An album that definitely lives up to its title – as congolero Francisco Aguabella comes on hard, hitting strong throughout – and serving up a wicked blend of Latin, funk, and soul! The mid 70s set is a standout recording from Aguabella – done after he left the group Malo, and one of the best west coast takes on the modes that scene was changing up from New York at the time – really transforming the sound of contemporary Latin with a trans-genre vibe that was easily some of the most revolutionary music of the period. Rhythms are acoustic, but there's a nice dose of electric energy too, thanks to some sweet keyboards. Some cuts have English vocals, others are instrumental – and titles include "Hitting Hard", "I Wanna Know", "Cisco", "Image of a Star" and a nice version of Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Airto – recorded after his 70s years on bigger labels, but a set that almost tops all of them in the end! There's a wonderful mix going on here – a blend of rootsy and electric, and Latin and Brazilian – the former clearly from the placement of the record on New York's Montuno label – an imprint that did plenty of great sessions filled with Latin jazz! The shift makes for a fresh one for Airto – still plenty of room to show off his famous percussion impulses, yet in a slightly different way – often grooving in a Latin fusion mode that's a nice maturation from the CTI years. The set's filled with all-star players – including Jorge Dalto on electric piano, Raul De Souza on trombone, Joe Farrell on flute, Alphonso Johnson on bass, and Oscar Castro Neves on keyboards, guitar, and cavaquinho – and the lovely Flora's also on board to sing a bit on the set. Titles include the extended jammer "Tombo", plus "Aqui Se Pede", "Jump", "The Return", "Sin Salida", and "Anatelio". (Brazil, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most hard-hitting Latin albums from the 50s on RCA – a set released with jokey liner notes from Frank Jacobs of Mad, next to some Jack Davis cartoons – but a set that's got smoking percussion, great horns, and even some very cool use of vibes! LP, Vinyl record album

A strangely wonderful Latin set with a very drum-heavy approach! Cuban percussionist Walfredo plays in a large group with Louie Belson on the regular kit and "moog drum" – and the rest of the group features strong Latin players like Francisco Aguabella, Clare Fischer, Emil Richards, and Cachao. Very nice stuff, with a strong groove that you wouldn't expect from the usual Pablo material. Titles include "Ecue", "Salsa In Cinco", "Sentido En Seis", and "Javilla". LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that hard Latin didn't always happen on the uptown scene – and a self-titled cooker from this legendary combo from Brooklyn! The record's a killer all the way through – done with some very deep, dark trombone that colors the session like the best of Johnny Colon's material from the late 60s – inflected with some brighter salsa moments in the rhythms, but all very focused and tightly held together by the rhythms! In addition to the trombone, the piano is especially nice – and other instrumentation includes a bit of organ and plenty of percussion. Most numbers have vocals – and titles include "Guaguanco De Puerto Rico", "Perdicion", "En Las Tumbas", "Rain", and "Sueltame Ya". 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

Candido cut sooo many great Latin records over the years, spanning a wide range of styles, we have a hard time deciding which we love the best. We like to think this may be his best album from the early part of his career, specifically because it features the master conga player amidst a tight jazz lineup, who leave him plenty of room to solo and just plain get down doing his thing. Dick Hyman's on organ, Joe Puma's on guitar, and Ernie Royal's on trumpet, with George Duvivier and Charlie Persip in the rhythm section. 8 tracks in all, including "Afro Blue", "Caravan", "Softly But Blue", "Blue Lou", "Blue Prelude", "Bongo Baby", "Blue Dirge" and "Candido Cocktail". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the same Candido that you might know from Salsoul Records or 50s Latin fame – and instead a younger percussionist who cut this legendary album for Joe Bataan's Ghetto Records label! The set's got a rootsy vibe that's mighty nice – right up there with the best of the Fania salsa scene at the start of the 70s – and Candido plays timbales in a group that also features two trumpets, tenor, and trombone – plus lots more piano, bass, and percussion! You might have heard Candido's percussion in the groups of Ricardo Ray or Randy Carlos, but here he's a hell of a leader on his own – on titles that include the mellow soul "Baby Doll", the jazzy "Something Smooth", and the cuts "Palos De Fuego", "Bochinches", "El Lobo", and "Mi Ritmo Cubano". LP, Vinyl record album

Hip work from Al Castellanos – one of the mainstays of the excellent Mardi Gras Latin label! Nice cheesecake cover too! LP, Vinyl record album

The frenzied piano of Carmen Cavallaro gets a nice does of Latin rhythms on this set – and the set's a great example of the way that cocktail piano and Latin were strongly linked in the New York scene of the 50s! Carmen's style here is certainly different than that of Joe Loco, Noro Morales, or others who skirted the same territory – but the difference is also not that great, and it was Cavallaro's earlier sense of drama and color that often helped inspire piano work in players who followed. The rhythms are especially great here too – not straight Latin all the time, but a nice mix of inventive and exotic touches from bass and percussion that really liven things up, and make the tunes come across with modes that are quite different than their familiar readings. Titles include "Dolores My Own", "Frenesi", "Andalucia", "Maria La-O", "Perfida", "Adios", and "Poinciana". (Now Sound, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

A mid 70s classic from Willie Colon – continuing the progression of his "gangster" image by supposedly having him break out of prison! (Previously, Willie had been brought to justice on the Juicio album – but now on the loose, is described in a wanted poster on the cover – "Willie Colon & Hector LaVoe have been known to kill people with little provocation with their exciting rhythm without a moment's notice"!) That claim might be a bit far-fetched, but considering the strength of Willie's work at the time, it's certainly well-founded – as he and Hector cook things up nicely on this set by bringing in some even-earthier grooves to their blend of 70s salsa modes! The group's got Colon's tight twin-trombone approach firmly in the lead, and other instrumentation is merely piano, bass, and lots of percussion – all very stripped down, and with lots of room for LaVoe's wonderfully evocative vocals. Titles include "Pa' Columbia", "Ghana'E", "No Cambiare", "Barrunto", and "Sigue Feliz". 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

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

A nice shift in style for Cugat – some very unusual rhythms! (Funky 45's, Latin) 7-inch, Vinyl record

Very groovy stuff from Cugie! It's the late 60s, and he's got more of a pop Latin groove than earlier – and lays down some nice peppy covers of pop material, plus a few other Latin standards. Not exactly Latin soul – but not that far off, either. Includes a great version of "Samba Saravah", plus "Mellow Yellow", "Compadre Pedro Juan", "Shadow Of Your Smile", "Jungle Rhumba", and the perennial favorite "Music To Watch Girls By". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A soul jazz Latin classic – one that matches the searing tenor work of Eddie Lockjaw Davis with the hard-hitting conga of a young Ray Barretto! The core group of the set is a soul jazz one – with Lockjaw blowing over rhythm by Lloyd Mayers on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – plus a small added trumpet section on a few tracks. Ray comes into the mix with some really tight percussion on the bottom, aided by a few other players at times – kicking up the tunes and giving them a lot of fire – something that Davis seems to really respond to in his horn. Thanks should also be given to arranger Gil Lopez, who put together the overall sound of the set – and the album's a hard groover all the way through, filled with Latin jammers like "Wild Rice", "Jazz-a-Samba", "Guanco Lament", "Afro Jaws", and "Tin Tin Deo". (Jazz, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album