El Condado De La Salsa y Jazz Latino - Best Salsa CD’s of 2021

By Nelson Rodríguez

Salsa was just as big as Latin Jazz in 2021 with recordings celebrating anniversaries: Conjunto Imagen, Boricua Legends, Siguarajazz, Dorance Lorza & Sexteto Café, and Orquesta Del Barrio plus great releases from veterans like Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ruben Blades, Tito Puente Jr, Dimension Latina, Van Lester, Charlie Donato, Bobby Cruz, Juan Pablo Barrios, Oscar D’ Leon, Candido Fabre, Tito De Gracia, Enrique Alvarez, Jorje Machado and many new surprises.

Sonora Ponceña & El Gran Combo had both Salsa and Christmas CD’s this year, and Marlow Rosado had a Salsa CD & Latin Jazz CD.

These are the top Salsa CD’s of 2021 that made their way to our desk.

Top Salsa CD’s of 2021

  1. Victor Rendón and Bronx Conexión Latin Big Band “Mambo Boulevard”
  2. Willy Calderon & The L.A. Impromptu Orchestra “L.A. Impromptu”
  3. Songon “Songon”
  4. Carlos Henriquez “The South Bronx Story”
  5. Charlie Sepulveda & The Turnaround “This Is Latin Jazz”
  6. The Echo Park Project “It’s My Turn”
  7. Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirate Troubadours “Chapter 10: Breaking Cover”
  8. Oscar Hernandez & Alma Libre “Vision”
  9. La Banda Ramirez “Cuban Butterflies”
  10. Nelson Riveros “The Latin Side of Wes Montgomery”
  11. Nettai Tropical Jazz Big Band “25th Anniversary”
  12. Jorge Emilio Fadul “Ahora Es Cuando”
  13. CSAN-II- “Combinacion Musical”
  14. Alonso Gonzalez Jazz Latino “Descarga Pa’ Mi”
  15. Edilio Bermudez “Walking”
  16. Rayko Leon & Carlos Aleman “En Clave de Rumbach”
  17. Pablo Perez Cuban Jazz Sextet “Charangueando En Jazz”
  18. Abrazos: “The Havana Sessions”
  19. Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
  20. Rigo y su Obra Maestra “Universe”
  21. Banda Manatiana “Transtropico”
  22. Carlos Miyares “Tributo A Chucho Valdes”
  23. Marlow Rosado Ft. Chucho Valdes “Orun”
  24. Michael Olivera & The Cuban Jazz Syndicate “Y Llego La Luz”
  25. Chiqui Rojas, Yuri Daniel, Glenn Tomassi “1st Reunion”
  26. Miguel De Armas Quartet “Continuous”
  27. Carlos Jiménez Mambo Dulcet “Red Tailed Hawk Vol. 1, 2, 3”
  28. Paquito D’ Rivera Septeto “Cariberian”
  29. Truth Revolution recording Collective “Together Again”
  30. Roque Martinez “GuajiroSax”