Tito Puente
Para Los Rumberos

A superb Jazz Flavoured Latin Funk Soul album recorded in 1977 by Grammy Award Winning Carlos Franzetti when he was a struggling musician trying to get his first breaks in a tough New York Jazz scene. With a Top Notch grouping including Percussionist Ray Mantilla, Victor Venegas on Bass and Dick Meza from the Tito Puente Orchestra Carlos played all the Keyboards, wrote the numbers and was also responsible for all the arrangements.Released by Guiness Records (No relation to the Drink) and swiftly forgotten Stateside it was picked up by the DJ's in London's early Jazz Dance scene where "Cocoa Funk" became a must have cut, eventually appearing on Soul Jazz Records seminal re-issue series "London Jazz Classics". It also became a hit in Germany after being re-issued on a double vinyl by leading label Sonorama Records.Now available again in its original single album format and sounding as fresh as if recorded yesterday from the opening bars of the jazz inflected cut "Beatriz" via the Worldwide sounds of "Sweet And Low" to the Funky Latin Jazz of the title track "Graffiti".Still changing hands for eye watering sums on collectors sites and now available again for a reasonable sum courtesy of Jazz Room Records.

Christian Reim (b. 1945) has played jazz since the late 50’s, his merits list is long but how many can price themselves with having played both bass and piano with Dexter Gordon?That was back in the day but with this new release, different generations meet over Christian’s colorful, deeply personal lyricism.The first four songs were recorded in the autumn of 2001 in two sets, one with Harald Johnsen (b.1970 – d.2011) on bass and Jarle Vespestad (b. 1966) on drums. Two years later, in the summer of 2003, it is Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (b. 1971) on bass and Håkon Mjåset Johansen (b. 1975) on drums. The recordings were made in Christian’s home studio at Frogner in Oslo with Martin Abrahamsen as the sound engineer.The repertoire of 9 songs consists mostly of Reim’s own songs, but also the famous jazz version of Norways national anthem ‘Ja, Vi Elsker’ The traditional christmas song ‘O Jul med din Glede’ and an interpretation of Ennio Morricone’s ‘Once Upon A Time In America’

SUPERGROUND by SANDRO BRUGNOLINI

Inspired equally by the soul and funk of the Black Rio movement and the samba rock innovations. A funky Brazilian soul album from 1981.