A massive batch of boogaloo gems – all wrapped up in one mighty package! Tico Records was one of the first great New York indie labels to focus on Latin music in the postwar years – and by the time of the huge late 60s boom in the world of Latin Soul, the label were definitely in a great position to turn out some killer work from a variety of artists! Some of the label's artists were aging, but reinvigorated by the energy of the younger generation – who also got access to the top shelf Tico presentation, as they brought in some of the best soul styles from East Harlem to trim things down from the larger Latin ensembles of the previous generation, and really send things home with a funky sort of groove. This set's a great overview of these key years at Tico – and titles include "Sock It To Me" and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba, "Tighten Up" and "The Horse" by Al Escobar, "Fever" by La Lupe, "Be's That Way" and "Bobo Do That Thing" by Willie Bobo, "El Watusi" and "Babalu" by Ray Barretto, "Hit The Bongo" and "Coye Como Va" by Tito Puente, "My People" by Joe Panama, "Come An Get It" and "The African Twist" by Eddie Palmieri, "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, "Madrid" by Candido, "Times They Are A Changin" by Jimmy Sabater, "El Pito" and "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba, "Fat Mama" and "TP's Shing A Ling" by Tito Puente, and "Yes I Will (part 1)" by Gilberto Sextet. (Latin, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a regular set of 60s soul jazz – as the package offers up a wide variety of styles, genres, and work from both European and American sources – all at a ridiculously low price! The set brings together 18 numbers from key 60s labels like Verve, MPS, and Impulse – all grooving together nicely in an upbeat mode that brings in plenty of Latin, Brazilian, and slightly funky touches too! All these tunes are plenty darn hip – longtime favorites at Dusty Groove that include "Jive Samba" by Peter Herbholzheimer, "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" by Marcos Valle, "Evil Ways" by Willie Bobo, "Terra Samba" by Fritz Pauer, "Um Grao De Areia" by Clarke Boland Big Band, "Cubano Chant" by Wolfgang Dauner Trio, "For Mods Only" by Chico Hamilton, "Love & Happiness" by Monty Alexander, "The Fakir" by Cal Tjader, "Big Schlepp" by Dave Pike Set, "Watermelon Man" by Jon Hendricks, "Why & How" by Mark Murphy, and "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Ella Fitzgerald. CD

Cheesy name – but a great set! And although "Blue Note" is in the title and the label, the package actually brings together a bunch of rare Latin sides from other labels in the Capitol/EMI camp – like World Pacific, Liberty, & Roulette. The overall groove is really wonderful – with a lively Latin jazz sound that's nicely spaced out, and a really rich selection of material that's pretty hard to find otherwise. Titles include "Soul Cha" by Joe Torres, "Latin Fever" by Jack Costanzo, "Agua Dulce" by Jazz Crusaders, "African Fantasy" by Bobby Montez, "Favela" by Clare Fischer, "La Bruja Negra" by Joe Torres, "Ritmo Bobo" by Sonny Stitt, "Blue Sands" by Charles Kynard & Buddy Collette, and "Trinidad" by Willie Bobo. 14 cuts in all – and a nice groove throughout! CD

A searing entry into the Mojo Club series – and one that really shows the way the compilations have evolved over the years! The album's heavier on soul music than ever before – but also features some tremendous jazz, Brazilian, and European gems as well – a wonderful set list that really keeps things fresh! Titles include "Give Me Your Love" by The Sisters Love, "Wouri" by Manu Dibango, "Maracaibo" by Michel Legrand, "Take Us Down To The River" by Michael Naura, "Sambao" by Walter Wanderley, "Roots" by Willie Bobo, "Soul Soul Soul" by Wild Magnolias, "Strange Games & Things" by Love Unlimited Orchestra, "Praise The Lord" by Mary Lou Williams, "In Memory Of" by Randy Weston, "Nao Bate O Coracao" by Astrud Gilberto, "Mundo Deserto" by Elis Regina, and the great "El Soul Condor" by Certain Lions & Tigers (a very rare German release from 1970!) CD

Classic jazz dance material with a very sparkling groove! The tracks on here are pulled from mainstream album of the 50s and 60s – but the tracks overall are quite rare, and there's plenty on here that haven't been reissued on vinyl at all! 16 cuts in all, and titles include "Shout Brother" by Red Holloway, "Lolita Marie" by Eddie Harris, "Chickadee" by Willie Bobo, "Implorar" by Cipo & His Authentic Rhythm Group, "El Toro" by Gabor Szabo, "Perdido" by Candido, "Nuther'n Like Thuthern" by Willis Jackson, "Parchman Farm" by Mose Allison, and "Tequila" by King Curtis. CD

Classic jazz for the 21st century – a treasure trove of tunes from Verve Records, all remixed for the modern dancefloor! The set's the second in Verve's Remixed series – and unlike the first, which focused mostly on vocal numbers, this one throws in some instrumental killers that are among some of our favorite in the catalog! The overall groove is much more expanded from the first session – way past the standard of floating vocals, keys, and beats – into a realm of abstract jazz that really gets at the heart of the project! 14 tracks in all – with "Manteca" by Dizzy Gillespie remixed by Funky Lowlives, "Here's That Rainy Day" by Astrud Gilberto remixed by Koop, "Naima's Love Song" by Betty Carter remixed by DJ Spinna, "Fried Neckbones & Some Home Fries" by Willie Bobo remixed by Dan The Automator, "Soul Sauce" by Cal Tjader remixed by Fila Brasillia, "Do What You Wanna" by Ramsey Lewis remixed by Mr Scruff, "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" by Nina Simone remixed by Jaffa, "Mama" by Hugh Masekela remixed by Metro Area, "Whatever Lola Wants" by Sarah Vaughan remixed by Gotan Project, "Blues For Brother George Jackson" by Archie Shepp remixed by Mondo Grosso, and "Brother Where Are You" by Oscar Brown Jr remixed by Matthew Herbert. CD

The blueprint for a great set of future jazz – 14 original tunes that all got redone in the Verve Remixed 2 set! Verve has done a great job with the set – pulling together some excellent grooves from the 50s and 60s, served up at a price that's almost as cheap as a fancy cup of coffee! The set's stuffed with groovy vocal, Latin, and soul jazz numbers – with titles that include "Mama" by Hugh Masekela, "Manteca" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone, "Do What You Wanna" by Ramsey Lewis, "Brother Where Are You" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Here's That Rainy Day" by Astrud Gilberto, "Naima's Love Song" by Betty Carter, "Fried Neck Bones & Some Home Fries" by Willie Bobo, "Blues For Brother George Jackson" by Archie Shepp, "Soul Sauce" by Cal Tjader, and "Slap That Bass" by Ella Fitzgerald. CD