thanks to bongo work from Jose Mangual, who comes in with a slight Latin flourish on the groovers, next to the bass of Ike Isaacs and drums of Jimmie Smith. But as always, the real sense of rhythm comes from the man himself – as Garner updates older piano modes with a hip, grooving style – really opening up with incredible flourishes on titles that include "Like It Is", "Autumn Leaves", "These Foolish Things", "Misty", "Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Blue Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Erroll Garner's first album of the 70s – and a set that's a perfect demonstration of that way he could always groove, but with an edge! The first 30 seconds of the album have this sense of bold freedom that might make you think you've accidentally put on a record by Cecil Taylor – that way of stomping across the keys that Garner could do at his maddest moments, then find a way to make the whole thing groove – which he does often on the set, thanks to help from a variety of bassists and drummers, plus some killer congas from the mighty Jose Mangual – a touch that always seems to bring out the best in Erroll. Titles include "Mood Island", "For Once In My Life", "Paisley Eyes", "Not So Fast", "The Loving Touch", and "You Turned Me Around". CD

A surprisingly nice album from Erroll – recorded with an easily grooving, freshly soulful feel, one that's a bit like some of George Shearing's work for MPS at the time. The group's a great one – with Grady Tate on percussion, Bob Cranshaw on Fender bass, and Jose Mangual on congas – and they're augmented a bit by added organ and tambourine. The tracks include two nice swirling numbers by Erroll – "Nightwind" and "Mucho Gusto" – and the record's got a great cover of "They Long To Be Close To You" that has a warm little groove! CD

A great record – or half-great, as the case may be! One part of this album features Billy with his standard trio of Earl May and Percy Brice, playing mellow piano trio versions of tracks that include "Tune For Tex", "Goodbye", "Biddy's Beat", and "Eddie's Theme". Those cuts are fine, but the real strength of the album lies on the last 4 cuts – all killer Latin jazz numbers cut with a rhythm section that includes Machito, Jose Mangual, Charlie Smith, and Uba Nieto. The added conga, bongos, and timbales really make the tracks groove – and you'll find yourself coming back to "I Love To Mambo", "Mambo Azul", "Early Morning Mambo", and "Candido" more than you will the rest of the record. CD