First Stars

The 1989 album “Guasasa” is the last studio album for the Fania Six, the Fania All Stars offshoot created in 1976 by Columbia Records for marketing purposes. It features their rhythm section comprised of: Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barretto, Bobby Valentín, Roberto Roena, Nicky Marrero and virtuoso pianist Papo Lucca. Clearly intended as a Latin jazz set, this album actually bears a more dance-oriented style (as in instrumental salsa, so to speak) as opposed to this band’s earlier, bolder California Jam date. While the former date was actually a real jam session, here they work with formal charts, calculated solo spots and a less-relaxed ambience that actually belies the laid-back feel of the album.

In the 1960s, The Hep Stars were Sweden’s biggest band - inspiring screams and Beatles-like devotion. For the first time outside Sweden, Like We Used To: The Anthology 1965-1967 collects them at their peak, from being one of the era’s wildest bands - emphasised on the live tracks - to performers of affecting songs with a yearning atmosphere.
The band’s songwriter Benny Andersson later achieved global fame with ABBA and Like We Used To features classic early compositions, including the first-ever song he wrote. Also collected is a rare early collaboration with his future ABBA companion Björn Ulvaeus - the first song they wrote together…