September 21 - Show #61

Theme: Chin chon chow – Louie Ramírez

Song-Artist-Album-Label

We got Latin soul – Mongo Santamaría – Compilation Kool It, Soul Funk & Jazz Go Latin – Harmless Recordings

It’s not what you say – Louie Ramírez – Louie’s Grooves – Vampi Soul

Latin Soul Square Dance – Joe Bataan with Los Fulanos – King of Latin Soul – Vampi Soul

Fever – La Lupe – Compilation Kool It, Soul Funk & Jazz Go Latin – Harmless Recordings

Do you dig it? – Ray Barretto – Latino con Soul – PolyGram Records

Tighten up – Al Escobar & His Orchestra – Compilation Kool It, Soul Funk & Jazz Go Latin – Harmless Recordings

Vehicle – Susie Hansen – Representante de la Salsa – Jazz Caliente

Las calles de Chicago – Susie Hansen – Representante de la Salsa – Jazz Caliente

The new arrival – Charlie Sepúlveda – The New Arrival – Antilles

Passing by – Marlon Simon and the Nagual Spirits – In Case You Missed It – Jazzheads

El toro – Jerry González & The Fort Apache Band – Moliendo Café – Sunny Side Music

Contagio – Gonzalo Rubalcaba – Compilation Afro-Cuban Jazz Now – Blue Note

Yemayá – Jane Bunnett – Radio Guantánamo: Guantánamo Blues Project Vol. 1 – Blue Note

Footprints – Mark Weinstein – Timbasa – Jazzheads

Go east – Jeno Somlai – Let It Go – Self-produced album: www.jenosomlai.net

Bulerías del norte – Tino di Geraldo – Nuevos Medios Colección – Nuevos Medios

Entre tinieblas – Jorge Pardo – Las Cigarras Son Quizá Sordas – Milestone

Orobroy – Dorantes – Orobroy – Phantom


Highlights of the show:

Latin Soul kicked off tonight with an interesting selection of hyper upbeat tunes from reference artists from the so called Latin soul of the 70’s. The compilation Kool It, Soul Funk & Jazz Go Latin fed most of this segment. Next you may find a review on this album.





This compilation released by the British label Harmless in 2001 is another sample of the high interest that in the latest years is brought to this other kind of the golden era of the 70’s soul. Here you may find the great names of the genre, such as Mongo Santamaría, Ray Barretto, Joe Bataan, Jack Costanzo, Jimmy Sabater, and even La Lupe. The compilation works perfect as a whole despite the variety because it really sets a flow from tune to tune, truly making the whole piece a connected collection made up of very well back to back complemented songs. In the end, it is a very enjoyable piece of music to retro speed up your parties or just having a cool funky moment. Many of the songs are in English, always having a base on a typical Latin percussion and song rhythm structure. In this sense, Mongo Santamaría and Jack Costanzo got the highest accuracy in the crossover of Latin and Soul. Mr. Santamaría’s “We got Latin Soul” could be taken as an anthem for the genre. Ray Barretto is bringing here a more jazzy mode, as Joe Bataan, with his cover of “Theme of Shaft”, is closer to a purest soul style. Al Escobar & His Orchestra is another of the assets of the album, as Pucho & the Latin Brothers, who is a main reference in the style. Finally, the cover of “Fever” by La Lupe is one to remember and appreciate in its entire kitschy dimension. Concluding, a varied and very attractive compilation to help out interested listeners around finding more artists who at a certain point of music history wanted to explore both their Latin and Afro-American musical heritage with truly enjoyable results.