Ricardo Marrero & The Group - A Taste

Recorded in New York in the mid-70s, Ricardo Marrero's long-mythologised album finally re-emerges as more than a footnote in collectors' lore. Marrero, a Puerto Rican musician working across Latin soul, funk and salsa, made a record that slipped through the cracks at the time, its scarcity later amplifying its reputation. The music itself is direct and sunlit. 'Tiny' and 'Get Yourself Together' ride relaxed funk grooves, while 'Vengo' and 'My Friend' lean into warmer, melodic phrasing. 'Babalonia' remains the centrepiece, its rolling rhythm and vocal hook capturing the record's easy confidence. Elsewhere, 'A Taste Of Latin' lives up to its name, balancing dancefloor energy with loose, band-led interplay. Heard now, it sounds assured, generous and remarkably intact.