Pan

Fans of Venezuelan rock (and there should be more) will be eager to snap up this long out-of-print jewel, originally released in 1970. Grupo Pan were led by conguero Carlos ‘Nené’ Quintero, who penned all the tracks you’ll find here. Prior to this recording, Quintero served time in another influential Latin band, Los Dementes, under the guidance of musical innovator Ray ‘El Loco’ Pérez, who had brought to his native country ideas fermented during an extended visit to the US.

It’s a record label’s job to hype their releases, but Pan deserves every superlative you can throw at it. This is hustling, bustling, South American rock at its absolute finest. Tight, complex, yet swinging rhythms explode with energy, even on the slower numbers – a sizzling fuse threatening to explode at any moment. The vocals are finely emotional, the swirling guitar lines expressively bluesy and the interplay between horns and percussion sublime. As with the very best bands, Grupo Pan make the challenging seem easy. Anyone with even a passing interest in Latin fusion music will delight in this absorbing set.