Lou's normally a straight charanga-type artist, but on this excellent set, he goes for that "New York" sound – meaning that he picks up a sweet bit of Latin funk, and carves out a soulful NuYorican groove! Many tracks have lyrics in English – set to jumpy rhythms often driven by a fair bit of electric bass, handled in a very soul-heavy style. Titles include "Gotta Move", "Oh How I Think About You", "I'll Call Her Monday", "Fryin Pan Man", "Caribbean Woman", "Guajira Con Tumbao", "Pins & Needles", and "Senor Babalu". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 70s set from this classic singer – with arrangements from Horacio Malvicino, and some more modern production touches from Lou Perez – on titles that include "Por La Vuelta", "Un Ano Mas", "Perfidia", "Tu Tienes Algo", "Porque No Ha De Ser", "Muchos Corazones", and "Tengo Que Acostumbrarme". LP, Vinyl record album

A deep dive into the world of Puerto Rican music in the years before salsa and Latin Soul – overflowing with the sounds and styles that also helped forge a huge new wave of expression on the New York scene as well! The package does a great job of pulling together tracks that really get at this prehistory of more familiar Latin modes – beginning with rare tracks from the 78rpm years, then focusing on killer album cuts from the late 50s and early 60s – grooves that were helping Puerto Rico to rival Cuba in terms of fresh rhythms and razor-sharp instrumentation! Just about all of this work has been out of print on any format for many years – including CD – and the package does a great job of tracing the line from San Juan up to New York – with a selection of 44 tracks by artists who include Humberto Morales, Bobby Capo, Orquesta Panamericana, Noro Morales, Cesar Concepcion, Cortijo, Roy Rosario, Ismael Rivera, Chiquitin Garcia, Angel Luis Torruellas, Cuarteto Puerto Rico, Roberto Casillas, Lou Perez, and others. CD

... CD

Music from Dean Martin, Laurindo Almeida, George Auld, John Buzon, Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Walter Wanderley, Mallet Men, Yma Sumac, Perez Prado, Tito Rodriguez, Jack Costanzo, Rinky Dinks, Billy May, and Julie London. CD

Tight trumpet-led salsa from the great Tommy Olivencia – with additional trumpet work from Louis Perico Ortiz, and vocals from Paquito Guzman and Simon Perez! Louie Ramirez plays guest vibes on the set, and the record also features some great arrangements from Ortiz and guitarist Maximo Torres – on titles that include "Yolanda", "El Negro Chombo", "Aun No Es Tiempo", "Madame Chu Chu", and "Que Importa Donde". LP, Vinyl record album

Really beautiful work from trumpeter Jason Palmer – a fresh young talent, and a hell of a writer too! The tracks here are each based on special places for Palmer – and are each written with a very different feel – not in a way that's gimmicky at all, but which really show the expansive experience and levels of expression that Jason has in his music! The other group members are as sharp as the leader – and include Mark Turner on alto, Godwin Louis on alto, Mike Moreno on guitar, Edward Perez on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums – all musicians who help make the record one of the most solid, well-conceived records on Steeplechase in a while. Titles include "Falling In", "Urban Renewal", "Rising Sign", "Silver", "American Deceptionalism", "Berlin", and "Bern". CD

Jazzy mambos from the king – and easily the most successful of Perez Prado's albums for RCA in the 50s! The album showcases the Latin mode that Prado crossed over big with on his hit "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White" – a tune that almost single-handedly grabbed the energy and audiences of the late swing years, and grafted them onto the growing New York Latin scene of the time! Prado's got that great growl in his chants, as usual – pushing the band to even more rhythmic heights and brassy horn flourishes with his trademark calls – and titles include the classic "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White", as well as tracks like "Tomcat Mambo", "Mambo Ala Kenton", "The High & The Mighty", "Marilyn Monroe Mambo", and "Skokiaan". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky Latin psychedelic soul from Perez Prado from the dawn of the 70s – a totally killer batch that we love from the opening note the last second – and a rare one, to boot! 70 has loads of walloping Latin funk instrumentals, incredibly groovy bits and strains of the psychedelia of the time in the swirling organ and guitar. It's never predictable, taking stylistic left turns into mellower and trippier bits, only to return to the tightly snapping funkier sound. It's a really amazing little record, largely instrumental with a couple of vocal tunes, call & response shouts and soul grunts – with titles that include "Simplemente Maria", "Traces", "Guada Guadaloupe", "Vuelveme A Querer", "Mexico 70", "Los Dos Laredos", "La Octavia Religion", "Fanny Bump","Mambo Bump" and more. CD

Mongo cooks mightily – working here at the Montreux Jazz Fest in 1971, with a soaring group that's even more spiritual than any of his records in the 60s! There's definitely a dose of Latin Soul in the mix, but there's a fiercer, more righteous quality to the album too – thanks to the presence of players like Carter Jefferson on tenor and flute, Roger Glenn on vlute and vibes, and Ray Maldonando on trumpet – soloists who really know how to soar at the right moments. The percussion's a bit more rootsy too – showing Santamaria's concern with classic Afro-Cuban sounds at the time – and alongside Mongo's congas, you'll also hear percussion from Steve Berrios and Armando Pereza. Marty Sheller handles the arrangements – and titles include "Come Candela", "Climax", "Disappear", "Marty's Tune", "I Wanna Know", and "Cloud Nine". LP, Vinyl record album