Your favourite Latin jazz records since the 1970s

[JSngry]

Hey, it's all good while it's all for the fun of it, but, you know, eventually it becomes about Name IT & Claim it, money, provenance, "authority", and all that crap. And that never happens at first, never. But when it does, all the fun is done, because then the money drives the music instead of it going the other way. I mean, Smithsonian, they do good work, but it seems that the selection committee is, rightly, probably, being pretty careful. But no matter what they do, at some point, in their aftermath, a whole bunch of uninformed but (sometimes) well-meaning naifs will start replicating and calling it "authentic" and then, oh my, drop the "Latin" it will indeed be "Jazz".

History repeats itself, you know...

[HutchFan]

Can't stay away!  A few more favorites:

Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band - Pensativo (Milestone)

 

Paquito D'Rivera - Tropicana Nights (Chesky)

 

Alexis Cuadrado - A Lorca Soundscape (Sunnyside)

 

Eddie Palmieri - Vortex (TropiJazz)

 

The Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project - Simpático (Holistic MusicWorks)

 

BTW, I'm not posting any faves from the 1980s.  Saving those for my upcoming blog project. 

[soulpope]

On 18.4.2021 at 9:57 PM, HutchFan said:

A few more:

Ray Barretto - My Summertime (Owl/Blue Note)

Underappreciated little beauty ....

[Tom in RI]

I don’t like picking favorites but I can say I’ve probably listened to William Cepeda’s My Roots and Beyond more than any other Latin disc that I own.

[duaneiac]

I like this one.  It has a killer version of "Sofrito"

 

[HutchFan]

I'm sorta surprised that more folks aren't weighing in on this topic.  I expected this thread to go like gangbusters.  So far... not so much.

Are you being shy because the topic is so broad?  Or is "Latin Jazz" not necessarily a sub-genre that floats your boat?

Vamonos, amigos!  I want to hear what you dig!

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by HutchFan

[Rooster_Ties]

15 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Or is "Latin Jazz" not necessarily a sub-genre that floats your boat?

I don't specifically dislike Latin Jazz, but I have to confess it's not an area I've explored all that much.  I've liked some that I've heard (there was a local group in Kansas City called the Sons of Brazil, that a good trumpeter friend of mine led -- and I have all three of their CD's).  But I've not heard lots that's made me want to run out and explore tons more.

Rightly or (just as likely, wrongly), my impression is that the "harder-hitting" Latin music is more so "hard hitting" in the mondo-percussion department -- and tons of Latin percussion sometimes puts me off (I accept that the fault is my own, and not Latin Jazz's).

I know there's probably some amazing Latin music I'm missing out on -- maybe LOTS -- but I haven't been able to figure out any sort of shorthand way to improve my odds at finding such music that pushes enough of my buttons (and pushes them hard enough) for me to buy with much confidence.

[Joe]

[HutchFan]

13 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I don't specifically dislike Latin Jazz, but I have to confess it's not an area I've explored all that much.  I've liked some that I've heard (there was a local group in Kansas City called the Sons of Brazil, that a good trumpeter friend of mine led -- and I have all three of their CD's).  But I've not heard lots that's made me want to run out and explore tons more.

Rightly or (just as likely, wrongly), my impression is that the "harder-hitting" Latin music is more so "hard hitting" in the mondo-percussion department -- and tons of Latin percussion sometimes puts me off (I accept that the fault is my own, and not Latin Jazz's).

I know there's probably some amazing Latin music I'm missing out on -- maybe LOTS -- but I haven't been able to figure out any sort of shorthand way to improve my odds at finding such music that pushes enough of my buttons (and pushes them hard enough) for me to buy with much confidence.

Fair enough!   

 

[JSngry]

5 hours ago, Joe said:

60s.

 

21 hours ago, HutchFan said:

I'm sorta surprised that more folks aren't weighing in on this topic.  I expected this thread to go like gangbusters.  So far... not so much.

Are you being shy because the topic is so broad?  Or is "Latin Jazz" not necessarily a sub-genre that floats your boat?

Vamonos, amigos!  I want to hear what you dig!

 

For me, it's more a question of just how predictable has this genre gotten. And to often the answer is "more than I feel comfortable with". Same as with both genres that go into the fusion itself. Enjoyable, often, but favorite, hardly ever.

What can get my attention once in a while is a Latin House joint that bangs it around a little bit. Been a while since I had that window open though.

But as far as "too much drums" or whatever...no such thing, not in this world. Everything is a drum, and it has always been so. It's taken this era of humanity to realize that, but you know, you can't unlearn that shit, so don't even try, right?

[Joe]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

60s.

 

For me, it's more a question of just how predictable has this genre gotten. And to often the answer is "more than I feel comfortable with". Same as with both genres that go into the fusion itself. Enjoyable, often, but favorite, hardly ever.

What can get my attention once in a while is a Latin House joint that bangs it around a little bit. Been a while since I had that window open though.

But as far as "too much drums" or whatever...no such thing, not in this world. Everything is a drum, and it has always been so. It's taken this era of humanity to realize that, but you know, you can't unlearn that shit, so don't even try, right?

Facepalm emoji! I guess the timeless argument doesn't fly.

With that in mind, let's go with this one: 

[JSngry]

Ok, does this count? Heavy sampling from the Drum Session LP that Inner City put out but was originally a 2 LP set on Japanese Phillips

So, they are here:

but so are they:

oh look, Oliver Nelson!

and George Benson!

I mean, what the hell are they thinking!

[JSngry]

 

Clifford Coulter, y'all!

just how much fusion can one world handle?

[JSngry]

 

There is an excerpt of full remix, but it's not on YpuTune.

Tomorrow's Sunrise (Sakura Hills Disco 3000 Remix)

[JSngry]

 

Joe Claussell always brings it.

[JSngry]

for you traditionalists there's that.

for everybody else, there's this:

funny, I never really cared for Tania Marie until I heard this. Fuck you Concord.

[mikeweil]

Some more:

A killer album!

Percussion heavy, but some of the best stuff in that vein that I ever heard.

[HutchFan]

[funkytonk]

On 4/19/2021 at 11:23 AM, Rabshakeh said:

If anyone happens to know of some mariachi fusion or razor sharp Norteno accordion jazz, I would be interested to know about it too, to be honest

This comment reminded me of these guys--no Mariachi influence, but they are a Mexican jazz fusion group. I have this one, their first US album, which came out in 1982, so it fits in the parameters of the original question. Not a big favorite to be honest, but I think they're the only Mexican jazz group that's come across my radar!

[Rabshakeh]

Thanks is everyone for all the recommendations above. Some really interesting stuff - not just the usual suspects.

2 hours ago, funkytonk said:

This comment reminded me of these guys--no Mariachi influence, but they are a Mexican jazz fusion group. I have this one, their first US album, which came out in 1982, so it fits in the parameters of the original question. Not a big favorite to be honest, but I think they're the only Mexican jazz group that's come across my radar!

I'm still holding out for some subtle and expansive norteno post bop, with slyly outside accordion playing. 

[soulpope]

[mikeweil]

13 hours ago, HutchFan said:

That's a good one!

[Joe]

8 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

Thanks is everyone for all the recommendations above. Some really interesting stuff - not just the usual suspects.

I'm still holding out for some subtle and expansive norteno post bop, with slyly outside accordion playing. 

I consider Esteban Jordan to be the Sonny Rollins of norteno. I am guessing you are familiar with his work?

 

[JSngry]

Yeah, I called him "Steve"  up thread, that what he was going by back in the day when I first heard him, but same guy.

[JSngry]

https://youtu.be/-jj_Nu-k8lo