El Condado De La Salsa y Jazz Latino Year End Latin Jazz Best of 2022
By Nelson Rodríguez
Latin Jazz in 2022 was once again fascinating, exciting and continued to expand the genre with great recordings and even more spectacular performances. Nelson Gonzalez finally released not one but two CD’s simultaneously (Los Dice Todo & Gracias Dizzy) that were not available for sale for several years. Pianist Cesar Correa emerged big time this year with various artists including the young pianist female Manon Muellner. Timbalera Zayra Pola not only starred with her own CD (mostly Salsa) but also with Son Divas (mostly Salsa) on my top 15 list.
The Latin Jazz Hits of 2022 (Tracks)
- Del Caribe Latin Jazz All - Stars - Con - Cierto Tumbao
- Zayra Pola - Mambo Pola
- Brian Lynch & Spheres Of Influence - EP’s Plan B
- Sonido Solar - Obsesion
- CSAN - II - Cubop Alert
- Manuel ‘Maneco’ Ruiz - Opus Minor
- Johnny Blas - Berwyn Stop
- DJ Livia & Cesar Correa Ft. Alfredo De La Fe - Aliviando Swing
- Tony Rosa Afro Jazz - Nothing Personal
- Spanish Harlem Orchestra - Mambo 2021
- Leonardo Garcia - Spankin’
- Son Divas - Machito Forever
- Chucho Valdes & Paquito D’ Rivera - Pac Man
- Cesar Correa & Manon Muellner - Grand Rue
- Humberto Ramirez - Waiting Room
- Joe McCarthy New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band - March
- Luis ‘Perico’ Ortiz - Warming Up
- Carlos Averhoff Jr. - Oriented Conga
- Luisito Quintero - Rendezvous
- Alex Acuña - Chuncho
- Nueva Manteca - Crisis
- Gilberto Colon Jr. ‘El Pulpo’ - Cachita
- Alex ‘Apolo’ Ayala - Jibaro Negro
- Sonido Solar - Suite 176
- Roy Perez - Mi Ritmo Sensacional
- Conrad Herwig - All The Things You Should Be By Now If Sigmund Freud’s Wife Was Your Mother
- Nueva Manteca - Moanin’
- Hisayo Kimada - Descarga Con Vibes
- Stephen Giraldo - Mambo Jam
- Arturo Sandoval - Guarachando
- CSAN - II - Celestino
- Willy Calderon LA Impromptu Orchestra - Why, Why Not?
- Kali Rodriguez Peña - Yes Or No
- LA Big Band & Anibal Seminario - Dolphin Leap
- Manuel ‘Maneco’ Ruiz - Mambo 2021
- Joe Gonzalez & Papo Pepin - Song For A Friend
- Jose Aponte - Los Piratas (De Ballaja)
- Luis Deniz - La Ceiba De Mayuya
- Chuo Bomba Niconital - La Bailarina
- Tony Rosa Afro Jazz - Mambo Mongo
- Swing Sabroso - Tributo A Ray Rodriguez
- Steve Turre - Pharoah’s Dance
- Del Caribe Latin Jazz All Stars - Saludos Palmieri
- Joe Gonzalez & Papo Pepin - Rocco’s Special
- William Villaverde - Cuban Thanksgiving
- Adrien Brandeis - Humpty Dumpty
- Bill Ortiz - Sunburst
- Joe Collado - Rumba De Ayer
- Rafael Zaldivar - Crying For Cuba
- Jose Aponte - In Motion
- Miguel Valdes & The Feeling Messengers - Take The A Train
- Cesar Correa y Manon Muellner - Cachanga Con Chicha
- Alfredo De La Fe - Legado
- Eddie Sanabria & Spanish Rice - C7 Jam
- Manuel ‘Maneco’ Ruiz - Mambo 2000
- Oliver Valdes - Nasobuco
- Martin Bejerano - #CubanAmerican
- Del Caribe Latin Jazz All Stars - Birks Works
- Denis Kavemeier - Salsa Carlos
- Nestor Torres & Corey Allen - Once Upon A Time In Santo Domingo
- Alex Acuña - Aletin Aletun
- Niño Josele & Chick Corea - Galaxias
- Arturo Sandoval - Kumba
- Oliver Valdes - Chekerson
- Grupo Salsafon - Descarga SLF
- La Candela Salsa Orchestra - Pink Panther Theme
- Richie Vee - Simon
- The LA Big Band y Anibal Seminario - Fast Fish
- DJ Henrix - Winds Of Time
- Aldemar Valentin - Afrobeat
- La Colectiva Mandjuazz - Mundjuazz
- Aldemar Valentin - Cinco Cuartos
- Connie Grossman - People Make The World Go Round
- Alberto Garcia - Blacky’s Blues
- Daniel Falquez - Cafecito
- Tarquim - Pa’ La Calle
- William Villaverde - The Journey
- Mucho Mambo - El Padrino
- Luisito Quintero - City View (Live)
- La Maxima 79 – Aegua
The top recordings included debuts by Luis Deniz, Kali Rodriguez Peña, Alex ‘Apolo’ Ayala, Tony Rosa Afro Jazz, Manuel ‘Maneco’ Ruiz, Rafael Zaldivar, Del Caribe Latin Jazz All - Stars (two CD’s) led by Nelson Gonzalez, Sonido Solar, and Roy Perez. It also includes three releases from Japan: Chuo Bomba Niconital, Tadataka Unno and Hisayo Yamada.
The Top Latin Jazz CD’s of 2022
- “Manuel ‘Maneco’ Ruiz”
- Roy Perez - Sensational
- Del Caribe Latin Jazz All Stars - Gracias Dizzy
- Brian Lynch & Spheres Of Influence - The Songbook Vol.2 - Dance The Way You Want To
- Tony Rosa Afro Jazz - Bout Time
- Conrad Herwig - The Latin Side of Mingus
- Nueva Manteca - Art
- Chucho Valdes & Paquito D’ Rivera Reunion Sextet - I Miss You Too!
- Del Caribe Latin Jazz All Stars - Lo Dice Todo
- Adrein Brandeis - Siempre Mas Alla
- Jose Aponte - From Here, From There
- Kali Rodriguez Peña - Melange
- Joe Collado - The Sounds Of Latin Groove Project
- Bill Ortiz - Points Of View
- Miguelo Valdes & The Feeling Messengers - Lovely
- CSAN - II - Combinacion Mundial
- Alexis Baro - My Roots - The Cuban Trumpet Tradition
- Chuo Bomba Niconital - La Bailarina
- Tadataka Unno - Get My Mojo Back
- Oliver Valdes - Nasobuco
- Rafael Zaldivar - Rumba
- Leonardo Garcia - On The Cloud
- Martin Bejerano - #CubanAmerican
- Hisayo Yamada - Mi Cubania
- Jose Aponte - From Here, To There
- Alberto Garcia - Rajazz
- The LA Big Band y Anibal Seminario - On The Way, The Dream of Chris Pappas
- Connie Grossman - Chasing The Sunset (EP)
- ‘Los Ninos Del Latin Jazz’
- Aldemar Valentin - Arrebol
- Jeanne Michard - Songes Trasnsatlantiques
- Joe Abba - Check Point
- Nestor Torres & Corey Allen - Dominican Suite