... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Two of Cugie's more popular albums – and a record that has him re-recording older hits for the hi-fi generation. There's not that much hi and fi on the CD, as the groove's pretty much in the older Latin style – but the newer recordings were done in a stereo setting, which makes for a bit better sound than some of the originals. Titles include "Tico Tico", "Frenesi", "Suavecito", "Penthouse Mambo", "Nmi Musica Es Para Ti", "La Paloma", "Jalousie", "Dengoza", "Guitara Romana", "Miami Beach Rhumba", "Brazil", "Besame Mucho", and "Orchids In The Moonlight". CD

Groovy batch of instrumental Latin cuts, with a sound that's a mixture of Latin soul and pop 60's instrumentation. Cugie's usual sound isn't that much in place, but that's ok, because tracks like "Thunderball", "Hang On Sloopy", "Tabasco", and "Soul Sauce" all groove nicely, and in a good 60's pop Latin vein, with nice solo moments by the band. LP, Vinyl record album

With Dinah Shore and Bing Crosby. CD

Cugat and cocktails – what could be better? The set's a bit later than Xavier Cugat's classic vintage – but in a really nice way, one that has him opening up with some groovy 60s rhythms! The style is still heavily Latin, but there's also some nice influences from bossa nova and some of the dance trends that were creeping into the dancefloors of the time – and arranger Hal Mooney gives the whole thing a playful kind of approach that's still as rhythmic and percussive as Cugat's other albums, but which also uses the horn charts to carve some nice colors over the top! Titles include the excellent original "Cugi's Cocktail" – a great slow-groover with a soul jazz finish – plus "Manhattan", "Zombie", "Singapore", "Daiquiri", "Old Fashioned", and "Cuba Libre". CD

A great document of the Jewish/Latin crossover scene of the late 50s – and proof that the Catskills and Miami were every bit as important to Latin music as the scene in Spanish Harlem! Pianist Irving Fields headed up a hot little trio during the 50s – playing to high-toned crowds uptown, but also winning the respect of bandleaders Xavier Cugat and Tito Puente with his lively approach to Latin rhythms on the keys – a style that's got the same mix of syncopation and firey fingerwork you'd find on sides by Joe Loco, Eddie Cano, or other Latin pianists at the time. This set's got a kitschy title, but a great little groove – it beautifully mixes the emotive themes of older Yiddish music with the newer groove the New York crowd was digging at the time. Titles include "Belz", "Pretty As A Moonbeam", "Where Shall I Go", "Raisins & Almonds", "Cha Cha No 29", "Miami Merengue", and "David's Dance". CD

18 Latin Loungey tunes – all at a very nice price! The tracks on this set come from a number of sources, but they work together nicely as a tight set of grooves with a bit more hard Latin than you might expect. Titles include "Joe Cuba's Mambo" by Joe Cuba, "Cha Cha Cha Flamenco" by Joe Valle, "Night Must Fall" by Xavier Cugat, "How High The Moon" by Pupi Campo, "Ravel's Bolero In Mambo" by Joe Roland, "Symphony 52 Movements" by Joe Loco, "Fuego Tropical" by Damiron y Capuseux, "Caravan Mambo" by Tito Puente, "Bablu" by Xavier Cugat, and "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Charlie Palmieri. CD

An excellent summation of the exotica sound of the 50s – that wonderful period when mood music started getting really interesting – thanks to an infusion of island-inspired sounds in the postwar years! The music here represents the pinnacle of 50s exotica – amazing records by some of the bigger names in the genre, mixed with some lesser-known gems that make the collection way more interesting than some of the more easily-done exotica sets on the market. There's plenty of weird rhythms, odd percussion, unusual sounds, and dreamy melodies – and titles include "Chant Of The Moon" by Robert Drasnin, "Lotus Land" by Gene Rains, "Summer Storm" by John McFarland, "Paradise" by Paul Conrad, "Kashmiri Love Song" by Korla Pandit, "Coronation" by Martin Denny, "Mwanza Market Place" by Tak Shindo, "Mountain High Valley Low" by The Markko Polo Adventurers, "Strange Echoes" by Frank Hunter, and "Jungle Flute" by Xavier Cugat. CD