Seminal early work from the legendary Joe Cuba – highly percussive Latin tracks, served up in a small combo mode that really helped pave the way for the Latin Soul generation! Joe's shaking off most of Latin tradition here – going for a tightly focused sound that features plenty of timbales and congas, and which also introduces a bit of English language to their repertoire – thanks to vocals by Jimmy Sabater on the track "To Be With You". Cheo Feliciano sings on a few other numbers, but a number of tracks are really cooking instrumentals! Titles include the great "Wabble Cha", plus "Oriente", "Callejero", "Salsa Y Bembe", "Cachondea", and "To Be With You", a big early hit for the group. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the excellent albums on the Mardi Gras label – standard Cha Cha material, but played with a liveliness and sense of humor not found in that many other recordings from the time. The record's a split LP, with one side by Joe Cuba's early group, and one side by Sonny Rossi & The Concord Orchestra. The Cuba material is great – and features some excellent vibes work, plus some fairly soulful vocals on a few tracks, in English on "Stormy Weather" and "Temptation", both of which are sung in a very unusal style. Rossi's no slouch either, and his group manages to keep things nice and interesting by changing up the groove during the course of a single track. Titles include "Picando", "Kiss The Boys Goodbye", "Move Over Baby", and "Like This, Like This". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the rarest of Joe Cuba's early material, cut during the days when he could turn out tight Palladium cha cha cha tracks with the best of them! Titles include the groovy mambo tracks "Swinging Mambo" and "Joe Cuba's Mambo" – plus cha cha's like "San Luisera", "Los Pasos", "Temptation", and "Picando Cha Cha". Nice cover, too – with a dancer rubbing her feet after trying to dance all night! LP, Vinyl record album

Killer combo work from the great Joe Cuba – a set recorded a few years before his big fame of the Latin Soul years – but in a way that shows how Joe was already shaking up the Latin scene in New York! After a generation when larger bands were seen as better, Joe works here with just a sextet – yet packs more of a punch than a Latin lineup with more percussion and horns! And in a style that would already open the door to the Spanish Harlem generation, Joe features some English language vocals on the set sung by the young Jimmy Sabater – replaced by the great Cheo Feliciano on the Spanish language tunes. The whole thing is wonderfully lively – a leaping blend of piano, percussion, bass, and even vibes – on titles that include "Oye Bien", "Flaco's Cha", "Nina Nina", "Trip To Mamboland", and "I Need You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of work from the re-formed Blues Magoos – a new incarnation of the group that had a few early garage rock hits, and which on this set features some great work by Eric Kaz, who seems to add a hip singer-songwriter feel to the record. The group have clearly been listening to a lot of blues and blue eyed soul, but also seem to have picked up a jazzy edge too – one that shows up nicely on the album's use of vibes. These are heard to wonderful effect on the instrumental groover "Getting Off", the mellow swinging instrumental "Georgia Breakdown", and on the group's funky cover of Joe Cuba's great "El Pito – I'll Never Go Back To Georgia" LP, Vinyl record album

Orquesta Olivieri cut one fantastic late 60s album for the legendary Speed Records – and this set is much more obscure, and maybe even greater than that Latin classic! Bobby Marin's at the production helm, and he's still holding onto some of the best elements of the Latin soul era, while also allowing the group to freely soar into a salsa space too – a wonderful blend that's not unlike territory that Joe Bataan or Joe Cuba were hitting, but with less English vocals overall. Both Felix Pagan and Paquita De Jesus handle vocals – and the group's got a three trumpet lineup, with piano, bass, and plenty of percussion. Titles include "Tabaratiando", "Maria Isabel", "There's No Other Girl", "Los Muchachos De Belen", "Cuando Tu Me Quieras", and "Preferi Perderte". LP, Vinyl record album

A really rare slice of work from the great Bobby Pauneto – easily one of our favorite artists on the New York Latin scene of the 60s! Bobby's best known for a rare album on the Mardi Gras label in the late 60s, and two groundbreaking 70s albums of Latin jazz – and the material here predates both of those, as it features early sessions done in relative obscurity for the Seeco label – but already showing Pauneto as one of the most unique talents of his time! Bobby uses vibes on most tracks, and has this way with downturning grooves that creates a balance of melancholy and joy – mixing with plenty of percussion and piano ringing out next to the vocals – maybe carrying the torch forward a bit from the earlier work of Bobby Montez! The set features eight tracks that Paunetto recorded for Seeco in 1965 – including "Mi Paso", "Guajira Dulce", "Algo Para OM", "Aguantando", and "Olvidado" – plus related tracks from the time, including "Pauneto's Point" by Cal Tjader, "Mambo Of The Times" by Joe Cuba, and "La Culpa La Tiene El Gallo" by Joe Cotto. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Filled with 70s soul – work by The Stylistics, JBs, Chamber Brothers, Jean Knight, Spinners, Five Stairsteps, Joe Cuba, Persuaders, and others – plus the new title cut by The Crooklyn Dodgers. CD

Maybe the coolest collection of work we've ever seen from the legendary Mag Records label from Peru – a really unique imprint that always had a way of serving up a slightly different take on more familiar styles! Here, as you'd guess from the title, the focus is on Latin Soul and boogaloo numbers – but the vibe is a change from the more familiar Fania side of the spectrum – as the arrangements and production change things up, and the instrumentation sometimes offers up some really great surprises! Make no mistake, these cuts resonate every bit as strongly with work by Joe Bataan or Joe Cuba from the late 60s – but there's also plenty of fresh flavors too, as you'll hear on the batch of 22 tracks that includes "Peruvian Guajira" by Melochita Y Karamanduka, "Salchicha Con Huevo" by Nico Estrada, "Bugalu" by Joe Di Roma, "La Batea" by Santiago Silva, "Dejenme Ser Libre" by Beto Villena, "Guajira Cubana" by Luciano Luciani Y Sus Mulatos, "Bahia" by New Juggler Sound, "Soul Limbo" by Otto De Rojas, "No Se No Se" by Sangre Joven, "Guajira De Amor" by Sonora Casino, and "El Boogashake" by Mario Allison. LP, Vinyl record album

Massive! By now, the 2 volumes in Soul Jazz's Nu Yorica series are among some of the most legendary Latin titles we've ever stocked – and this incredible "prequel" to the series is every bit as essential! As the title indicates, the compilation digs back into the early days of the New York crossover Latin scene – taking some of the best examples of mambo, descarga, Latin Soul, and Latin Jazz tracks from the old days! The set list is impeccable, and the compilation's one of the best we can recommend for someone who's looking for a sample of classic Latin grooves. The liner notes are great, and tracks include "Tito On Timbales" by Tito Puente, "Together" by Ray Barretto, "The Word" by Harvey Averne, "El Pito" by Joe Cuba, "Horsin Up" by Orchestra Harlow, "The Oracle" by Sabu Martinez, "Se Formo El Bochinche" by Arsenio Rodriguez, "My Spiritual Indian" by Eddie Palmieri, "Druma Kugi" by Mongo Santamaria, and "Descarga Cachao" by Tito Rodriguez. CD

A whole host of cool Latin tracks from the French West Indies scene of the late 60s – not music that flowed to Guadeloupe or Martinique from Cuba or Puerto Rico – but fresh new sounds that were directly inspired by the boogaloo generation on the New York scene! The tracks here aren't straight Latin Soul – and they're hardly familiar Latin, either – and are instead this wonderful hybrid of elements, including some previous Caribbean modes – all fused into the tighter, shorter burst of energy that was unlocked once Joe Cuba and some of his generation discovered the smaller combo mode of Latin grooving! There's a nicely messed-up criss-crossing of sounds going on here – not the same as, but with similar energy to the Spanish Harlem scene at the time – on cuts that include "Jerk Vide" by David Martial, "Mais Tu Sais" by Dany Play, "Je Voudrais Danser Avec Toi" by Les Bois Sirop, "Sauvagement Sexy" by Gaby Siarras, "Sekirite" by Maurice Alcindor, "Tu Bois Beaucoup" by Le Ry-Co Jazz, "Disque La Raye" by Joby Valente, "Ou Que Di Moin" by Monsieur X, and "Ou Pas Z'Amis En Moin" by Henri Debs. LP, Vinyl record album

In the 1960's, Xavier Cugat, like so many other Latin bandleaders, tried to catch onto the groovy sound of many of the younger Latin groups who were bringing in a lot of different elements, like pop, jazz, and especially soul. While Cugie never exactly hit the heights of the Latin soul sound, the 16 tracks on this CD give a good idea of how much he was trying to hit a modern Latin pop groove. Hear him as he runs through a set of material that's as groovy as it is goofy, with titles like "Goldfinger", "Music To Watch Girls By", "Samba Saravah", "Charade", and "Bang Bang" (the Cher song, not the Joe Cuba one!) CD

A killer group with a very soulful feel! We know little about Jose and his hot little combo, but they groove in a way that takes all the nice downtempo chords of the Latin Soul years and mixes them with a harder percussive 70s salsa style! Jose "Piliche" Elicier leads the group and sings – and the album features some very nice timbales work by Adolph Williams – tightly grooving in a style that crackles like some of the best early 70s work by Joe Cuba. Titles include "A Cuba Bella", "Deja Esa Cosa", "El Velorio", "Santero", and "La Nueva Explosion". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of records – a series of albums that forever changed the sound of Latin music around the world! These five sets were all cooked up in the changing Cuban scene at the start of the 60s – where musicians were getting looser and freer, with a sound that was quite different than the tighter big bands of a few years before – strongly influenced by changes in American jazz, including the jam session mode that was big on record during the 50s! In a way, these sides are an answer to that – as they feature all-star musicians coming together on long, more spontaneous tracks – often in smaller combos with heavy influence on rhythm, and lots of work from the key soloists on the dates. Each record has a different leader, but often some of the same musicians – and there's some especially great work on trumpet and tenor by other members of the group – at a level that went on to influence the small combo sound of artists like Joe Cuba, the grooves of the Latin Soul/boogaloo scene, and even the all-star American groups like the Alegre All Stars and Fania All stars in years to come. Records 1 and 2 feature leadership by Julio Gutierrez, record 3 is led by Nino Rivera, record 4 (the most famous) is led by bassist Cachao, and record 5 is led by flautist Fajardo. Great box set – all CDs in small LP-styled sleeves with original art – alongside a 96 page booklet of notes and photos! CD

A sweet electric set from the great Herbie Mann – one of his best of the time! Like a number of his contemporaries recording jazz for Atlantic, Herbie had moved pretty firmly into a funky soul mode by the mid 70s – adding in lots of electric instrumentation and vocals to keep up with the success of some of the bigger-selling jazz albums of the time. Oddly, this approach actually sounds pretty darn good to us – especially having the hindsight of over 25 years to get over the shock of any sort of perceived "sell out". The players are all pretty tight, and Herbie manages to keep things pretty hip on all tracks, sticking to his roots in Latin-influenced playing. The record features remakes of "Comin Home Baby" and Joe Cuba's "Bang Bang", plus a version of Astor Piazzolla's "Deux Xango", and the orignals "Paradise Music", "Body Oil", and "Waterbed". CD

Amazing early work from Ricardo Ray – material that's got a lot more fire than some of his better-known sides from the 70s! The album's a stone cooker all the way through – played by a tight young group with lots of descarga energy in their blood, and some of the pre-Latin Soul styles that were creeping around the New York scene – that cool combo sound that Joe Cuba was getting with his own group. Bobby Cruz is already with Ray at this point, and he does a great job on the vocal numbers on the album – but the real treat is Ricardo's group – who play with a hard jazzy intensity on the best tracks. These include the descarga "Here Comes Richie Ray", the jazz mambo "Jango", the jazz descarga "Theme", and the storming "Mi Guaguanco". Other cuts include "Summer Love", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "El Montuno De Hoy". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning sounds from Willie Rodriguez – easily one of the hardest, heaviest leaders on the 60s scene in New York! The record is a live one, but has the focus and intensity of Willie's best studio work for Fonseca – red hot grooves that are a fusion of Willie's Puerto Rican roots with some of the best pre-salsa modes of the time – a vibe that's a lot like the Joe Cuba Sextet at their best, with blistering piano and percussion in the rhythms, and some tight trumpet soaring out over the top! There's a few mellower tracks, but most numbers are groovers – and titles include "Gua Guanco #1", "Dolor Y Pena", "La Mulata Mariana", "Dame Un Chance", "El Velorio", "Ruby", and the great "Descarga". 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

A massive batch of boogaloo gems – all wrapped up in one mighty package! Tico Records was one of the first great New York indie labels to focus on Latin music in the postwar years – and by the time of the huge late 60s boom in the world of Latin Soul, the label were definitely in a great position to turn out some killer work from a variety of artists! Some of the label's artists were aging, but reinvigorated by the energy of the younger generation – who also got access to the top shelf Tico presentation, as they brought in some of the best soul styles from East Harlem to trim things down from the larger Latin ensembles of the previous generation, and really send things home with a funky sort of groove. This set's a great overview of these key years at Tico – and titles include "Sock It To Me" and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba, "Tighten Up" and "The Horse" by Al Escobar, "Fever" by La Lupe, "Be's That Way" and "Bobo Do That Thing" by Willie Bobo, "El Watusi" and "Babalu" by Ray Barretto, "Hit The Bongo" and "Coye Como Va" by Tito Puente, "My People" by Joe Panama, "Come An Get It" and "The African Twist" by Eddie Palmieri, "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, "Madrid" by Candido, "Times They Are A Changin" by Jimmy Sabater, "El Pito" and "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba, "Fat Mama" and "TP's Shing A Ling" by Tito Puente, and "Yes I Will (part 1)" by Gilberto Sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible double-length set from Soul Jazz – a collection of Latin tunes that's easily as important as their groundbreaking NuYorica collection from a decade before! Like that one, most of the work here is from the 70s – and showcases a time in New York Latin when the music was really opening up to new changes – not just the Latin Soul modes picked up in the previous decades, but also new elements of jazz, funk, disco, and even some more traditional styles from Cuba and Puerto Rico. The grooves aren't just standard Latin, but often have some very surprising bits in the mix – funky instrumental riffing, soulful vocals, and more – all often in a mode that's perfect for the dancefloor! 2CD set features 23 tracks in all – with titles that include "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by Louie Ramirez, "Tighten Up" by Al Escobar, "Snidely Whiplash" by The Alexander Review, "Joe Cuba's Madness" by Joe Cuba, "Control" by Ismael Quinones, "Abidjan" by Ray Barretto, "Porcupine" by Nature Zone, "Soul Makossa" by Johnny Zamot, "No Nos Pararan" by La Charanga 76, "Sorongo" by Cortijo, "Mala Calunga" by Johnny Sedes, "Angustia Maternal" by Willie Colon, "Mai Kinshasa" by Jose Mangual, "Shoot The Pump" by J Walter Negro & The Loose Jointz, "Mi Mambo Conga" by Eddie Palmieri, "Om Marrero" by Seguida, "Alex Mambo" by Machito, "Dancin & Prancin" by Candido, "El Bollinski En D7" by Charlie Santiago & Eddie Montalvo, "Doug's Room" by Mauricio Smith, and "I Had A Friend" by The Family Affair. CD

Music from Jose Alberto 'El Canario', Celia Cruz, La Misma Gente, Afro-Cuban All Stars, Charlie Palmieri, La Sonora Poncena, Somos 21, Jimmy Bosch, Tambo, Oscar D' Leon, Miguelito Valdes with Tito Puente Orchestra, Joe Cuba, Sierra Maestra, Son De La Loma, and Willie Colon. CD

With Big Pun, Triple Seis, Fat Joe, Cuban Link, Prospect, and Armageaddon. Includes "Watcha Gon Do", "Triple Threat", "Bring It On", "Gimme Dat", "Payin Dues" & "www.thatsmysh-t.com". LP, Vinyl record album

Big Pun was maybe the biggest of the "big" rappers of his generation, and he left our planet way too early – but not before delivering this final sendoff as a record that most folks didn't hear until after Big Pun passed away! The set does a great job of mixing wit and edge, augmented by appearances from Tony Sunshine, Fat Joe, MOP, Cuban Link, and Donnell Jones – who help Pun strike just the right balance on tunes that include "Leather Face", "Wrong Ones", "Laughing At You", "Watch Those", "Off Wit His Head", "We Don't Care", "My Dick", "New York Giants", "It's So Hard", and "Ms Martin". CD

Big Pun was maybe the biggest of the "big" rappers of his generation, and he left our planet way too early – but not before delivering this final sendoff as a record that most folks didn't hear until after Big Pun passed away! The set does a great job of mixing wit and edge, augmented by appearances from Tony Sunshine, Fat Joe, MOP, Cuban Link, and Donnell Jones – who help Pun strike just the right balance on tunes that include "Leather Face", "Wrong Ones", "Laughing At You", "Watch Those", "Off Wit His Head", "We Don't Care", "My Dick", "New York Giants", "It's So Hard", and "Ms Martin". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by a lesser-known 50s tenor great – and a wonderfully overstuffed package that features 23 tracks in all! Joe Holiday barely recorded as a leader in the 50s – but most of his work was done for the Prestige label, often in a Latinized mode that had Joe's tenor out front, and some hard-hitting percussion in the back! The overall style here is almost in the cubop mode – particularly that which surfaced on some of the better Verve sides of the time – as Joe's tone is lean and often modern, and supported by some great players that include Max Roach, Cecil Payne, Billy Taylor, Idrees Sulieman, and Eddie Bert – as well as Machito and a host of other percussionists. Most of the tracks on the set were only issued as rare 10" LPs or 78rpm singles – and the huge set list makes for a long-overdue look at this obscure 50s player! Titles include "Mambo Holiday", "Fiesta", "Chasin' The Bongo", "Cuban Nightingale", "Hello To You", "Blue Holiday", "Sleep", "Besame Mucho", "Donde", and "Joe Black Mambo". CD

The third in the legendary series of Drum Drums records – cut for production, and featuring the drum skills of David Crigger! The set, as the title hints, is "professional" – meaning that it's got some very intricate tracks that clearly go for the high end of studio drum work. That setting doesn't keep Crigger from hitting some great licks, though – as the album opens up with lots of acoustic drum work, plus some electric effects in the back – mostly "drum drop" sound effects. The album's got one spoken introduction, then 10 instrumental drum tracks, most around 4 minutes long. Titles include "Jazz Fusion II", "Jazz Funk", "Afro Cuban", "1/2 Rock", "5/4 Rock", "Salsa Disco", and "7/8 Funk". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing 2-in-1 CD – filled with sublime work from the mighty Art Farmer! First up is Brass Shout – a great little album by this wonderful trumpeter – and one that we passed up for years because we were afraid of the words "brass" and "shout" in the title! If you're a Farmer fan, though, don't worry about this being some sort of snoozy "bold n brassy" session – because it's a much more subtle record, and features some excellent lead solos by Farmer, set amidst a larger group arranged wonderfully by Benny Golson! Golson brings a great sense of balance to the album – mixing some larger horn passages with soulfully snapping rhythms, all at a level that still allows plenty of space for Farmer to solo sweetly on trumpet. Other players on the record include Lee Morgan on trumpet and Curtis Fuller on trombone, Percy Heath on bass, and either Philly Joe Jones or Elvin Jones on drums – and titles include "Minor Vamp", "Nica's Dream", "Stella By Starlight", "Moanin", "April In Paris", and "Five Spot After Dark". Aztec Suite is a rare Latin outing from trumpeter Art Farmer – one that has him working with the mighty Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill! The grooves here are hardly "Aztec", as Chico brings a hip postwar vibe to the session – a blend of American jazz and Latin rhythms that's totally great, and played by an all-star array of players conducted by Al Cohn! Side one of the record features the extended "Aztec Suite" – an ambitious number that begins with modern moments that are somewhere in a space between Stan Kenton and Ralph Burns' experiments of this nature, but which always has Farmer's trumpet as the center focus. Side two features tracks that are a bit more conventional Latin jazz – still played by the bigger group, but with an even stronger sense of swing! Titles include "Aztec Suite", "Heat Wave", "Drume Negrita", "Alone Together", "Woody N You", and "Delirio". CD

Not the same Candido that you might know from Salsoul Records or 50s Latin fame – and instead a younger percussionist who cut this legendary album for Joe Bataan's Ghetto Records label! The set's got a rootsy vibe that's mighty nice – right up there with the best of the Fania salsa scene at the start of the 70s – and Candido plays timbales in a group that also features two trumpets, tenor, and trombone – plus lots more piano, bass, and percussion! You might have heard Candido's percussion in the groups of Ricardo Ray or Randy Carlos, but here he's a hell of a leader on his own – on titles that include the mellow soul "Baby Doll", the jazzy "Something Smooth", and the cuts "Palos De Fuego", "Bochinches", "El Lobo", and "Mi Ritmo Cubano". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring, soulful club from Fanatix – one of the deepest dancefloor projects we've heard from the London scene in years – a really collaborative effort that includes contributions from favorites like Shaun Escoffery, Lady Alma, Mark De Clive-Lowe, Sara Devine, and many others! The grooves are a blend of 70s disco, 80s house, and 90s club – all wrapped together with a sound that's upbeat and positive, and which has a really classic sense of energy overall. Fanatix work in the same territory as Joey Negro's Sunburst Band – and with a quality level that's equally high – and there's a timelessness to this record that may well have us spinning it out for years to come. CD has 16 tracks in all and titles include "Love Connection", "Call On Me", "Casa Cubana", "Open Your Eyes", "This Thing Of Ours", "Can't Let Go", "Re-Hooked", "In Your Arms", "Get A Grip", and "Slow It Down". CD

Coco Maria hosts a mighty cool radio show on BBC Worldwide – one that showcases all sorts of unusual Latin music hybrids that have come up over the years – including a good range of contemporary music, such as the tracks featured on this really well-done compilation! The music here has echoes of older Colombian, Tropical, and Afro-Cuban modes – but often served up with really inventive arrangements and instrumentation that turn things completely around – not in any sort of Latin remix style, but with more of a groove that shows what some of the more unusual Latin hybrid combos have been working on! Titles include "Children's Favourite" by Guess What, "Lepidoptera" by Iko Cherie, "El Bravo" by Candeleros, "Vamonos Cocos" by Raz Olsher, "Off The Groove" by Ronald Snijders, "Always Ready To Smile" by Juan Hundred, "Seguimos Sonriendo" by Acid Coco, and "Sacudete" by Lola's Dice. CD

A classic album of Latin grooves from the UK scene – a musical world that wasn't always a hotbed of styles in the Afro-Cuban mode, but which did have the benefit of the mighty percussionist Robin Jones! Jones was born in India, but moved to London during the same post-colonial jazz migration that brought the city key talents from the West Indies – and like Joe Harriott, Shake Keane, and others, Robin's contributions to the scene were crucial during the years he worked in a variety of different groups! This set is Jones' second as a leader – a very hip set that's all jazz all the way through – with plenty of percussion from Robin, and a combo that includes trumpet, saxes, keyboards, and vibes – all used in ways that take off from the best jazz descarga styles into a range of other modes. Titles include "El Maja", "The Wailer", "Batucada Da Vida", "Carica Papaya", "El Lobo", "Chant Afrique", and "Atlas". LP, Vinyl record album

A real corker from Machito – a set that's got a lot more bite and earthy fire than some of his other albums of the 50s – as you might be able to guess from the cover and the title! The record definitely lives up to the Afro-Cuban promise on the front – thanks to very hip arrangements from Mario Bauza and AK Salim – who balance core rhythmic elements with some great modern jazz solo contributions – from key players who include Johnny Griffin on tenor, Cannonball Adderley on alto, Joe Newman on trumpet, and Eddie Bert on trombone – all coming together under Machito's leadership with a sound that's much bolder than most of his work in a straighter Latin mode! The album's a key meeting of styles – as powerful today as it was when first recorded – and tracks include the great "Congo Mulence", a very tight groover – plus "Turuato", "Frenzy", "Cannonology", "Minor Rama", and "Wild Jungle". CD

Includes the beautiful long "Afro Cuban Jazz Suite"! Composed, arranged, and conducted by Arturo (Chico) O'Farrill the Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band. Arturo O'Farrill, piano and musical director with John Benitez, Steve Berrios, Peter Brainin, Sam Burtis, Jimmy Cozier, Andy Gonzalez, Joe Gonzalez, Graciela, Roland Guerrero, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Matt Hilgenberg, Jack Jeffers, Victor Jones, Marshall McDonald, Mike Migliore, Michael Mossman, Mario Rivera, Jon Owens, Jim Seeley, Max Schsweiger, Gary Valente, and Papo Vasquez. CD