These guys just keep getting better and better – and this time around, they've got such a tight groove, it's hard not to compare the group with some of the best of the 70s salsa generation! Rhythms are right on the money, and the instrumentation is completely sublime – very jazzy, with lots of rich inflections – yet also able to hone to the groove at all the right moments, especially on the trombone and trumpet parts that give the record so much soul! Vocals are strong, too – and the use of tenor sax at just the right points almost acts like a second "voice" for the record – furthering the richness of the whole set. Titles include "Me Repito", "La Sensacion", "Boda", "No Te Debo Nada", "Macacoa", "Olvidame", and "Lluvia Con Sol". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's heavy on percussion, and which really sticks to this group's commitment to the rootsier sound of Colombian music – particularly the coastal style of bullerengue, which is served up here in a bold mix of drums, percussion, and rising voices! There's a female singer in the lead, but it's clear that the whole group is joining in with some of the lyrics – rising up their voices joyously next to their rhythms – which are often augmented by handclaps and other gestures that really emphasize the very physical quality of the music! Titles include "Madre Fuego", "El Bocao", "Colombia Sin Panama", "San Antonio", "Madre Luna", and "Madre Sol". LP, Vinyl record album

Possibly the greatest album ever from Angel Canales – a 70s salsa classic through and through, and one with great links between the New York scene and Canales' Puerto Rican roots! The tunes are wonderfully heartfelt throughout – sung with a youthful sense of soul that's far different than some of the more emotive modes of previous generations of Latin singers – in a way that really scored big with the younger generation at the time, and which makes Canales one of the key forces helping to change the sound of the music in the 70s. Instrumentation is nice and tight – acoustic small combo work with two trombones, trumpet, baritone sax, flute, piano, bass, and percussion – under musical direction by Juan Torres. Titles include "Lejos De Ti", "Perico Macona", "La Hiedra", "Sol De Mi Vida", "Sabor Los Rumberos Nuevos", and "El Cantante Y La Orquesta". LP, Vinyl record album

This is about as strong as you can get from Willie Colon – he's holding a gun to some cat's head on the cover! (And hip hoppers think they invented the gangster image!) More than just a catchy picture, though, the image is really important at a symbolic level – as the guy Willie's capping is an older one, possibly a bloated bandleader from years past, being shoved out of the way by Willie's leaner, cleaner sound and style. The album more than lives up to that picture, too – as it's filled with hard-hitting salsa numbers that show Willie and crew refining their sound even more from their already-strong previous albums. Includes the long cut "Junio 73", a really wonderful number, plus loads of other great ones that include "Guajira Ven", "Vo So", and "Calle Luna Calle Sol". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool little compilation that's as groovy as you might guess from the title – and one that finally brings to light the lesser-known genre of chica – an odd fusion of cumbia rhythms with more psychedelic-styled instrumentation on farfisa, organ, and guitar! The core grooves remind us a bit of familiar cumbia, but the overall presentation is often a bit more rough-edged and almost garagey at times – a youthful interpretation of the genre that's pretty free with its approach to the music – and which often uses cool electronic touches and weird production techniques to create some really great sounds! Many tracks feature vocals, but the emphasis here seems mostly on the instrumentation – and titles include "Sonido Amazonico" by Los Mirlos, "Carinito" by Los Hijos Del Sol, "A Patricia" by Los Destellos, "Ya Se Ha Muerto Mi Abuelo" by Juaneco Y Su Combo, "La Danza De Los Mirlos" by Los Mirlos, ", "Linda Munequita" by Los Hijos Del Sol, and "Linda Nena" by Juaneco Y Su Combo. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue set from the great Johnny Blas – the percussionist who really made the Cubop label so great back in the 90s, returning here with a sound and style that's even more classic than ever! The instrumentation and production are rock-solid throughout – no too-polished modes, and a really strong focus on Johnny's conga work at the core – which seems to ground all the other great instrumentation on the set – including lots of strong work on trombone, piano, flute, and alto – the last two of which are sometimes played by Johnny too! There's vocals on the record on a few tracks, but the main focus is on jazzy instrumentation – and titles include "Unfinished Business", "Never Let Me Go", "Baila Que Baila", "Chi Town (parts 1 & 2)", "Berwyn Stop", and "Danzon For Rocio". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from Willie Colon – the "payoff" of his youthful hoodlum routine, and a hard-hitting batch of salsa tunes pulled from earlier records – all in a package that defines his groove of the 70s! Hector LaVoe's on vocals with Willie's group – and he's also standing with Willie on the cover, a nice image that has the two of them dressed as big-time gangsters, standing next to a Rolls Royce! (Wonder what it cost them to rent that for the cover shoot?) But more important than Willie's perpetuation of himself as the bad boy of Latin music, is the overall sound of the record – fierce salsa, with a really strong approach that's as bold and proud as the image which supports it. Solid all the way through, and tracks include "El Malo", "Jazzy", "El Titan", and "Che Che Cole", a nice groover. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from Willie Colon – the "payoff" of his youthful hoodlum routine, and a hard-hitting batch of salsa tunes pulled from earlier records – all in a package that defines his groove of the 70s! Hector LaVoe's on vocals with Willie's group – and he's also standing with Willie on the cover, a nice image that has the two of them dressed as big-time gangsters, standing next to a Rolls Royce! (Wonder what it cost them to rent that for the cover shoot?) But more important than Willie's perpetuation of himself as the bad boy of Latin music, is the overall sound of the record – fierce salsa, with a really strong approach that's as bold and proud as the image which supports it. Solid all the way through, and tracks include "El Malo", "Jazzy", "El Titan", and "Che Che Cole", a nice groover. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare set with a very unusual vibe – as the group features vocal harmonies that seem to echo Cuban and Mexican modes of the 60s, but set to grooves that are much more in keeping with their Peruvian roots! There's some especially great electric guitar in the mix – of the sort you'd hear on chicha cuts, but used with a stronger vibe overall – especially when some solos soar out as the vocal step aside – and the rhythms of the record are raw and rootsy, with an edge that's very different than Latin vocal groups were using anywhere up north at the start of the 70s! The whole thing is filled with plenty of fresh sounds and unusual groovers – and titles include "Me Voy A Monsefu", "Sandungueate", "Oye Mi Son", "El Tic Tac", "Flaca Y Despeinada", "Compay Gallo", and "Yo Me Voy De Aqui". LP, Vinyl record album