The Nitty Gritty Sextet

An album featuring the crème de la crème of the 1960s New York Latin scene has finally come to light, thanks to the work of Barcelona-based label Rocafort Records. Here at Latinastereo, we’re excited to highlight it, as we consider it a true gem that shines brightly in today’s record landscape.

When the folks at Rocafort Records reached out to legendary producer Bobby Marín, their original plan was to license a 45 rpm single. Nitty Boo Boo and Something New were two unreleased tracks produced and recorded back in 1967 in Harlem—capturing the sound of the era: a fusion of Latin music, mambo, and Cuban son with rhythm & blues and soul. The label wanted to unearth them for today’s boogaloo-loving diggers.

But they were in for a surprise: Marín revealed that those two tracks were part of a full LP that had never been released—even though RCA Victor had shown interest in it at the time. The bad news? Most of the master tapes were lost. Then, in what can only be described as a small miracle, six months later the only existing master acetate for the album was discovered in a second-hand store in Pennsylvania by a record enthusiast. No one—not even Marín or the label—could believe it.

Almost 50 years after its original recording, Rocafort Records proudly presents the never-before-released LP: The Nitty Gritty Sextet. Recorded by some of the best musicians from the New York scene, including Willie Torres, Tito Puente, Jimmy Sabater, Louie Ramírez, and many more. It remains a mystery why this album was never released back then, especially given its remarkable quality. For fans of boogaloo, mambo dancing, or Latin jazz grooves, this is a must-have record.

Ten tracks of pure boogaloo, mambo, and Latin jazz—plus a cover featuring a retro Latina beauty—make this look like a new Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers release. But no—it’s The Nitty Gritty Sextet, a one-record wonder with music even more incredible than the story of how it finally saw the light of day. A brilliant album.

The two tracks originally sought by Rocafort pale next to the wild Hammond madness of Fun City Hippy, driven by Charlie Palmieri; the urgent salsa of Papel de Bambú; the soulful boogaloo of Shingaling Now, Boogaloo Later; and the party-starting Say Listen. Mambo and a few smooth Latin numbers round out this musical gold bar from New York.