A killer collection of work from the legendary Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – one of the coolest, grooviest groups to record in the 60s – and one who equally touched the worlds of soul, jazz, and Latin at the time! The group have a really special blend here – a groundbreaking way of pulling together all the best sounds happening uptown – some of the soul jazz currents you'd expect from their placement on Prestige Records, some of the crossover soul influence that was taking place in Spanish Harlem, and even some of the funky currents that were showing up in the indie 45 underground of the late 60s. Many of these tracks emphasize that last side with work from the great Pazant Brothers – who were a key part of Pucho's group – as was Neal Creque, a killer pianist who'd later go onto make great records of his own. There's also some key use of electric bass, which kicks these tracks strongly from the bottom – and the 17 track CD is filled with gems that include "Shuckin N Jivin", "Swamp People", "Dateline", "Big Stick", "Swing Thing", "Soul Yamie", "Something Black", and "Strange Thing Mambo". CD

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One of Pucho's mid 90s comeback albums – not a bad set of grooves overall, with a number of tracks that almost reach the strength of his earlier work. A few of these numbers fall a bit flat, but overall, things are pretty good – and the Pazant Brothers have returned to working with Pucho, so the set's got some great work in the horn department! Includes covers of "Sex Machine", "Trouble Man", "Milestones", and "Slippin Into Darkness" – plus the cust "Guaguanco", "Pucho's Descarga II", "Zebula", and "Rip A Dip". CD

Includes tracks from Cal Tjader, Miss Ann-Margret, Walter Wanderley, Nancy Wilson, Harold Johnson Sextet, Mel Torme, Quincy Jones, Les Elgart & His Orchestra, Connie Francis, Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers, Dick Hyman, and more – 18 tracks in all. CD

A seminal album from Hammond giant Lonnie Smith – a bold statement that really gives the organist his own identity after some killer work in the combos of Lou Donaldson and George Benson! Lonnie's one of the key flag-fliers of the new style of funky organ jazz – a mode different from the earlier styles of Jimmy Smith or Jimmy McGriff – leaner, cleaner, and often tied heavily to the drums – which, in this case, are handled by Marion Booker Jr, but in a way that recalls some of the Idris Muhammad greatness on other Blue Note albums of the time. The mighty Pucho (of Latin Soul Brothers fame) plays added timbales, and there's also two more conga players – ensuring a tight, yet complex sort of groove – and the frontline features Lee Morgan on trumpet, David Newman on tenor and flute, and Melvin Sparks on guitar. Tracks are long, with complicated rhythms – and soulful yet sophisticated solos to match – and titles include the seminal "Son Of Ice Bag", a great cover of "Think", and the tracks "Slouchin", "Call Of The Wild", and "Three Blind Mice". CD