... LP, Vinyl record album

Features arrangements by Rene Hernandez and Arthur Azenzer – and titles include "Fiesta De Besos", "Nadie Me Ama", "Ya Tu Lo Ves", "San Juan", "Llego El Sonero", and "Boogaloo In Puerto Rico". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully jazzy work from Tito Rodriguez – and further proof that his live albums are often some of the best he ever recorded! The set's got an earthy feel that's quite different than some of Tito's studio albums – still that tight groove he brought to Latin music at the end of the 50s, but a looser, freer quality too – one that comes through not only in the great horn passages in the group, but also in the way the rhythms cascade and open up – in a groove that must have been very appealing to Palladium dancers. Titles include "Double Talk", "Te Comiste Un Pan", "Satin & Lace", "Mama Guela", "El Mundo De Las Locas", and "El Sabio". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record – a heck of a lot nicer than Tito's work in the 50s, with a much more hard driving mambo sound, touched by a bit of jazz. The style here's not dissimilar to Tito Puente's work at the time – and titles include "Ay No No No", "A Little Bit Of Mambo", "El Tunel", "My Reverie", "Oh My Pa Pa", "Why Do I Love You", and "Chika Ni Lambo". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent little set from Tito – recorded in the late 50s for Tico, with a groove that's harder than much of his 60s work for United Artists! The lineup includes some nice jazzy vibes work on a few tracks – and the album includes the great percussive track "Suena Tu Bongo (Beat Your Bongo)", plus other nice ones like "Ritmo y Melodia", "Tom & Jerry", and "Asi Na Ma". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

The Fania All Stars pay tribute to older Latin great Tito Rodriguez – in a set of shorter tracks that's really the group's first true outing in the studio! The format here is quite different than the earlier live albums cut by the group – a sound that's a bit more focused, and without as much of the free solo interplay as before. Instead, there's a greater presence of the singers – as you might expect in a tribute to Tito – with lead vocals by Hector Lavoe, Ismael Quintana, Ruben Blades, and Justo Betancourt. Instrumentalists on the session include Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Richardo Ray, and Roberto Roena – and titles include "Fue En Santiago", "Vuela La Paloma", "Cara De Payaso", "Involvidable", and "Tiemblas". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover's a bit goofy, but the record's one of those great back to basics Latin jazz sides that Tito Puente cut in the 80s – with a group that has Tito on vibes, plus the great Sonny Bravo on piano, Bobby Rodriguez on bass, Jose Maderas on congas, and Mario Rivara on a variety of saxes and flute! LP, Vinyl record album

A burner of a set from Tito Puente – very well titled to suit the energy of the session! The tracks are all highly rhythmic numbers – short, but filled with jazzy horn flourishes and the kind of snapping rhythms that made the Puente group one of the biggest crossover favorites of the 50s. Tunes nicely mix up vocals with some more pronounced jazz soloing – getting a heck of a lot into a relatively small space, and really keeping up the energy of the record overall. Ray Barretto's on congas – and other players include Vincent Frisaura and Frank LoPinto on trumpets, Gerry Sanfino and Rafael Tata Palau on saxes, Ray Conception on piano, and Robert Rodriguez on bass. A few cuts have lead vocals – sung by Santos Colon – and titles include "3-D Mambo", "Hong Kong Mambo", "Mambo Gozon", "Saca Tu Mujer", "Varsity Drag", and "El Cayuco". LP, Vinyl record album

A burner of a set from Tito Puente – very well titled to suit the energy of the session! The tracks are all highly rhythmic numbers – short, but filled with jazzy horn flourishes and the kind of snapping rhythms that made the Puente group one of the biggest crossover favorites of the 50s. Tunes nicely mix up vocals with some more pronounced jazz soloing – getting a heck of a lot into a relatively small space, and really keeping up the energy of the record overall. Ray Barretto's on congas – and other players include Vincent Frisaura and Frank LoPinto on trumpets, Gerry Sanfino and Rafael Tata Palau on saxes, Ray Conception on piano, and Robert Rodriguez on bass. A few cuts have lead vocals – sung by Santos Colon – and titles include "3-D Mambo", "Hong Kong Mambo", "Mambo Gozon", "Saca Tu Mujer", "Varsity Drag", and "El Cayuco". Amazing 2CD edition – with the full bonus Dance Mania 2 album, plus rare bonus tracks from both sessions too – a massive 45 tracks in all! CD

A really great collection of Cugat's early work for Columbia – presented here with great sound, good notes, and some of the best packaging we've seen for his work in years! The set's got a total of 26 titles in all – with vocals by Miguelito Valdes, Abbe Lane, Tito Rodriguez, and Pepita Arvelo. Titles include "Coco Seco", "Ritmo Tropical", "Mambo Jambo", "The Brand New Cha Cha", "Jamay", "Tumbao", "Besame Mucho", "Mambo Gordo", "Mondonguero", "Mondongo", and "Who Me?" CD

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

The second volume of legendary Fania in the Leyendeas De La Fania series – featuring hard driving salsa and soulful Latin sounds from the fertile 70s years at the label – with numbers by Ismael Rivera, Willie Colon, Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri, Bobby Valentine, La Lupe, Joe Bataan, Pete Rodriguez and more!. t's great mix of Fania hits andl and some perhaps lesser known numbers that are just as incredible. "Me Tienes" by Ismael Rivera", "Chonqui" by Willie Colon, "El Hablador" by Sonora Poncena, "Coco" by Charlie Palmieri", "Para Puerto Rico Voy" by Joe Bataan, "Sin Tu Carino" by Fania All Stars, "Tinicue" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente and more. CD

Very very cool 4CD set of classic Latin material, packed inside of a nifty cigar-box cover, with an extra 112-page booklet of notes! The set's perfect if you're just getting into Afro Cuban music – but also pretty darn great even if you're already a fan, as the selection and packaging are exquisite. There's far too much music on the set to mention in this small space – but let us just tell you that the 4 CDs in the package all focus on a different side of Cuban music: Jazz, Vocals, Percussion, and Cuban Traditions. Each track comes with lavish notes and information that's helpful to novices and experts alike – and some of the artists include Cachao, Roberto Faz, Issac Delgado, Tito Gomez, Merceditas Valdes, Arsenio Rodriguez, Sexteto Habenero, Beny More, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Irakere. The jazz CD alone is enough to blow your mind – and that's only the beginning! CD

Features track from Tito Rodriguez, Perez Prado, Jose Gomez and Miguelito Valdez. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Jack Marshall, Nelson Riddle, Wanda De Sah, Billy May, Peggy Lee, Louis Prima, Tito Rodriguez , Jack Costanzo, Gloria Wood, Les Baxter & more. CD

A great take on the sound of Hollywood – one that comes from a host of classic instrumental albums of the 50s and 60s – most of which feature new versions of famous soundtrack themes! Many of the cuts here are decidedly leaner, and almost hipper, than the originals – and the compositions run from the best crime/thriller years of the 50s – up to the coolest late 60s styles, including some of the more European-influenced ones. 18 tracks in all – including "Your Zowie Face" by Nelson Riddle, "Moon River" by Henry Jerome, "Barbarella" by Ferrante & Teicher, "Beat Girl" by John Barry, "Theme From The Apartment" by Tito Rodriguez, "Cool" by Martin Denny, "You Gotta Taste All The Fruit" by Leroy Holmes, "A Man & A Woman/Live For Life" by Billy May, "Experiment In Terrory" by Al Caiola, and "Watch What Happens" by Denny McLain. CD

With Frank Morgan on alto, Sonny Bravo on piano, Bobby Rodriguez on bass, Tito Puente and Orestes Vilato on timbales, Johnny Rodriguez on bongos and percussion, and Joe Madera on congas and percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

Percussionist Sabu Martinez is one of the all-time greats of Latin music – and this record is probably the rarest he ever cut! The album came out of Sweden, where Sabu was residing during the 70s – enjoying some success as an expatriot jazz player in the European scene. The album mixes Latin grooves and hard funk in a way that's rarely been duplicated, and which has ensured Sabu a place in the funk hall of fame for all time! Breakbeat fanatics have always sought out the album for the cuts "All Camels Hump" and "My Cristina" – but the whole thing's a stunning batch of hard percussion grooves, and it's well worth its rare reputation! Other tracks include "Para Ti, Tito Rodriguez", "Martin Cohen Loves Latin Percussion", "My Son Johnny & Me", and "Wounded Knee". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little collection featuring work from Ray Barreto, Willie Rosario, Freddie Rodriguez, Perez Prado, Kako y su Orquesta, Tito Rodriguez, and Rene Grand. CD