Latin | Brazil Vinyl 71 Items

The Latin Jazz classic that started it all! Mandatory!

Born from a studio jam organized by Al Santiago in 1961, the "Alegre All Stars" was inspired by the famous late 50's Cuban jam sessions. Originally published by Alegre Records, a New York City based label specialized in Latin music, this album stands as a legendary release in the field. This is like an open door on a wild Nuyorican party including food, drinks and an ongoing selection of highly infectious Latin grooves to dance to.

In 1959, flutist Herbie Mann put together a very interesting band that was in its brief existence (before Mann's interests shifted elsewhere) one of the top in Afro-Cuban jazz. Utilizing four trumpets (including Doc Cheatham), up to three percussionists and a flute-vibes-bass-drums quartet, Mann performs four standards (including "Dearly Beloved," "I'll Remember April" and "Autumn Leaves") and two originals in a style that was beyond bop and much more African- and Cuban-oriented.

Personnel: Herbie Mann (flute, bass clarinet), Johnny Rae (vibes), Nabil Knobby Totah (bass), Rudy Collins (drums), Ray Mantilla (conga drums), Ray Barretto (bongos except on #8 and #12). Plus trumpet section: Doc Cheatham, Siggy Schatz, Jerome Kail and Leo Ball. Recorded in New York City, 1959

Venezuelan aggressive guaguanco originally released in 1967 and reissued for the very first time. Frank y sus Inquietos is a little-commented Venezuelan treasure in our time, an amazing, almost unknown jewel of Venezuelan hard salsa, treasured with zeal by music lovers of all times. This group is evidence of the musical communion of the young Caracas of the late sixties with the sounds of the Caribbean in their nascent marriage with urban aggressiveness. As a result of these meetings of “friends who played instruments” such as congas, bongos, piano, timbales and their fiery discharges on the top floor of Block 3 of La Silsa, a building located in this humble and highly populated Caracas popular area, the repertoire of songs by the homonym Frank y sus Inquietos (1969), with an exquisite imagination and brimming with vitality, authentic vocals and choirs, overwhelming percussion, strong bass and fierce piano conducted by Frank González.

180 Gram vinyl!

“This LP with Sexteto Caracas will be, from now on, the favorite of all parties with a happy atmosphere, because through its interpretations it has that rhythm and party flavor that we all want to hear and dance to” reads the back cover of the original edition of the great album that the El Palmas Music label has the enormous pleasure of reissuing on vinyl, respecting every detail of its original art.

Ritmo y Sabor de Fiesta Con El… Sexteto Caracas, was launched in 1969 by a small Venezuelan label (Discos Diana), it appeared when salsa was already a consolidated popular phenomenon in the country. The era of the rage of the tasty crossover of genres with guaguancó and boogalú and even soul, of the “superdiscotecas with cinematic sound and psycho-delirious dance floor”, as was announced in the promotion of a show at El Palacio del Baile when Caracas was experiencing an impressive cultural explosion.

In this context, the only album by Sexteto Caracas was released, a group of young but seasoned musicians through dozens and dozens of shows, with a luxury musical director (Abiezer M. D'Aubeterre, better known as “Ajoporro”, also in charge of the piano and guitar) and the voice of Alfredo Antonio, who had previously ventured into pop music as the singer of the group Chicles.

Sexteto Caracas was born in the mid-60s as the initiative of the timbalero Jesús “Chui” Osuna, who conditioned his own house for the group's rehearsals, and it established itself as it added concerts in that Caracas of great musical revelry until it reached its unique album, a collector's item that El Palmas Music proudly recovers, faithful to its objective of cultural archeology and revaluation of artists who deserve a privileged place in history. ________________________________________

New Discos Quilombo release, now time for Grupo 606 out of Cochabamba, Bolivia!!! Formed in 1967, in 1969 they released a great EP and we've now pressed this 7" with the best two songs out of that record. A true fine example of the "Nueva Onda Boliviana" sound, with a killer cover of the Blues Magoos' "Gotta Get Away" and the self-penned "No, no puede ser", kind of beat number with taquirari influence.

Formed by Kenny Clarke and Francy Boland, the Clarke-Boland Sextett, with the participation of numerous musicians from both Europe and the United States, made significant contributions to the development of jazz in Europe. At the core of this ensemble, the powerhouse sextet consisting of Kenny Clarke, Francy Boland, Sahib Shihab, Jimmy Woode, Joe Harris, and Sadi came together to record the album "Music For The Small Hours" in 1967, and it is now set to be reissued with an obi.

This album spans a wide range of styles, from standards like Burt Bacharach's "Wives & Lovers" to Brazilian and Afro-Cuban influences such as Luiz Bonfá's "Ebony Samba" and Dizzy Gillespie's "Tin Tin Deo." Additionally, it features original compositions like Shihab's "Please, Don't Leave," where he takes on vocal duties. The entire recording exudes a sophisticated and relaxed mood, showcasing the utmost skill of this formidable sextet. "Music For The Small Hours" is a masterpiece that deserves a place in the history of European jazz, boasting the ultimate level of refinement.

Japanese pressing. With OBI.

Elis Regina one of the greatest Brazilian interpreters of all time! Originally released in 1963 when she was not even 20 years old, this was her fourth album and second for Columbia records. Still a few steps before she became a star, here Elis Regina's fresh and extremely ductile voice shines on top of sophisticated Jazz arrangements by Astor Silva and a mixed repertoire based on charming romantic songs and vibrant sambas, all composed by Brazilian authors, among them a couple of highlights such as Baden Powell's "Se Você. Quiser" and "O Ben do Amor" the title track composed by guitarist Rildo Hora. This is an an early and fine statement in Regina's fast way to the peak of Brazilian music history.

The Polydor label released a few singles in the late 1960s that became very obscure and unknown, even to researchers. Most of these 7 inches are super psychedelic and very creative, but totally anti commercial. Own compositions, recordings and good productions, always with a top team. These works were not promoted or publicized by the label and very few copies circulated at the time. The impression is that the intention was to freeze or disappear with the artist in question. Vermelho is one of them, a work that is little talked about or known but that always attracts the attention of those who have access to these two tracks. Arrangement by Rogério Duprat, who was proud to have participated in these recordings, with Rafael Moreno on bass, Alberto Niccoli Junior on drums, Bolão on Sax and Marcos Ficarelli, the “Vermelho” on guitar and vocals.

Marcos already knew well the ways of recording and producing an album, having participated in historical groups of Brazilian rock in the 60's such as Top Sounds, Código 90 and Loupha, to name a few. At this stage, he had already acquired good knowledge of recording and studio management. Excerpts such as “And in the hole of the corners, to look for, is what I try in vain” presents the listener with the mood of the dark times of that time, and today seems a premonition about the difficulty of finding this single, even in private collections.

“Parabéns Meu Bem” and “Gira-Gira” are tracks with an advanced rhythm for the time. Drums very well marked, with an original take and very close to North American funk. The bass is consistent and strong and the guitar full of effects and very reminiscent of the sound and energy of Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Blood Sweat & Tears. There is yet another musical layer created by Duprat, who managed to insert a mini orchestra along with the sound mass created by “Banda do Vermelho”.

Few have done as much for salsa in Venezuela as band-leader, composer and pianist Ray Pérez. He burst on to the scene in the mid-60s with his group Los Dementes, creating the blueprint for guaguanco, pachanga and boogaloo in Venezuela. When the name salsa began to be used as something of a catch-all-term he was still at the forefront, recording two hugely-popular salsa albums with Los Dementes in 1967. Remarkably, that very same year, he also recorded two albums with a brand new group, Los Calvos, that showed how as well as being the genre’s most visible band-leader, he was also pushing the nascent genre to its limits. Looking back, revered journalist Alfredo Churion states that Los Calvos were “one of the most innovative experiences in Venezuelan popular music.” Estos Son Los Calvos is the first of the two albums he made with Los Calvos. On it, he made a few alterations to the line-up that may seem minor, but created a completely new sound. For the first time, he recruited a drummer (unprecedented at the time for a salsa ensemble, which always used percussionists), he switched from the trombones of Los Dementes to the much harder, direct sound of trumpets, and he recruited Carlos Yanez, best known as El Negrito Calavén, as singer. Whereas Los Dementes had been aligned with the slightly pop sound of tropical orchestras, Los Calvos took an almost-jazz approach, allowing room for the musicians and vocalists to improvise, and they also took inspiration from the sounds of surf rock swirling around Caracas. The group’s drummer El Pavo amusingly once described the group’s sound as like “wearing a dinner suit with flip-flops”. Opening track “El Kenya” is the clearest example of that surf rock influence; it’s opening lines make clear its intentions: “una linda trigueña que me invitó a bailar el Kenya” (“a beautiful trigueña – tri-ethnic girl – invited me to dance the Kenya”). They are intent on creating their own dance craze, El Kenya. If the group had ever performed live, then maybe it would have taken off, as the song had all the credentials: rollicking montuno piano from Pérez, ingenious scatting and vocal improvs from Calavén, and a middle section where the drums and trumpets battle it out hard, with an audience screaming its appreciation throughout. It’s followed by ‘Mi Salsa Llego’, which Pérez had already recorded with Los Dementes; here, it’s a tougher beast, the sparser hits of the drums and trumpets giving a harder sound evocative of the times, with more and more people moving to the cities, and wanting a grittier, urban soundtrack. The secret weapon in Los Calvos was the fact that this was a group made up of some of Venezuela’s finest musicians, many of which, Pérez included, had working class roots. Music for them was as much a part of their day-to-day lives, as it was a profession, it was what they did. The legendary Frank “El Pavo” Hernandez was on drum kit, with revered names like Alfredo Padilla, Carlos “Nene” Quintero, Pedro García, Miguel Silva, Enrique Vazquez, Rafael Araujo and Luis Lewis, also involved in the group. Their versatility allowed Los Calvos to go from the slower, haunting groove of “Negrito Calavan”, a showcase for their singer to improvise, and on to “Bailemos Kenya”, another attempt by the group to create their own version of “The Twist”! Los Calvos never played live, but that was always the intention. Pérez was in demand by the record labels of the time and his deal with RCA Victor to make two albums as Los Calvos was only ever that. But the spirit of Los Calvos remained when Pérez then formed Los Kenya, whose name came from the opening track of this album, and whose line-up featured the same inventions as Los Calvos, with a drum kit, two trumpets and the same vocalists (for their second album, Carlín Rodríguez joined as a singer, and remained for Las Kenya). For this reason, Los Calvos would never have the same successes as Pérez’s other groups, though even Pérez has revealed in interviews that the two albums he made as Los Calvos are some of the most fun he ever had recording. With the price of originals for both albums ever increasing for vinyl collectors, this is a great chance to get hold of two of the heaviest salsa albums ever issued in the 60s, and an important moment in the life of Venezuela’s salsa king, Ray Pérez.

Some things take time to happen, some things perhaps take a bit longer than they should but, finally, we are delighted to present an issue of the iconic, and sought-after, Brazilian album 'Alucinolândia' by Zito Righi e Seu Conjunto from 1969.

The trippy, surrealist 60s cover design with hands holding eyeballs is somewhat confusing. Rather than the stoner acid rock record that the art may suggest, 'Alucinolândia' is actually a quintessential 60s gem, mixing samba, MPB, bossa nova, quirky organ-led mod-jazz groovers and easy-listening crooners with a relaxed cool swagger.

Zito Righi aka Isidoro Righi, the Brazilian saxophonist, instrumentalist, conductor and composer brought together an illustrious cast for this masterpiece, including the much-loved vocalist Sônia Santos. Sônia delivers a masterclass on the album's opener, and maybe its crown-jewel 'Poema Ritmico Do Malandro’. The song is fierce and driving with an enticing funk intro that bursts into a Samba / Batucada workout. A real monster that works magic on the dancefloor. Sônia would later re-visit this track in 1971 on a recording for Copacabana Records, which Mr Bongo released as part of the Brazil45 series. The Brazilian songwriter Roberval penned three tracks on the record, including another highlight and the far too short 'Birimbau'; a catchy Brazilian jazzy-samba dancer at its finest. Other musicians include the drummer Fernando who also recorded with the greats Dila & Guilherme Coutinho.

The fact the record was released in 1969 meant it was probably a bit out of step with its contemporaries in comparison to the works of artists such as Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil et al. The core of 'Alucinolândia' is that of a more optimistic early to mid-sixties party feelgood vibe rather than the angsty, psychedelia, and rebellion of the Tropicália movement. Over 50 years since its release, the work can finally be judged on its own merit; and what a beauty it is.

Original sleeve is missing.

One album into their career in 1969, Mutantes showed few signs of musical burnout after turning in one of the oddest LPs released in the '60s. Similar to its predecessor, Mutantes relies on an atmosphere of experimentation and continual musical collisions, walking a fine line between innovation and pointless genre exercises. The lead track ("Dom Quixote") has the same focus on stylistic cut-and-paste as their debut LP's first track ("Panis et Circenses"). Among the band's musical contemporaries, Mutantes sounds similar only to songs like the Who's miniature suite "A Quick One While He's Away" -- though done in three minutes instead of nine, and much more confusing given the language barrier. The album highlights ("Nao Va Se Perder por Ai") and ("Dois Mil e Um") come with what sounds like a typically twisted take on roots music (both Brazilian and American), complete with banjo, accordion, and twangy vocals. Though there are several other enjoyable tracks, including "Magica" and a slap-happy stomp called "Rita Lee," there's a palpable sense that the experimentation here isn't serving much more than its own ends. If the first album's relentless eclecticism did in fact occasionally result in dry passages, it's especially true here

The only LP from the group Brazilian Octopus, featuring Hermeto Pascoal and Nilson da Matta. Originally released in 1969 on the Fermata label. Rare in its original format, a much welcomed re-issue from the Polysom label. Deep soul-funk grooves meet library-esque progressive cinematics and psychedelics meet jazz dance jams! Full range.

Puerto Rican composer, bandleader and percussionist Willie Rosario was a giant of Latin music, known as Senor Afinque or Mr. Tight for the strength of his musical arrangements. Born in Coamo in 1930, Rosario had already formed the Coamex band, prior to his emigration to New York in 1947, where he played in various orchestras, forming his own band in Spanish Harlem in 1959 and also presenting a Spanish-language music show on radio station Wado. Signing to Alegre in 1962, he began touring widely, the label issuing this sought-after debut in 1963; mixing covers and original, the hot salsa here features the dulcet tones of lead singer, Frankie Figueroa.

US original.

US Stereo original.

Cut corner.

When this album was first released in 1969, the young combo around vibraphonist and singer Andre Tanker conveyed a new style mix, which apparently naturally merged quite different musical influences into a new whole. At the centre of the music of the Andre Tanker Five was jazz in its Caribbean, Trinidadian style, a combination of the modern jazz of those days and the sounds of the extremely popular steeldrum bands of the time. A very decisive addition is typical for Trinidad: Calypso. Calypso stands for the attitude to life of this young generation of musicians, for the 'Good Time Feeling' and the desire to incorporate danceable Caribbean rhythms and Afro-Latin grooves into their individual style.
Although the original sounds of the young Andre Tanker Five are deeply rooted in the music of the West Indies, Afro-American elements always remain in the foreground. The young combo is musically equally at home in the Caribbean as in the 'hip' jazz clubs of the US megacities and the juke joints of the south with their sultry blues as well as the soul dance halls in Detroit or Memphis. The combination of vibraphone and electric guitar plus bass/drums is also rather unusual in those days. Not a pure instrumental album, 'Afro Blossom West' delivers some surprising vocals - rather unusual for a groove-jazz-based project with a sophisticated rhythmic sound.
Bandleader and vibraphonist Andre Tanker is considered a very creative and versatile musician. His exciting improvisations are a dominant feature of this group. Party In The City, Lena and Swahili are original compositions of which he sings the first two himself. Guitarist Clarence Wears is a gifted accompanist and effective soloist. His sometimes 'funky soul style' is more reminiscent of 'Memphis' than 'Trinidad'. Bass player Clive Bradley, who also plays piano and guitar, is a fine all-round musician who knows his music to the limit, and the rhythm section around Kester Smith (drums and timbales) and Mikey Coryat (congas) are able to provide the necessary power, but they can also play softly and subtly when the mood demands it.
As the album's name suggests, the combo refers deeply to the music and rhythms of Africa, whose roots - when shifted to the West - have produced the calypso, blues and Afro-Latin rhythms heard on this LP. We have had the album reworked from the original master tapes for this limited high quality LP edition by mastering expert Tom Meyer. New liner notes by Ron Reid shed light on the history of Andre Tanker, his combo and the circumstances that led to this creative product!

Although Veloso had already been thrown in jail once for his criticism of Brazil’s military regime, he continued to speak out against it on his second album (1969), with tracks like “Irene”, (about a machine gun-toting outlaw celebrated by the left). No wonder he would soon find himself in political exile in the UK. The general tone of the album is in keeping with its dire message and actually, Veloso felt it was important for his voice of protest to be heard around the world. If he was a high profile public figure, he felt that he would be safer. All this (or perhaps because of all this) and the man still managed to make excellent records! Color vinyl version.

Original US pressing.

Polysom Brazil vinyl LP repress import, released in 1964.

tear in spine. original us mono pressing

Writing on back cover. punch out hole.

Writing on cover.

US original.

Vinyl with many scuffs and hairlines

Red vinyl.

OBI not included.
Cover slightly yellowed but close to VG+

OBI not included.

Japanese pressing with obi.

Cover with taped edges.

Taped spines. Writing on cover. US reissue.

Cover with seam split on bottom spine.

1987 reissue.

The Polydor label released a few singles in the late 1960s that became very obscure and unknown, even to researchers. Most of these 7 inches are super psychedelic and very creative, but totally anti commercial. Own compositions, recordings and good productions, always with a top team. These works were not promoted or publicized by the label and very few copies circulated at the time. The impression is that the intention was to freeze or disappear with the artist in question. Vermelho is one of them, a work that is little talked about or known but that always attracts the attention of those who have access to these two tracks. Arrangement by Rogério Duprat, who was proud to have participated in these recordings, with Rafael Moreno on bass, Alberto Niccoli Junior on drums, Bolão on Sax and Marcos Ficarelli, the “Vermelho” on guitar and vocals.

Marcos already knew well the ways of recording and producing an album, having participated in historical groups of Brazilian rock in the 60's such as Top Sounds, Código 90 and Loupha, to name a few. At this stage, he had already acquired good knowledge of recording and studio management. Excerpts such as “And in the hole of the corners, to look for, is what I try in vain” presents the listener with the mood of the dark times of that time, and today seems a premonition about the difficulty of finding this single, even in private collections.

“Parabéns Meu Bem” and “Gira-Gira” are tracks with an advanced rhythm for the time. Drums very well marked, with an original take and very close to North American funk. The bass is consistent and strong and the guitar full of effects and very reminiscent of the sound and energy of Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Blood Sweat & Tears. There is yet another musical layer created by Duprat, who managed to insert a mini orchestra along with the sound mass created by “Banda do Vermelho”.

Seam split.

Lamination lifts. Seamsplit on Top. Record is close to VG+.

Seam split. Original US mono pressing.

tears in spines. mono pressing

Back cover with faint ring wear.

Cover is missing.

US original. Stuffed corners.

LOS Cirros are one of the most obscure Spanish rock bands from the late 60s. Coming out of a tiny village in one of the smallest provinces of the country sure helped them being fully ignored, but how cool those guys proved to be when discovered in compilations such as “Viñedos” or “Pentecostés Vibrations”!!! They released two seven inches (1969 and 1970), both very very rare and featuring pretty cool songs in a blend of garage, light psychedelia and pop. Now, these two 45s are reissued (marketed together, not to be sold separately!), including an unreleased bonus track and with the usual attention to detail of the Madmua label, with the addition of an insert and two postcards. Limited to 500 copies.

Released in 1961 this was Elis Regina's debut album. A first and already distinctive statement from an extremely talented teen from Porto Alegre who later became a star and who's now remembered as one of the greatest Brazilian vocalists of all times. Regina's vocal range and singing versatility shine in the wake of a varied track list based on different ingredients and flavors, from Pop songs through vibrant Afro-Cuban grooves and Jazzy Sambas. The whole album is a treat!

Originally released in 1963, "The Outcast" is a masterpiece that includes "Tour of Jamaica", the strongest jazzy calypso song that continues to captivate many DJs and music lovers!! No other song makes the listener dance with such happiness! The quality of the album as a whole is excellent, and this is truly one of Mighty Sparrow's masterpieces! Please enjoy these two historical masterpieces by the god of calypso, Mighty Sparrow, together with "Tattoo Woman", which will be released at the same time on analog LP!!

Another legendary Lateef session cut in 1960 for the New Jazz imprint. The co-leader - bassist Doug Watkins - died tragically in a car accident in 1962 at the age of 27. However, prior to his early demise, he recorded dozens of wonderful sessions with some of the greatest jazzmen of his time, among them Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet. Imagination ! marked his second and final album as a leader, and features Watkins on cello instead of bass. The use of cello - and oboe on some numbers - makes the date stand out a bit from the usual hard bop sessions of the period and straight-ahead jazz fans will want to get this.

Jesús Gómez y su Grupo has been a vinyl jewel impossible to find for decades, a musical treasure ahead of its time with a prodigious voice. Jesús Gómez had not even reached the age of majority when he embarked on the adventure of recording and producing his own album, bringing together songs from the main Afro-Latin rhythms of the moment to which he contributed all his fantastic explosion of creativity. Not long ago, he had earned the epithet of "The Child Prodigy of the Song" which led him to explore and gain experiences in the paths of music since his youth, a passion, but also a craft, that his mother had instilled in him since his childhood and that he shared with other members of his family. Different rhythms, styles, and learnings hardened Jesús so that at only 17 years old he could deliver such a fantastic work, a clairvoyant sound of pure “Salsa” even before it became fashionable to call this type of music that way.

Mythical visits by artists and orchestras from the Caribbean were a catalyst for the appearance of national Venezuelan representatives with a higher professional level who had been working on Afro-Caribbean and Venezuelan rhythms since the 1930s, leaving an indelible mark such as Sonora Caracas, among others. Almost 40 years later, in 1967, as a result of this tradition, a modern and fierce work like this album would be possible, a direct, energetic, rhythmic declaration full of flavors of Guaguancó, Bolero, Descarga, Rumba, and even Guaracha. This base is the hyper fertile ground for the even more fantastic voice of Jesús, with high tones and extreme clarity, perfectly tuned and colorful, a characteristic that will accompany him throughout his life, a blessing, one could say.

Typical of the restless spirit that can be glimpsed on this album, he intertwines rhythms within rhythms, as happens in the singular and mythical “Loca ilusión” that goes from Bolero to Salsa Brava, a turn that leaves a reasonably psychedelic feeling. Let's not forget that we are in a period prior to what would be the canonical Salsa, even since then, this young Venezuelan, at the sound level, was already fluttering over the molasses of the trombones. A gem like “False Love” could get any dance floor on fire right now, a hot guaguancó that should be part of the vault of any Latin music DJ along with the greatest classics like “Tirándote Flores”.

Jesús Gómez is not one to fall short, neither in style nor in rhythm, a true artist from the beginning he also includes Surf and Bossanova pieces, taking his work to other territories without fear. Jesús Gómez y su Grupo was perhaps the definitive step that opened all the doors of a brilliant career for this young man, he would go on to collaborate almost from that moment with countless nationally and internationally renowned orchestras and artists, including Sonora Caracas itself, already historic and still standing at the moment.

If this album reaches your hands, you will have a treasure in it, since it is among the most sought-after in the history of Caribbean music, it has taken El Palmas Music more than 1 year of work to be able to reissue this jewel so that it can finally be accessible to the world while possible, a key piece in the history of salsa in Venezuela and a jewel for the world available maybe for a limited time.

Sticker on label.
Ships in a label sleeve.

Sticker on Gatefold cover.