BOBBY RODRIGUEZ – LEAD ME TO THAT BEAUTIFUL BAND 12" Vinyl LP Album

Music born in the smoky clubs of El Barrio, where brass hits hard and the streets move in clave

Album Front Cover Photo of BOBBY RODRIGUEZ – LEAD ME TO THAT BEAUTIFUL BAND Visit: https://vinyl-records.nl/

"Lead Me to That Beautiful Band" is the vibrant 1975 release by "Bobby Rodriguez Y La Compañia". Produced by the legendary Ray Baretto and Alux Masucci, this LP delivers a fusion of Latin rhythms that captivate the soul. Recorded at Good Vibrations Sound Studio, New York, and engineered by Jon Fausty, it features a talented ensemble including Bobby Rodriguez, Junior Cordova, and more. A sonic journey through Latin music excellence.

Table of Contents

"Lead Me To That Beautiful Band" (1975) Album Description:

“Lead Me To That Beautiful Band” slid into the 1975 New York salsa scene with una vibra you couldn't ignore, the kind that made you cancel mañana’s plans without blinking. This album captures Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañía justo en el momento when their sound tightened and learned how to command a crowd with pure sabor. Even now, every track still feels like a band sprinting into their destiny, no brakes, no miedo.

Historical and Cultural Context

Mid-70s New York wasn’t playing around — culturally or musically. Salsa was booming from every barrio corner, fueled by the Nuyorican hustle, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and the kind of percussion that made abuelas shout “bájale, chico!” from apartment windows. Vaya Records and the broader Fania ecosystem were shaping una revolución musical, and albums like this were right in the middle of the fuego.

By 1975 the genre was shifting toward cleaner, studio-polished productions, pero without losing the callejero edge. This LP sits perfectly in that transition: smooth enough for radio, but still sweaty with last-night’s club-floor soul.

How the Band Came to Record This Album

Bobby Rodriguez and his crew had been tearing up the NYC club circuit — lugging gear, catching late-night guaguas, and building real-deal chemistry bar by bar. Their signature blend of flute-driven melodía, tight horn discipline, and puro street swing had everyone talking. That heat brought them into Good Vibrations Sound Studio under Ray Barretto’s watchful eye, with Alex Masucci steering the ship behind the scenes.

You can hear the hunger all over this record. Nada de filtros — just a band fully aware that this was their momento grande.

The Sound, Songs, and Musical Direction

The album hits with that irresistible mezcla of swagger and corazón that 70s salsa did so perfectly. “La Moral” and “Pa' Borinquen Voy” bounce with a lift-you-up energy, swirling Bobby’s flute over punchy brass and congas that never take a day off. Junior Cordova delivers the fire, while Jose Acosta keeps everything grounded with that warm, familiar sonero tone.

Even the smoother tracks — like the sensual “Don’t Misunderstand Me” — float with a confidence that stays muy sabroso without drifting into cheesy territory. Everything stays rhythm-first, puro baile.

Comparison to Other Salsa Releases of 1975

Compared to the heavyweights dropping music that same year, this LP plays less like a grand political statement and more like a band saying, “escúchanos — we came to groove.” While Willie Colón and Rubén Blades were leaning into storytelling and Barretto was chasing jazz-infused boldness, Bobby Rodriguez aimed his sound straight at la pista de baile.

It doesn’t try to reinvent the género — it just plays it clean, tight, and full of Nuyorican grit.

Controversies or Public Reactions

No scandals, no drama — unless you count vecinos complaining that someone kept the record spinning demasiado fuerte. The album landed smoothly, respected by musicians and dancers alike. The only “controversy” was fans mistaking Jose Acosta’s voice for Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez — a confusion even the liner notes tease with a wink.

Band Dynamics and Creative Tensions

The group energy here feels like pure camaradería under pressure. The shared arrangements show how ideas bounced around organically — one musician tossing a rhythmic twist, otro sharpening a horn line, Bobby keeping it all aligned with his flute like a sonic traffic cop. You can hear that spark, that push-and-pull between polish and callejera spontaneity.

Critical Reception and Legacy

Critics at the time praised the album’s tight ensemble feel and its confident, modern sonido. Over the decades it settled into “if you know, you know” status — one of those LPs collectors love to pull out and say, “escucha esto, hermano — this is real mid-70s sabor.”

Today, it stands as a gem from an era when salsa bands were hungry, humilde, and out to prove something. And this record proves plenty.

Album Key Details: Genre, Label, Format & Release Info

Music Genre:

Salsa

Salsa blends Afro-Caribbean rhythm, jazz harmony, and the electric energy of 1970s New York dance culture. Characterized by tight horn arrangements, layered percussion, and call-and-response vocals, it became a defining soundtrack of the Nuyorican movement.

Label & Catalognr:

Vaya – Cat#: VS 43

Album Packaging

Standard sleeve.

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" LP Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Weight: 230 gram

Year & Country:

1975 – USA

Album Production & Recording Credits:

  • Ray Barretto – Producer Ray Barretto was one of the defining architects of 70s salsa dura, known for blending jazz phrasing with explosive Afro-Caribbean rhythm. His production on this album brings structure without sacrificing street-level swing, guiding the band toward a tight, modern sound. Barretto’s instinct for pacing and dynamic contrast gives the record its confident pulse.
  • Alex Masucci – Executive Producer Alex Masucci played a major behind-the-scenes role during the boom years of New York salsa, connecting musicians, labels, and promoters with sharp business instinct. As executive producer, he helped shape the album’s direction and commercial positioning, ensuring the final product carried both artistic credibility and market appeal across a growing Latin audience.
  • Bobby Rodriguez – Arrangements Bobby Rodriguez crafted arrangements that fuse jazz-leaning harmonic ideas with the tight rhythmic discipline of classic salsa. His approach builds momentum layer by layer, letting the horns slice cleanly through the rhythm section while vocals glide on top. These arrangements define the album’s crisp, modern tone and preserve its deep dance-floor identity.
  • Bobby Rodriguez y La Compania – Arrangements Working as a collective, the band contributed arrangement ideas rooted in real-time experience on stage and in rehearsal rooms. Their input sharpened rhythmic transitions, enriched coro responses, and expanded instrumental textures. This shared creative process strengthens the album’s sense of unity, making every track feel lived-in and energetically collaborative.
  • Jon Fausty – Recording Engineer Jon Fausty was instrumental in defining the polished, full-bodied sound of late-70s NYC salsa. His engineering style emphasized clarity in dense arrangements, making room for every horn stab, percussion accent, and vocal harmony. On this album he captures the band with remarkable balance, giving it both punch and warmth without losing its raw club-floor energy.
  • Lee Marshall – Liner Photography Lee Marshall’s photography complements the music with imagery rooted in the New York Latin scene of the era. His visual style blends documentary sharpness with a warm, human tone, reflecting the musicians’ personalities rather than staging artificial glamour. The photos help situate the album within its cultural moment and deepen its sense of authenticity.
  • Ron Levine – Art & Design Ron Levine shaped the album’s visual identity with clean typography and an understated layout that highlights the musicians rather than overshadowing them. His design sensibility fits the era’s transition toward sleeker, more modern LP aesthetics. The cover art aligns with the album’s musical character—direct, confident, and proudly rooted in New York’s salsa movement.

Liner Notes

BOBBY RODRIGUEZ & COMPANY are here and ready. They have waited and waited, and now the time has come. The young virtuoso, who plays flute, clarinet and saxophone, though the latter is not heard in this album, has taken the city by storm. Working consistently throughout the club circuit, BOBBY & COMPANY have caused people to rise-up and take notice. Their sound is such that when its heard its recipients have to exclaim, "These cats are together."

They blend a flute and brass sound that can be as rich and full as that of an orquestra or as tipico and funky as a conjunto.

Throughout the album, the music and the work of Joe Wohletz, an alumnus of Tito Puente’s organization, is to be recognized as well as the flute work of Bobby and the trombone work of “Steady Eddie” who by the way "tears-up". DON’T MISUNDERSTAND ME a super-sensual tune that can easily become as popular as TO BE WITH YOU.

In point of fact, all the fellas should be recognized, for it is a 100% pure and unadulterated effort. No new musicians or singers were used.

Upon listening to the album, however, you may think Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez is singing, but don’t be confused. The lead vocal of TRATAME COMO SOY and EL MENSAJE is competently done by Jose Acosta whose voice is very similar to the aforementioned sonero.

LA MORAL, NUMERO 6, SONERITO and PA’ BORINQUEN Y YO were all solidly handled by Junior Cordova, an alumnus of Cortijo, who brings a refreshing island sound to his singing.

Throughout the endeaver, the fellas were ready. You can hear it. Or it got them. They were eager and confident. Now they are happy and relieved. They have cut their first step in what seems to be a very successful journey.

As a note, RAY BARRETTO along with JON FAUSTY are to be commended for their professional and technical guidance. Also, congratulations to ALEX MASUCCI who, with this album, has begun his journey as an executive producer.

J. A. DIAZ
THE MAMBO MACHINE
WKCR – FM
MONDAYS – 9:00 P.M.

Band Members / Musicians:

  • Bobby Rodriguez – Flute, Clarinet & Coro A driving force in New York’s 70s salsa movement, Bobby Rodriguez blended jazz-trained precision with the streetwise swing of Latin dance floors. His horn and flute work shaped the band’s bright, brassy edge, while his arranging style pushed each track into high-velocity motion. His presence gives the album its bilingual pulse and unmistakable Nuyorican swagger.
  • Junior Cordova – Lead Vocals Junior Cordova brought a nimble, emotional delivery that cut right through the band’s percussive density. His phrasing jumps between smooth bolero tenderness and fiery salsa grit, making him the kind of vocalist who could lift arrangements without overpowering them. His energy anchors the melodic heart of the album and drives several of its most infectious moments.
  • Jose Acosta – Lead Vocals & Guito Jose Acosta adds a grounded, earthy tone to the vocal blend, giving the record its conversational give-and-take between singers. His guito work keeps the rhythm section ticking with that classic scratchy shimmer so essential to salsa’s forward motion. He balances melodic clarity with rhythmic intuition, rounding out the album’s vocal palette beautifully.
  • Al Dorsey – Piano Al Dorsey’s piano is the album’s engine room—sharp montunos, tight left-hand patterns, and those small improvised accents that wake up a groove. His style leans more groove-centric than flashy, but that restraint is exactly what fuels the band’s dance-floor drive. His touch links the horns, vocals, and percussion into one coherent, propulsive rhythm machine.
  • Pastol “Toti” Negron – Bass & Coro Toti Negron locks down the backbone of the album with a bass style that’s warm, round, and fabulously steady. He plays the kind of supportive, unshowy lines that make salsa arrangements feel effortless but powerful. His coro work adds extra texture, making him both a rhythmic anchor and a subtle melodic contributor to the band’s overall sound.
  • Eddie Hernandez – Trombone, English Vocals & Coro Eddie Hernandez brings a bold trombone tone that blends punch with lyrical phrasing, adding a rugged edge to the horn section. The English vocals give the album crossover charm, tapping into the bilingual pulse of 70s NYC salsa. His coro parts and brass lines help shape the album’s dynamic shifts, from tight ensembles to explosive horn breaks.
  • Joe Wohletz – Trumpet Joe Wohletz fires off crisp, high-register trumpet lines that bring brightness and urgency to the band’s horn arrangements. His playing cuts through the mix without ever feeling harsh, carrying that classic salsa brass shimmer. His contributions elevate the overall punch of the arrangements and tighten the harmonic interplay within the horn section.
  • Jose De Leon – Congas Jose De Leon drives the rhythmic heat with conga patterns that stay tight, clean, and locked into the pocket. His playing adds expressive nuance—slaps, open tones, and subtle accents that respond naturally to the horns and vocals. He’s one of the main reasons the grooves feel alive, constantly simmering but always controlled.
  • Felix Nazzario – Bongos & Timbales Felix Nazzario bridges the higher-frequency percussion with sharp, articulate timbales and responsive bongo patterns. He’s the spark plug of the rhythm section, creating calls, rolls, and fills that energize the transitions between verses, coros, and horn hits. His playing adds both color and drive, keeping the arrangements tightly wound and exciting.

Complete Track-listing:

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. La Moral
  2. Recuerdos de Arcano
  3. Pa Borinquen Voy
  4. Tratame Como Soy
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Numero 6
  2. Dont Misunderstand Me
  3. Sonerito
  4. El Mensaje

Disclaimer: Track durations shown are approximate and may vary slightly between different country editions or reissues. Variations can result from alternate masterings, pressing plant differences, or regional production adjustments.

Album Front Cover Photo
Front cover of the 1975 Vaya Records LP by Bobby Rodriguez y La Compania, featuring a pastel-toned illustrated scene resembling a stylized mosaic window. At the center, a man in a dark suit and a woman in a flowing green-and-purple striped dress sit together, their bodies angled toward the viewer with gentle movement in the woman's skirt. Behind them, framed within a decorative arch, a full salsa band dressed in tuxedos performs—horns raised, percussionists in motion, and the vocalist set at the center. The album title, Lead Me To That Beautiful Band, curves around the arch in hand-drawn lettering surrounded by floral motifs. The background is a muted grey with a vertical inscription reading Complimentary Album Not Returnable on the left edge, giving the cover a promotional-pressing feel. The printing is textured, colors are soft and slightly aged, and the entire artwork carries a warm mid-70s New York salsa aesthetic.

This 1975 front cover of Lead Me To That Beautiful Band by Bobby Rodriguez y La Compania presents a vivid illustrated tableau rooted in the Nuyorican salsa era. The artwork is framed like a stained-glass window, its borders filled with pastel tessellations and floral panels that echo the romanticism of 1970s Latin album art. At the bottom foreground, a stylish couple sits together, the woman’s green-and-violet striped dress captured mid-motion as if touched by a warm summer breeze.

Behind them, nestled within the arch of the illustrated window, the full band appears mid-performance—horn players with instruments raised, percussionists poised in rhythmic motion, and an ensemble dressed in coordinated suits. The album title curves around this arch in hand-lettered typography, blending seamlessly into the ornamental frame that surrounds the scene.

Along the left vertical edge, the grey background carries the bold imprint Complimentary Album – Not Returnable, establishing this copy as a promotional pressing. Subtle aging marks, muted color tones, and the distinctive 70s palette give the artwork a nostalgic authenticity that mirrors the era’s vibrant New York salsa movement.

Album Back Cover Photo
Back cover of the 1975 Vaya Records LP Lead Me To That Beautiful Band by Bobby Rodriguez y La Compania, showing a full-stage performance photo across the top half of the sleeve. The band stands under warm spotlights: trumpet, sax, trombone, percussion, and bass players aligned in a semi-formal stage setup. The musicians wear coordinated 1970s attire—beige trousers, dark and pastel shirts—while congas, timbales, and drums sit centered behind the vocalists. Below the image, printed in magenta, appear the tracklists for Side A and Side B, followed by the production credits naming Ray Barretto, Alex Masucci, and the band. The right side features dense liner notes praising the musicians, referencing Nuyorican salsa culture, and describing the energy of the recording. The bottom of the sleeve includes logos for Vaya Records and Fania Records, along with studio credits and a tiny illustrated figure drawn in a sketchy style. The grey background ties the entire design into the signature mid-70s Vaya aesthetic.

The back cover of Lead Me To That Beautiful Band shifts from illustrated fantasy to real-life stage energy, capturing Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia performing under warm, golden lights. The photograph spans the upper half of the sleeve, showing a full ensemble of brass, rhythm section, and vocalists lined in a classic 1970s salsa club arrangement. Their coordinated attire—light trousers and dark shirts—brings a sense of unity, while percussionists and brass players hold assertive poses mid-performance.

Below the stage photo, the sleeve delivers a wealth of printed information in vivid magenta ink: complete track lists for both sides of the album, production credits naming Ray Barretto and Alex Masucci, and detailed musician credits ranging from flute, clarinet, and coro to the full brass and percussion lineup. The liner notes to the right offer a passionate narrative about the band’s momentum, cultural significance, and musical personalities, written in a storytelling tone typical of mid-70s salsa releases.

At the bottom, small visual signatures—Vaya Records logos, Fania distribution notes, studio references, and a small hand-drawn line-art figure—tie the design into the broader world of New York Latin music. The grey background, combined with magenta text and the vivid stage photo, completes the unmistakable Vaya aesthetic of the salsa era.

Close up of Side One record’s label
Close-up of the Side A record label for the 1975 Vaya Records LP Lead Me To That Beautiful Band by Bobby Rodriguez y La Compania, showing the iconic geometric Vaya design in vivid magenta and orange. The label features repeating diamond and arrow motifs arranged in a tight pattern that evokes ’70s Latin aesthetics. The top displays the bold white VAYA logo with RECORDS INC. printed beneath it. Centered text identifies the artist name, BOBBY RODRIGUEZ Y LA COMPANIA, followed by SIDE A, VS-43, and COMPATIBLE STEREO. Below, all four tracks of Side A are listed with running times and composer or publisher credits. At the bottom, small text notes production by Ray Barretto, executive production by Alex Masucci, © 1975 Vaya Records, and distribution by Fania Records Inc. The spindle hole sits at the center, surrounded by a glossy black vinyl surface, giving the label a crisp, archival clarity.

This close-up image of the Lead Me To That Beautiful Band Side A label highlights the bright, unmistakable Vaya Records design of the mid-1970s. The geometric pattern blends sharp diamond and arrow shapes in alternating magenta and orange tones, forming a rhythmic motif that mirrors the pulse of New York’s salsa scene. At the top, the bold white VAYA logo stands in high contrast, anchoring the entire composition.

Centered on the label is the artist credit, Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia, printed above the format indicators SIDE A, VS-43, and COMPATIBLE STEREO. The four tracks of Side A—La Moral, Recuerdos de Arcano, Pa’ Borinquen Voy, and Trátame Como Soy—are listed with durations and composer details. Each line is carefully arranged, ensuring clarity despite the dense information.

Along the lower arc of the label, the production credits appear: produced by Ray Barretto, executive producer Alex Masucci, © 1975 Vaya Records, and distributed by Fania Records Inc. The spindle hole sits precisely at the center, framed by the glossy black surface of the vinyl, giving the whole presentation a clean, tactile authenticity familiar to collectors and archivists.