Legendary Texas Jazz Latin Soul

Mad About Records is pleased to announce the vinyl reissue of Joe Gallardo & Sol’s “Sol,” initially published in 1975.

“Sol” is a Latin-funk psych fuzz blaster that pretty much covers every aspect of unique record collecting in one shot. There’s the funk fuzz blaster “Maranatha,” the Ray Barretto Latin jazz groove song “El Que Se Fue,” with its crazy synth blasts, the Texas smooth funk movements of “Squeeze,” which sounds like one of Steam Heat’s songs, and the lounged-out soul interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s classic “Bird Of Beauty.” Something for everyone, and extremely uncommon!

Gallardo’s work has always included Latin Jazz. His first major break occurred in the late 1960s, when Luis Gasca, a trumpeter from Houston, Texas, asked him to perform the trombone on his debut Atlantic Records album, “Little Giant.” 

On the first occasion of this project, Joe Gallardo met outstanding Latin jazz players like Mongo Santamaria, Mark Levine, and Julio Collazo, among jazz heavyweights like Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Richard Davies, and Bernard Purdie. That period was crucial for Joe Gallardo, who never ceased performing or publishing.