Latin Beat Magazine
100 INDEPENDENT LATIN JAZZ RECORDINGS
By Nelson Rodriguez
In the past two decades, Latin jazz has evolved as a powerful voice for musicians, starting in the '90s as an alternative vehicle for Latin musicians to express their individual voices. Young veterans like Humberto Ramirez, Papo Vasquez, Charlie Sepulveda, Giovanni Hidalgo, John Santos and Bobby Sanabria took their craft to another level as soloists. Aside from giants such as Paquito D'Rivera, Danilo Perez, Arturo Sandoval, Chucho Valdes, Michel Camilo, Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez, Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria and Eddie Palmieri, the following is a 'food for thought' list of Top Latin Jazz recordings by independent labels/artists, in no particular order. These are my Top 100 recordings from the past few decades that should be part of any collection. If you have other picks, feel free to contact me at n2001rod@aol.com for your comments or come bend my ear at the LB Latin Jazz Symposium at Long Beach State University on April 19 and 20, 2004.

1-CALLE 54- (EMI)
2-LATIN PERCUSSION JAZZ ENSEMBLE-JUST LIKE MAGIC- (LP)
3-JAZZ ON THE LATIN SIDE ALL-STARS, VOL1 & 2 - (CUBOP)
4-BASILIO MARQUEZ & ECLIPSE- (BEMBE)
5-JULIO BARRETO CUBAN QUARTET- IYABO- (CONNECTOR)
6-JOHN BENITEZ TRIO-DESCARGA IN N.Y.- (KHAEON)
7-RAY VEGA- BOPERATION- (CONCORD PICANTE)
8-JOSE LUGO-PIANO CON MATA- (BRONCO)
9-BOBBY SANABRIA Y ASCENSION- NYC, ASHE- (FLYING FISH)
10-BILL O'CONNELL LATIN JAZZ PROJECT- BLACK SAND -
(RANDOM CHANCE)
11-JULITO ALVARADO Y DEL SUR AL NORTE- CHANGING ROUTES- (JUAL MUSIC)
12-JULIO PADRON- BUENAS NOTICIAS- (SUNNYSIDE)
13-RALPH IRIZZARY & TIMBALAYE- IT'S TIME- (BKS)
14-ELIO VILLAFRANCA- INCANTATIONS- (PIMIENTA)
15-JUAN MANUEL CERUTO- A PUERTO PADRE (TRIBUTO A EMILIANO SALVADOR)- (UNICORNIO)
16-TONY PEREZ-FROM ENCHANTMENT AND TIMBA…TO FULL FORCE JAZZ- (PIMIENTA)
17-AL McKIBBON- TUMBAO PARA LOS CONGUEROS DE MI VIDA- (BLUE LADY)
18-AFRO CUBA- DILE QUE VUELO- (EGREM)
19-STEVE BERRIOS- FIRST WORLD- (MILESTONE)
20-CHANO DOMINGUEZ- HECHO A MANO- (NUBA)
21-OSMANY PAREDES & MENDUVIA- CON MENDUVIA- (na)
22-ROBERTO CARCASSES- INVITATION- (VELAS)
23-LUIS MARIN- INCONSOLABLE (ISIS MUSIC)
24-THE CONGA KINGS- (CHESKY)
25-ERNAN LOPEZ NUSSA- FIGURACIONES- (MAGIC MUSIC)
26-TONY MARTINEZ- MAFEREFUN- (BLUE JACKEL)
27-FORT APACHE BAND- RUMBA PARA MONK- (SUNNYSIDE)
28-HILARY NOBLE- NOBLE SAVAGE- (WHALING CITY SOUND)
29-RAY MANTILLA & SPACE STATION- SYNERGY- (RED)
30-MARK LEVINE & THE LATIN TINGE- HEY, IT'S ME- (LEFT COAST CLAVE)
31-CONRAD HERWIG- THE LATIN SIDE OF JOHN COLTRANE- (ASTOR PLACE)
32-THE CARIBBEAN JAZZ PROJECT- (HEADS UP)
33-HILARIO DURAN (CUBAN JAZZ ALL-STARS)- KILLER TUMBAO- (JUSTIN TIME)
34-BOBBY MONTEZ-JUNGLE FANTASTIQUE- (CUBOP)
35-MICHAEL PHILIP MOSSMAN- THE ORISHA SUITE- (CONNECTOR)
36-WILLIAM CEPEDA + AFRORICAN JAZZ- MY ROOTS & BEYOND- (BLUE JACKET)
37- HUMBERTO RAMIREZ- JAZZ PROJECT- (TROPIJAZZ)
38-RICK DAVIES & JAZZISMO- SALSA STRUT- (MUSICIANS SHOWCASE)
39-COLUMNA B- TWISTED NOON- (BOMBO)
40-THE BRONX HORNS- CATCH THE FEELING- (TTH)
41-CUARTO ESPACIO- REENCUENTRO- (INTUITION)
42-GRUPO PERSPECTIVA- BUSCANDO CUERDAS- (EGREM)
43-PEDRO GUZMAN- JIBARO JAZZ- (SONOTONE-1990)
44-ROBERTO FONSECA- ELENGO (AFRO CUBAN JAZZ)- (EGREM)
45-THE LATIN JAZZ CREW- AUTHENTICITY- (SUNSET)
46-DANIEL DE LOS REYES- SANRAFAEL 560- (SABOR)
47-JOHN CALLOWAY- DIASPORA- (BOMBO)
48-JANE BUNNETT & THE SPIRITS OF HAVANA- SPIRITS OF HAVANA- (DENON)
49-CUBA L.A.- (NARADA)
50-PUERTO RICO JAZZ JAM- (AJ)
51-LUIS CONTE- LA COCINA CALIENTE- (DENON)
52-THE LATIN JAZZ COALITION- TROMBON CON SAZON- (na)
53-GABRIEL HERNANDEZ- JAZZ A LO CUBANO- (BESAME MUCHO)
54-MARIO BAUZA- AFRO CUBAN JAZZ: GRACIELA, MARIO & FRIENDS- (CAIMAN)
55-PAQUITO ECHEVARRIA- PIANO- (SONY LATIN JAZZ)
56-LA ONDA VA BIEN- LA VUELTA- (POLY MORPH)
57-ROBERTO OCCHIPINTI- TRINACRIA- (MODICA MUSIC)
58-ARTURO O'FARRILL- BLOODLINES- (MILESTONE)
59-OSCAR STAGNARO- MARIELLA'S DREAM- (SONGOSAURUS)
60-WENDELL RIVERA- AMONG FRIENDS- (WPR MUSIC)
61-STEVE TURRE- SANCTIFIED SHELLS- (ANTILLES)
62-SAXOMANIA- EL NAZAREÑ0- (CARI JAZZ)
63-HARVIE S- TEXAS RUMBA- (na)
64-RUMBANTELA- LET'S GO TO THE RUMBA- (AJ)
65-JOE TORRES- LATINO CON SOUL- (PACIFIC JAZZ)
66-JESUS RUBALCABA- ESTOY AQUI- (ENVIDIA)
67-LUIS VALLE- AGARRATE- (SABROSO/PIEMIENTA)
68-RUMBA JAZZ- TRIBUTO A CHOMBO- (SUNNYSIDE)
69-LONG JOHN OLIVA & AC JAZZ PROJECT- LUCUMI- (LUCUMI)
70-PAPO VASQUEZ- BREAKOUT- (TIMELESS)
71-CHUCHITO VALDES JR.- ENCANTADO (TOWN CRIER)
72-CHARLIE SEPULVEDA- THE NEW ARRIVAL- (ANTILLES)
73-ELADIO REINON LATIN BIG BAND- AFRO CUBAN SUITE NO.1- (FRESH SOUND)
74-SONIDO ISLEÑO- EL ASUNTO- (TRESERO)
75-WALFREDO DE LOS REYES- CUBAN JAZZ- (GEMA)
76-LAZARO VALDES- DE TAL PALO…TAL VALDES- (PIMIENTA)
77-LOS HOMBRES CALIENTE- (BASIN STREET-1998)
78-MARACA Y OTRA VISION- HAVANA CALLING- (QBADISC)
79-AFRO CUBAN JAZZ PROJECT- DESCARGA UNO- (CIRCULAR MOVES)
80-CHRIS WASHBURNE & THE S.Y.O.T.O.S. BAND- NUYORICAN NIGHTS- (JAZZ HEADS)
81-AFROMANTRA- ALIGNMENT- (MAMBO MANIACS RECORDS)
82-SEIS DEL SOLAR- DECISION- (MESSIDOR)
83-TOLU- EL BONGO DE VAN GOGH- (TONGA)
84-JUSTO ALMARIO- HERITAGE- (MOO)
85-GRUPO JAZZ TUMBAO- QUE BOLA- (GJT)
86-RUBEN GONZALEZ JR.- MULATAS MAGICAS- (PIMIENTA)
87-NUEVA MANTECA- AFRODISIA- (TIMELESS)
88-TITO DE GRACIA Y SU NAOKA JAM- MY LATIN ROOTS- (OLC)
89- RAY ARMANDO- MALLET HANDS- (CUBOP)
90-JOHNNY BLAS- SKINS & BONES- (CUBOP)
91-ESTRADA BROTHERS- GET OUT OF MY MIND- (MILESTONE)
92-VLADIMIR & HIS ORCHESTRA- NEW SOUND IN LATIN JAZZ- (ALEGRE)
93-ANDY DURAN- LATIN JAZZ CLUB- (LYRIC)
94-ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ Y LOS ACEREKO- CUBAN JAZZ- (NAXOS WORLD)
95-BOBBY MATOS- HERITAGE ENSEMBLE- (ENCLAVE)
96-ENDEL DUEÑO- ENERGY- (OL)
97-ALBERTO NARANJO & LATIN JAZZ 8- OBLACION (na)
98-HILTON RUIZ- MANHATTAN MAMBO- (TELARC)
99-MARACA Y OTRA VISION- FORMULA UNO- (BIS)
100-LA CALLE CALIENTE- LATIN JAZZ BAND- (AUTOR)