V.A. - The Rough Guide To Salsa De Puerto Rico (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 A distinctive blend of country and city, Puerto Rican salsa balances the sound of the rural West Indies familiar to fans of Cuban music (plaintive vocal choruses, trilling flutes) with the hard groove learned by a generation of Nuyorican immigrants whose parents traded San Juan for the Bronx during the '30s and '40s. The Rough Guide to Salsa de Puerto Rico compiles a baker's dozen of Puerto Rican classics, and unlike its companion volume on Latin jazz released around the same time, goes to the trouble of digging through the crates for a few vintage classics. The opener, fittingly, comes from cuatro player Yomo Toro, a master of a rural style (jibaro) who nevertheless played with some of the best modernists of salsa's '70s peak: Willie Colón and the Fania All-Stars. Best of all, the disc reissues "Todo Tiene Sue Final" and "Que Bien Te Ves," a pair of unjustly obscure '70s classics from Willie Colón, both recorded with Hector Lavoe (one of the most respected voices in salsa) and both perfectly illustrating Colón's sumptuous meld of infectious grooves, pop hooks, and a hearty evocation of the past. Fellow Fania heroes Eddie Palmieri and Jose "El Canario" Alberto also have excellent features, Palmieri's coming from his 2002 descarga classic La Perfecta II. While many salsa fans would've preferred hearing a few more of their favorites, the compilers wisely gave equal space to contemporary artists, both dance-based (like Nava or Plena Libre) and more traditional (Los Pleneros de la 21). Also fitting is the closer, a performance by the group Paracumbe that bookends Yomo Toro's opener by providing an academic, musicological perspective on rural styles like bomba and plena. by John Bush  
Tracklist:
1 Yomo Toro – Una Pena En La Navidad 4:47
2 Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe  – Todo Tiene Su Final 5:00
3 Eddie Palmieri – Tirándote Flores II 5:29
4 Plena Libre – Consuelo 4:06
5 Jimmy Bosch – Muy Joven Para Mi 5:16
6 Manny Oquendo – Que Humanidad 7:24
7 José "El Canario" Alberto – Déjate Querer 5:08
8 Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe – Que Bien Te Ves 3:35
9 Tito Puente & His Latin Jazz All-Stars – Espresso Por Favor 5:59
10 Nava – Mujer Boricua 3:16
11 Truco* & Zaperoko – Vámonos Pa'L Carnaval 4:44
12 Los Pleneros De La 21 – Don Pedro 4:26
13 Paracumbé – Cico Mangual 3:01

V.A. - The Rough Guide To Salsa Dance (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As with Rough Guide's other releases, their Guide To Salsa Dance offers a wide and well-informed selection of the best tracks from this genre. The collection includes Jose Alberto's "El Canario," as well as tracks by Celia Cruz, Joe Cuba Sextet, Willie Colon, La Misma Gente, and the Afro-Cuban All-Stars, and captures the passion and energy of salsa in a fine introductory package. by Heather Phares
Tracklist:
1 José Alberto 'El Canario' – Me Dejo Picao 4:40
2 Celia Cruz – El Negro Bembon 3:42
3 La Misma Gente – Raquel 5:05
4 Afro-Cuban All Stars – A Toda Cuba Le Gusta 5:45
5 Charlie Palmieri – Al Que Le Pique 4:40
6 La Sonora Ponceña – La Pollera Colora 3:56
7 Somos 21 (We Are 21) – Roberto 5:33
8 Jimmy Bosch – Descargarana 6:41
9 Tambó – Coco My My 3:33
10 Oscar D' Leon – Lloraras 4:33
11 Miguelito Valdés with Tito Puente Orchestra – Los Hermanos Pinzones 4:44
12 Joe Cuba – Prestame La Olla Teresa 2:45
13 Sierra Maestra – Tibiri Tabara 3:35
14 Son De La Loma – Mariana 5:13
15 Willie Colón – La Murga 5:30

V.A. - The Rough Guide to Salsa Dura NYC (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Salsa dura, or hard salsa, is the old school sound of the New York barrios that's been revived as an answer to the splintering of Latin music. Happily, it sounds as good today as it did in the '60s and '70s; indeed, a few of the artists, like Eddie Palmieri, were playing in the old days. This revival hits hard indeed, making the feet twitch and the mouth smile, especially on cuts like "Naci Rumbero" from Jimmy Delgado, an old hand whose timbales burst with energy on the breaks. Jimmy Bosch, held in the highest regard as a trombonist, shines with his band on "El Embajador," a wonderfully charged piece with a firm groove and plenty of room for soloing -- a descarga, or jam, for all intents and purposes. Rounding the CD off with a salsa taken on "I Get a Kick Out of You" is a fine idea, even if it's a bit more glitzy than the rest of the material here. If you thought the golden days of salsa were a few decades in the past, what's on here will show just how wrong you are. It's still very much alive, and kicking like a mule. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 Eddie Palmieri – Lo Que Traigo Es Sabroso II 5:22
Written-By – Eddie Palmieri
2 Wayne Gorbea – Estamos En Salsa 5:55
Written-By – Ramon Rosado
3 Los Soneros Del Barrio – Babaila 4:40
Written-By – Catalino Curet Alonso
4 Jimmy Delgado – Naci Rumbero 5:28
Arranged By [Trad Arr] – Jose Madera
Written-By – John Santiago, Marin Lefty Medina
5 Chino Nuñez – Aqui Cada Uno Viene Con Lo Suyo 4:50
Arranged By – Pablo 'Chino' Nuñez, Willie Ruiz
Written-By – Ernesto Ramos
6 Chico Alvarez – Oigan Mi Rumba 5:47
Arranged By – Rene Hernandez
Written-By – Florencio Hernandez, Mercedes Alvarez
7 Jimmy Bosch – El Embajador 6:48
Arranged By [Trad Arr] – Angel Fernandez
Written-By – Jimmy Bosch
8 George Delgado – Mi Ritmo Llegó 4:30
Arranged By – Pablo 'Chino' Nuñez
Written-By – Carlos Adorno
9 Las Estrellas Cobo – Don Ramón 5:15
Written-By – Las Estrellas Cobo
10 Ricky González – Mi Rumba Es Candela 8:15
Written-By – Ricky González
11 Joe Quijano And His Conjunto Cachana – I Get A Kick Out Of You 4:06
Arranged By – P. Moss
Written-By – Cole Porter

EDDIE PALMIERI - Vamonos Pa'l Monte [1971] FANIA / FLAC / 2006

Eddie Palmieri's 1971 LP Vamonos Pa'l Monte moves easily from the nearly avant-garde trumpet-battle opener "Revolt/La Libertad Logico" into the new-era-meets-old "Caminando," complete with an excellent electric-piano solo by Palmieri himself. He also takes the lead on the seven-minute title-track jam, this time with organ (backed by brother Charlie), backed by a strong vocal chorus (Justo Betancourt, Santos Colon, Yayo el Indio) and the rugged timbales playing of Nick Marrero. Above and beyond the irresistible arrangements and intricate playing, Vamonos Pa'l Monte benefits from one of the best recording jobs of any early-'70s salsa record, each section -- and practically each musician -- vigorously separated with clear stereo. Though many fans consider it a transition record toward the compositional brilliance of The Sun of Latin Music, it's actually a much better record for fans of traditional salsa. by John Bush
Тracklist:
1. Revolt/La Libertad Logico (5:24)
2. Caminando (3:53)
3. Vamonos Pa'l Monte (7:07)
4. Viejo Socarron (6:10)
5. Yo No Se (4:14)
6. Comparsa de los Locos (7:24)
Credits:
Eddie Palmieri - band leader
Ismael Quintana - vocals
Bob Vianco - guitar
Jose Rodriguez - trombone
Alfredo Armentereos, Victor Paz, Charles Camilleri - trumpets
Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
Pere Yellin - tenor saxophone
Nick Marrero - timbales, bongo
Eladio Perez Perez - conga
Arturo Franquiz - clave, coro
Monchito Munoz - bombo
Chorus:
Santos Colon, Justo Betancourt, Marcelino Guerra, Vayo El Indio, Elliot Ramero, Mario Munoz (Papaito)

EDDIE PALMIERI
Vamonos Pa'l Monte [1971] FANIA
FLAC / 2006

O Púbis da Rosa

WILLIE COLON & RUBEN BLADES - Siembra [1978] FANIA / FLAC

The high point of Willie Colón's ongoing collaboration with Rubén Blades (and close to a career peak for both artists), Siembra exploded on the salsa scene in 1978 and has never been forgotten by fans. Beginning with a minute of playfully deceptive quasi-disco arrangements, Colón and his band slip into a devastating salsa groove for the opener, "Plástico," on which Blades first criticizes America's throwaway society and then brings all of Latin America together with a call to unity. Blades wrote all but one of the songs on Siembra, and shines on all of them; his extended high-tenor salsa scatting lifts "Buscando Guayaba," his tender side comes across on the love song "Dime," and he outlines a devastating life-in-el-Barrio exposé with "Pedro Navaja" (Peter the Knife). For the latter, Colón and Luis Ortiz's tight arrangement adds immeasurably to the song, using street noise and sirens, breaking into an ironic "I like to live in America!," and punching the statement home with a four-trombone line. Reflecting the tough times but optimistic attitude of el Barrio during the late '70s, Siembra joined Cosa Nuestra as one of Willie Colón's career landmarks.  by John Bush  
Traclist
1. Plastico 6:37
2. Buscando Guayaba 5:43
3. Pedro Navaja 7:21
4. María Lionza 5:27
5. Ojos 4:50
6. Dime 6:59
7. Siembra 5:21
Personnel:
Rubén Blades - lead vocals, chorus ensemble
Willie Colón - trombone, chorus ensemble
José Torres - piano, Fender Rhodes, electric piano
José Mangual Jr. - bongos, maracas, chorus ensemble
Jimmy Delgado - timbal
Adalberto Santiago - percussion, chorus ensemble
Eddie Montalvo - tumbadora, Percussion
Bryan Brake - drums
Salvador Cuevas - bass
Eddie Rivera - bass

WILLIE COLON & RUBEN BLADES
Siembra [1978] FANIA / FLAC

O Púbis da Rosa