A great Dizzy Gillespie Latin session recorded during the mid 70s – proof that he could still hold onto the cubop spirit of the old days! The session features a larger group arranged and conducted by Chico O'Farril – who manages to keep a solidly Cuban groove at the base, but really let Dizzy open up with some broader horn flourishes at the top. Given the quality of actual Cuban jazz at the time, this set may well beat most of what was going on in Havana – thanks to solid solos from Dizzy, and backings from a group led by Machito, and featuring players who include Mario Bauza, Jorge Dalto, Manny Duran, Mauricio Smith, and Victor Paz. Side one features the extended "Oro, Incienso y Mirra", and side two is a 3-part suite, "Three Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early work by Machito – recorded back when Mario Bauza was playing trumpet, and acting as his music director! The band has a good hard sound, with lots of strong jazz soloing, and plays with a fire that's missing from a lot of his later recordings. Tracks include "Asia Minor", "Si Si, No No", "Tibiri Tabara", "Carambola", and "La Paella". 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

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". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just flute to boot – but a heck of a lot more jazz, too – thanks to a lineup that features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and Herbie Mann on flute! The presence of the three players really make this set a cooker – quite possibly Machito's best Latin jazz album ever, and right up there with the more-familiar Kenya set! Like that one, this is a perfect blend of modes – a late 50s extension of the cubop vibe first started by Diz and Chano Pozo, taken to new territory, and really cooked up nicely in the process! Rhythms are nice and exotic – not the usual Machito groove, but way way more – and the jazz solos are what really sends the whole thing home. Herbie Mann wrote all the tracks – and titles include "Love Chant", "African Flute", "Carabunta", "Bacao", "Davis Cup", and "Afternoon Death". LP, Vinyl record album

Not necessarily a night "out" with Machito, as the material appears to be all studio recordings – but the album is a good example of the variety of Machito's successful group of the late 50s, and will give you an example of the kinds of tracks they'd run through in a live show. Graciela's on vocals on most tracks, and the set includes 2 instrumentals – "Song Of Lisbon" and "Lloriqueando". Other titles include "La Peleona", "Adoracion", "La Tinosa", and "Donde Va Maria". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Lots of upbeat mambo tracks – and titles include "Cha Cha Charinette", "Bananas", "El Jamaiquino", "Feedin The Chickens", "Dragnet", "Mamboscope", and "Sentimental Mambo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best mid 50s LPs by Machito – with a raw tight sound, vocals by Machito and Graciela, and a mix of tracks that features a lot of lively mambos, done in a guaracha groove. Nice stuff, and without the sleepiness that can sometimes mar other Machito albums from the same time. Titles include "Mambo Inferno", "Tremendo Cumban", "Consternacion", "Chango Ta Beni", and "Adivinanza". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking Latin Jazz – and an essential 2LP set! The album brings together classic work for Norman Granz' Verve and Clef labels in the cubop mode – including Dizzy Gillespie's Manteca Suite, Machito's Afro-Cuban Suite, titles by Chico O'Farrill, and others recorded in 1949 and arranged by Rene Hernandez. Players include Machito, Charlie Parker, Diz, Mario Bauza, Eddie Bert, Flip Phillips, Chano Pozo, and Jos Mangual – and the quality of the work unifies the sessions wonderfully, even though they were recorded separately over a 5 year period. LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure west coast session by Machito – recorded at the Crescendo night club in LA , but done in the same hard style as Machito's groundbreaking New York sides of the time. Graciela sings vocals on a few cuts, and Machito and the trio sing on a few more – but the other half of the album is instrumental, and we actually like those titles more. Tunes include "Pachanga A La Crescendo", "Mangos", "Maggie's Mambo", "Cuban Fantasy", and "Bernie & The Wolf". The record's got some nice jazzy bits, with a good hard live feel that's a bit different from some of Machito's studio work. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent Machito album – with a hard straight ahead sound that's way better than a lot of his other albums from the time! There's loads of great percussion on the record, and plenty of strong Afro-Cuban grooves, recorded in spare arrangements with a bit of echo on the mix to give the set a nice spacious sound. Titles include "Bongo Fiesta", "Mambo A La Savoy", "Ay Que Mate", "Carambola", "Sambia", and "Adios". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Ostensibly the first album to feature Graciela as a lead act – but a set that still features the vocalist working with the band of her brother Machito, in which she'd risen to fame since the 40s! The sound here is perhaps a bit more focused on the vocals than some of the pair's previous records – with a few more romantic tunes that showcase Graciela's emotive strengths – yet the set's mostly in the rhythmic, playful mode the pair pioneered during the postwar years – and easily delivers all the charms you'd expect from an earlier Machito/Graciela pairing. Titles include "Ay Jose", "Al Fin Llegaste", "El Abanico", "Estoy A Mil", "Ya Tu No Estas", "Embriagate", and "Si No Eres Tu". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare album that showcased some of the greatest mambo talents on the Tico label! Machito, Tito, and Joe Loco divide up the 12 tracks nicely, and the record has that hard-edged Tico groove that the label was perfecting with their mambo sessions of the late 50s. Titles include "Mambo USA", "In the Mood", "Caravan Mambo", "Goody Goody", "Tee Pee Mambo", and "Ebony". Very hard to find on vinyl, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little LP – even if it is a discographer's nightmare! The record was recorded originally under Machito's name, and only featured Herbie Mann as a soloist – the titled With Flute To Boot. The whole thing's got a strong jazzy vibe, thanks to a lineup that features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and Herbie Mann on flute! The presence of the three players really make this set a cooker – quite possibly Machito's best Latin jazz album ever, and right up there with the more-familiar Kenya set! Like that one, this is a perfect blend of modes – a late 50s extension of the cubop vibe first started by Diz and Chano Pozo, taken to new territory, and really cooked up nicely in the process! Rhythms are nice and exotic – not the usual Machito groove, but way way more – and the jazz solos are what really sends the whole thing home. Herbie Mann wrote all the tracks – and titles include "Love Chant", "African Flute", "Carabunta", "Bacao", "Davis Cup", and "Afternoon Death". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent 2LP set that brings together a whole bunch of great Machito sides from the late 40s. This is classic stuff that defined the Latin jazz idiom, and stood as an inspiration to players for years. The group includes Mario Bauza on trumpet, Jose Madera on tenor, Frank Davila on trumpet, Jose Mangual on bongos, and Machito and Graciela on vocals. The set includes 24 tracks, with the titles "Asia Minor", "Jungle Drums", "Donkey Serenade", "Mambo Jambo", "Babalu", and "Gone City". Great stuff, and very hard to find otherwise. LP, Vinyl record album

A tight little Machito album from the 60s – produced by Leroy Holmes, and done with a bit more punch than some of his other records from the time! The format's similar to other Machito sessions – in that some tracks have Machtio singing with a larger backing group, and others focus on more romantic styles from Graciela – making for a fully-rounded session that really shows off the ensemble's talents. The standout cut is "Tanga", a really hard-swinging mambo title with some driving percussion and fierce horn parts – and other titles include "Baja Del Caballo", "Yo Soy La Rumba", "Asi No Se Quiere A Nadie", and "Entre Juantio Y Jose". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Joe Cuba, Tito Puente, Graciela, Machito, and Miguelito Valdes play a nice little batch of "Spanish songs mama never taught me" on this early 70s various artists set for Tico. Not that the songs are racy, but that title highlights the fact that these groups are playing in a Latin groove that's not like the old days. Joe Cuba plays "Los Perros Del Curro","Ella Sola Se Enchancha", "Chupa", and "Prestame La Olla Teresa". Tito does "El Plato Roto", and the others pick up the slack. Cool cover, too, with the bandleaders at dinner, yukkin' it up. LP, Vinyl record album

Features work with Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Machito & His Afro-Cubans, and Miles Davis. CD

An assortment of jazz-tinged grooves from the mighty Fania Records – many of which show an older Cuban influence, but update the sound strongly with a hipper New York feel! The work ranges from the 60s through the 70s – and although some cuts have vocals, the main focus here is definitely on instrumentation – as most of the numbers have some especially great solo moments over the rhythms. Titles include "Alto Songo" by Johnny Pacheco, "Quimbombo" by Machito, "El Manisero" by Tito Rodriguez, "Baile Mi Son" by Tito Puente, "Besame" by Mongo Santamaria, "Bronx Pachanga USA" by Charlie Palmieri, "Pa Huele" by Eddie Palmieri, and "Algo Nuevo" by Ray Barretto. 16 in all. CD

With selections by Tito Rivera, Machito, Damiron Y Chapuseaux, Noro Morales, Alak Brothers, Nelson Pinedo, Larry Sonn, Los Chavales De Espana, Celia Cruz with Sonora Matancera, Eva Garza, and Trio Johnny Rodriguez. LP, Vinyl record album

Graciela sings with Machito and His Orchestra for these 12 tunes produced by Teddy Reig. Tracks include "Volcan", "El Bizcocho", "Llego Toto", "Quien Te Ha Dicho", "Cualquier Cosa", "Moliendo Cafe", and "Ya No Puedo Llorar". CD

Music from Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Machito, Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, Flip Phillips, Anita O'Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie, Mel Torme, Jimmy Giuffre, Lee Konitz, and more. CD

An early 80s look at Latin jazz from David Amram – with a who's who of Latin jazz players and stellar jazz musicians of other realms – including Paquito D'Riveria, Candido, Machito & Machito Jr, Brazilian percussion guru Duduca Fonseca, David Fathead Newman, Jimmy Knepper, Pepper Adams and others others! What could have come out as clinical or academic comes through with passion and affection, partly because Amram could get such incredible players on the record, but mostly because the multi-instrumentalist ring leader is genuinely celebrating the music rather than simply replicating it. Includes "En Memoria De Chano Pozo, "New York Charanga", "Brazilian Memories", "Celebration", "Song Of The Rainforest" and more. CD

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

A much-needed look at the mighty talents of Brew Moore – a tremendous tenorist in the 50s, but one who didn't always get to work strongly as a leader! Moore's possibly best known for his American albums on Fantasy Records in the late 50s, or for his European dates of later years – but this 2CD set brings together mostly Moore work from the years before those – sides from 1948 through 1956, most of which feature Brew's tenor under the supervision of a host of different leaders! The sound here is wonderful – a well-blown sound on his instrument that rivals that of Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, or any other of Moore's contemporaries – and while a few of the tracks feature larger ensembles, most of the music is of a small combo jazz nature. Titles include "Godchild" by Claude Thornhill, "Cubop City (parts 1 & 2)" by Howard McGhee, "Vacilando" and "Howard's Blues" by Machito, "Lo Flame" and "Fuguetta" by Howard McGhee, "Bop City" and "Sleepy Bop" by Kai Winding, "Knockout" by George Wallington, "Wee" by Miles Davis, "Lover Come Back To Me" by Cal Tjader, "Perdido" by Charlie Parker, and "Oh Lady Be Good" by Slim Gaillard. Titles also include "Blue Brew", "Brew Blue", "More Brew", "No More Brew", "Bernie's Tune", "Pat's Batch", "Rotation", "The Mud Bug", and "Lestorian Mode" all recorded by Brew as a leader. CD

Seminal session that was virtually one of the only west coast attempts to replicate the famous "cubop" mix of bebop and Latin that had been evolving over the years in the New York scene. Machito percussionists like Jose Mangual and Ubaldo Nieto join a west coast group that includes alto player Frank Morgan, trumpeter Conte Candoli, pianist Carl Perkins, and other LA boppers. The back of the record proclaims that with the death of Charlie Parker, someone must step in as the new bop genius – and Morgan does a capable job on tracks like "Wippet", "Chooch", "The Champ", and "Bernie's Tune" – and on the record's non-Latin numbers, included here to expand the release to a 12" format. LP, Vinyl record album

Performances by the Charlie Parker Quintet, a with strings session, work with Machito, with the Tony Scott Quartet, and the Charlie Parker Quartet. 57 tracks in all – plus in depth notes in English and French. CD

Music from Machito, Tito Puente, Aldemaro Romero, Noro Morales, Tito Rodriguez, Beny More, and Perez Prado. CD