1967 mono Bobby Paunetto “El Sonido Moderno - The Modern Sound Of Bobby Pauneto” on Mardi Gras Records International

Man, I love this record so much. It’s a Mambo bomb, a Descarga Cubano jam, and slick Boogaloo action while also retaining a real jazzy feel. You can spin the entire thing and spend the whole time imagining what it was like, just as Vietnam was a word people newly heard, with uptown kids swinging their dates around in downlow clubs, dancing all night long. Maybe most importantly, though, there’s so much soul! It is indeed the Modern Sound, fresh like it could have come out yesterday. Pauneto is a great marimba and vibes slinger, the Fats Sadi of Harlem, while Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez kills both the congas and cowbell, while Art Ferraro rips the alto licks. This record is so crammed with style my Hana cart can barely contain it, a groove that is both upbeat and melancholy simultaneously, which is a VERY tough cable to walk between two high buildings, just ask Johnny Marr. Includes the slick Cal Tjader track “Paunetto’s Point”, as well as the steamy “Chinatown”. The man’s records are virtually impossible to track down, and there’s really only three, and for my money this is the moneywax. Oh yea.