Later work from Xavier Cugat, and done with a groovy 60s vibe – more in the Mercury hi fi mode of the time than his earlier tracks! Japanese pressing – plays at 45rpm for added fidelity! LP, Vinyl record album

(Funky 45's, Latin) 7-inch, Vinyl record

Nice later material by Cugie – recorded slightly before his 60s pop excursions, and with a sound that retains a lot of his original conception, but which touches it with some nice exotic hi-fi production. Titles include "Siboney", "Anna", "Jungle Drums", "Jungle Concerto", "Say Si Si", and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure brilliance from Coke Escovedo – an artist who really finds a way to make so many different things come together perfectly – with results that are even stronger than his previous work in Azteca and Santana! The set's got a warm blend of Latin roots, modern soul, and jazzy fusion – all produced by the great Pat Gleeson with the same sort of genre-bending care he brought to his own work as a musician! Gleeson makes things smooth and spacey, but never slick – really layering the sound at a level that's somewhere in the Mizell family territory, but with a bit of a different vibe. Coke's percussion is wonderful – and the set features vocals from Errol Knowles, plus backing from The Waters, and guest instrumentation from both Joe Henderson on tenor and Gabor Szabo on guitar. The whole thing's great, and titles include the sublime groover "I Wouldn't Change A Thing", a sweet remake of Willie Bobo's "Fried Neckbones & Some Home Fries", and the tracks "Back Seat", "Runaway", "Hangin On", "Somebody's Callin", and "Diamond Dust/Vida". (Soul, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure that this was actually a "greatest hits" because it's hard to find these tracks turning up elsewhere but it's a nice batch of lighthearted Latin dance tracks in any case. Tracks include "Mama Inez", "Tea For Two", "Taboo", "Sway", "It Happened In Monterey", "Always In My Heart", and "Amapola". For the most part the songs are fun and jolly with just a few that are a bit more dramatic and sweeping. LP, Vinyl record album

Silly title – but a great album, with Cugie playing relatively straight Latin versions of 60s pop hits. A few of the tunes are a bit silly, but there's less of the goofiness that "caricatures" might imply. Titles include "Papa Loves Mambo", "Night Train", "Fly Me to The Moon", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Desafinado", "The Continental", "Witchcraft", and "I've Got The World On A String". LP, Vinyl record album