HECTOR LAVOE - La Voz (1975-2010) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The title of this album surely says it all. Anyone unfamiliar with this "Cantante de los Cantantes" will be left spellbound with the melted-butter quality of his voice. In the first track, "En Todopoderoso," within his first verse Héctor Lavoe sets himself far apart from all contemporaries by virtue of his angelic timbre, only to later outdo himself as he effortlessly soars over the coro. La Voz being Lavoe's first of nine solo records for the Fania label, he turned to labelmate and longtime collaborator Willie Colón to produce and arrange. From the graceful, sophisticated horn intro on "En Todopoderoso" to the blazing mambo section in "Paraiso de Dulzura," Colón's mark as arranger is indelible. Unlike fellow Fania artists like Rubén Blades and Colón (both of whom sing coro on this album), Lavoe keeps this record quite vocal-centric, omitting the fiery horn or percussion solos and long dance sections that became so characteristic of the genre. Though these elements are missed, Lavoe certainly keeps interest. In the final track, "Mi Gente," asserts himself as a master sonero. His own improvisational abilities went a long way to establishing his reputation in the first place, and he does not shy away from using them on this project. The experience created by La Voz is a warmth and refinement only achievable by the combination of two factors. The Fania label in its prime, and perhaps New York salsa's most distinctive voice to date. by Evan C. Gutierrez  
Tracklist :
1     El Todopoderoso 4:22
Willie Colón / Héctor Lavoe
2     Emborrachame de Amor 3:00
Mario Cavagnaro
3     Paraíso de Dulzura 4:35
Héctor Lavoe
4     Un Amor de la Calle 3:23
Orlando Brito
5     Rompe Saragüey 6:30
Virgilio González
6     Mucho Amor 2:11
Roberto García
7     Tus Ojos 3:35
José Luis Delgado Perez
8     Mi Gente 5:26
Johnny Pacheco
Credits :
Arranged By – Jose Febles (faixas: 3, 5), Louie Ramirez (faixas: 4, 7), Willie Colon
Bass – Eddie Rivera
Bongos – José Mangual Jr.
Chorus – Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Willie Garcia
Congas – Milton Cardona
Piano – Mark Dimond
Producer – Willie Colon
Timbales – Nicky Marrero
Trombone – Tom Malone
Trumpet – Hector Zarzuela, Jose Rodriguez

HECTOR LAVOE - De Ti Depende (It's Up to You) (1976-2010) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As much a classic of Héctor Lavoe's career -- and salsa music in total -- as La Voz, his solo debut from one year earlier, 1976's De Ti Depende (It's Up to You) includes everything that made La Voz a classic. Produced and with three of its spotlight tracks arranged by Willie Colón, it features much the same group (with Rubén Blades in the chorus) and hits the same heights with its material -- but that's not to say it's the same album. This one has more ballads, and more of a reflective, often downcast feel to the material; even the hit, "Periodico de Ayer," has a dark theme, comparing love to yesterday's news, and the slick, string-filled "Tanto Como Ayer" is even more fatalistic. "Hacha y Machete" is a beacon of up-tempo salsa goodness in the vast melancholy wasteland. by John Bush
Tracklist :
1     Vamos a Reir un Poco 7:35
Perucho Torcat
2     De Ti Depende 4:35
Miguel Angel Amadeo
3     Periódico de Ayer 6:49
C. Alonso Curet
4     Consejo de Oro 2:43
Arquimedes Arcidiacono
5     Tanto Como Ayer 3:44
D.R.   
6     Hacha y Machete 5:33
Enildo Padrón
7     Felices Horas 6:06
Luis A. Pérez
8     Mentira 6:42
D.R.S.
Credits :
Arranged By – Edwin Rodriguez (faixas: 6), Jose Febles (faixas: 2), Louie Ramirez (faixas: 4), Louie Ortiz (faixas: 5, 7), Willie Colon (faixas: 1, 3, 8)
Bass – Santi Gonzalez
Bongos – Jose Mangual Jr.
Chorus – Jose Mangual Jr., Milton Cardona, Ruben Blades, Willie Colon
Congas – Milton Cardona
Executive-Producer – Jerry Masucci
Guitar – Yomo Toro
Lead Vocals, Maracas – Hector Lavoe
Percussion – Jose Mangual Jr., Milton Cardona
Piano – Joe Torres
Producer – Willie Colon
Trombone – Harry de Aguiar, Angel Vasquez
Trumpet – Ray Feliciano 

HECTOR LAVOE - Comedia (1978-2011) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Héctor Lavoe's third solo release benefited from Willie Colón's production, Rubén Blades agreeing to give his new composition "El Cantante" to him (Lavoe promptly made it his own), and the varied arrangements of Colón and Luis "Perico" Ortíz. But setting all that firepower aside, it's still true that nobody could make a song sing quite like Héctor Lavoe (there was a reason they called him "La Voz"), and his commanding air over this record made it his third straight classic. As on the previous two, Lavoe and company strive for stylistic range more than anything else, adding a heavy syrup of strings to "El Cantante" for an elegant touch, getting streetwise for "Bandolera," and finishing the album with a surging montuno titled "Songoro Cosongo." by John Bush
Tracklist :
1     El Cantante 10:26
Rubén Blades
2     Comedia 3:31
José A. Espinosa
3     La Verdad 5:33
Freddy Molina
4     Tiempos Pasados 4:28
D.R.       
5     Bandolera 9:34
Victor Cavalli
6     Por Qué Te Conocí? 4:49
D.R.   
7     Songoro Cosongo 7:50
Eliseo Grenet / Nicolas Guillen
Credits :
Arranged By – Edwin Rodriguez (faixas: 7), Jose Febles (faixas: 4, 5, 6), Luis Ortiz (faixas: 2), Willie Colón (faixas: 1, 3)
Bass – Salvador Cuevas
Coro – Eddie Natal, Milton Cardona
Piano – Gilberto Colón
Producer, Coro – Willie Colón
Vocals, Coro – Hector Lavoe    

WILLIE COLÓN & HECTOR LAVOE - Vigilante (1982-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 1983 Vigilante, the last recording Colon made with his longtime singer Lavoe, has three substantial cuts with the classic Colon sound. The title song, sung by Colon, is more experimental and a less successful one. The title track also includes both rock and jazz soloing. by John Storm Roberts
Tracklist :
1     Triste y Vacia 6:11
Luis Lopez Caban
2     Vigilante 12:26
Lead Vocals – Willie Colon
Written-By – Willie Colón
3     Juanito Alimaña 7:36
C. Alonso Curet
4     Pasé La Noche Fumando 11:44
Lead Vocals – Willie Colon
Lyrics By – Curet Alonso
Music By – Willie Colón
Credits :
Choir/Chorus, Congas, Coro – Milton Cardona     
Choir/Chorus, Coro – Graciela Carriqui, Doris Eugenio,
Choir/Chorus, Composer, Coro, Mixing, Producer, Trombone, Vocals – Willie Colón
Bass – Sal Cuevas
Bongos – Jimmy Delgado
Sax (Soprano) – Morris Goldberg
Guiro, Maracas – Jorge Maldonado
Percussion, Trombone – Lewis Kahn
Strings – Harold Kohon
Performer, Vocals – Héctor Lavoe
Percussion – Luis Lopez
Trombone – Luis Antonio Lopez "El Mimoso"
Executive Producer – Jerry Masucci
Percussion, Trombone – Leopoldo Pineda
Cuatro – Yomo Toro
Piano – Prof. Joe Torres
Guitar  – George Wodenius 

HECTOR LAVOE - Strikes Back (1987-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

LaVoe and Willie Colon came blazing out of the bugalu era and wrote a new script for New York salsa during the late '60s and early '70s: a script that included Puerto Rican and Panamanian graftings on the basic Cuban scion, and a tough lyricism that spoke of "barrio" problems to a "barrio audience". Then the pair split, and eventually Ruben Blades filled LaVoe's place in the Colon band's developing persona. Now -- for this album at least -- LaVoe and Colon are back together with that fat, macho trombone sound and the old width of reference (including a splendid plena, "En el Fiando.") by John Storm Roberts
Tracklist :
1     Loco 5:25    
Tommy Sánchez   
2     Ponce 6:15
Tommy Sánchez   
3     Taxi 3:43
Public Domain
4     Como No Voy a Llorar 6:43
Ricardo Nuñez
5     Ella Mintió 4:46
Graciela Carballo / Amanda Miguel / Diego Verdaguer
6     En el Fiando 5:24
Johnny Ortiz
7     Escarchas 6:32
Johnny Ortiz
8     Plato de Segunda Mesa 4:42
C. Alonso Curet
Credits :
Arranged By – Isidro Infante (faixas: 6), Javier Vazquez (faixas: 3), Louie Ramirez (faixas: 5), Louie Cruz (faixas: 2, 4), Marty Sheller (faixas: 1, 7, 8)
Bass – Oscar Cartaya
Bongos – Raymond Colon
Chorus – Justo Betancourt, Milton Cardona, Tito Allen, Willie Colon
Congas – Bobby Allende
Keyboards – Jose Arturo Ortiz
Percussion – Marc Quinonez
Producer – Willie Colon
Timbales – Marc Quinonez
Trombone – Leopoldo Pineda, Lewis Kahn
Héctor Lavoe – Vocals 

FANIA ALL STARS - Our Latin Thing (Nuestra Cosa) (1972-2011) 2CD / 40th Anniversary Limited Edition / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the salsa boom of the early '70s in full swing, and a rapidly swelling Latino American demographic, Leon Gast decided to film the beating heart of Nueva York's Puerto Rican community, their music. In 1972, that meant Fania. Unfortunately, the musical performances do not match the interesting premise of the film. In fact, considering the fantastic musicians involved, and the mediocrity of the performances captured on Nuestra Cosa, one might not believe that one is indeed listening to the Fania All-Stars. This is in part due to subpar sound quality, and also thanks to meandering arrangements that may have held interest in part because of the concert components that are lost on a soundtrack or film. There are gems to be appreciated. "Descarga Fania" features some very nice solos and the tightest groove of the entire record. "Lamente de un Guajiro" has the lush, slinky groove and sensitive interpretation that one expects from the Fania All-Stars. Many of the other tracks are obscured by verbal interactions that are confusing without decent fidelity or the visual cues present in the film. The result is a Spanish Harlem cacophony that enshrouds more than half the album. While the Fania All-Stars always feature brilliant performances, there are better places to appreciate them. by Evan C. Gutierrez  
Tracklist  :
Live At The Cheetah Vol. 1    
1    Introduction Theme (Cheetah) 5:21
Written-By – Johnny Pacheco
2    Descarga Fania 9:17
Written-By – Ray Barretto
3    Anacaona (Cheetah) 7:15
Written-By – C. Curet Alonso
4    Quitate Tú 16:45
Written-By – Roberto Valentín, Johnny Pacheco
Live At The Cheetah Vol. 2    
1    Ahora Vengo Yo 9:46
Written-By – Bobby Cruz, Ricardo Ray
2    Estrellas De Fania 7:24
Written-By – C. Curet Alonso, Johnny Pacheco
3    Que Barbaridad 6:09
Written-By – Ismael Miranda
4    Ponte Duro 9:19
Written-By – Johnny Pacheco
5    Macho Cimarrón 11:43
Written-By – Johnny Pacheco
6    Closing Theme 2:04
Written-By – Johnny Pacheco
- Bonus Tracks -    
7    Cocinando 10:09
Written-By – Ray Barretto
8    Abran Paso Part 1 2:21
Written-By – Ismael Miranda
9    Abran Paso Part 2 1:38
Written-By – Ismael Miranda
Featuring – Adalberto Santiago, Bobby Cruz, Bobby Valentin, Cheo Feliciano, Hector Lavoe, Ismael Miranda, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Pete 'El Conde' Rodriguez, Ray Barretto, Ricardo Ray, Roberto Roena, Santos Colon, Willie Colon

CELIA CRUZ & WILLIE COLON - The Winners (1987-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Cruz with Willie is just about as sure a thing as Celia with Johnny (Pacheco). Surer, maybe, since C&J have made far more recordings than C&W. Celia Cruz is the nearest thing to an icon in contemporary salsa, and since she reaches at least two generations, you can bet on this reaching at least the Top Three, if not the zenith. by John Storm Roberts
Tracklist :
1     Un Bembe Pa' Yemayá 5:45
Titti Sotto
2     Son Matamoros 4:18
Tate Guerra
3     Vendedores 5:46
Yolanda Cobelo
4     El Paraíso 5:16
Pablo Branda
5     Dice Antón 5:19
Johnny Ortiz    
6     Yo Si Soy Veneno 6:15
Hermes Naranjo
7     Se Tambalea 4:29
Ernesto Duarte
8     Aché Para Todos 4:22
Tate Guerra
Credits :
Bass – Oscar Cartaya
Congas – Bobby Allende
Piano  – Jose Ortiz
Vocals  – Celia Cruz
Choir/Chorus, Performer, Producer, Trombone  – Willie Colón
Coro – Adalberto Santiago, Domingo Quiñonez, Milton Cardona, Tito Allen, Willie Colon
Timbales, Percussion [Minor] – Marc Quiñonez
Trombone – Angel Vasquez, Barry Rogers, Leopoldo Pineda, Steve Turre

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