LA CREMA

A crack set of early 70s Latin, played by "the cream of New York" – a group that includes Louie Ramirez on piano, vibes, and organ, and Mauricio Smith on flute and sax! The whole album's pretty darn great, with a really strong jazzy touch – thanks to great work by Ramirez and Smith – and at some level, the feel of the record is similar to that of labelmates Ocho, with an equally righteous blend of styles. Most tracks have vocals, but the main focus is on the strong instrumentation – and 2 cuts on the set are instrumentals. Titles include "Salta Perico", "El Party", "Quimbia", "Mi Pais", and a great funky cover of "Cisco Kid"! from www.dustygroove.com