A strangely wonderful Latin set with a very drum-heavy approach! Cuban percussionist Walfredo plays in a large group with Louie Belson on the regular kit and "moog drum" – and the rest of the group features strong Latin players like Francisco Aguabella, Clare Fischer, Emil Richards ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 90s OJC pressing, still sealed with review sticker.)
Amazing Latin soul – and the first record ever by the youthful George Guzman! The grooves kick in from the word "go" – with strong electric bass setting the scene, and lots of dark, descending blue notes – copped from 60s soul and jazz influences, and crafted perfectly ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Irakere —
Grupo Irakere ... LP Areito/Mr Bongo (UK), 1976. New Copy ...
$25.9930.99
An excellent batch of funky Latin tunes from Irakere – and one of the group's best albums! It's got a mix of rolling bass and electric keyboards on the best cuts – sounding a lot like the funky sound of LA Latin groups like War or El Chicano, but with more of the Afro-Cuban groove of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Underground salsa from Orquesta La Fantastica – the group's debut from the early 70s, originally issued on the tiny Ghetto Records label! The album's a great illustration of the way that the regular Latin codes of the mainstream got broken down on the fringes – as the sounds and styles ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Classic 50s work from vocalist Abbe Lane – and a record that's made all the better by some great arrangements from Tito Puente! Abbe's getting past the sexy tricks of other records here – and singing in a dusky tone that works perfect with Tito's tight, choppy, and highly percussive ... (Vocalists, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Gorgeous Japanese pressing, with insert and printed inner sleeve.)
A smoking set from Eddie Lebron – a singer and pianist who worked with a variety of other groups, but who really shines here on this rare date up front in the spotlight! The set was one of a handful issued on the tiny Ghetto label, and features production from Joe Bataan – and a nicely ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Seemed like Joe was always in a mambo mood at the time he was making these sides for Tico – but that's A-OK with us, as the record's a corker – tight little grooves in Joe's best percussion/piano format! A few tracks even have some vibes, which makes for a nice sound – and titles ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono black label pressing. Cover has light wear and aging, with a small name in pen and an ink stamp in back.)
A wonderfully hard-to-categorize album from the start of the 80s – a Mexican record that mixes folkloric roots with electronic instrumentation – but all in a way that sounds much more ancient than you'd expect for the time! The fusion of modes here is wonderful – almost at a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The completely smoking second album from this legendary Nicaraguan group of the 70s – an album that's even more fully-formed and Latin-styled than their first – served up with long tracks delivered in a stunning blend of percussion, jazzy instrumentation, and just the right touch of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Hot and wild – two of the best words you could use to describe the late 60s Latin Soul material of Pete Rodriguez – especially on an album like this! This album has Pete and his combo at their best – stepping effortlessly between English-language, soul-based tracks – and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Blue label stereo pressing with Bell Sound stamp. Cover has a light bump in one corner, and a cutout hole – but this is a great copy overall.)
One of Cal Tjader's best late 50s dates for Fantasy Records – thanks to some smoking tenor sax from Jose "Chombo" Silva! The album has Cal working in the very comfortable territory of San Francisco's Blackhawk Nightclub – in a combo that also features familiar players Vince ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo blue vinyl pressing. The back cover has light wear & aging, front looks nice!)
Tono Y Sus Sicodelico —
Mister Boogaloo ... LP Alfa/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1968. New Copy (reissue)...
$29.9933.99
A boogaloo album, but one that's a lot trippier than most – and definitely worthy of the psychedelic reference in the group's name! As with so much of the best work from the Venezuelan scene of the late 60s, the music here draws on references from up north, but really abstracts the sound ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album