A killer set from funky drummer Leo Acosta – a Mexican musician, but one who draws plenty of influence here from the New York scene – before turning the whole thing into a set of weird and wild sounds that are very much his own! Leo's clearly got some Latin soul vibe going on here ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Nestor Alvarez —
Melting Pot ... LP Original Gravity (UK), 2024. New Copy ...
$29.9934.99
A blistering album of Latin funk – a set that's got a lean vibe but a very classic sound – one that's put together in the same mode as the excellent run of funky 45s from the long-running Original Gravity label! Nestor Alvarez is Neil Anderson – who handles drums, guitars, ... (Deep Funk, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
By this point in his career, Ray Barretto certainly was Indestructible – one of the biggest Latin leaders of his day, working at the forefront of new trends and new sounds! This fact is wonderfully displayed by the front cover, which shows Ray unbuttoning his shirt and taking off his Clark ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic classic from Latin percussion legend Ray Barretto – one of his most sophisticated albums of the 70s, and a set that's different than some of his later salsa hits! The album mixes together rootsy percussion and smoother jazzy arrangements – in a manner that keeps things ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Stunning soul from the great Joe Bataan – a really groundbreaking mix of modes that's right up there with the best of the Spanish Harlem scene of the late 60s! The album is Joe Bataan's debut for the Fania Records label – and the start of an incendiary run of Latin classics that ... read moreLP, 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, ... read moreLP, 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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great lost descarga session from the 60s – led by Chihuahua Martinez! Martinez plays both timbales and guiro on the sessions, fronting a group that includes Alberto Valdez on conga, Mike Martinez and Chivirico Davila on coro, Manfredo Lee on guiro, Elpidio Vazquez on piano, Elpidio ... read moreLP, 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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Supposedly the end of Willie Colon's early "crime" career – as the title and cover imply that he's finally been brought to trial! Don't worry about Willie being beaten down, though, because the music on the album is every bit as fierce and powerful as ever – and features a ... read moreLP, 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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Willie and Hector really open things up here on this excellent early 80s session – going for longer tracks that really expand upon their classic sound of the 70s! There's a very ambitious approach to the music – with more passages that shift between vocals and instrumentation than ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really great project from Tito Puente – maybe not his only collaboration with Celia Cruz, but maybe one of the best – a top-to-bottom album of unified vision, topped with sublime vocals from the legendary lady! The set was arranged and produced by Tito – and brings together ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Cuarteto Yemaya —
El Tic Tac ... LP Vampi Soul (Spain), 1971. New Copy (reissue)...
$29.9933.99
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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the most obscure salsa albums to come out of the Colombian scene in the 70s – a set that features top-shelf instrumentation from members of Fruko's combo, and vocals from singer Jacky Carazo! Jacky's got a great approach that almost seems to echo the Latin soul generation at times, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Elegua —
Elegua ... LP Elegua/We Are Busy Bodies, 1977. New Copy (reissue)...
$28.9930.99
A totally wonderful little record – a jazz set with a bit of a Latin vibe – part electric, thanks to some great Fender Rhodes – which is mixed with percussion and a really well-crafted horn section! The tracks are long, and very jazzy – put together with a style that's ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Killer early work by the Fania All Stars – caught live at the legendary Cheetah club, which was the heart of the New York salsa scene at the start of the 70s! The album is easily one of the best by the group – and features long tracks that really capture the jamming intensity that ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Early work from Colombian music legend Fruko, and a very different style than some of his later material – as you might guess from the album's cover image of a junkie shooting up in a graveyard! The sound here is more than dark enough to match that image – heavily percussion, with fast- ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fruko Y Sus Tesos —
El Violento ... LP Discos Fuentes/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1973. New Copy (reissue)...
$29.9933.99
One of the most hard-hitting early albums from the legendary Fruko – a set that really lives up to the powerful image on the cover and the title of the record – almost as if Fruko's trying to answer the badass energy of Willie Colon on the New York scene! The record definitely burns as ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Funkool Orchestra —
Latin Freaks ... LP Maledetta Discoteca (Italy), 2023. New Copy ...
$27.9935.99
These guys are definitely Latin Freaks – of the sort who like to mix heavy percussion with some clubbier instrumentation – all at a level that would make 70s salsa disco giants like Joe Bataan or Eddie Drennon mighty proud! This Italian group have a great way with the music, and have ... (Deep Funk, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Note: These copies have two slightly bumped corners from shipping – and are priced accordingly to reflect that defect, which is very minor.)
Jesus Gomez —
Jesus Gomez Y Su Grupo ... LP Discos America/El Palmas (Spain), 1967. New Copy (reissue)...
$36.9939.99
A record that's as overflowing with energy as the vibrant image on its cover – one of those rare late 60s gems from the Venezuelan scene, from a time when that nation's fortunes were really on the rise, and records like this were a proud declaration of all of its power and promise! Jesus ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A very cool Japanese version of this mighty groover from the great Nico Gomez! Nico's known for his harder pounding tracks that have become favorites with the funky crowd, but this stellar album shows that Nico could also work in jazzier territory when he wanted to – as the album's a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fierce funky grooves from the legendary Nico Gomez – a set cooked up in Europe, but heavy with influences from the other side of the Atlantic – from Havana all the way up to New York! There's definitely a Latin groove to the record – one that's similar to other Gomez productions ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fierce funky grooves from the legendary Nico Gomez – a set cooked up in Europe, but heavy with influences from the other side of the Atlantic – from Havana all the way up to New York! There's definitely a Latin groove to the record – one that's similar to other Gomez productions ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really burning record from the Venezuelan scene at the height of its musical growth – and an album that seems to echo the blend of Latin and rock styles that were happening on the American west coast at the time – but with a nicely different vibe! Guitars and keyboards come into play ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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
Robin Jones & His Quintet —
Denga ... LP Apollo Sound/Jazz Room (UK), 1971. New Copy (reissue)...
$12.9929.99
A hell of a record of Latin Jazz – recorded in the UK, but with a vibe that puts the whole thing right up there with some of the most inventive American albums of a few years before – such as Latin jazz classics by Sabu Martinez, Cal Tjader, or Eddie Palmieri! Robin Jones is the leader ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the funkiest Colombian records we've ever heard – a set that really resonates strongly with some of the Latin funk experiments taking place up in the US at the time, and one that has a vibe that's very different than some of the cumbia and other styles you'd be more likely to hear on ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Earthy vocals and plenty of percussion – a wonderful set of parranda tracks from Betsayda Machado, who works here with a tight combo that really sends her vocals over the top! On her own, Betsayda would be enough – a singer with the expressive qualities of older giants, such as Omara ... (Global Grooves, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(First time on vinyl!)
Mantecas —
Black Nile ... LP Grosso! (Spain), 2023. New Copy ...
$29.9934.99
The group's name is a reference to a classic Latin jazz instrumental, and the album's title is a reference to a Wayne Shorter song from years back – both of which together give a strong idea of the strength of the record within! These guys play Latin music, but with a lot more complexity on ... (Jazz, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Melcochita Y Su Conjunto —
Dejen Bailar Al Loco ... LP Mag/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1968. New Copy (reissue)...
$29.9933.99
The cover image here will give you a great idea of the vibe of the record – as Melochita was a comedian as well as a Latin musician, and brings a great sense of playful wit to the album! A number of cuts feature vocals that have this really odd, almost cartoony style that's totally great ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mita Y Su Monte Adentro —
Arecibo ... LP Mag/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1969. New Copy (reissue)...
$29.9930.99
A really cool record, and one that uses the Cuban tres in a style that's nicely different than more traditional modes – often blending it with some of the hipper small combo Latin elements that had popped up on the New York scene in the mid 60s, which gives the instrument a very different ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
New York All Stars with Orquesta Novel —
Do The Boogaloo ... LP Fonseca/Andale, Mid 60s. New Copy (reissue)...
$18.9919.98
A great jammer from the 60s years on Fonseca Records – and like most of the other work on the label, a set with a slightly different feel that a lot of combos coming out of New York scene! There's definitely some of the boogaloo promised in the title, but the album also seems less strictly ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A killer set of Latin Soul from the New York scene of the late 60s – a record that's every bit as wonderful as boogaloo classics on labels like Fania and Cotique, but which never got released at the time! The production quality is wonderful – with the mighty Bobby Marin heading up the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A record that's every bit as groovy as its cover – the rare self-titled set from Venezuelan 60s combo The Pets – a group who serve up lots of cool cuts with a swinging 60s vibe! Lyrics are in Spanish, but the instrumentation echoes plenty of Anglo styles – especially 60s work ... (Rock, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Killer work from this Latin funk combo from the 70s – a group who were supposedly formed to open for Santana at a concert in Nicaragua, then went on with a searing legacy of their own! The music definitely owes a bit to the Bay Area Latin sound of the period – a blend of traditional ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download.)
Principe Y Su Sexteto —
Salsa De Guaguanco ... LP DCM/Vampi Soul (Spain), 1967. New Copy (reissue)...
Just Sold Out!
A really cool blend of familiar Latin rhythms and South American electric guitar – use of the instrument that's more typically associated with genres in Peruo and other scenes on the west of the continent – but used here in a very cool set from the late 60s Venezuelan scene! The music ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A contemporary record, but one that hearkens back to the glory days of the Latin diva albums of the 50s and 60s – wonderfully expressive vocals from Maria Raquel, a singer who makes her debut here, yet somehow feels as if she's been making music for many many years! The arrangements are a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Amazing early work from Ricardo Ray – material that's got a lot more fire than some of his better-known sides from the 70s! The album's a stone cooker all the way through – played by a tight young group with lots of descarga energy in their blood, and some of the pre-Latin Soul styles ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great meeting of talents in the studio – as Ismael Rivera sings lead vocals for Kako's smoking combo, complete with congas by Patato Valdez! The sound here is a great – rootsy and highly percussive on the bottom, yet smooth on the top thanks to Ismael's vocals – sung here in a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic little album of Latin Soul – a perfect example of why Pete was known as the "King Of The Boogaloo" during the 60s! The group's having a non-stop party on the album – breaking it hard with heavy piano lines, rumbling bass underneath the grooves, tight timbales, and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Willie Rodriguez —
At The Happenin' ... LP Fonseca/Andale, Late 60s. New Copy (reissue)...
$18.9919.99
Plenty happenin' here – a wealth of boogaloo grooves, mad Latin jazz riffs, and lots lots more – all served up on a platter that's easily one of the most cooking ever from trumpeter Willie Rodriguez! Like other releases on the Fonseca label, there's a nicely messed-up groove going on ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Stunning sounds from Willie Rodriguez – easily one of the hardest, heaviest leaders on the 60s scene in New York! The record is a live one, but has the focus and intensity of Willie's best studio work for Fonseca – red hot grooves that are a fusion of Willie's Puerto Rican roots with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Willie Rodriguez with Leo Casino —
Heat Wave ... LP Fonseca/Andale, 1965. New Copy (reissue)...
$18.9919.99
An excellent early album from Latin leader/trumpeter Willie Rodriguez – one of his gems for the Fonseca label, with vocals from Leo Casino – a tight mix of Latin Soul, descarga, and salsa tracks that hit hard from the start and don't let up! Rodriguez leads a great band, and they're ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A very beautiful, very intimate album from Venezuelan singer Isaac Sasson – a set that's got an acoustic, gentle approach throughout – almost recalling some of the more inventive post-bossa experiments from the Brazilian scene, but with flavors that are very much its own! In addition ... (Global Grooves, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A rare bit of soundtrack funk from mid 70s Venezuela – a set that's strongly influenced by Italian cop/crime modes of the time, but sometimes served up with a nicely leaner vibe as well! In addition to the funky guitar, tight basslines, and jazzy horns you might expect – there's also ... (Soundtracks, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Classic work from one of the real giants of Venezuelan music in the 70s – the mighty singer Tabaco, an artist with a style that was every bit as soulful and righteous as any of the salsa greats on the New York scene at the time! Tabaco heads up his own groups here, and has a way of creating ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the coolest albums from the legendary Peruvian scene at the start of the 70s – served up by a group who've got a Bay Area reference in their name, and who definitely work with a mix of Latin and psychedelic elements that echo that scene – but with a special sort of vibe that's ... (Rock, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the hippest compilations of boogaloo work we've ever stocked – and one that goes way past the bigger names on Fania or Tico, into the underground of small labels from the late 60s! The tunes here are all especially rare – issued originally on labels that include Speed and Ghetto ... (Funky Compilations, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The hippest side of the late 60s Latin Soul years – work from a number of tiny little New York labels – all of which are a good deal rarer than some of the bigger indies of the time! The collection here is totally great, and totally fresh – filled with numbers that were not even ... (Funky Compilations, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A killer selection of Spanish female pop – music that echoes British and French female work of the time, but which often has a different vibe as well! Part of that difference is the Spanish language of the lyrics, which seems to encourage some differences in the rhythms – but there's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A smoking overview of work from the glory days of the Venezuelan scene – that moment when the nation's economy was opening the doors to rich new avenues of expression – including the important Discomoda label, which recorded all the gems on this set! The vibe is great – kind of a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fantastic tracks from two ultra-rare labels from the New York scene – the Latin Soul empire Speed Records, and the super-tight Fonseca label – which provided a real mainline to Puerto Rican grooves at the time! Both labels cut some of the hardest-hitting Latin tracks of the time – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A mighty nice little package – one that's overflowing with the special sort of Latin and soul music hybrids that rose up from the Spanish Harlem scene in the late 60s – the kind of cuts that helped establish Fania Records as one of the most important Latin labels around – and one ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Spanish tracks with a very soulful vibe – and a set that includes a fair bit of very groovy tracks from the years when the scene was mixing older flamenco styles with disco rhythms of the 70s! The flamenco mode here doesn't involve guitar so much as it does a wonderfully expressive style of ... (Global Grooves, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really revelatory collection – one that showcases a West African influence on sounds in Colombia – in a way that's almost a further shift of the way that Afro-Cuban sounds had an impact on Congolese and other rhythmic styles on the other side of the Atlantic! The music often features ... (Global Grooves, Latin)read moreLP, Vinyl record album