Afro-Cuban Jazz

Anything by Paquito D'Rivera... Had some great albums in the 80's (the 80's to some means OLD, to me that's fairly NEW)

My favorite is Kenny Dorham, "Afro Cuban" on Blue Note Records, this is "the" classic interpretation of the genre. Personnel include:

Art Blakey Drums
Kenny Dorham Trumpet
Percy Heath Bass
J.J. Johnson Trombone
Hank Mobley Sax (Tenor)
Cecil Payne Sax (Baritone), Brass
Oscar Pettiford Bass
Horace Silver Piano
Carlos "Patato" Valdes Conga, Continuo

An astounding lineup of talent and produced by Alfred Lion, engineered by none other than Rudy Van Gelder.

Remember this was done in 1955, the recording is a bit soft compared to modern stuff but a definitive work that deserves to be in every Jazz lovers library.

For reading about the greats, I would recommend "From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz" by Raul Fernandez. He curated the Smthsonian exhibit on Latin Jazz.

Digging way back, look up the group Osibisa, they were an outstanding but little known band from the mid 70s...

http://www.osibisa.co.uk/osibisa.html

-RW-