Subway Salsa: The Montuno Records Story

Record Mart, an unassuming music store down in the sprawling complex of the Times Square subway station in Manhattan, ought to be considered one of Latin New York's most important historic musical landmarks. In its heyday this was not only a place where occult knowledge and cultural legacies were exchanged; the shop also served as the home base for Montuno Records, a small but important independent label started by proprietor Jesse Moskowitz in the 1970s. The shop and label are inextricably intertwined and constitute a New York Latin institution of sorts. Thankfully, the two entities and its proprietor are alive and well today, keeping the spirit of Subway Salsa alive for old fans and future generations alike. This collection samples the recordings from Montuno's catalog that exemplify danceable Afro-Antillean music, from Nuyorican salsa to Haitian compas, Latin jazz to traditional Cuban genres (including the all-percussion rumba, the flute and violin-flavored charanga, and guitar/trumpet-dominated son), as well as several interesting hybrids incorporating funk, doo-wop and Brazilian sounds. Includes comprehensive liner notes by Pablo Yglesias aka DJ Bongohead, an in-depth interview with Jesse Moskowitz, plus original LP artwork and many unseen pictures.