The following list is a personal examination of my own collection, there are no doubt a great number of classic Latin albums I've overlooked, but then that's a great way to stimulate debate!

Let's have a vote on The Ten Best Latin albums of all time, email me your picks and I'll gather the data and post the results in this section soon.

Well, here's my own personal favorites -- I know, there's no Stan Getz! But then we can't all be Stan fans...

1. Cal Tjader - Good Vibes (Concord Picante CJP-247) A tremendous, fiery live album from the late great Cal.

2. McCoy Tyner - La Leyenda De La Hora (CBS - CBS 85143) Beautifully constructed album by the former member of the John Coltrane Quartet.

3. Poncho Sanchez - Bien Sabroso (Concord Picante CJP-239) Percussionist Poncho with a bright, crisp release on Concord.

4. Herbie Mann - Big Boss Mann (Columbia CS 1068) Herbie covers some classic Latin tunes written mainly by norteamericanos - Senor Blues, The Jive Samba and Watermelon Man amongst others.

5. Made In Brasil - Tudo Joia (Pausa PR7156) Warm vocal Latin jazz from this Chicago based outfit covers of Babete, Favela and Samba De Avion

6. Cannonball Adderley - Cannonball's Bossa Nova (Landmark LLP-1302) Reissue of the original 1962 album with the Bossa Rio Sextet who included amongst others Sergio Mendes and Dom Um Romao!

7. Jayme Marques - So Much Feeling (RCA PL-35101) A very rare Spanish recording of this guitarist and percussionist which includes my all time favorite version of Milton Nascimento's Vera Cruz - 12 minutes of Latin intensity!

8. Tito Puente and his Latin Ensemble - El Rey (Concord Picante CJP-250) Tito at his fiery best, superb versions of Oye Como Va, Ran Kan Kan and a 100 mile an hour showcase of his skills on El Rey Del Timbal.

9. Helen Merrill - Vera Cruz (Inner City IC 1125) A Latin outing from an vocalist normally associated with covers of jazz standards.

10. Irakere - Chekere Son (Milestone M-9103) Energetic Cuban workout from these stalwarts of the scene with Chuco Valdes and the great Arturo Sandoval.

11. Dom Um Romao - Spirit of the Times (Muse 5049) Authentic Brazilian rhythms from this renowned Rio percussionist.

12. Airto & Flora Purim - Brazilian Heatwave (Breakaway BWY 54) Wonderfully vibrant and eccentric Latin from the two most influential contributors to today's Latin scene.

13. The Billy Taylor Trio with Candido (Prestige LP-7051) The classic version of Mambo Inn with Candidos first outing as a jazz soloist

14. Antonio "Chocolate" Diaz Mena - Chocolate's Afrocuban Magic (Coco CLP166X) The big sound of the Afrocuban ensemble with arrangements by Lalo Schiffrin and Duke Pearson.

15. Grant Green - The Latin Bit (Blue Note BLP-84111) Another great version of Mambo Inn with Willie Bobo and Potato Valdez on percussion.

You can probably tell that I got my first taste of Latin jazz in the early eighties and was therefore heavily influenced by the many popular Concord Picante releases of that time. Some of these included stellar outings by Poncho Sanchez, Tito Puente and Cal Tjader. I was also heavily into Latin from the 70's onwards and therefore I guess many purists would grumble at the lack of Latin classics from the 50's and 60's but, as I mentioned earlier, I make no excuses as it's a personal list which reflects the period during which my interest grew and from which myself and my peers derived much pleasure.