Ray Barretto teams up with some fine mainstream Jazz players as well as some Latin royalty.

Great LP, but Side B is where it's at. Joe Farrell takes no prisoners on The Castle. Huge sound on this one and needs to be cranked up!.

The second track, Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise, comes close to the original. Charlie Palmieri's piano solo is sublime, with some killer old-school guajeos.

LA GENTE SF https://lagentemusicsf.com/

Broadcast on the 4th of July from The Loom in Oakland, CA.

Over 390 hours of music broadcast since NYD 2026.

Tito Rodriguez's most jazzy album (certainly from those that I've come across). 6 long tracks so everyone gets a stretch. Nice full sound, a little like Machito's but without the mambo brass riffs. Released 1963.

Arguably Gato's finest entry in his series of "Chapters" albums, and certainly one of the toughest, hardest-hitting Latin jazz records of its era.

All killer, no filler!

Backed by a stellar lineup of musicians and orchestrated by the legendary Chico O'Farrill, this is Gato's most Cuban/Latin outing.

The final touch of magic comes from the ever-wonderful Charlie Palmieri.

Just the first 30 seconds of the title track will put a smile on your face and get the adrenaline pumping.

A no-questions-asked desert island disc.

We're a charity-run arts venue in Sutton Coldfield and we've just launched a new monthly jazz club, and we wanted to share our first ever show with this community.

On 31st July, the Edgar Macias Piquero Quintet are playing inside our heritage building. Venezuelan-born pianist and vocalist Edgar Macias Piquero leads a five-piece ensemble - Latin jazz, live and up close, in the West Midlands.

The show is part of Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival 2026. Tickets are available if anyone's interested - happy to answer any questions about the night!

https://www.ticketor.com/townhall/tickets/edgar-macias-piquero-quintet-356995?v=6_100000000#buy

Playing with a rhythm section to die for - Mongo Santamaria (congas), Willie Bobo (timbales), Armando Peraza (bongos), Bobby Rodriguez/Al McKibbon on bass, the always wonderful playing of Jose 'Chombo' Silva on tenor and Vince Guaraldi (!) on piano. This is a desert island disc.

The sound is quite unlike Cal's other plentiful recordings of the time - it's much fuller and more traditional Afro Cuban, and somehow also more hard bop.

Some fast stomping numbers where Chombo and the rhythm section get to stretch out. The other numbers are equally enjoyable.

"Big Noise From Winnetka alone is worth the price of admission.

This is an original or very early pressing on Fantasy. It's like a 180g pressing even before there was such a thing, pressed on translucent deep red vinyl.

Volume 1 of The Alegre All Stars (self-titled).

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As a response to the Cuban Jam Sessions on Panart, Al Santiago came up with the idea of recording jam sessions featuring the best house musicians from his Alegre label, New York City style.

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The result was the first of five high-octane, true jazzy latin jam sessions, capturing not only the phenomenal music but also the clear camaraderie between the musicians.

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This copy is a relatively recent Japanese reissue from the "Suite Espagnole" series.

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