If New York’s sizzling musical melting pot was reaching boiling point in the 70s, the previous decade was crucial in the development of Nuyorican music as the second generation of Puerto Rican immigrants cooked up their own takes on the traditional Latin sound, fusing genres like doowop, funk and soul. Bobby Marin started spearheading the Nuyorican sound over 50 years ago after discovering doowop, producing for a string of labels. In 1969, he hit upon the idea of revisiting his youth playing stickball and making music on the streets of East Harlem by calling up former fellow players who would plant their harmonies over primitive percussion. Calling themselves the 107th Street Stickball Team, they rehearsed and recorded an album in a day, releasing it on co-producer Ralph Few’s tiny Dorado label, creating a later collector’s item which BGP are reissuing plus three scorching tracks by Marin’s Latin supergroup the Nitty Sextet, who included Tito Puente. Led by Butch Sampson’s rich vocals, the boys slinkily straddle anything from sexy shimmies [‘Rhythm And Soul’, ‘Toma’] to sizzling funk [‘Barbara With The Kooky Eyes’], plus heartfelt ballads [‘You Put A Hurt In My Heart’], while ‘Mojo Shingaling’ will have you frying eggs on your y-fronts. A superlative chunk of pre-disco New York dance music history.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs