Soy Cuba (1964

In early 2014, Denmark-based conga player and bandleader Eliel Lazo invented a concept he dubbed "Cuban Nights". The aim was to play and present new and authentic Cuban music on stages, including at the Copenhagen JazzHouse Montmartre. After many successful Cuban nights across the country and Europe with various resident and visiting Cuban musicians, Eliel decided to return to the original line-up. So, here's the dream team back together, including legendary pianist Javier "Caramelo de Cuba" Masso (Jerry Gonzalez, Enrique Morente, Diego El Cigala, Concha Buika), bassist Yasser Pino (The Afrocuban All Stars, The Latin Syndicate , Roberto) Fonseca), drum genius and Grammy winner Raul Pineda (Chucho Valdes, Eric Marienthal, Michel Camilo) and Eliel himself (The Cuban Funkmachine, Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdes, Richard Bona) heat up together. Recorded at the legendary Musigrama recording studio in Madrid.

By sheer size alone, Universal’s 2011 Deluxe Edition of the Kinks' debut album trumps any previous reissue of the album, weighing in at a whopping 56 tracks spread over the course of two CDs. This includes the album in both its stereo and mono mixes, both sides of the “Long Tall Sally,” “You Still Want Me,” and “All Day and All of the Night” singles, the tracks from the Kinksize Session EP, the demo of “I Don’t Need You Anymore,” a couple of alternate takes and mixes, and a clutch of BBC sessions punctuated by interviews with Ray Davies. Although the album proper is slowed down by a little filler, the wealth of bonus material improves the overall experience: many of the single and EP tracks are better than what’s on the LP, the live sessions smoke, and the remastering kicks hard, all factors in making this the best edition ever of the Kinks' debut.

Born Jose Calderon in Spanish Harlem N.Y.C. of Puerto Rican parentage, conga player anad bandleader Joe Cuba was one of the most successful N.Y. Latin artists in crossing over to non-hispanic audiences. At the forefront of the Latin boogaloo trend, which incorporated black music in a fusion of Latin rhythms and piano montunos with R&B and even jazz, his sextet used English to penetrate the American public, sometimes using themes which incorporated the two languages. Tnis CD of some of the finest work by the Joe Cuba Sextet is compiled from the five key albums Steppin Out, Diggin' The Most, Comin' At You , Breakin' Out, and Para Enamorados Siempre, which they recorded for the revered N.Y. Seeco label from 1962-64. The Joe Cuba Sextet played more than boogaloo. As you will hear on this CD, their repertoire features superb Latin-jazz, joyful mambo, cha cha, bolero, guaracha and other Afro-Cuban rythms including a grooving version of Tito Puente's 'Oye Como Va'.