Irakere – Grupo Irakere (Areito, 1976)

Chucho Valdés (p); Arturo Sandoval (tr); Jorge Varona (tr), Paquito d'Rivera (as); Carlos Averoff (ts, fl); Carlos Emilio Morales (g); Carlos del Puerto (b, el-b); Enrique Plá (d); Jorge “El Niño” Alfonso (cga); Armando Cuervo (perc, vo); Oscar Valdés (perc, vo)

Recorded in 1976

Reissued as JazzCuba, Vol. 5: Irakere by Rumor Records in 2007 (with two bonus tracks).

Irakere made a huge splash outside of their native Cuba in the late-70s, releasing two explosive and wonderful LPs for Columbia Records.  

But I think their most powerful statement came on the LP simply titled Grupo Irakere, which they made in Cuba before their worldwide breakout.

More Irakere
For more of Irakere in the 1970s when the band still featured their three most famous soloists, Chucho Valdés, Arturo Sandoval, and Pacquito D'Rivera:

- Irakere (self-titled) (Columbia/Areito, 1978)
- Chekeré Son (JVC/Milestone, 1979)
- 2 (Columbia/Areito, 1979)