A nice Prestige 2-fer collecting two early sides Mongo cut for Fantasy in the late 50s. The first, released under the title Mongo, is a no-nonsense batch of Latin jazz tracks, arranged by himself and Francisco Aguabella, who's sort of the co-leader of the group on the set! Players include Emil Richards, Paul Horn, Armando Pereza, Carlos Vidal, and Willie Bobo – and as you can imagine by that lineup, there's plenty of heavy duty percussive action! Jose Chombo Silva plays a bit of tenor – and titles include "Chano Pozo", "Mazacote", "Los Conguitos", and "Afro Blue". Yambu, another of Mongo's great early records, is the second LP of the set. It's got a spooky Afro-Cuban sound, and a great assortment of drummers that includes Francisco Aquabella, Carlos Vidal, Willie Bobo, and Modesto Duran. The overall vibe is much more traditional than Mongo's other albums – and there's none of the pop Latin jazz of his years at Columbia records, or his "Watermelon Man" era at Riverside. Cuts include "Mi Guanguanco", "Timbales & Bongo", "Yeye", and "Columbia", and the sound is nice and raw. LP, Vinyl record album

Well, in our opinion, Cal went Latin right from the start, practically. Still, this "Goes Latin" LP is one of his best of the genre from the old days, and features a host of great players like Lonnie Hewitt, Chombo Silva, Mongo Santamaria, Paul Horn, and Willie Bobo. The album includes Cal's semi-hit "Black Orchid", plus "Mi China", "Bonita", "Contigo", and "Mambo At The M". Very nice, with a sound that would become Cal's trademark in the years right after this album. Cal Tjader Quintet is a great little Latin session from Cal – recorded with extra percussion from Benny Velarde and Luis Miranda, plus rhythm from the Duran brothers, Manuel (piano) and Carlos (bass). The groove's nice and heavy, pretty driving on most cuts, a perfect foil for Cal's jazzy vibes. Titles include "A Minor Goof", "Laura", "Lullaby In Birdland", "Undecided", and Cal's classic reading of Tito Puente's "Philadelphia Mambo". (Jazz, Latin) CD

Sublime mellow work from Cal Tjader – vibes mixed with strings mixed with Latin percussion – a nicely laidback take on his classic 50s sound! The core group is still one of Cal's Latin best – with Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo on percussion – and many tracks have some great flute work by Paul Horn, snaking through the mellower grooves with a sound that's sad and soulful. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "Ode For Margo", "Martha", "Spring Is Here", and "Star Eyes". (Jazz, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

Ruben Blades steps out here in a mix of modes – tracks from both his Swing and Salsa Plus albums, and like those cuts, done in collaboration with the group of Robert Delgado – the bassist whose arrangements really help the record soar! Ruben's vocals are wonderful – somehow even better with age, and still commanding all the power of the past – and the rest of the group has the right balance of jazzy horn work and Latin currents in the rhythms to really help set the mood. Titles include "Mambo Gil", "Watch What Happens", "Pennies From Heaven", "Paula C", "Do I Hear Four", "Cobarde", and "The Way You Look Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album