A lucky seventh album from Roberto Roena and his groundbreaking Apollo Sound combo – a set that's filled with spectacular arrangements and a new level of sophistication for the group – yet one that's still firmly pointed towards the dancefloor! There's a richness here that's really great – an array of tones and colors that flows out from some incredibly strong charts for the horn players – who include Miguel Rodriguez on tenor and flute, set in amidst the brassier players to give the record a nice shade of soul. Vocals are by Papo Sanchez and Sammy Gonzalez, and titles include the classic "Mi Desengano", plus "Que Me Castigue Dios", "A Bailar Mi Bomba", "Te Voy A Tratar", "La Mala Mana", "Hoy Mi Dia Triste", and "Estas Equivocada". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge dip into the massive Latin catalog of Fania Records – served up here with selections from four different DJs on four of the CDs – followed by a set of remixes on the fifth CD! The cuts are straight on the first four – and the package features 70 classics from the boogaloo era forward – work from Lenni Sesar, Fania All Stars, Seguida, Willie Rosario, Charlie Palmieri, Roberto Roena, Tito Puente, Louie Ramirez, Orchestra Harlow, The Latinaires, Ray Barretto, Lebron Brothers, Dave Cortez, George Guzman, New Swing Sextet, Eddie Palmieri, and dozens of others! Then, CD5 features 13 more tracks in contemporary remixes by Nicola Conte, Quantic, Joe Claussel, 4Hero, and others – work by Pete Rodriguez, Hector Lavoe, Noro Morales, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, Ralfi Pagan, and others. CD

Very very cool 4CD set of classic Latin material, packed inside of a nifty cigar-box cover, with an extra 112-page booklet of notes! The set's perfect if you're just getting into Afro Cuban music – but also pretty darn great even if you're already a fan, as the selection and packaging are exquisite. There's far too much music on the set to mention in this small space – but let us just tell you that the 4 CDs in the package all focus on a different side of Cuban music: Jazz, Vocals, Percussion, and Cuban Traditions. Each track comes with lavish notes and information that's helpful to novices and experts alike – and some of the artists include Cachao, Roberto Faz, Issac Delgado, Tito Gomez, Merceditas Valdes, Arsenio Rodriguez, Sexteto Habenero, Beny More, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Irakere. The jazz CD alone is enough to blow your mind – and that's only the beginning! CD

The Fania All Stars pay tribute to older Latin great Tito Rodriguez – in a set of shorter tracks that's really the group's first true outing in the studio! The format here is quite different than the earlier live albums cut by the group – a sound that's a bit more focused, and without as much of the free solo interplay as before. Instead, there's a greater presence of the singers – as you might expect in a tribute to Tito – with lead vocals by Hector Lavoe, Ismael Quintana, Ruben Blades, and Justo Betancourt. Instrumentalists on the session include Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Richardo Ray, and Roberto Roena – and titles include "Fue En Santiago", "Vuela La Paloma", "Cara De Payaso", "Involvidable", and "Tiemblas". LP, Vinyl record album

Dave Samuels on vibraphone and marimba, Romero Lubambo on guitar, Dario Eskenazi on piano, Ray Vega on trumpet and flugelhorn, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Roberto Quintero on congas and percussion, Dafnis Prieto on drums and timbales, Mark Walker on drums, and Cafe on percussion. CD

Music by Justo Betancourt, Bobby Cruz & Richie Ray, Hector Lavoe, Pete Rodriguez, Celia Cruz, Roberto Roena, Ismael Rivera, and others. CD