A sharp little cooker from the Venezuelan scene of the late 60s – a record that's filled with great grooves, and done in a style that's very much like the Joe Cuba Sextet of a few years before – a combo that the group is likely trying to evoke with their name and image on the cover! Things are really stripped down here – lots of fast-stepping percussion, hard-driving piano, and slight touches of flute and guitar – all to serve a range of grooves that moves from late pachanga to Latin Soul – as the set has two great boogaloo numbers, and one great jazzy instrumental too! Titles include "Lulu", "Panchita", "Mi Grupo", "Algo Sabroso", "Fantasia 68", "Pior Es Na", "Los Asomados", and "Estamos En Algo". LP, Vinyl record album

A supreme salsa set from the late 70s scene in Venezuela – and one of those albums that can go head to head with anything the New York scene was serving up at the time! The album has these tremendous vocals, including leads from the overlooked giant Larry Francia – a soulful singer with a really transcendent sound, especially when he's trading his own lead lines with the backup singers on the set. Yet the instrumentation is equally great – well-crafted and rich, with a lineup that mixes a single trumpet, two trombones, tres, and plenty of piano and percussion. Arrangements are by Jose Plaza and Mon Carillo – the latter of whom plays piano – and titles include "Estamos En Algo", "Papa Upa", "Para Pareja", "Por Que Llora", "Tamborilero", "La Negra", and "Que Voy A Hacer". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure album from the scene in Venezuela at the end of the 60s – served up by a really great small combo who seem to have absorbed all the lessons that Joe Cuba brought to Latin music! The set crackles with the lively vibe of some of Joe's sextet sessions from a few years before – with piano and guitar from Abiezer Daubeterre, timbales from Jesus Osuna, and vocals from Alfredo Antonio – a nicely versatile singer who can soar soulfully on the more upbeat numbers, but hit the right sort of mood at mellower moments too. There's a number of great guaguanco tracks on the set – and titles include "Soul Crazy", "Cuidado", "Ahorita No", "Baila China", "Rico Guaguanco", "Rumba Sabrosa", and "Criticona". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from one of the real giants of Venezuelan music in the 70s – the mighty singer Tabaco, an artist with a style that was every bit as soulful and righteous as any of the salsa greats on the New York scene at the time! Tabaco heads up his own groups here, and has a way of creating these lean, bold groups that are fantastic – heavy basslines, jazzy piano, and plenty of percussion – all topped with vocals that really send the whole thing over the top, and which should have seen the singer hit much bigger global fame on the Latin scene! Titles include "Ponte En Ritmo", "Lino", "Imolle", "Cuando Llora El Indio", "Yo Soy Sonero", "El Tren De Porky", "San Juan Guaricongo", "A Millet", and "Casamiento". LP, Vinyl record album

A relatively recent effort by Eddie, but also one of his best albums in 25 years! The record's a beautiful batch of Latin jazz instrumentals, played with a lot of fire, but also a lot of maturity and creativity. The compositions are great, and Eddie's in top form on piano, with backing by Donald Harrison, Conrad Hewig, and Brian Lynch. Titles include "Palmas", "Doctor Duck", "Bouncer", and "Slowvisor". Recorded in the 90s, but with a beautifully classic sound! CD

A great set by a crack drummer! Jorge Autuori's got a great approach to the kit – tight and crackling, perfect for the bossa-based instrumentals on the set. He plays a lot like drummer Milton Banana, who was a contemporary of his in Brazil – and he utilizes the same piano/bass/drums lineup as Banana's famous trio. Tracks on the set are a mix of Brazilian tunes, and the album's got a lively bossa-grooving feel all the way through – with plenty of great drums! Titles include "Samba Com Molho", "O Caderninho", "Triste Madrugada", "Tem Mais Samba", "Ilusao Demais", "Tema De Nos Tres", and "Palmas No Portao". LP, Vinyl record album