There are several clues that the New Orleans Latin Boogaloo band Los Po-Boy- Citos is into vinyl. The first is the fact that they have released the title cut of their new album as a 45-rpm single. The second clue is the way the tracks are listed on the CD. They are divided into side A and side B.
The third and most important clue is the sound. This is a seriously warm production with great spatial distance between the instruments. It actually sounds like a vinyl recording particularly in the interplay between the rhythm section. The bass work of Dan Cutler is fat and his tone is deep. The timbale work of special guest Gabriel Velasco merges like a 3-D image with the conga work of David Greengold and the trap set drumming of Jason Brettel.
The horn section of saxophonist Jacob Leland, trumpeter Jack Pritchett and trombonist Luke Hudleston groove during the ensemble sections and are up in your ears during solos. The guitarist Matt Sakakeeny has a thick sound that reminds the listener that Boogaloo in its first incarnation was a blend of Latin music and soul.
The songs on the album are a mix of covers and originals including a few obscurities from the Boogaloo genre and one song, “Jive Samba” by Nat Adderly that virtually everyone will recognize. The title cut is another wonderful mash up of sounds that the band has become know for. They blend Archie Bell’s, “Tighten Up” with Eddie Bo’s “Check Your Bucket” into a rave up that will have you singing along.
