Search - Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers :: Tuff!

Mas Mucho Pucho

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 05/02/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After finding el cheapo copies of Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers' Cold Shoulder and Legends of Acid Jazz: The Best of Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers (see my reviews), it took a little longer to find an inexpensive used copy of the OOP "Tough!" but I finally did. This Prestige CD collects Pucho's first two albums for the label, "Tough!" and "Saffron Soul." With two original albums presented in their proper sequence, you might expect me to say this is my best Pucho purchase yet, but alas it is not. While the numbers here are very good, the band really hits its stride from albums three through six, collected on the aforementioned discs. As I stated in my earlier reviews, Pucho's material varies widely from latin jazz to funk, and in its finest moments the band creates a sound that is best described as the missing link between the mambo of Tito Puente and the rock of Santana. Don't be "Tough" on yourself later by letting Pucho slip away now."