Rabbits & Carrots

Rabbits & Carrots were a Mexico City-based quartet of jazz and session musicians intent on bringing funk and soul to the Mexican pop scene. Their ultra-rare 1969 release, Soul Latino, was their only long player; it’s a solid set mainly comprised of instrumental funk standards that was ignored upon its initial release. The Meters circa "Cissy Strut” may be the best point of comparison, and there are taut bass lines and impossibly tight snare shots on the interpretations of Rufus Thomas’s "Funky Chicken” and Sly & the Family Stone’s "Everyday People.” But what really makes Soul Latino stand out is the compact density of these joints — not one lasts over five minutes —yet each is chockfull of searing Latin percussion, sweet jazz-influenced guitar soloing and oscillating Hammond B-3 fills, elevating what could have been a novelty into a truly satisfying listening experience. For this highly recommended reissue, Vampisoul has added informative liner notes and four bonus tracks from a 1971 session.