Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers —
Tough! ... LP Prestige, 1966. New Copy (reissue)...
$9.99
Killer Latin soul from Pucho and crew – and an album that's one of their greatest! The record is also one of the earliest by the group, and it features a different lineup than later ones – with William Bivens on vibes, Claude Bartee on tenor, and Vince McEwan on trumpet. There's a bit ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A stone cooker from Tito Puente's great back to basics years of the 80s – a time when he was really moving towards the Latin jazz of his roots – working without any singers, or any contemporary gimmicks, and letting loose with tight combos and top-line jazz players! This set features ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has wear, aging, tape, stickers & a large tracklist sticker.)
A nice RCA stormer from Tito, and one that has him hitting a nice jazzy groove on a mix of Latin tunes and standards. Tito plays drums and timbales – and titles include "Ecstasy", "Noche De Ronda", "Tito's Guajira", "Duerme", and "Un Poquito De Tu ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label Living Stereo pressing with deep groove. Cover has some aging on back.)
Joe Quijano was one of the greatest all-around Latin bandleaders of the early 60s – and this rare session for Columbia shows him capably moving through a wide range of material, from mambo, to bossa, to cha cha cha! The bossa material is especially interesting – in that it's got more ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(360 Sound stereo pressing. Cover has some wear. Vinyl plays with clicks & crackles.)
Ricardo Ray/Bobby Cruz —
Los Durisimos ... LP Alegre, 1968. Very Good+ ...
$29.99
The hard ones serve up a great blend of Latin soul, late 60s pop, and some heavy-hitting touches! Bobby Cruz is still singing a few of these tunes in his slightly more romantic style of the 60s – but the best cuts on the album have a snapping, upbeat quality that really makes them groove ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Cover has some wear and seam splitting.)
Ray & His Court —
Ray & His Court ... LP Sound Triangle, 1973. New Copy (reissue)...
$9.99
Some of the tightest funky 70s jamming ever – a lost gem from Ray & His Musical Court, a group that perfectly fuses JB/Horny Horns funk with beat-heavy Afro-Cuban groove! Ray and the group are one of the more obscure funky combos of the era, and it's a damn shame, because the group's ... (Soul, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Rene & His Pachanga Orchestra —
La Pachanga ... LP Capitol, Early 60s. Very Good+ ...
$9.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono rainbow label pressing. Cover has a piece of masking tape on front and a lightly bent corner.)
A damn great bassist from the contemporary Cuban scene – and one who can serve up an old school Latin jazz session that takes us back to the glory days of the descarga generation! Reyes' bass is right out front – in a role that's as melodic as it is rhythmic – and the rest of the ... read moreCD
Nicely swingin' LP put together by the man who supervised some of Stan Kenton's best afro-cuban sessions. Richards is one of the most swinging, hard hitting bandleaders to come out of the post-swing era, and his handling of Latin material is always filled with a lot of fire, and a good sense of ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout hole, a sticker spot, and light wear.)
A wonderful collection of Latin recordings from postwar France – all recorded by Cuban native Filiberto Rico, an artist who moved between Havana and Paris in the early part of his life – and seemed to leave quite a musical legacy in the process! Rico was part of seminal Cuban ... read moreCD
A monster album of Latin soul – arguably the greatest record ever cut by Hector Rivera! The record's a rare cooker that never lets up at all – a non-stop boogaloo party that definitely lives up to its swinging cover image – and which is quite different than most other albums from ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A killer set of heavy Latin numbers from the great Hector Rivera – hiding under the guise of a simple dance record! Back in the late 50s and early 60s, Hector was always getting tagged for the big fads by labels – and made to produce albums that had him jumping on a dance fad bandwagon ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Stunning sounds from Willie Rodriguez – easily one of the hardest, heaviest leaders on the 60s scene in New York! The record is a live one, but has the focus and intensity of Willie's best studio work for Fonseca – red hot grooves that are a fusion of Willie's Puerto Rican roots with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Willie Rodriguez with Leo Casino —
Heat Wave ... LP Fonseca/Andale, 1965. New Copy (reissue)...
$12.9914.98
Excellent rare album from Willie Rodriguez with Leo Casino – a tight mix of Latin Soul, descarga, and salsa tracks that hit hard from the start and don't let up! Rodriguez leads a great band, and they're joined by vocalist Casino some of the tracks – with tunes that have an uncommon, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A real breakthrough album from Roberto Roena and his Apollo Sound combo – a record that showed the world that this scrappy little group could stand head to head with the giants of the 70s salsa years! As on other records, there's a strongly percussive vibe throughout – bongos from ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(In the original fold-over cover, with some ring & edge wear.)
A very cool larger group project from pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba – recorded in Cuba, before his fame in the US – with a grouop that includes Manuel Valera on soprano and alto sax, Rafael Carrasco on tenor and flute, and Lazaro Cruz on trumpet! (Jazz, Latin)LP, Vinyl record album
Gonzalo Rubalcaba —
Straight Ahead ... CD Yemaya (Spain), 1986/1987. New Copy ...
$5.9914.98
A great set of Cuban recordings from pianist Gonzala Rubalcaba – all done for the Areito label in the mid 80s, and with a style that mixes sharp Latin jazz group numbers with more sensitive solo and trio material! The piano is mostly acoustic, but sometimes electric – and two tracks ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
A fine, late 90s set from conga champion Pancho Sanchez – a heavy Latin percussion album made especially nice by the special guests – original Jazz Crusaders Wilton Felder on tenor and Wayne Henderson on trombone! Tracks range from salsa numbers, to ismore straight jazz and blues ... read moreCD
Titles include "Cuidate Compai", "Well You Needn't", "Campechana", "Mambo Pa T", "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man", and "Mambo Inn/On Green Dolphin Street". CD
Ponco's still cooking nice and hard on congas – and he's got a tight band backing him up on this feisty session of heavy Latin grooves. The album's a nice throwback to the glory days of Latin soul, and it features an Eddie Harris medley of "Cold Duck" and "Listen Here", a ... read moreCD
Poncho Sanchez & Terence Blanchard —
Chano Y Dizzy ... CD Concord, 2011. Used ...
$8.99
A pretty wonderful tribute to the pioneering talents of conga great Chano Pozo and jazz trumpet giant Dizzy Gillespie – led by Poncho Sanchez and Terrence Blanchard! The set gets off to an incredible start on a medley in which the players so deftly blend Latin percussion, vocals and rhythms ... read moreCD
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 ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
Early 80s genius from trumpeter Arturo Sandoval – 2 albums that were never issued in the US at the time! First up is the sublime Turi from 1981 – an album that mixes smooth spacey fusiony production with Sandoval's soulful trumpet style – and the result is a sweet grooving set ... read moreCD
A nice Prestige 2-fer collecting two early sides Mongo cut for Fantasy in the late 50s. The first, released under the title Mongo, is a no-nonsense batch of Latin jazz tracks, arranged by himself and Francisco Aguabella, who's sort of the co-leader of the group on the set! Players include Emil ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mongo Santamaria —
Dock Of The Bay ... LP Harmony/Columbia, Late 60s. Very Good- ...
$6.99
Smoking Latin soul from Mongo! This one's issued on Harmony, the budget label of Columbia – and we're never sure if it's an exclusive album, or a collection of tunes from other Mongo sides on Columbia. Who cares, though? The music's so tasty, and the grooves are so heavy, we can never get ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of Mongo Santamaria's best albums from the 70s – and one of his funkiest too! The record's got a sweet electric groove that sounds mighty nice next to the Latin jazz arrangements on the set – almost in the feel of some of Candido's funky work from the time, but possibly even ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Let's party is right! Mongo and his Latin Soul combo groove through a tight tasty batch of tracks, with heavy conga from Mongo, and killer soulful solos by Bobby Capers, Marty Sheller, and Hubert Laws. The set's got a few soul covers – like "Walk On By", "Shotgun", and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono 360 Sound pressing.)
Mongo Santamaria —
Images ... LP Vaya, 1980. Near Mint- ...
Just Sold Out!
One of Mongo's good electric Latin fusion LPs for Vaya, and a nice batch of tracks with a good groove to them, and a nice jazzy feel. There's some nice electric piano moments, and the band grooves nicely on cuts like "TV", "Images", "Havana", and "Mucho Mas". LP, Vinyl record album
Doesn't Mongo have about 3 albums with this title? Whatever the case, this one's a great set – recorded in the early 90s in New York, a straight ahead Latin jazz session that's a nice little back-to-basics session! Players include Dave Valentin, Hubert Laws, and Johnny Almendra – and ... read moreCD
Killer Latin soul from one of the all-time greats – a collection of greatest hits from Mongo Santamaria, but a set that's every bit as essential as his full length albums for Columbia! Most of the cuts on the album were arranged by Mongo's key right-hand man – the great Marty Sheller, ... read moreCD
(Out of print original pressing.)
Mongo Santamaria —
Mongo's Way ... LP Atlantic, 1971. Very Good+ ...
$9.99
Sockin soul work from Mongo Santamaria – a real killer of an album, with a dope 70s sound! The album features Mongo hitting a nice blacksploitation mode – fuller arrangements than before, plus lots of electric touches on guitar, bass, and keyboards. Marty Sheller did most of the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Red & green label Broadway pressing. Cover has some wear & a name in marker.)
Killer Latin soul from Mongo, and a great batch of original tracks, played by a groovy little combo that includes Bobby Capers on alto, Ray Maldonado on trumpet, and a young Hubert Laws on flute, who also did some of the arrangements! The sound is hard, tight, and jazzy – with the kind of ... (Funky 45's, Latin)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Plays at 33rpm. One label has a small sticker.)
Mongo Santamaria —
Red Hot ... LP Tappan Zee, 1979. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
Just Sold Out!
A great Bob James-directed session from Mongo Santamaria – and a set that takes the fusion-inflected Latin work he was doing on the Vaya label, and blends it with an even tighter, sharper CTI Records vibe! The approach is a bit like that combination of underground Latin and larger label ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(White label promo. Cover has a promo stamp and tracklist sticker.)
Mongo Santamaria —
Skins ... CD Milestone, Early 60s/1976. Used ...
$5.99
One of those Milestone 70s two-fer sets, filled with Mongo's classic early Latin jazz sides cut for Riverside in the 60s. As you'd expect, there's lots of tight jazzy moments and straight ahead hard jamming, courtesy of an all-star cast that includes Nat Adderley, Ronnie Capers, Paul Serrano and ... read moreCD
Soulful Mongo – 2 60s soul tracks, redone with a sweet Latin finish! "Son Of A Preacher Man" grooves nice and slow – a very nice sax solo snaking around the rhythms! "Cloud Nine" kicks off a lot faster – heavy heavy percussion, really riffing along with the ... (Funky 45's, Latin)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A great cubop revival date – one that has Mongo Santamaria working with the great Dizzy Gillespie – all really opening up on some long live tracks that go quite a bit farther than bop/Latin sets like this from the late 40s! The tracks are all nicely extended, with lots of room for ... read moreCD
Ok, so you were once embarrassed to have this in your collection – and sold it off so your buddies at college wouldn't make fun of you. Now, though, you treasure it as a crossover Latin Funk classic – with the kind of soaring guitar/organ grooves that were the brilliant sound of the ... (Rock, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Lalo Schifrin —
Lalo=Brilliance ... CD Roulette/Warner (Japan), 1962. New Copy ...
$14.99
Fantastic lost material by Lalo Schifrin – recorded in a style that's very similar to the excellent work he was doing for Dizzy Gillespie's group in the early 60s! The record features Leo Wright, also from Diz's group, playing some excellent alto and flute – and Jimmy Raney plays ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
(SHM-CD pressing!)
Shirley Scott with the Latin Jazz Quintet —
Mucho Mucho ... LP Prestige, 1960. Very Good+ ...
$49.99
An excellent album that mixes Latin grooves with heavy Hammond organ – one of the most unique albums ever recorded by the great Shirley Scott! The session features Shirley's organ backed up by the Latin Jazz Quintet of Juan Amalbert– a very hip combo that blends together piano, vibes, ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Yellow & black label NJ pressing, with deep groove & RVG stamp. Back cover has a name in marker.)
New work from everyone's favorite under-discovered Cuban singer – recorded very much in the style of his work with Ry Cooder's Buena Vista Social Club, with a similar dedication to a classic sound. Titles include "La Negra Tomasa", "Oui Parle Francais", "Te Apartas ... read moreCD
A sweet little tribute to Latin jazz giant Eddie Palmieri – one that features Eddie's piano on a few key tracks, but a set that also stands as a great showcase for the writing talents of trumpeter Charlie Sepulveda too! The album follows strongly in that modern jazz style that Palmieri ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
A sweet little tribute to Latin jazz giant Eddie Palmieri – one that features Eddie's piano on a few key tracks, but a set that also stands as a great showcase for the writing talents of trumpeter Charlie Sepulveda too! The album follows strongly in that modern jazz style that Palmieri ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
Killer Latin funk from the mid 70s – a totally rare little set, but a masterpiece all the way through! Sol is a combo headed up by keyboardist Joe Gallardo – and they've got a groove that blends together some wonderful elements – including jazz funk, straight Latin, and a bit of ... read moreCD
(LP sleeve edition – printed in Japan, and very well done!)
A strange one for Sonny Stitt – but also a real gem! The album has Sonny, who'd been working for the Roost/Roulette label, coming together with other jazz players in the same boat, plus Latin musicians who were recording for the related Tico label. Moishe Levy never made such a good talent ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
Pete Terrace challenges Pete Rodriguez for the title of "King Of The Boogaloo" in this live set recorded at Chez Jose in New York! The album's got a few tracks that say boogaloo, but which aren't – but that's still ok with us, because the bulk of the set is a hard grooving batch of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the coolest, grooviest albums of Latin Soul you could ever hope to find – one of the few records ever from the great Ray Terrace – and a set that goes even beyond some of the similar sides on Tico or Fania at the time! Ray's groove here is totally wonderful – upbeat, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Clark Terry & Chico O'Farrill —
Spanish Rice ... CD Impulse, 1966. Used ...
$11.99
Sweet Latin licks from Clark Terry and Chico O'Farrill – cut in a mode that's very similar to O'Farrill's best Verve work of the 60s! The vibe is kind of a mod take on Afro Cuban sounds – not really Latin soul, but with a playful vibe that mixes together jazz and Latin with equal parts ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
Killer "new charanga" work from Tipica 73 – a record issued a bit later on their run for Fania, but filled with wonderful tunes that get at all the traditional energy of the group! Tracks here are loose and free, really in the spirit of the jam session mode that first produced the ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Cal Tjader —
Agua Dulce ... CD Fantasy/BGP (UK), 1971. New Copy ...
$9.99
One of our favorite Cal Tjader albums ever – and one of the first to have his vibes working alongside Fender Rhodes! The record's a surprising little set from the start of the 70s – one that almost has Cal picking up some of the New York sounds of a few years before, then mixing them ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
Cal Tjader —
Good Vibes ... LP Concord/Picante, 1984. Very Good+ ...
$9.99
A very nice set of mellow west coast Latin vibes from Cal – sort of an updating of his classic 50s San Francisco groove on Fantasy, done with a host of California players that includes Roger Glenn, Poncho Sanchez, and Gary Foster. The record features a remake of Cal's big hit from the 60s ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of Cal's first albums for Verve, and a great set of Latin tracks with Lonnie Hewitt on piano, Armando Peraza on bongos, Johnny Rae on timbales, and Paul Horn on flute. The overall sound is great – and the album has a straight-on jazzy groove that makes it much better than some of Cal's ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A rare gem from Cal – featuring some excellent Latin tracks recorded when he was working with the quintet that included congolero Armando Peraza. There's a feel here that's similar to Cal's best Latin work for Verve – straight, uncomplicated, but also with groovy flourishes that open ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreCD
One of Cal Tjader's first Latin-tinged sessions for Fantasy Records – and a really wonderful batch of tracks recorded with a shifting array of very hip players! In addition to Cal's vibes, and expected Latin percussion – handled by Armando Peraza on congas and bongos – the set ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original red vinyl pressing, with deep groove. Cover is stained on the bottom half, with some stuck-on paper bits on front, and delamination at the bottom.)
Monster Latin jazz and boogaloo – all the way through! The album's a rare gem from the short-lived Latin Soul years on Decca – cut by Ozzie Torrens, and featuring a great Latin lineup that includes Louie Ramirez on vibes, Charlie Palmieri on piano, and Manny Duran on trumpet – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Monster Latin jazz and boogaloo – all the way through! The album's a rare gem from the short-lived Latin Soul years on Decca – cut by Ozzie Torrens, and featuring a great Latin lineup that includes Louie Ramirez on vibes, Charlie Palmieri on piano, and Manny Duran on trumpet – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Wonderfully sweet work from trombonist Juan Pablo Torres – two albums issued under a "romantic" tag for the Cuban audience of the time, but which have a very wide-ranging set of styles! Mangle Instrumental is from the mid 70s, and has a sound that's a bit like an Italian soundtrack ... read moreCD
Latin jazz and a whole lot more – served up in this excellent soundtrack that takes us back to the glory days of the cubop sound of the late 40s, but also adds in a lot of contemporary styles too! The music is played by a few different groups, all recording for the film, but the whole thing ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
We're especially heavy on New York sounds of the 60s and 70s -- Latin Soul, salsa, boogaloo, and more!
Ricardo Ray/
