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

An obscure set from Orquesta Broadway – with a few dengue cuts thrown in to their usual mix of pachanga and cha cha grooves! Titles include "Jumping", "Mi China", "Dengue Candela", "Sacme", "La Maruga", and even a nice take on "Black Orpheus"! LP, Vinyl record album

A mid-60s burner from El Gran Combo – a great little set from the time when the group really started to cook! The tunes are all tight, bright, and right on the money – served up with some odd twists and turns in the group's use of saxes – played by Eddie Perez and Hector Santos – and in the production style, which throws in a nice bit of echo at points. Rhythms are pretty lively throughout, and vocals are by the classic pair of Pellin Rodriguez and Andy Montanez – on titles that include "Mi Compay", "Senor Tata", "Son Facilito", "El Negro Bembe", "Para Ti", "No Bailes Con Manuel", and "Sin Tu Querer". CD

Great early work from El Gran Combo – already grooving with a really unique sort of sound, one that comes from mixing saxes with trumpets – in a style that's a bit different than other small combos of the time! Piano is handled by Rafael Ithier, who also directs the group – and vocals are by Pellin Rodriguez and Andy Montanez, who often sing together in choro formation. Titles include "Mima", "Acangana", "Lo Que Te Gusta", "Remigio Tombe", "Santigualo", "Asalto Navideno", "El Pirulero", and "Gracias Mi Amor". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever from El Gran Combo – largely because it's a smoking Latin Soul set! The group were known for a more traditional groove on other records, but here they nicely jump on the younger bandwagon of the time – and step out with a crackling batch of boogaloo numbers that groove with the best of the Fania and Tico scene of the time! The sound is tight, right, and outta site – mostly instrumental with lots of heavy percussion and soaring horns – plus both English and Spanish vocals that really keep the soulful spirit of the session! Tracks include "Clap Your Hands", "Como Tu", "Sabor", "Combolu", "Shake It Baby", "Gran Combo's Boogaloo", "Vas Bien", "Chua Chua Boogaloo", and "Avelino Plumon". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from his most classic years – titles that include "Si La Vieras", "Yo Soy El Son Cubano", "El Hijo De Dios", "Ya No Te Quiero", "Eres Mala Cabeza", "La Paella", and "Esa Va". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Pure, simple genius from Caetano Veloso – a record that doesn't have all the striking elements of the early years, but which is equally powerful in its own right! Caetano's got a directness with his songwriting and vocals that's really wonderful – an ability to bring a bit of soul into his expression, while still retaining all of his edge – even on numbers that feature some surprisingly catchy instrumentation! The backings often feature a lot of acoustic guitar, which grounds the record nicely – and offsets some of the more electric elements on keyboards and guitar – even though these are used in relatively subtle ways. Titles include "Outras Palavras", "Sim/Nao", "Gema", "Verdura", "Blues", "Jeito De Corpo", and "Quero Um Baby Seu". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A sick set of early singles by The Cramps – the seediest, sultriest and one of the greatest groups ever to stomp outta the proto rock strata of the punk scene – put together by the good ghouls at Munster Records! This set is a thing of beauty. It's got some of their greatest earlyish material, from the killer covers of classic and obscure pulp pop, to The Cramps' own creepy classics. Sacred indeed! 20 tracks in all: titles include "Surfin Bird", "The Way I Walk", "Goo Goo Muck", "Human Fly", "TV Set", "The Mad Daddy", "She Said", "Rockin Bones", "Garbageman", "Domino", "Uraniam Rock", "Fever", "The Crusher", "Voodoo Idol" and more. CD

Kyle Aho on piano and keyboards, Randy Hamm on saxophone and flute, Mark Brueggemann on trumpet, Chris Mathisen on cello, Jeremy Allen on bass, Marty Morrison on drums, with vocals from Christin Bohrisch. CD

An important early album from The Cramps – a full length set that brings together previous singles, covers, and album tracks – offering up a rock-solid punch that firmly put the group on the map! The record wasn't the group's first, but it was one that found its way into countless collections at the time – and infected the world with that blend of raunch, rockabilly, and R&B that made The Cramps such an important sideways path during the punk generation – and one of the few acts to tie together decades worth of expression with the same energy as some of their more nihilistic contemporaries. A few tracks feature Congo Powers on guitar, the rest just have the quartet without him – and titles include the "Goo Goo Muck (single mix)", "New Kind Of Kick", "She Said", "Uranium Rock", "TV Set", "Drug Train", "Human Fly", and "Garbageman". CD