When percussionist, pianist and vibe player Ricardo Marrero recorded the ultra-rare Latin jazz meets funk LP “A Taste” in 1976, little did he know that decades laterthat sealed copies of the original album would exchange hands among collectors for thousands of dollars. A veteran of the New York salsa and Latin jazz scene sincethe mid-1970s, Marrero has worked with luminaries such as The Fania All-Stars, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, The 5 Stairsteps, Dave Valentin, Angela Bofill and mostrecently - Ruben Blades. Full of up-tempo funky gems and sizzling slow burners, “A Taste” also includes Marrero’s crossover hit “Babalonia” that received quite a bit ofairplay in the mid-1970s. Originally pressed in a very limited quantity on Don King and Lloyd Price’s TSG Records, and with little or no promotion, “A Taste” neverthelesspushed the boundaries of New York City salsa forward and has subsequently become one of the rarest, sought after and expensive records the vinyl world has everseen. Suffice it to say that the music on this obscure jewel is priceless, featuring some of the greatest players of the era, directed by the great maestro Marrero onkeyboards, percussion, vibraphone and vocals with the legendary Dave Valentin (flute, percussion, coro), Ralphy De Jesus (bongos, percussion, quinto), Erasto Bernard(congas), Tito Marrero (drums, timbales, percussion), George Oldziey (flugelhorn, trumpet), Nancy O’Neil (lead vocals, coro), John “Figgy” Figueroa (tenor saxophone,soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone), Sean Mahony (trombone) and John Dearth (trumpet). A taste of Ricardo Marrero & The Group is one that’s sure to satisfy.