A great high-concept composition from Duke Ellington – one that rivals the earlier brilliance of his Liberian Suite! Like that one, vocals are a key part of this long-form work – a special performance done for the Century Of Negro Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1963 – with an all-star cast that includes Jimmy Jones both at the piano and conductor's stand; Joya Sherrill on vocals with the Irving Bunton Singers, Jimmy Grissom, Jimmy McPhail, and Lil Greenwood; Billy Strayhorn on celeste, Juan Amalbert on conga, and other familiar Ellingtonians in the larger group! The tunes have a mix of gospel and folk roots, turned towards more modern Ellington compositional modes – and almost all numbers feature vocals, including one with narration by Ellington himself. Titles include "Will You Be There", "Come Sunday", "David Danced", "Montage", "My Mother My Father", "My People", "The Blues Ain't", and "What Color Is Virtue". CD

A pair of amazing records from percussionist Dom Um Romao – back to back in a single set! The self-titled Dom Um Romao is an unbelievably fantastic album, and perhaps the greatest one that Dom Um Romao ever cut! Dom recorded this set in America with a blend of Brazilian and New York musicians – creating an incredible sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – a rich harmony of Brazilian roots and more creative 70s electric instrumentation – filled with complicated shades, tones, and colors! We'd place this record next to the best electric work by David Axelrod, the dopest funk on CTI, and a rare few other jazz funk albums from the 70s – and the whole thing's completely sublime all the way through! Players include Joao Donato on piano, Dom Salvador on Fender Rhodes, Lloyd McNeil on flute, Mauricio Smith on tenor and soprano sax, Sivuca on organ and guitar, and Joe Beck on electric guitar – and titles include the spare spacey groover "Dom's Tune", the lively dancer "Cinnamon Flower", the jazzy "Family Talk", a great version of "Ponteio", and a take on Sivuca's "Adeus Maria Fulo". Spirit Of The Times is an incredible set of Brazilian jazz – one of the few albums that percussionist Dom Um Romao recorded as a leader, and sublime all the way through! The record's got a wonderful blend of funky fusion and Brazilian percussion – and features a group from two continents that includes Sivuca on organ, Dom Salvador on electric piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Jerry Dodgion on alto sax, Lloyd McNeill on flute, and Mauricio Smith on tenor, soprano, and flute. Includes the percussion jammer "Shake (Ginga Gingou)", the modal groover "Wait on the Corner", and the lively scatting tune "The Angels" – but the whole album's great, and other tracks include "The Salvation Army", "Kitchen", and "Lamento Negro". CD

A really pivotal album in the career of Mongo Santamaria – one that has Mongo stripping down the groove, kicking up some jazz, and mixing together soulful styles that brought him to the top of the Latin crowd of the 1960s! There's a tightness here that goes beyond any of Santamaria's previous albums – a no-nonsense approach that makes for some incredibly hard-hitting numbers – heavy on the conga, but also featuring strong piano lines from Rodger Grand, trumpet from Marty Sheller, flute and tenor from Hubert Laws, and alto sax and baritone from Bobby Capers! This small combo provides pretty much all of the instrumentation for the record – and there's no added tricks or gimmicks, just hard-grooving Latin jazz at its best! Titles include "El Pussy Cat", "Together", "Black Eyed Peas", "Ritmo Negro", "Sarai", "Hammer Head", and "Afro Lypso". LP, Vinyl record album

Nearly 3 albums' worth of music from the legendary Tamba Trio – one of the grooviest groups in the 60s bossa years in Brazil! The trio are quite unique – in that they not only play upbeat bossa rhythms, but also harmonize along with their grooves – in a soaringly sublime quality that really electrifies the tunes! Most of their lyrics are jazzy and somewhat scatted – kind of an added layer of music on top of the core jamming of piano, bass, and drums – and the production on these key 60s sides really helps their sound hit just the right level – a heavenly sound that's occasionally augmented by added percussion, flute, or guitar. The CD is one of the best introductions to their work we've ever seen – as it features material from the 60s albums Tempo, Tamba Trio, and Avanco, plus the rare Brasil Saluda A Mexico single – a whopping 26 tracks in all, with titles that include "Reza", "Tamba", "Batida Diferente", "Influencia Do Jazz", "Nos E O Mar", "O Amor Que Acabou", "Tristeza De Nos Dois", "Negro", "Rio", "Yansa", "Moto Continuo", "Barumba", "Danielle", "Pregao", "Boranda", "Consolacion", and "Morte De Um Deus De Sal". CD

2 of Ray Barretto's earliest albums, both recorded for the Riverside label at the start of his career! Latino has an approach to Latin jazz that's certainly informed by the charanga sound of the New York scene in the early 60s – but one that's also opened up a bit more to new ideas – bits of bossa nova, heavy percussion, and some odd instrumental twists that really make the album sparkle! There's some haunting violin work on one track, a bit of odd organ on another, and a very playful mix of flute, piano, and percussion throughout. The great Jose Combo Silva plays tenor on the date – and other players include Jose Canoura on flute, Alfredito Valdez on piano, and El Negro Vivar on trumpet. Ray's on congas, bongos, and timbales – and titles include "Sugar's Delight", "Carnaval", "Descarga La Moderna", "El Negro Y Ray", and "Cocinando Suave". Pachanga With Barretto is a very offbeat little set from Ray – a record that takes the standard pachanga groove of the time, and nicely turns it on its ear with a host of jazzy touches! Hector Rivera wrote all the tracks, and also did most of the arrangements – and the record's got a really playful feel that's far more than just straight Latin for the crowds at the club. Flute and violin are often used in slightly unusual ways – and they're mixed with harder lines on tenor from Frank Mercado and trumpet from El Negro Vivar. Other players include Ray Mantilla on timbales, Jose Canoura on flute, and Willie Rodriguez on percussion – and titles include "Oye Heck", "Pachanga Suavecito", "Pachanga Para Bailar", "Barretto En La Tumbadora", "Pachanga Oriental", and "Ponte Dura". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible set of Brazilian jazz – one of the few albums that percussionist Dom Um Romao recorded as a leader, and sublime all the way through! The record's got a wonderful blend of funky fusion and Brazilian percussion – and features a group from two continents that includes Sivuca on organ, Dom Salvador on electric piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Jerry Dodgion on alto sax, Lloyd McNeill on flute, and Mauricio Smith on tenor, soprano, and flute. Includes the percussion jammer "Shake (Ginga Gingou)", the modal groover "Wait on the Corner", and the lively scatting tune "The Angels" – but the whole album's great, and other tracks include "The Salvation Army", "Kitchen", and "Lamento Negro". LP, Vinyl record album

Sock boogaloo! Although Ralphie Robles never cut that many records after the Latin Soul era, his late 60s sides for Fania are among some of our favorite, and they groove with a non-stop hard-edged vibe! This album's a winner all the way through – filled with tight short tracks, smoking instrumentation on sax and trumpet, and lots of great English lyrics handled with a very soulful approach! The band here features Ralphie on trumpet, Hector Rivera on piano, Jose "Piliche" Elisier on vocals, and some great sax work by Raymond Crevates. Groovers include "Mi Negro", "Banana Juana", "Val's Candy", "Jezebel", and "Come & Get It". CD includes material from the album Ralph Robles Was Here – plus bonus tracks "Mi Borinquen", "Los Habaneros", "El Rey", "Montuniando", and "Perro Tramposo". CD

A great revival of older choro modes – played in a style that's quite faithful to the original, and which is recorded in a spare, simple style that's mighty nice! The set's oddly missing notes on the musicians, but instrumentation includes lots of percussion on tamborim, sweet lyrical lines on flute, and plenty of lively interplay between acoustic guitar and bandolim – ringing out beautifully here on most of the tunes! Titles include "Alvorada", "Nao Me Toques", "Boemio", "Choro Negro", "Piano", "Flor Do Abacate", and "Dengoso". CD