Panamá 77 cover

Panamá 77

Released

If Dos Santos, the band that Daniel Villarreal plays drums for, parses their Latin-diaspora music through a funky psych-rock context, his solo debut finds a more nebulous sense of style to build around his vision of jazz-derived improv. But while you could spend a lot of space playing influence/redolence connect-the-dots — some ’60s Chico Hamilton Latin jazz here (“In/On”), some mellow g-funky “Summer Madness”-mode Kool & the Gang there (“18th & Morgan”), shades of cumbia, salsa, and reggaeton-derived grooves just about everywhere — it’s Villarreal’s ability to put rhythm first and let his ensemble players piece together the signifiers as they go that gives Panama 77 the feeling of wide-open joy and the possibilities of cross-cultural musical evolution.

Nate Patrin

Recommended by

Suggestions
Lonnie Liston Smith [JID017] cover

Lonnie Liston Smith [JID017]

Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Lonnie Liston Smith, Adrian Younge
Hustlers Convention cover

Hustlers Convention

Lightnin' Rod, The Last Poets
Sonic Nurse cover

Sonic Nurse

Sonic Youth
Life on Mars cover

Life on Mars

Dexter Wansel
Sahara Swing cover

Sahara Swing

The Malcouns
 Gambler's Life  cover

Gambler's Life

Johnny Hammond
Maria Fumaça cover

Maria Fumaça

Banda Black Rio
Garrett Saracho [JID015] cover

Garrett Saracho [JID015]

Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Heritage cover

Heritage

Eddie Henderson
Jaguar Sound cover

Jaguar Sound

Adrian Quesada