Malo cover

Malo

Released

Did you know Carlos Santana had a younger brother, Jorge, who was also a guitarist? It’s true! His best-known performance was at the Fania All-Stars’ 1973 concert at Yankee Stadium, where he tore it up behind vocalist Cheo Feliciano on the bluesy bolero “El Ratón,” but his band Malo made four albums for Warner Bros. in the early ’70s, of which their self-titled debut is easily the best. Their music combined powerful Latin-tinged hard rock, not unlike the work of Santana, with the Chicano street soul of East L.A. Indeed, tracks like “Pana” and “Café,” with fierce horn charts and rattling timbales, were at times harder and more energetic than Santana’s work, which was drifting toward jazz fusion at the time. And Jorge was a pretty fierce shredder. But they were also capable of gentle ballads; the lilting “Suavecito” was a major hit and can still be heard today wherever lowriders gather.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
Canyon Lady cover

Canyon Lady

Joe Henderson
Gozo Poderoso cover

Gozo Poderoso

Aterciopelados
La Voz cover

La Voz

Héctor Lavoe
A Bad Donato cover

A Bad Donato

João Donato
The Best of Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers cover

The Best of Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers

Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers
Superimposition cover

Superimposition

Eddie Palmieri
7 cover

7

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
Ali Baba cover

Ali Baba

Louie Ramirez