... LP, Vinyl record album

Killer early work by the Fania All Stars – caught live at the legendary Cheetah club, which was the heart of the New York salsa scene at the start of the 70s! The album is easily one of the best by the group – and features long tracks that really capture the jamming intensity that occurred on stage when this many great artists were brought together in one space – kind of the "next step" for the older descarga mode put fort at the start of the 60s, pushed forward into the prouder, more unified Latin scene of the 70s! All Stars on this date include Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Bobby Valentin, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, and others – and titles on this second volume include "Ponte Duro", "Estrellas De Fania", and "Ahora Vengo Yo". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer early work by the Fania All Stars – caught live at the legendary Cheetah club, which was the heart of the New York salsa scene at the start of the 70s! The album is easily one of the best by the group – and features long tracks that really capture the jamming intensity that occurred on stage when this many great artists were brought together in one space – kind of the "next step" for the older descarga mode put forth at the start of the 60s, pushed forward into the prouder, more unified Latin scene of the 70s! All Stars on this date include Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Bobby Valentin, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, and others – and titles on this first volume include "Quitate Tu", "Descarga Fania", and "Anaconda". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer early work by the Fania All Stars – caught live at the legendary Cheetah club, which was the heart of the New York salsa scene at the start of the 70s! The album is easily one of the best by the group – and features long tracks that really capture the jamming intensity that occurred on stage when this many great artists were brought together in one space – kind of the "next step" for the older descarga mode put fort at the start of the 60s, pushed forward into the prouder, more unified Latin scene of the 70s! All Stars on this date include Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Bobby Valentin, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, and others – and titles on this second volume include "Ponte Duro", "Estrellas De Fania", and "Ahora Vengo Yo". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

One of those LPs that will go a long way towards rewriting the place of the south in the hip hop history books, from the era before the ascendancy of the ATL, etc. etc. Some of these cuts are definitely aimed at getting butts clapping, but there's more than a few respectable rhymes here, some excellent DJ work, and of course, loads of bass. 23 tracks in all, including "Speedy & Poncho", "Ain't No Doubt About It", "Dynamic Duo", "Do You Like Bass?", "Slow Draggin", "Madness To The Brink Of Insanity","Just Cruisin", "Suckers Frontin", "I'm Gonna Make It Real Funky For You", "The E & The Sea-Gull", "Give 'Em An Example Of How A DJ Works", "Abracadabra", "Feel The Bass III", "Shake Your Booty Baby" and "The Boo-Boo Of Rough J Rough". CD

A rare soundtrack for a very offbeat 70s documentary – one that more than lived up to its title by showing footage of sexual acts of a wide variety of different creatures – including frogs, kangaroos, rhinos, monkeys, and others – each of whom was given some very special scoring attention by composer Gerald Fried! Each track has a slightly different feel – as Fried is clearly watching the documentary footage, then composing the music – with all sorts of instrumental flourishes and odd effects that must have been a wonder next to the animal porn onscreen! The CD features 25 tracks in all – and titles include "Aphids", "Snails", "Buffalo Birth", "Rattlesnake", "Chimp Lullaby", "Trout Eggs", "Cheetah Chase", and "Primal Ooze". CD

One of the coolest collections of work we've ever heard from the great Mort Garson – a selection of tracks that were done during the same years as his famous album releases in the world of moog and analog synth, but done for much more obscure sources that include television, film, and other avenues of expression! The title's a reference to a cut here that was used during a 1969 broadcast of the moon landing – but there's so much more here too, and as always with Garson, there's a blend of electronic experimentation and tunefulness that make the whole thing pretty darn groovy – and not just a trip on the farther reaches of experimental electronics. Titles include "Moon Journey", "Zoos Of The World", "Music For Advertising #8", "Love Is A Garden", "The D-Bee's Cat Boogie", "Black Eye", "Western Dragon (part 3)", "Captain DJ Disco UFO", and "The Big Game Hunters See The Cheetah". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "By The Light Of A Magical Moon", "Dove", "Wind Cheetah", "Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart", "Elemental Child", and "A Day Laye". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collections of work we've ever heard from the great Mort Garson – a selection of tracks that were done during the same years as his famous album releases in the world of moog and analog synth, but done for much more obscure sources that include television, film, and other avenues of expression! The title's a reference to a cut here that was used during a 1969 broadcast of the moon landing – but there's so much more here too, and as always with Garson, there's a blend of electronic experimentation and tunefulness that make the whole thing pretty darn groovy – and not just a trip on the farther reaches of experimental electronics. Titles include "Moon Journey", "Zoos Of The World", "Music For Advertising #8", "Love Is A Garden", "The D-Bee's Cat Boogie", "Black Eye", "Western Dragon (part 3)", "Captain DJ Disco UFO", and "The Big Game Hunters See The Cheetah". CD

Beautiful, baby! Symphony Sid was one of the pivotal Latin DJs in New York radio, and throughout his career, he helped many of the city's best players and singers get their start on the scene. In 1972, Sid did his last radio show ever – and the event was broadcast from the famous Cheetah night club, with the help of a host of famous Latin music guest stars like Willie Colon, Willie Rosario, Ray Baretto, Orchestra Harlow, and others! This 2LP captures all the excitement of that broadcast, and has Sid rapping his usual rap in between songs, just as he did on radio. The release is an amazing way to sneak a peek into the NY Latin scene as it really existed, and since it's a double LP set, you get a huge amount of great material, put together and introduced by one of the greatest figures in the business. Very nice, and a priceless treasure! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little live album from The Fania All Stars – one that's recorded a few years after their classic sets at the Cheetah, Red Garter, and Yankee Stadium – but which still burns with the same sort of energy! The groove here has a bit more of a straighter salsa approach – as you'd guess from the date – but the record still features the cream of the crop of the New York scene, coming together with a masterful sense of power and togetherness! Vocalsits include Justo Belancourt, Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, and Ismael Rivera – and titles include "Felicitaciones", "Ahora Si", "Publico Corriente", "Toro Mata", "El Nazareno", "Cucala", and "Yo Soy La Candela". LP, Vinyl record album

A late entry in the Black Emanuelle series starring Laura Gemser and featuring music by Nico Fidenco – La Via Della Prostituzione – featuring a mix of sulty Fidenco sounds and more funky and disco oriented grooves! Much of the material here has never been released before this great CD from Beat Records – and it's full of funky 70s dancefloor styled sounds with spacier touches, clapping rhythms and evocative wordless vocals. Great stuff – benchmark late 70s erotic soundtrack grooves after the international dancefloor sounds seeped into the style! Titles include "Run Cheetah Run", "A Modern Reportage", "Performing Joy", "Red Room", "Lady Surprise", "Reporter In Action", "Strange Hospital", "Lady Fighting", "Too Much AgaiN" and more. CD

Breezy brilliance from the legendary Gabor Szabo – and one of the grooviest albums the Hungarian guitarist recorded during the 60s! The set's almost a tightening up of the style that Szabo first brought to prominence in his work with Chico Hamilton – a sound that's got roots in gypsy guitar, but which is also influenced by modern, Latin, and soulful styles of the 60s. There's an airiness to Gabor's guitar that's almost trippy – but which never goes too far out on the set, and really keeps a focus on the backings laid down by the album's highly rhythmic combo of Chico Hamilton, Ron Carter, Victor Pantoja, and Willie Bobo. Szabo makes a surprisingly great vocal appearance on 2 tracks – "Bang Bang" and "Autumn Leaves" – both sung in this weirdly dark style that's a great contrast to the lightness of his work on guitar. Other titles include Gabor's hit "Spellbinder", plus "Gypsy Queen", "It Was A Very Good Year", "Yearning", and "Cheetah". CD