Neal Sublette: Cuban Music Suggested Listening

• Chano Pozo: El tambor de Cuba (Tumbao 305, 3CD, $44.95d). A spectacular 3-CD set that includes a full-length biographical book by Tumbao founder Jordi Pujol.
• Sexteto y Septeto Habanero: Las raíces del son (1925-31, Tumbao 300, 4CD, $54.95d). A four-CD set, with ninety-eight tunes.
• Sexteto Nacional: Cubaneo 1927-28 (Tumbao 97)
• Septeto Nacional: Ignacio Piñeiro 1928-30 (Tumbao 19). Not only for the performances, but for the compositions.
• Orquesta Casino de la Playa: Memories of Cuba 1937-44 (Tumbao 3). This only scratches the surface of this group's output. Most of these sides feature Cascarita singing, but it includes Miguelito Valdés's recordings of "Bruca manigua" and "Babalú."
• Arsenio Rodriguez: Montuneando 1946-50 (Tumbao 31)
• Arsenio Rodriguez: Dundunbanza 1946-51 (Tumbao 43)
• Arsenio Rodriguez: Oye como dice (Cubanacán 1703). The last title includes Arsenio's early sides. All Arsenio records are worth having, but these are basic.
• Machito and His Afro-Cubans: Machito and His Afro-Cubans -- 1941 (Palladium 5116).
• Machito and His Afro-Cubans With Miguelito Valdés: Cuban Rhythms (Tumbao 8).
• Machito and His Afro-Cubans: Freezelandia (Tumbao 85). The first title contains their first sides, for Decca; the second is the 1942 sessions with Miguelito. The third contains 1940s sides including "Tanga." Machito recorded for over forty years, so his catalog is extensive.
• Celina y Reutilio: Santa Barbara (Antilla 31). Their first studio sides, originally for Puchito.
• Julio Cueva: La butuba cubana (Tumbao 32)
• Julio Cueva: Desintegrando (Tumbao 83). The first has tunes from 1943-45, filled out with two sides by Bebo Valdés. The second covers 1944-47.
• Benny Moré with Conjunto Matamoros: Conjunto Matamoros with Benny Moré (Tumbao 20)
• Benny Moré with Pérez Prado: El bárbaro del ritmo (Tumbao 10). Benny never made a bad record, so don't worry when you buy one of his. These are from before he started his own band, and display the versatility of a man who could sing with Miguel Matamoros and with Pérez Prado. The Matamoros sides are from 1945-47. The Pérez Prado tracks are the ones that blew up in Mexico City.
• Trío Matamoros: 20 éxitos originales del Trío Matamoros (Kubaney 150)
• Trío Matamoros: The Legendary Trío Matamoros (Tumbao 16). The first package contains the most famous numbers: "Lágrimas negras," "Son de la loma," "El que siembra su maíz," and "El paralítico." The second overlaps the first somewhat, and though it omits "Son de la loma" and "Lágrimas negras," it has other, intriguing tunes.
• Arcaño y Sus Maravillas: Danzón mambo 1944-1951 (Tumbao 29). With the López brothers, including the studio version (only 3:01) of "Mambo."
• Conjunto Kubavana: Rumba en el patio (Tumbao 34). Recorded 1944-47, with Alberto Ruiz on vocals. Also includes four early tracks by Conjunto Casino.
• Conjunto Casino: Rumba quimbumba 1941-46 (Tumbao 30). With Robert Faz, Agustín Ribot, and Roberto Espi.
• Sonora Matancera: Se formó la rumbantela (Tumbao 45)
• Sonora Matancera: La Guarachera de Cuba: Celia Cruz Con La Sonora Matancera En Los Estudios CMQ, 1950-1953 (Tumbao 91). The first is with Bienvenido Granda; the second is not high-quality audio, but gives you an idea what the radio public in Cuba was hearing, and Celia is in fine form.
• Pérez Prado: Kuba-mambo 1947-49 (Tumbao 6). From when he was on his way up.
• Abbilona tambor Yoruba (Caribe Productions). Two eight-Cd packages of contemporary recordings of Yoruba music, categorized by orisha and sold individually or separately.
• Havana, Cuba, ca. 1957: Rhythms and songs for the orishas (Smithsonian Folkways 40489)
• Matanzas, Cuba, ca. 1957: Afro-Cuban sacred music from the countryside (Smithsonian Folkways 40490)
• Havana and Matanzas, ca. 1957: Batá, bembé and palo songs (Smithsonian Folkways 40434). Crown jewels among field recordings, these were made by Lydia Cabrera and Josefina Tarafa, and have been carefully remastered with excellent notes by Morton Marks.