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 fresh at all points, and which shifts the focus nicely from track to track – creating a really rich sound that's almost unlike anything else he ever recorded! Luiz Cruz plays excellent electric piano, and Adalberto Santiago is on lead vocals on a few tracks – and titles include the extended version of "Cocinando", used as the theme in Our Latin Thing – plus the cuts "Que Viva La Musica", "El Tiempo Lo Dira", "Bruca Manigua", and "Alafia Cumaye". LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Bataan working in a pronounced dancefloor soul mode! While the legendary Bataan was no stranger to the fusion of Latin, soul and funk, this some of the most club soul oriented sounds from Joe we've ever heard – and the sessions are seeing official release for the first time ever! The recording feature players who worked on Joe's stellar Afrofilipino and features a backdrop of wonderful Afro and Latin percussion and rhythms with the best sounds of the NYC dancefloor soul in the mix – with uptempo and midtempo vocal numbers flirting with disco and modern soul very nicely – with solid lead vocals and groovy female backup! Most tunes bring a bit of harp into the mix for a little more of a soar that plays off the percussion in really cool way. Titles include "Sadie", "When We Get Married", "My Cloud", "I Need Love", a take on the Isaac Hayes "Theme From The Men", "Let Me Kove You", "My Opera" and "I Do Love You". CD

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

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

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 number of long tracks that really stretch out in a highly percussive groove! The group's great – with Jose Mangual on bongos, Joe Torres on piano, and Milton Cardona on conga – as well as Hector Lavoe still in the lead on vocals. Titles include "Aguanile", "Pan y Agua", "Seguire Sin Ti", "Timbalero", "Pirana", "Ah Ah O No", "Si La Ves", and "Sonando Despierto". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best work ever from Puerto Rican percussionist Rafael Cortijo Verdejo – sides recorded in New York for the Ansonia label, at a time when Cortijo's music was even more rootsy than it was a decade before! The material here marks a renewed sense of tradition in players of Cortijo's generation – almost a back-to-basics mode that was their answer to the hybrids of the late 60s – a style that often has Rafael focusing even more on the rhythms at the bottom of the tracks, and leaving behind some of the fuller orchestrations of the 50s. The mighty Kako joins in on percussion on a number of tracks too – and singers include Chivirico Davila and Johnny Vega – on titles that include "Chiviriquiton", "Tele Tele Ya", "La Madama", "Que Linda Te Ves", "Tu Y Tu Guarapo", "Quien Fuel El Primero", "Echando Un Pie", "Alegria Bomba Es", "Dorotea", "Dudando", and "El Negrito Bailador". Comes with great notes in Spanish and English, too! CD

The notes on the cover use the term "Latinx Futurist" to refer to the work of Dos Santos – and that may be one of the best ways we've ever heard to describe their really unique blend of modes – served up here with a sound that firmly places the group at the crossroads of some great contemporary currents of music! Instrumentation is a familiar blend of percussion, guitar, and keyboards – but the presentation is nicely unique – as echoes of older Latin styles come into play with more creative elements, all in a small combo mode that's produced to perfection by Elliot Bergman – who did plenty of his own genre-crossing work in the group Nomo over the years. Lead vocals are by Alex Chavez, a really wonderful singer – and titles include "Shot In The Dark", "City Of Mirrors", "Palo Santo", "Jaguar De Rosas", "Lejos De Ti", and "Glorieta". CD