A killer set of Latin Soul from the New York scene of the late 60s – a record that's every bit as wonderful as boogaloo classics on labels like Fania and Cotique, but which never got released at the time! The production quality is wonderful – with the mighty Bobby Marin heading up the whole set, and channeling the talents of a fantastic all-star lineup – which includes both Charlie Palmieri and Richie Ray on piano, Tito Puente on timbales, Bobby Rodriguez on bass, and Louie Ramirez on vibes – plus vocals from Jimmy Sabater and Willie Torres, who really give the record a lot of soul! The set's a mixture of instrumentals and vocal numbers, in English and Spanish – and titles include "Something New", "Nitty Boo Boo", "Would You Believe Me?", "Rice And Beans", "Dixie's Mambo", "Fun City Hippy", "Say Listen", "A Fool Like Me", "Papel De Bambu", and "Shingaling Now Boogaloo Later". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive batch of boogaloo gems – all wrapped up in one mighty package! Tico Records was one of the first great New York indie labels to focus on Latin music in the postwar years – and by the time of the huge late 60s boom in the world of Latin Soul, the label were definitely in a great position to turn out some killer work from a variety of artists! Some of the label's artists were aging, but reinvigorated by the energy of the younger generation – who also got access to the top shelf Tico presentation, as they brought in some of the best soul styles from East Harlem to trim things down from the larger Latin ensembles of the previous generation, and really send things home with a funky sort of groove. This set's a great overview of these key years at Tico – and titles include "Sock It To Me" and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba, "Tighten Up" and "The Horse" by Al Escobar, "Fever" by La Lupe, "Be's That Way" and "Bobo Do That Thing" by Willie Bobo, "El Watusi" and "Babalu" by Ray Barretto, "Hit The Bongo" and "Coye Como Va" by Tito Puente, "My People" by Joe Panama, "Come An Get It" and "The African Twist" by Eddie Palmieri, "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, "Madrid" by Candido, "Times They Are A Changin" by Jimmy Sabater, "El Pito" and "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba, "Fat Mama" and "TP's Shing A Ling" by Tito Puente, and "Yes I Will (part 1)" by Gilberto Sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great batch of modern salsa tracks – recorded with a really classic feel! The group's led by pianist/arranger Oscar Hernandez – and it features work by a number of older salsa legends, including Jimmy Sabater, Ruben Rodriguez, and Bobby Allende. Tight all the way through – with the feel of a mid 70s side on Fania Records – and with tracks that include "Tambori", "Obsesion", "Mam Guela", "La Banda", and "Pa Gozar". CD

Stunning sounds from the early 70s Peruvian scene – a really unique take on the cumbia mode of the time, and one that's topped with plenty of psychedelic touches as well! In truth, the rhythms here are often as Cuban as they are Colombian – a really great hybrid of both, used alongside these sweetly bubbling organ lines that are often thinner than a Hammond organ, which lets the guitar step out even more strongly over the top – often with these sounds from both elements that act like a distant cousin of anglo psych, but make for a very surprising addition to Latin rhythms! The set brings together the best cuts from a key recording period of Manzanita – and titles include "La Buenita", "No Me Marchare", "Lamento En La Puna", "Salome", "El Norteno", "Un Sabado Por La Noche", "Shambar", "La Mazamorrita", and "Catita". LP, Vinyl record album

A real cooker – filled with tasty Latin grooves! The sound of the barrio is in full effect – from late 60s Latin Soul to early 70s Latin Funk, all very well-selected from a variety of labels, and put together with a range of grooves that will keep your ears dancing all the way through! The tunes go way past the obvious – enough that the album includes a few tracks we've never heard before, the kind of soulful Latin sides that always keep us looking for more. Titles include "Lay An Oz On Me Baby" by The Latin Blues Band, "The New Breed" by Louie Ramirez, "Ponte Duro" by Roberto Roena, "I'm Satisfied" by Joe Bataan, "Yroco" by Jimmy Sabater, "La Verdad" by Cortijo & His Time Machine, "Cisco Kid" by La Crema, "Return To Spanish Harlem" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "You Need Help" by Mongo Santamaria, and "Yo" by Bobby Valentin. (Funky Compilations, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done look at the music of Ray Perez – one of the hardest-hitting Latin leaders on the Venezuelan scene in the 70s, and a musician who's finally getting his due on the global scene! Ray's got a groove that's nice and sharp, and at times maybe more tuned towards the small combo sound of the New York scene of the late 60s, rather than the bigger salsa modes of the 70s – driven on strongly by plenty of percussion at the bottom, and sewn together by great piano work from Ray himself! The collection brings together cuts from Ray's short-lived El Casabe group – titles that include "La Idea", "Oye Nena", "La Reina", "Adios Bogota", "El Bonche Se Formo", "Lamento Del Campesino", "Galeron Con Maype", "Santa", and "Campesino Nuestra". LP, Vinyl record album