Joe Cuba Sextette – Wanted Dead Or Alive (Bang Bang Push Push Push) (1965)

Wanted Dead or Alive (Bang! Bang! Push Push Push) is part Latin, and part basic Latin soul (boogaloo). The boogaloos are very simple, relying on chants that live crowds could follow easily. In fact, this was a major album that drove the boogaloo dance scene in New York. But while the two title tracks remain essential examples of the idiom, they are quite dated now. Of the rest, "Cocinando" clocks in at nine minutes but is not the tremendous Eddie Palmieri-style jam or descarga one might hope. "Que Son Uno" is the most enduring track. With its hypnotic percussion and vibes, it could have been side-length. A vintage party record, Wanted offers good material in a variety of styles. In hindsight, however, it may be most interesting as a precursor to the masterpiece My Man Speedy.~Tony Wilds