It’s funk and soul from the New York in the late ’60s and ’70s, where the influx of musicians from Puerto Rico, Cuba and South America resulted in these amazing culture clashes in which the music morphed into incredible new genres. Funk, disco, soul and jazz all came together into one big vibrant melting pot of funky goodness, with influences coming from the Latin styles, forming these high energy sub-genres like boogaloo, salsa, Latin jazz and Latin soul. It feels like an exciting, vibrant and highly creative scene, a fertile period for the artists involved, some of whom such as Tito Puente and Ray Barretto became household names, well kind of anyway. New York Latin Hustle is an incredibly apt title for the collection of music here, it’s fast, busy music, with the breakneck Latin percussion melding seamlessly with the highly popular disco grooves of the time, deep funky bass lines, and tight spurts of brass. It’s music on the make, the soundtrack to the strut. Some of the combinations are a little odd and could come across now as a little kitsch, though by kitsch I mean crazed genius impossible fusions, of which this compilation is brimming. The music here is attacked with such belief and vigour it’s impossible not to become infected by the hustle. This is what was setting the dance floors alight in Harlem in the early seventies, crazy cats like AL Escobar, the sleazy blaxpoitation sound of The Alexander Review, or the Cuban influence of Johnny Sedes and his orchestra, the hustle is an overwhelming collection of smoothness, frenzied groove that never gets tired.
Bob Baker Fish
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