The only album ever issued by this wicked Latin funk group from the 70s – a rare set from the Fania side of the universe, and one that features production by the mighty Ray Barretto! There's definitely some elements of Nuyorican soul going on here – but the album also echoes some of the headier styles that were taking place on the Chicano scene in LA too – nice use of rock instrumentation next to timbales and congas, with some sweet jazzy touches on trumpet, tenor, and flute. The basslines really set the groove, and open up some nice instrumental solos – and the set also features some guest work from the great Justo Almario, on sax and flute on a few cuts! Titles include "Si Dame Tu Amor", "Move & Groove", "Siempre Mas Y Mas", and "I Got To Get Away". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest albums on the Vaya label – a great continuation of earlier work from this hip team – with vocals from Bobby Cruz, arrangements by the pair, and titles that include "Concierto Musical", "La Novela", "Ansio Tu Amor", "The Falling Rain", "Si Te Amara", "Te Quiero Mas Y Mas", "Si Alguien Me Dijera", and "Astrasemos El Reloj". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential 70s work by Andy Harlow – a mix of salsa styles with some especially great instrumentation! Andy plays tenor, flute, and vibes – and the rest of the group features Yomo Toro on tres, Junior Gonzales on percussion, Eddie Martinez on piano, and Abie Lima on timbales and Brazilian percussion. Includes a great version of "Tin Tin Deo", taken at a very nice pace, and the rootsy groover "Batumbique" – plus the cuts "La Musica Brava", "Dinora", "Yo Soy Guajiro", and "La Semana Entera". LP, Vinyl record album

A very mad set of tracks from Ernie Agosto and the decidedly off-center La Conspiracion group. At its core, the album has a salsa groove – but many tracks feature Ernie and the group cutting it up in unusual ways, with slight touches of humor, and some offbeat instrumentation that really gives the record a personal touch. Willie Rodriguez is on piano, Charlie Rodriguez is on tres, and titles include "Controlate", "Sliencio", "La Puerta", "Ave Maria Que Rumbon", "La Culpa", and "Ojos Verdes". LP, Vinyl record album

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A classic early album from Larry Harlow's flute-playing brother – a set that grooves along with the trademark family groove, but which also has a fair bit of sensitive moments as well! There's a jazzier style here than on some of the classic Orchestra Harlow albums – one that comes not only from Andy's lively work on flute, but also from the overall phrasing and timing of tunes – done mostly in a mode that shifts towards the hipper Nuyorican side of the salsa spectrum. Titles include "Sorpresa La Flauta", which has a slow funky groove in kind of a west coast Latin type style – and other tracks feature vocals by Johnny Vasquez, with titles that include "Ay Que Bueno", "Superstar", "La Loteria", and "Amor Perdido". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from this hip group led by trumpeter Ernie Agosto – a really raw combo who work in the best salsa energy of the time – with great production from Willie Colon! Titles include "La Voz", "Oriza", "La Conspiracion", "Jicoteca", "Tengo Poder", "Perlas Negras", and "La Niche". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric funk from the great Mongo Santamaria – a great little 70s album that's filled with plenty of warm fusion touches, and some especially nice saxophone work from Justo Almario! The groove here is heavy on the Fender Rhodes – and Mongo uses the electric keys in all the right ways to spice up the tunes a lot more than before – showing a sound that's quite new for the 70s, and very different than the style of most of his earlier work! The sound is sophisticated, but never sleepy – almost a CTI-meets-Fania sort of style – with production that respects both the chunky rhythms at the bottom and the sweeter jazzy on the top! Titles include a funky cover of "Lady Marmalade", plus "Funk Down", "Mambo Mongo", "The Promised Land", "Creepin", and "Funk Up". CD

An amazing little set – one that's got a sound we could hardly expect! The album's a unique Latin jazz session that brings together some of the best talents of the west coast scene of the late 50s – one that features arrangements from Bill Holman, Benny Carter, and Art Pepper – making an unusual but remarkable appearance here in a Latin mode! The group's nicely stripped down with bongos by both Jack Costanzo and Mike Pacheco – plus drums by Chuck Flores, bass by Ben Tucker, and piano from Russ Freeman. But the real strength of the set is the horn players – including not just Pepper on alto, but also Conte Candoli on trumpet, and Bill Perkins on tenor – all coming together in tightly crafted head arrangements that swing around the rhythm wonderfully – then breaking out in short but sharp solos that really knock the socks off the session! The whole thing's totally great – and proof that the LA scene could cook with the best of them, given the right sort of setting. Titles include "Mucho Calor", "Vaya Hombre Vaya", "Pernod", "I Love You", and "Mambo De La Pinta". CD

Proof that Tito Puente's later home at Concord Records was always a mighty nice fit – a move to a west coast outlet, which couldn't have been easy for the legendary New Yorker – but a place that always gave him a chance to cut no-nonsense Latin jazz sets like this! The group's got a bold, jazzy vibe throughout – thanks to strong horn work from reedmen Mario Rivera, Bobby Porcelli, and Michael James Turre – plus twin trombonists Sam Burtis and Jeff Cressman, and trumpeters Ray Vega and Ite Jerez! The mighty Sonny Bravo handles piano, and Bobby Rodriguez is on bass – so Tito's groove here cooks nicely throughout, especially given the extra line of percussionists on the set. Titles include "Azu Ki Ki", "Old Arrival", "Enchantment", "Sakura Sakura", "Vaya Puente", and "Sun Goddess". CD

Very soulful work from singer Ismael Rivera – working here with some sharp arrangements by Javier Vazquez, in a groove that's totally great! As with other Vaya sessions of the time, there's a strong undercurrent of tradition in the rhythms – a return to Latin roots at the height of the 70s salsa years, in a way that gives the record a really timeless feel overall – right in keeping with Rivera's approach to the vocals. Players in the group include Carlos Malcolm on timbales and Chocolate Armenteros on trumpet – and titles include "El Nazarena", "Que Te Pasa A Ti", "Witinila", "Orgullosa", "Traigo De Todo", "El Niche", and "Satelite". LP, Vinyl record album

Wganda Kenya were one of the most unique groups to record for the Discos Fuentes label in the 70s – and they were maybe also one of the coolest, too – as they never stopped in their pursuit of a groove, and were always able to mix together so many different styles at once! This gem of a record has some elements that begin in more familiar Colombian modes, but the group also bring in touches from American soul, Afro Funk, and lots more too – all with unusual instrumentation and production, at a level that really sets this album apart from the pack! Very different stuff than mid 70s sounds on Fania or Vaya – with titles that include "La Torta", "Dulce De Guayaba", "Mira Para Arriba Mira Para Abajo", "Mammy Boy", Tifit Hayed", "Fiebre De Lepra", and "Entre Tu Y Yo". LP, Vinyl record album

A great follow-up to the Soldier's Sad Story collection on Kent – and like that one, a mindblowing collection of soul music from the Vietnam era! The CD is like finding a few lost pages in the history books on the war – as it represents a lesser-heard voice from the time, and a really unusual take on the conflict that strained America in the 60s and the 70s. While some of the songs are quite explicit in their meaning, the more unusual thing about the collection is the way that many of the tunes present their opinions in a more submerged way – as general themes of loss, disenfranchisement, and longing that take on whole new meaning when brought together in a collection like this. The quality of the set is really great, with full notes on the material to document their selection and connection – and the CD features a total of 23 tracks that include "Don't Cry My Soldier Boy" by Thelma Houston, "Am I Ever Gonna See My Baby Again" by The Sweet Inspirations, "I Should Be Proud" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Vaya Con Dios/Fellows In Vietnam" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Open Letter To The President" by Roy C, "Welcome The Boys Back Home" by Bill Moss & The Celestials, "War" by The Temptations, "Soldier's Goodbye" by William Bell, "A Soldier's Prayer 1967" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Please Mr President" by King Solomon, "Does Anybody Know I'm Here" by The Dells, and "A Letter From My Son" by Melverine Thomas. CD

A great follow-up to the Soldier's Sad Story collection on Kent – and like that one, a mindblowing collection of soul music from the Vietnam era! The CD is like finding a few lost pages in the history books on the war – as it represents a lesser-heard voice from the time, and a really unusual take on the conflict that strained America in the 60s and the 70s. While some of the songs are quite explicit in their meaning, the more unusual thing about the collection is the way that many of the tunes present their opinions in a more submerged way – as general themes of loss, disenfranchisement, and longing that take on whole new meaning when brought together in a collection like this. The quality of the set is really great, with full notes on the material to document their selection and connection – and the CD features a total of 23 tracks that include "Don't Cry My Soldier Boy" by Thelma Houston, "Am I Ever Gonna See My Baby Again" by The Sweet Inspirations, "I Should Be Proud" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Vaya Con Dios/Fellows In Vietnam" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Open Letter To The President" by Roy C, "Welcome The Boys Back Home" by Bill Moss & The Celestials, "War" by The Temptations, "Soldier's Goodbye" by William Bell, "A Soldier's Prayer 1967" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Please Mr President" by King Solomon, "Does Anybody Know I'm Here" by The Dells, and "A Letter From My Son" by Melverine Thomas. CD

Rootsy soul from Doris Troy – more of a down-home album than even her American work of earlier years! The set was recorded for the Beatles' Apple label at the end of the 60s – produced by Doris herself, and with a style that mixes in a fair bit of rock influences to a more standard style of soul. There's plenty of traces of late Beatles – in an "Oh Darling" or Let It Be mode, especially in the use of heavy guitars – and although Doris handled production, we also hear plenty of traces of Billy Preston and George Harrison in the mix. Titles include "Special Care", "You Tore Me Up Inside", "Gonna Get My Baby Back", "Jacob's Ladder", "Hurry", "So Far", and "You Give Me Joy Joy". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – 3 previously unissued – with titles that include "All That I've Got", "Get Back", "Dearest Darling", "What You Will Blues", and "Vaya Con Dios". CD

A really sweet charanga session from the 70s – one that mixes in some of the warmer instrumentation of the Latin disco generation, but which still keeps most of the older styles intact! The result is a really unique set – an album that has some of the clubby elements you'd find on Salsoul, mixed with the sort of elements you might find on the Fania or Vaya labels – as violin and percussion mix with warmer keyboard lines and guitar. Eddie Drennon put the project together – and it's definitely got elements of his other soulful work from the time – and titles include "Raindrops", "Descarga", "Isn't She Lovely", "Son Montuno Instrumental", and "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic albums – Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section has a spare quartet backing by Miles Davis' rhythm section at the time – Paul Chambers, Red Garland, and Philly Joe Jones. An essential East meets West jazz recording, with Art at the top of his game, playing in a unique setting for the first and only time (it's said that Art didn't even know of the date until the morning of the session). Pepper is one of the few alto players to really establish his own voice on the horn, without aping Bird, and his emotive playing really shines here. A definitive version of "Straight Life" is on this album, along with "Waltz Me Blues", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", and "Star Eyes". The second album here, Mucho Calor, is an amazing little set – one that's got a sound we could hardly expect! The album's a unique Latin jazz session that brings together some of the best talents of the west coast scene of the late 50s – one that features arrangements from Bill Holman, Benny Carter, and Art Pepper – making an unusual but remarkable appearance here in a Latin mode! The group's nicely stripped down with bongos by both Jack Costanzo and Mike Pacheco – plus drums by Chuck Flores, bass by Ben Tucker, and piano from Russ Freeman. But the real strength of the set is the horn players – including not just Pepper on alto, but also Conte Candoli on trumpet, and Bill Perkins on tenor – all coming together in tightly crafted head arrangements that swing around the rhythm wonderfully – then breaking out in short but sharp solos that really knock the socks off the session! The whole thing's totally great – and proof that the LA scene could cook with the best of them, given the right sort of setting. Titles include "Mucho Calor", "Vaya Hombre Vaya", "Pernod", "I Love You", and "Mambo De La Pinta". CD

An amazing little set – one that's got a sound we could hardly expect! The album's a unique Latin jazz session that brings together some of the best talents of the west coast scene of the late 50s – one that features arrangements from Bill Holman, Benny Carter, and Art Pepper – making an unusual but remarkable appearance here in a Latin mode! The group's nicely stripped down with bongos by both Jack Costanzo and Mike Pacheco – plus drums by Chuck Flores, bass by Ben Tucker, and piano from Russ Freeman. But the real strength of the set is the horn players – including not just Pepper on alto, but also Conte Candoli on trumpet, and Bill Perkins on tenor – all coming together in tightly crafted head arrangements that swing around the rhythm wonderfully – then breaking out in short but sharp solos that really knock the socks off the session! The whole thing's totally great – and proof that the LA scene could cook with the best of them, given the right sort of setting. Titles include "Mucho Calor", "Vaya Hombre Vaya", "Pernod", "I Love You", and "Mambo De La Pinta". CD

The legendary Omara Portuondo is one of those Cuban music greats from years back – and one of a handful who were finally given some larger exposure to the American market during the Buena Vista Social Club project of the late 90s! It's not as if Omara had stopped performing – but because of the embargo on Cuban goods in the US for decades, which also led to an embargo on culture as well, Portuondo hadn't seen a standard release on our shores for many years – something that's nicely corrected by this set, which has Omara stepping away from the larger Buena Vista ensemble, and working in a nicely intimate mode, with work from Ruben Gonzalez on piano, Guajiro Mirabal on trumpet, and Cachaito on bass. Titles include "No Me Vayas A Enganar", "Ella Y Yo", "Canta Lo Sentimental", "Donde Estabas Tu", "La Sitiera", "He Perdido Contigo", and "El Hombre Que Y Ame". CD

One of the best-remembered solo albums by Steve Hillage – a record that tightens things up a bit more from his debut as a leader, but which still keeps most of the best progressive elements nicely intact! Hillage has a bit more presence here as a star – but at a slightly fuzzy level that's very much in keeping with the cover image – a sound that always puts the guitar center stage, and usually just brings in the vocals as an afterthought. The tracks here are mostly longish, and build nicely from cosmic guitar work that spins out in space – and titles include "Om Nama Shivaya", "It's All Too Much", "Lunar Musick Suite", "Electrick Gypsies", and "Hurdy Gurdy Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful record from Alice Coltrane – a swirling mix of spiritual jazz and themes from Indian music! Alice plays organ, Fender Rhodes, and harp – building the sound as the album progresses, from simple airy strings to an earthier groove that features vocal refrains in unison with the keyboards, chanting away, over and over, stretching to the heavens in a cosmic groove! Most of the other musicians are Indian musicians, and the record features a lot of variations on traditional Indian themes – including "Sivaya", "Ghana Nila", and "Bhaja Govindam" – plus the original tracks "Transcendence" and "Vrindavana Sanchara". LP, Vinyl record album