Killer Latin from South American drummer Frank Hernandez – easily the king of the scene on his side of the globe! Frank's taking a key cue here from the harder sound of the New York scene of the time – and the record's overflowing with great little tracks that mix together heavy percussion, sinister piano, and soulful chorus vocals that leap and dance along with the grooves. A few cuts are instrumentals, done with some great horn work in place – and the whole album's a cooker that can't be denied! Includes a great remake of "El Pito", plus "Dame Tu Carino", "Sabor A Miel", "Potpourri Judio", "Cafe", "Bombonchara", "Rumba Brava", and "Dulce Veneno". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Gato Barbieri's legendary exploration of Latin American sounds for Impulse Records – a set that's heavy on Cuban influences, thanks to arrangements from the mighty Chico O'Farrill! The sound is sublime – a bit fuller than some of Gato's other albums in the run, but never with any slick or commercial styles – just more of a richness from O'Farrill's backings, matched perfectly by Barbieri's amazing tones on the tenor! There's a lot of Latin percussion in the backings – courtesy of Ray Mantill, Luis Mangual, and Ray Armando – and Eddie Martinez mixes in some sweet electric piano with his acoustic lines, deepening the soul of the record in a really 70s way. Titles include "Milonga Triste", "Lluvia Azul", "La Padrida", "Viva Emiliano Zapata", and "El Sublime" – the last of which is a good description of the record! (Jazz, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

Cumbia – like you've never heard it before! This compilation on Irma's Colors label features a host of modern Cumbia groovers that update the traditional sound of the music with a hipper dancefloor and remix style – of the sort that you'd normally expect from European sources and scenes. The tracks on the set hail from Latin American sources that include Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Peru – and they've got a warm "electro/tropical" sound that we like a lot more than standard Cumbia! Titles include "Fuiste" by Gilda, "Cumbia Villera" by Yerba Brava, "El Loco" by Los De Abajo, "Technocumbia Del Oeste" by Rossy War, "Cumbia De Los Pajaritos" by Chicos De Barrio, "No Te Metas Conmigo" by Sebastian Escofet, and "Meneito" by Mambotur. LP, Vinyl record album

The group were certainly doing something right – as this album has Joe Cuba's sextet at the top of their game, easily showing why they were one of the best groups on the New York scene of the 60s! The album's a pivotal one in the development of Latin Soul – as it sports the incredible track "El Pito" – one of those Latin jammers that grabbed everyone right away, and which has barely ever been matched since! The album's also got some great use of English language lyrics – crucial to the unique crossover sound that Joe was forging, and a real bridge between Spanish and African American Harlem in the 60s. Titles include "My Wonderful You", "El Pito (I'll Never Go Back To Georgia)", "Pruebalo, OK?", "Bochinchosa", "Incomparable", and "Clave Mambo". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Gato Barbieri's legendary exploration of Latin American sounds for Impulse Records – a set that's heavy on Cuban influences, thanks to arrangements from the mighty Chico O'Farrill! The sound is sublime – a bit fuller than some of Gato's other albums in the run, but never with any slick or commercial styles – just more of a richness from O'Farrill's backings, matched perfectly by Barbieri's amazing tones on the tenor! There's a lot of Latin percussion in the backings – courtesy of Ray Mantill, Luis Mangual, and Ray Armando – and Eddie Martinez mixes in some sweet electric piano with his acoustic lines, deepening the soul of the record in a really 70s way. Titles include "Milonga Triste", "Lluvia Azul", "La Padrida", "Viva Emiliano Zapata", and "El Sublime" – the last of which is a good description of the record! (Jazz, Latin) LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and the beginning of a strong tradition of west coast funky Latin groups! El Chicano were one of a number of groups to emerge from LA of the 60s – rising forth on a wave of Mexican American pride to come up with a west coast version of the Latin Soul sound that had been emanating from Spanish Harlem a few years earlier. The group had an organ-heavy sound that first scored big on their rendition of Gerald Wilson's "Viva Tirado" – done as a single by the group with a stepping jazz beat that was missing from the earlier version, which worked great with their bubbly organ sound. The album was recorded to follow up the hit – done as a live set after hours at the Kabuki Sukiyaki Restaurant in south LA, and filled with tight jazzy covers 60s groovers like "Cantaloupe Island", "Eleanor Rigby", "Hurt So Bad", and "Coming Home Baby". The record's also got an amazing version of "Quiet Village" – and while it may not be as Latin as some of the group's later work, it's the beginning of a great tradition, and has a sound that was copied endlessly – but rarely matched! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic late life album by the Argentine musical genius Astor Piazzolla – and a set that shows just how far he'd transformed the format of the tango along his musical path of the previous decades! The sound here is completely unique – with some elements of modern string quartet modes, avant jazz, and other styles – blended together with guitar, violin, piano, and bass next to Astor's completely sublime lines on bandoneon! The whole thing's a treasure, and if there's one record to hear by Piazzolla, this is it! Titles include "Tanguedia III", "Milonga Del Angel", "Concierto Para Quinteto", "Milonga Loca", and "Contrabajissimo". LP, Vinyl record album