One of the best tenor sax players in Latin music performs a mellow set of instrumental ballads with a moody late night feel. Jose "Chombo" Silva's got a great tone – almost the Coleman Hawkins of the Latin tenor – and the moody feel of this one has him working in a small group that features piano by Sonny Oscar, plus bass, guitar, conga, and drums. Titles include "No", "Adoro", "Aquel Senor", "Mia", "Solo Para Ti", and "Esta Tarde Vi Llover". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album that shaped Latin jazz for years to come! The format of the set borrows heavily from the previous Cuban Jam Session LPs, but gives it a real New York twist that made the Alegre albums much stronger overall – and much more influential in a wider spectrum. A core group fo well-known players – Charlie Palmieri, Johnny Pacheco, Kako, Jose Chombo Silva, and others – come together in the studio magically – setting egos aside, and bringing their best work to the table in a hard-jamming style that defined the crackling jazz-based "descarga" style of the time. In addition to that, the production style has lots of conversation and hanging out sounds between the tracks, really setting the feel for the album with a great spirit that goes on to touch the music as well! A treasure that's still one of the best examples of the jam session at work – and with titles that include "Soy Feliz, "Ay Camino Y Ven", "Almendra", "Para Ti", and "Estoy Buscando a Kako". LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely wonderful stuff – from the first note to the last – and a record that had a huge influence on the New York scene of the 60s! The album's the second in the Alegre All Stars format – performed by an all-star group that includes Charlie Palmieri, Chombo Silva, Kako, Bobby Rodriguez, Elliot Romero, Willie Rosario, and Mark Weinstein. The set features long descarga tracks recorded with a cool style that has funny snippets between the musicians and the recording booth between each song, which along with the caricatures on the cover, really helps support the feeling of goodwill and partnership that drove the record – much more so than you'd hear on an all-star jazz set from the same time! The players clearly love each other, and really manage to put egos aside to cook up some amazing grooves! Titles include "Conusuelate", "Bembe en La Luna", and "El Sopon". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no lie, since this is one of Pacheco's hardest swinging Latin jazz albums! The record's got a number of nice long tracks played by a very tight band, and it features loads of Pacheco's jazzy flute work on tracks like "Latin Gravy", "Asi Son Bonco", "Sugar Frost (Azucare)", and "Tinguaro". Lots more descarga playing than usual, with long tracks, and a very tight groove. Jose "Chombo" Silva plays tenor, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice Prestige 2-fer collecting 2 early sides Mongo cut for Fantasy in the late 50s. The first, released under the title Mongo, is a no-nonsense batch of Latin jazz tracks, arranged by himself and Francisco Aguabella, who's sort of the co-leader of the group on the set! Players include Emil Richards, Paul Horn, Armando Pereza, Carlos Vidal, and Willie Bobo – and as you can imagine by that lineup, there's plenty of heavy duty percussive action! Jose Chombo Silva plays a bit of tenor – and titles include "Chano Pozo", "Mazacote", "Los Conguitos", and "Afro Blue". Yambu, another of Mongo's great early records, is the second LP of the set. It's got a spooky Afro-Cuban sound, and a great assortment of drummers that includes Francisco Aquabella, Carlos Vidal, Willie Bobo, and Modesto Duran. The overall vibe is much more traditional than Mongo's other albums – and there's none of the pop Latin jazz of his years at Columbia records, or his "Watermelon Man" era at Riverside. Cuts include "Timbales & Bongo", "Yeye", and "Columbia", and the sound is nice and raw. CD

2 Mongo Santamaria killers – back to back on a single CD! Arriba La Pachanga is killer pachanga work from Mongo Santamaria – hard, tight, and very jazzy – and recorded with a style that's decidedly more rootsy than work of its type from the New York scene! The lineup features great work on reeds – tenor from Jose Chombo Silva, and flute from Rolando Lozano – and bossa legend Joao Donato makes a surprising appearance in the group, playing with a sound that's quite different than most of his Brazilian sides. Pupi Legarreta plays violin, and percussion is by Mongo on congas, Willie Bobo on drums and percussion, and Cuco Martinez on timbales. Rudy Calzado handles vocals – and titles include "Antonio y Pedro", "Guajira At The Blackhawk", "Palo Mayombe", "Loco Por Ti", "Olga Pachanga", "Quindimbia", "Sabroso", and "Mi Novia". Mas Sabroso is a pretty darn rare album by Mongo – and a great one! The record's got a driving pachanga sound – played by Mongo's group that included Joao Donato on piano, Jose Chombo Silva on tenor and violin, Rolando Lozano on flute, and Willie Bobo on timbales. The sound is great, and a lot more rootsy than some of Mongo's other albums from the early 60s – and the record features a nice long jazz version of "Manteca", plus the pachanga tracks "Entre Amigos", "Mongo's Theme", "Federico", "Guaguanco Flamenco", "Lucy Cha", and "Hilda Melodia". CD

An excellent obscure Mongo Santamaria album – and one that features a nice jazzy groove played by one of Mongo's best groups ever! The band features Joao Donato, the famous Brazilian pianist, doubling up on trombone on a number of tracks – something you never hear on his Brazilian albums! Other players include Pupi Legaretta on violin, Jose Chombo Silva on tenor, and Rolando Lozano on flute – plus percussion from Willie Bobo on timbales. The album's a live one – with some great Latin jazz energy – and titles include the tasty "Descarga At The Blackhawk", plus "Bluchanga", 'Sabor", and "Bacoso". LP, Vinyl record album