David Virelles – Continuum
There is a living image of a man in chains that sticks in the mind, looking back at the land and home he left; fear in his heart as he crosses oceans in a swart ship, never to return. To comfort himself, he sings and beats the oars...
Alex Diaz & Santo Domingo Afrojazz: Organic Merengue
One important aspect of the music on this disc that strikes you almost immediately is that a Hammond B3 organ is melded in with...
TjaderAid – Cal Tjader Tribute: ¡Viva Cal!
This extraordinary recording by a group, ostensibly put together by the conguero Frankie Piñeiro, was meant to celebrate the music of the legendary Latin-Jazz...
Jane Bunnett and Maqueque: On Firm Ground/Tierra Firme
Don’t let the title of this third recording by Jane Bunnett and (the new incarnation of) Maqueque fool you. Indeed the musicians of this...
Pete Rodriguez: El Conde Negro
The younger Pete Rodriguez has always had big shoes to fill. Like most sons of famous parents nothing ever is a shoe-in. But remarkably...
Jerry González and Miguel Blanco Big Band: Tribute to the Fort Apache Band
Jerry Gonzalez’s Fort Apache Band was probably one of the last, most iconic ensembles to come out of New York, via the ether of Puerto Rico. Few bands would boast the fire of a trumpet cast...
Daymé Arocena: Cubafonía
The rise and rise of Daymé Arocena is quite the Cinderella story, sans the proverbial ‘glass slipper’. She performed for some time in Joaquin...
Leny Andrade, Roni Ben-Hur: Alegria de Viver
It’s hard to argue with Tony Bennett when he describes Leny Andrade as the “Ella Fitzgerald of Brasil”. Anyone who has heard Ms. Andrade...
Omar Sosa & NDR Big Band: es:sensual
Everything about the music of Omar Sosa seems not only to say that “Tradition is a wonderful reality,” but also something else: “not understanding...
Alfonso Fuentes: PLENA – improvisaciones para piano
Alfonso Fuentes is better known for his classical work that has been performed – and recorded – by musicians of some of the most...
Hilario Durán: Contumbao
Although the brilliant, virtuoso pianist Hilario Durán might be heard in a recording studio warming up by playing a Bach Partita or one of...
Sammy Figueroa & Glaucia Nasser: Talisman
It is not unusual today for the music of any idiom to collide with another and produce a seismic event in both idioms. Music...
Doug Beavers: El Arte del Arreglo
There has never been any doubt that Doug Beavers is among the most important artists in the burgeoning Latin-Jazz musical arena. But when he...
Federico Britos: Hot Club of the Americas
Stories of Stéphane Grappelli meeting anyone in Latin America may be apocryphal but those of Federico Britos doing so are certainly not. Nor is...
From New York Via Cuba: The Pedrito Martinez Group
Pedrito Martinez is one of the most recognizable percussionists in New York today and he is also one of the percussionists most likely to...
Enrique Rodríguez: Enriquito – Me Quito El Sombrero
Conventional wisdom might suggest that there can be no Spanish music—especially that, which derives from traditional Flamenco sounds—without the lead voice being a Spanish...
Dance and Dance (Baila Que Baila) with Jose Rizo’s Mongorama
You will not be able to stop dancing when you listen to the first few seconds of this master album Baila Que Baila, creatively...
Rebeca Vallejo: Azucar Canela
It is the vivacity of Rebeca Vallejo that is evident from the first lines that she sings on Azucar Canela, a refreshing foray into...
Amanda Martinez: Mañana
Amanda Martinez has been concentrating on her own music for some time since she made way for Laura Fernandez to take her Saturday afternoon...
Papo Vázquez Mighty Pirates Troubadours: Spirit Warrior
Trombonist Papo Vázquez is the mightiest of the Mighty Pirates Troubadours. His sound is bold; his tone is brazen and ground out as if from a mill...