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(Global Grooves, Latin) CD

(Global Grooves, Latin) CD

This one's a bit tighter than some of the group's earlier albums – but still equally funky, and still very nice! Malo are at the top of their form here – grooving hard with great guitar from Jorge Santana, tight congas from Francisco Aquabella, sweet organ from Ron De Masi, and great vocals by the whole group – all wrapped up with a warm sound that's totally great. The best cuts have that choppy Chicano funk sound that was the West Coast's best contribution to Latin music during the 70s – and many numbers have strong jazzy elements on the solos. Titles include "Tiempo De Recordar", "Chevere", "A La Escuela", "Offerings", and "Latin Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful 70s Latin soul from the legendary Bay Area combo that included Jorge Santana, Luis Gasca, and Coke Escovedo – all players who'd go onto great solo fame on their own, working together here as a youthfully inventive group that really set the tone for the west coast sound of the decade! This first album's a masterpiece in the California Latin Soul style – a sweet blend of Latin, jazz, funk, and rock that took up where the New York groups left off at the end of the 60s. The tracks are all pretty long – with some extremely tight instrumental playing, and plenty of room for long jamming solos. But the best part is the vocals – sung by Arcelio Garcia Jr, with a sweet style that's totally excellent. You probably already know that if you've heard the band's big hit "Suavecito", which is included here in a longer version than the original single – but you'll also hear that on the tracks "Cafe", "Pana", and "Peace". CD