Treasure Island

I DISCOVERED THE music of Trio Matamoros at a record store a few doors down from my place in Brooklyn. I walked past the shop many times but resisted going in because the window displayed LPs one could find at any suburban garage sale. The owner, who ran the place for five decades, showed up like clockwork every day, wearing a suit and tie, and with dyed, pitch-black hair. I love Brooklyn.

When I” Out of nowhere, he pulled a Trio Matamoros LP. I got a good feeling from the cover, and it was exactly what I was looking for. This was music performed by talented musicians who could easily set up anywhere and captivate an audience without any frills. Most of these tracks could have been performed live in my living room. This discovery led me to an album search a few years later in Bogata, Colombia. After finding an amazing record store, I had to purchase an additional suitcase to bring stacks of LPs, many by Trio Matamoros, back to the States. I was buying records made and purchased with love in the ’60s and ’70s. These albums had soul! Take that, Spotify!