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

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 with plenty of percussion and jazzy instrumentation – and the result is a sound that's wonderfully funky at times, and also compressed in a way that's different from the longer jams of some of US groups. Yet there's also all these weird little twists and turns – that almost-experimental vibe that you'll hear in Venezuelan groovers from the period – great surprises along the way, on titles that include "Caliente", "Amor Y Felicidad", "Escandalo", "Semilla", "Vete", "Sinfonia Numero 20", and "No Te Olvides Del Senor". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album of Latin funk – the only-ever record from this west coast combo headed by the legendary Benny Velarde! Benny's a name that you might recognize from earlier, straighter Latin dates for Fantasy – or for countless studio work during the 70s – but here, he's really got a talent for a funky 70s groove – and manages to hit a unique space that's somewhere between conventional funk, west coast Latin, and some of the hippest blacksploitation grooves of the time! The album also features some under-credited work from Lalo Schifrin – who was tied to the project somehow (Velarde claims that the record was killed by MGM upon release because of a feud with Lalo) – but never really fully credited in the notes. There's a definite link here with some of Schifrin's funkier soundtrack of the period – a great blend of jazzier elements and headier 70s funk – all served up with a tightness that has made the record one of our favorite funky treasures for years! Titles include "The Ghetto", "Latin Slide", "Who You Fooling", "Road Runner", "Soul Sauce", "Cocoa Leaf", and "Move Your Hands". LP, Vinyl record album

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 energy overall! Mita handles the tres wonderfully here – electrified on most cuts, which almost creates the same sort of feel as those cool boogaloo records that Arsenio Rodriguez recorded in the 60s – not faithfully traditional at all, which is really the appeal! As with so many Mag Records productions from the period, there's all sorts of wonderfully offbeat elements going on – yet they never get in the way of the burning Latin grooves of the set, as you'll hear on cuts that include "Mango Mangue", "Arecibo", "Compay Chifuco", "Mita Descarga", "No Aguanto Mas", "Descarga En Botella Y Huiro", and "El Yo Yo". LP, 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 some interesting moments that include odd keyboards, acoustic guitar, and even a violin and piano duet – used in ways to offset more familiar funky styles to really keep things interesting! The music was scored for a sexploitation film of the time, and certainly echoes the way those films were scored around the globe – but as with so much Venezuelan work of the period, there's a very special, very unique approach as well. Titles include "Malandro", "El Secuestro", "Jenny", "la Venganza", "Bajando El Cerro", "Tacarigua", and "Tema De Amor". (Soundtracks, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan. (Funky Compilations, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

Argentine rock, recorded in Paris during the early 70s – a really unusual expatriate album that comes off with a sound that's pretty unique! Miguel Abuelo clearly draws inspiration from the heavier rock that was showing up in South America at the time – yet the overall execution of the record also shares some of the warmer, more optimistic qualities that marked some of the French groups during the period – occasional folksy elements, and a post-68 positivity that holds on even when things get somewhat trippy and jammy. Instrumentation is heavy on guitars – both acoustic and electric – and the longer tracks really take off with some wild sounds, especially when bits of moog or electronics are dropped into the mix. Titles include "Senor Carnicero", "El Muelle", "Estoy Aqui Parado Sentado Y Acostado", "El Largo Dia De Vivir", and "Tirando Piedras Al Rio". (Rock, Latin) CD

Groundbreaking Latin Jazz – and an essential 2LP set! The album brings together classic work for Norman Granz' Verve and Clef labels in the cubop mode – including Dizzy Gillespie's Manteca Suite, Machito's Afro-Cuban Suite, titles by Chico O'Farrill, and others recorded in 1949 and arranged by Rene Hernandez. Players include Machito, Charlie Parker, Diz, Mario Bauza, Eddie Bert, Flip Phillips, Chano Pozo, and Jos Mangual – and the quality of the work unifies the sessions wonderfully, even though they were recorded separately over a 5 year period. LP, Vinyl record album

A great live Santana set, recorded in Japan in '73 and never released on vinyl in the US! The band here is at their peak, and this set features a nice large lineup that includes Tom Coster, Richard Kermode, Doug Rauch, Armando Peraza, Jose Chepito Areas and Michael Shreve, plus Leon Thomas on vocals! Some tracks show the clear influence of Miles' electric jazz recordings from the same period, while others have a hardcore Latin percussion base, and as you can imagine there's no shortage of full on guitar pyrotechnics and jamming on all the band members' parts. Most of the group's tracks that have entered classic status are here, but the moments that shine the brightest are the lesser known numbers and extended passages where the group really gets into the groove! Includes "A 1 Funk", "Gypsy Queen", "Oye Como Va", "Yours Is The Light", "Batuka", "Xibaba", 'Waiting", "Free Angela", "Samba De Sausalito", "Mantra", "Kyoto", "Incident At Neshabur" and "Toussaint L'Overture". (Rock, Latin) CD

One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan. (Funky Compilations, Latin) CD

An extremely rare Latin Soul treasure – the legendary Power Of Love set by Joe Acosta – served up with some killer soul vocals by a young Joe Cruz! As you might guess from the "love" in the title, the set's got a focus on the sweeter sounds of Latin Soul – particularly on the English language numbers, which come across with a soulfulness that recalls Joe Bataan during the same period – but even when the record is mellow, it's still got a nice sense of "bottom" – and there's a number of tracks on here that really groove along nicely – rolling with heavy piano or basslines! Instrumentation includes a Bataan-esque trombone section that provides plenty of dark notes alongside the rhythms – and titles include "I Need Her", "Bendita Illusion", "Una Tracion", "Phoenix", "La Bendicion", "La Realidad", and "Amor Perdido". LP, Vinyl record album