Latin

Two sun shine soaked, Latin infused Eddie Palmieri joints from the 1978 album Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo get the official, remastered reissue treatment – with original copies of the 7” trading hands for upwards of £60.Born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, multi Grammy award winner Palmieri is a stratospheric salsa master. And for the Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo LP he assembled a powerhouse, 30 strong jazz orchestra, featuring the likes of Dom um Romao, Steve Khan, Lew Soloff, Jon Faddis, Hiram Bullock and Palmieri’s brother Charlie.In an era dominated by disco, ‘Spirit Of Love’ took to the dancefloor, drawing on the glamour and magnetism of the late ‘70s. Palmieri’s distinctive style still weaves its way through though, melding Afro-Caribbean rhythms with modern jazz. ‘Spirit Of Love’ is full to the brim with striking vocals, cow bells and big horn sections, blended with psychedelic guitars that riff off against clavinet touches and expressive Montunos melodies. Spirit of the salsa, for the disco dancer!On the flip ‘Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo’ is a masterpiece of Latin fusion, with Palmieri’s unique arrangements squeezing that Puerto Rican flavour out of every added instrument. Trumpet blasts and sax solos marry with woops and whistles and Latin chants. Couple that with sensuous piano melodies and irresistible percussive elements and it’s a recipe of Caribbean spice that’ll liven up any record collection.

Killer jazz record from instrumentalist, composer and arranger Louis Xavier. Originally released in Paris in 1981, where Louis was a prolific player in the Parisian music scene.

Akokán is a Yoruba word used in Cuba meaning “from the heart,” and indeed, every song on the self-titled debut album (March 30/Daptone Records) by Orquesta Akokán feels like a heartfelt gift from the band to the listener. Assembled and led by Cuban vocalist José “Pepito” Gómez, Orquesta Akokán is a big band collective of the finest musicians on the island, both young and old. It features all-original music and was cut live to tape over a three-day session at Havana’s hallowed state-run Estudios Areito. Areito is one of the longest operating studios in the world and where important Cuban records have been made. The album was produced by Jacob Plasse and arranged by Mike Eckroth.‘Orquesta Akokán’ flexes its blazing hot mambo from the first downbeat, with lead-off track “Mambo Rapidito”: a breakneck pace, deft big band orchestrations that dart and weave, rich cascades of piano, all led by Pepito’s soaring, joyful proclamations.José “Pepito” Gómez sang for legendary groups in Cuba before moving to the NYC area in 2008, where he’s continued to perform over the past decade. Intersecting pathways in the music scene led Pepito to Jacob Plasse and Mike Eckroth. Plasse founded Chulo Records (he produced and released the Latin GRAMMY-winning Flor de Toloache album) and met Pepito through his band Los Hacheros. Mike Eckroth is an accomplished pianist, composer and arranger with a deep knowledge of Cuban music. Together they yearned to rediscover the sounds that Pepito knew from his childhood.Pepito assembled the band, with help from Cuban musicians he worked with long ago. It boasts an all-star cast, including pianist César “Pupy” Pedroso from Los Van Van, a saxophone section featuring members of Irakere, and a percussion section featuring members of NG La Banda.Then Pepito, Jacob and Mike flew to Havana for the session that began Nov 7, 2016 (straddling the U.S. election). The Areito sessions were electrifying, a magic energy not only from the historic room, but the musicians all gathered together. ‘Orquesta Akokán’ celebrates the Cuban kingpins of mambo: Pérez Prado, Arsenio Rodríguez, and Cachao. In fusing their distinct styles, the album evokes a sound straight from 1950s Cuba, and shot through with Daptone's distinct sense of soul, attention to sonic detail and songcraft.This is a fascinating next step for Daptone, which released the final album by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and mourned the loss of Charles Bradley in 2017. ‘Orquesta Akokán’ finds the label branching outside its own studios to release its first Spanish language album.