Features Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet, Nino Josele on flamenco guitar, Israel Sandoval on electric guitar, and Isreal Suarez "Pirana" on cajon, and the whole group on hand claps and vocals. CD

An 80s classic from one of the hippest Latin jazz ensembles of its time – the wonderful Fort Apache band of trumpeter/percussionist Jerry Gonzalez! As with other albums from the group, the key strength here is Jerry's choice of compadres – a great lineup of jazzmen who understand both Latin rhythms and more open, expressive soloing – which really allows them to stretch way way past any sort of obvious cliches for their genre. Some of the tunes get quite modern at points – and players include John Stubblfield on tenor, Angel Papo Vasquez on trombone, Larry Willis on piano, Edgardo Miranda on guitar, and Steve Berrios, Nicky Marrero, and Milton Cardona on percussion. Titles include "Nefertiti", "Eighty One", "Siempre Junto A Ti", "Evidence", and "Jackie-ing". CD

Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet, flugelhorn and congas, Javier Masso "Caramelo" on piano, Kiki Ferrer on drums, Alberto "Chele" Cobo on claves, and Alain Perez on bass. CD

Features Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and congas, John Stubblefield on tenor, Joe Ford on alto and soprano sax, Larry Willis on piano, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Steve Berrios on drums, bells and percussion. CD

Trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez doing what he's always done best – effortlessly bridging the worlds of jazz and Latin – with long tracks that rely more on the the strengths of the soloists than the rhythms to keep them moving along – even though the rhythms of the tunes are pretty darn great overall too! Jerry blows both trumpet and flugelhorn – and the set features superb tenor from John Stubblefield – plus more great work from Joe Ford on alto and soprano, and Larry Willis on piano – all given rock-solid support from Andy Gonzalez on bass and Steve Berrios on drums, marimba, and percussion. Jerry plays a bit of congas at points – and titles include "So Near So Far", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Midnight Train", "Give It Some Thought", "Jungle Plum", and "Dance Cadaverous". CD

The river is deep and the sound is wide – as the set features wonderful work from the Fort Apache Band of trumpeter/percussionist Jerry Gonzalez – recorded at a point when the group was really starting to cook! The music has its roots in Afro-Cuban styles, but stretches out with plenty of jazz as well – thanks to work from a lineup that includes both Steve Turre and Papo Vasquez on trombones, plus Wilfredo Velez on alto sax – all players who have a bold force in the lead, then soar of on great solos of their own! There's plenty of percussion on the group – played by Gonzalez with five other group members – and the set also features Jorge Dalto on piano and Andy Gonzalez on bass. Titles include "Elegua", "Bebop", "Rio Esta Hondo", "Parisian Thoroughfare", and "Guiro Apache". CD

Trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez cooks away nicely with his Fort Apache band – swinging in that hip mix of Latin and jazz that's always made the combo so great! This sweet set was recorded live, which gives the band lots of long, open-ended tunes on which to really open up and do their thing – rhythms cooked up beautifully by the trio of Larry Willis on piano, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Steve Berrios on drums and percussion – topped with magnificent hork work from Jerry on trumpet, John Stubblefield on tenor, and Joe Ford on alto and soprano sax. The live setting gives the production a really classic no-nonsense feel – and titles include "Isabel The Liberator", "Today's Nights", "Elegua", "Ugly Beauty", and "Verdad Amarga". CD

With John Scofield on guitar, Geri Allen on keys, Michael Formanek on bass, Daniel Humair on drums, and Jerry Gonzalez on percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Abbey Lincoln – music from that time when she's found just the right setting for the magnificent instrument that was her maturing voice! Abbey always had one of the most distinct styles of any jazz singer around – but in later years, the slight rasp that came in was even more present – adding almost this sort of wisdom that made the lyrics feel even more pointed, especially at some of the more understated moments. The vibe here is nicely laidback – work from a core trio that features Brandon McCune on piano – and guest performances from Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and Joe Lovano on tenor. Titles include "Tender As Rose", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Lucky To Be Me", "I'm Not Supposed To Know", "I Could Sing It For A Song", "A Heart Is Not A Toy", "Blackberry Blossoms", and "Somos Novios". CD

Jaco Pastorius on bass, Hiram Bullock on guitar, Kenwood Dennard on drums, Alex Foster and Butch Thomas on saxophone, Delmar Brown on synthesizer, Michael Gerber on piano, and Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and congas. CD

Features Dave Liebman, Jerry Gonzalez, Steve Berrios, Hilton Ruiz, and others. Tracks include "Impressions", "Senor Blues", "For Pearl", "Lonnie's Lament", and "Afro Blue". CD

One of the sharper-edged sessions on the GRP label at the start of the 90s – a self-titled set from keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, who's mostly working here in a stripped-down acoustic mode! The lineup changes a bit from track to track – and in addition to Kenny on keys, the set also features Jeff Tain Watts on drums, Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano sax, Charnett Moffet on bass, and Don Alias and Jerry Gonzalez on percussion. Some tracks are quite spare – one number is even just a drum solo by Watts – and there's a slightly modern undercurrent at points, as you might find in Marsalis family music of the same point – nothing that's ever too out, but a slightly dark edge that adds a bit more depth than you might expect. Titles include "Celia", "Chance", "Midnight Silence", "El Rey", "Mr JC", "Criss Cross", "Revelations", and "Ana Maria". CD

West coast Latin jazz legend John Santos digs even deeper than usual here – serving up a set of tracks that trace the roots of the Cuban descarga style, but all with some of the warmth and personality that have made his previous records so great! John's core group features the leader on percussion, Melecio Magdaluyo on saxes, John Calloway on flute and piano, Marco Diaz on trumpet and piano, Saul Sierra on bass, and David Flores on drums. But there's plenty of contributions from older Latin legends – like Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet, Orlando Maraca Valle on flute, and Orlando Torriente on vocals – part of an expanded lineup that also changes up the sound a bit too, in way that isn't strictly a recreation of the late 50s/early 60s descarga modes – but instead shows how much those roots have evolved to inform the modes of Latin jazz. Titles include "14 Mission", "Juego De Ajedrez", "Lo Tuyo No Va", "Descargarara", "Tichin", "Descarga Con Changui", and "Los Misterios". CD

With Joe Ford on alto saxophone, Doug Harris on flute and alto saxophone, Avery Sharpe on bass, Aaron Scott on drums, John Clark on french horn, Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and percussion, Billy Harper and John Stubblefield on tenor saxophones, Frank Lucy and Steve Turre on trombones, Earl Gardner, Eddie Henderson and Virgil Jones on trumpets, and Tony Underwood on tuba. CD

Features Roy Hargrove and Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, Branford Marsalis on tenor, Kenny Kirkland on piano, and Jeff Watts, Mino Cinelu, Jerry Gonzalez, and Steve Berrios on percussion. CD

Great later work from Abbey Lincoln – music from that time when she's found just the right setting for the magnificent instrument that was her maturing voice! Abbey always had one of the most distinct styles of any jazz singer around – but in later years, the slight rasp that came in was even more present – adding almost this sort of wisdom that made the lyrics feel even more pointed, especially at some of the more understated moments. The vibe here is nicely laidback – work from a core trio that features Brandon McCune on piano – and guest performances from Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and Joe Lovano on tenor. Titles include "Tender As Rose", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Lucky To Be Me", "I'm Not Supposed To Know", "I Could Sing It For A Song", "A Heart Is Not A Toy", "Blackberry Blossoms", and "Somos Novios". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most hard-edged albums we've ever heard from pianist Kirk Lightsey – thanks to the presence of Jerry Gonzalez on congas, which really adds a nice extra bite to the record! The whole lineup is great – and includes Santi Debriano on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums – but it really seems to be Jerry's percussion that kicks the whole album into gear – bringing up a bit more bottom than usual in Lightsey's work on the keys, and giving even the mellower moments a Latin current that really keeps things fresh – and which we would have liked to hear more from Kirk over the years. Titles include "Habiba", "For Albert", "One Finger Snap", "Blues On The Corner", and "Eighty One". CD