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Various Artists

Salsa de la Bahia: A Collection of Bay Area Salsa and Latin Jazz Vol 3: Renegade Queens

Review by Gary Hill

The title of this album sort of explains what it is. The music included here has a good range. There is only one tune here that I didn’t care for at all, and that’s because I really don’t like the vocals on it. Beyond that, everything here is good, but some tracks stand taller than others for me. It’s a fun set from start to finish, though.


This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2026  Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2026.


Track by Track Review
Disc 1
                     
Renegade Queens - We Were Born to Drum

As you might guess from the title, percussion gets things going here. After that introduction horns are added to fill out the arrangement, but the percussion is still prominent. This is a smoking hot jazz number. I have to say that I’m not a big fan of the type of jazz vocals we get on this song. Then again, I’m more of a fan of instrumental jazz than I am vocal jazz. Still, this romp works well from start to finish. I just prefer the instrumental sections. That said, there is a section with more artsy, nearly spoken vocals. I like that part better. Some of the lyrics on this are in English and some are in Spanish. This thing gets pretty powerhouse at times. It’s an extensive piece of music.

Xiomara Torres - Me Quedo Contigo

This starts with piano. It gets into some cool jazz jamming from there. I like the vocals on this tune a lot better. This tune has a great vibe, and I really love the impassioned vocals, which are also in Spanish.

Mary Fettig - Take the RR Train

This is an instrumental piece, and it’s so classy. There is some killer piano work in the middle of it, and the whole tune just grooves and jams with style and charm. It’s more traditional jazz, and it’s absolutely magical. There is some smoking hot guitar work built into it, too. This is one of my favorites of the set.

Maria Marquez - La Lagrima

Starting on percussion, I really love the music on this cut. I don’t care for the vocals at all, though. They just feel abrasive to me for some reason. That aspect makes this track a number that I’ll be skipping in the future.

The Blazing Redheads – Cosmo

Now this instrumental jazz piece is a big step up from that last one. It has some great Latin vibes and hints of world music. Yet, it also has plenty of fusion and traditional jazz in the mix. It’s another standout here for me.

Lichi Fuentes – Momento

Latin guitar gets things underway here. The track builds out with style and charm from there. I like the vocals on this track a lot. They have a traditional Latin vibe that fits the musical arrangement. That guitar guides most of this, but it definitely gets assistant from other instruments. This is a potent traditional Latin number.

Jackie Ryan with the Wayne Wallace Quintet - Love Walked In

I dig this jazz romp. It’s a classy tune, and I think the vocals work pretty well here. This is like a traditional jazz tune. The piano solo on this thing is so tasty, but everything about this works really well. The lyrics to this one are in English.

La Doña - Can't Eat Clout

There is a classic Latin groove at the heart of this that works really well. It’s got plenty of jazz and really just exudes style and charm. I dig the vocals (in Spanish) on this one a lot, too.

Sandy Cressman - Deixa O Amor Florescer (Let Love Flourish)

This is another classy Latin groove that really has a lot of style built into it. The vocals aren’t quite as effective for me, but they work well enough. The extended instrumental section mid-track is so strong.

Carolyn Brandy – Odie

This jazz jam is a little more low-key and reflective. It is so classy and effective. The vocals are dreamy and ethereal, and the whole cut has hints of proggy vibes.

Disc 2
                           
Renegade Queens - La Mensajera

The jazzy vibes and groove of this as it gets underway are so tasty. This cut is on fire with both Latin sounds and jazz. The percussion workout later in the track is cool, but every bit of this instrumental piece works so well.

Cocomama - Estoy Ahora en La Punta

A mellower cut, this has a strong vibe. The vocals (in Spanish) are passionate and powerful. This gets pretty involved and driving before it’s over.

Kristen Strom - Moving Day

Here we get more traditional jazz stylings. The cut is another classy number. This instrumental really has some killer jamming built into it. It’s another standout of the whole set. I particularly love the acoustic guitar solo section of this thing, but everything about it works like a charm. That said, the bass solo is another standout movement of this thing for me.

Bobi Cespidés; the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet - The Peanut Vendor

The vocals on this one are in Spanish. The tune has a bouncy, traditional Latin vibe. It feels playful and has a lot of focus on piano and percussion. This does get more involved later. It’s a fun romp.

Montclair Women's Big Band – Caravan

I really love the powerhouse jazz jamming on this tune. The Big Band treatment serves it well. We get some smoking hot soloing. The whole tune is absolutely on fire.

Kat Parra - Por La Tu Puerta

Piano drums and vocals are the main elements here early. The vocals on this one are effective. The lyrics are in Spanish. The cut has a great groove and cool melodies. Other instruments do bring some charm to the track as it continues, and a shift to a slower tempo and different mode for a section based around piano and flute is great. It works back out the earlier arrangement, but it’s more intense as it does.

Falso Baiano - Frevo No Morrozinho

Percussion gets things going in a short intro. The track works out from there to a world music meets jazz groove that’s bouncy and fun. This instrumental is playful.

Avotcja; The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra - Matter Is

An opening jazz groove gets this underway. The track drops to a more stripped back arrangement and beat poetry comes over the top. This thing works forward from there with a real trippy Beat vibe at its heart. This is artsy, and at times soaring, and building. It’s another standout tune. There is a powerhouse instrumental section that takes over for a while. It gives way more Beat poetry later. This is just so strong.

Key Elements - Samba Nova

Bouncy and driving, this instrumental is a lot of fun. It has plenty of Latin world vibes along with healthy helpings of jazz.

 
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