Gift Certificates
Best of 2007

EditorsPick: A project of Miriela Moreno, a Cuban singer-songwriter. It's good, serious pop, with a violin taking the lead role in the band. She's a good singer, moving into flamenco territory. It's literate, also, and she's got Pancho Amat on a few tunes. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: A traditional Latin jazz recording with better than average soloists, all coming out of the Washington D.C. area There are some high powered guests, including Poncho Sánchez on one track and Dave Samuels on two tracks. The seven piece band takes on a handful of fine jazz and pop standards including "Soon," "Seven Steps to Heaven," 'Armando's' Rumba," "Tom Thumb," "In Love in Vain," and Thelonious Monk's "Bye-Ya." It's good stuff, perfect for radio play. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Another great, serious Latin jazz project from Alex Garcia, a drummer originally from Chile, via Havana and New York. The music, furious at times, sounds as if it were only possible with a foundation in New York. Garcia's a tremendously intelligent composer, one who brings modern classical ideas of composition into a bed of Afro Cuban rhythmic impulses, all blended with jazz practice. The group, mostly a sextet or quintet, just sounds new, with two horns working over an intensely interactive rhythm section of piano, bass, drums and percussion. The dynamic variety jumps on you, moving from almost gentle danzón to group improvisations that roar, verging on free improvisation. Manuel Valera, the gifted Cuban pianist shows up on several tunes, playing Fender Rhodes. The saxophonist Ole Mathisen tears up the pieces; this is modern Latin jazz at it's intelligent, driving best. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Ummm, the sound of Cuba in the 1950s. The trumpeter Rolando Aguilo and his group run through some well known tunes - ie "Mango Mangue" - and while it all rocks, those of us who like Cuban electric guitar will get a kick out of the montunos and fantastic, measured solos by the mystery guitarist. It's jazz; knowledgeable, smart, and Aguilo plays the trumpet well. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Don't know if it's a joke or not, but on my computer, the name of the record comes up not just as Calentando la Ilusion, but also as Cuba Coup. HmmŠ maybe that's the illusion. Anyway, on to less overtly political topics. The music here is pretty amazing, urban, sophisticated, and old-fashioned, with some elderly singers working through cha chas, and sones, touched by the trova; Cachaito's on bass, and there's a guitar, tres and percussion. The pieces are all by Alejandro - though they quote other tunes - along with some other writers. It's often beautiful, and quite pure in its own way. One song, "Ay Coño," bemoans the fact that things are getting worse and worse in the singer's neighborhood (see my first sentence). "Habana" opens with a rumba, and it's an ode to the city, sung with real sadness. "El Robo del la Embajada Sueca" is almost experimental, with all sorts of voices overlayed, singing the Diana, with the tres changing keys; it's virtually all instrumental. And "Persecusion, Asaltos Y Amores de un Sueco en La Habana" opens with a severely phased tres; it's also instrumental. Weird, and Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Occasionally, along come surprises. And here's one: Alex Puente, of the Puente Brothers band, has put together an album of profound grace, working the territory in between the son, nueva trova and hell, let's say acoustic pop, maybe like the music of Kelvis or Juan Carlos Formell. The tunes, written by Mr. Puente, are deeply beautiful, and Puente's voice brings an unsentimental intimacy to the melodies. At times the recording has the breathy naturalness of the Buena Vista recordings. There are strings at times, but Puente's acoustic guitar and voice, accompanied by bongos here and there, are upfront, and the whole thing has the swing of a personal performance in a small space somewhere. How well does the recording work? Listen to the disc a few times, and try not to remember the tunes. I come back to the record, over and over. The most promising recording of the year, and last year too. With guests Chucho Valdés, Pancho Amat and others. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Pancho's son, a pianist, comes out swinging. Backed by a group that includes Tatá Güines and Changuito, along with Dad on tres, Daniel plays deep in the Cuban piano tradition. This is a descarga, with little use for modern Cuban jazz, and as such it's stately and elegant, unrushed and a bit formal, in a good way. And he gets enthusiastic as well, letting long percussive line run over the bar, pushing and pulling the music, rattling it a bit. The tumbao's are often fantastic and complicated; check out "Tumbao del Feo." There's a lot here, hiding behind the tradition. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: The heavyweight champion of the tres arrives with his acoustic son group, Cabildo del Son. Like on his earlier albums, the tresero flashes a bunch of styles, throwing in jazz harmonies and runs (check out the harmonies on the first track, a traditional son that has moments of McCoy Tyner), and quotes and other stuff, that the virtuosity blows away the illusion of normalcy that the group promotes. It's a working group, so it sounds together, organized, with routines. There's plenty of son majesty here: the opening few bars of Errante y Bohemio, with the group's singer William Rodgriguez soaring over the acoustic instruments of the group. Several guest step up to sing, including Miriam Ramos and David Alvarez. And check out the unbelievable swing on Amat's introduction to Sorpresa de Harina Con Boniato. Highly recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Trova from Sancti Spriritus in Cuba, meaning two women singing traditional songs and boleros over a background of a guitar or so; Pancho Amat leads a little son group on a tune or two. It's astonishingly intimate-in part due to the clear, present recording - and it sounds like you're in someone's living room, listening to a private performance. It's beautiful music, perfect tunes all well performed. A lot rarer than one might think. Highly Recommended (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Mmmm, the sounds of jazz New York in the early 1960s, deeply soulful, imbued with blues and swinging without any doubts at all. Boss Tenor is another great session from Ammons on tenor saxophone, and featuring a fantastic rhythm section of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on bass and Art Taylor on drums. Ray Barretto is on conga, adding a light touch on "Hittin' the Jug," then turning up the volume on "Close Your Eyes." Like all the jazz sessions he participated in, Barretto fit right in, knowing exactly how he was supposed to function in the American swing world. It's pretty much perfect music. Listen how Barretto and Taylor lock in on "Blue Ammons"; it's how this stuff was supposed to be done. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: MmmŠsuper grooving salsa from Puerto Rico, say from the late 1960s or early 1970s. Touches of bomba and plena, great coros (that remind me of Cortijo) and playing, and his singing which reminds me of say, Mon Rivera Good sounding transfer, too, of the music onto cd. Hard not to love this. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: A hard-driving modern son group from Cuba. What makes them any different from the 8,000 other groups doing the same thing? Vitality; this stuff is swinging, and alive. They've got at least two seriously good singers, also. It makes you feel good, and the tres playing is bedrock solid. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: What a great, special little record. The band, from Guantanamo, works through a bunch of the styles of the eastern part of Cuba, including the Changüí. The musicians use traditional instruments, including the marimbula, a large version of a thumb piano to take the bass parts, and the tres, plus smaller percussion instruments. They throw in other rhythms, like sucu-sucu, as well, and rap cadences, and references to the Lion King and the music has both rhythmic strength of local dance musics, and the lightness of acoustic music. It's pretty amazing, the sort of music that often shows up over-sweetened. Not here: hard acoustic music, super refreshing, Changüí Duro. I'll listen to this all day. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Those of us who are fans of Arnaldo love his time on bass, and his first record, Ya Era Hora... He's all over some of the better Envidia titles, his electric bass keeps the fort of time safe, and his timba-esque arrangements and playing make music that doesn't have so much cliché and sounds fresh. His second record goes the same way, landing somewhere between salsa and timba at times, with good singing, good tunes - Arsenio Rodriguez's El Divorcio leads off the album - and a vital good feeling that invigorates the whole proceeding. And they cover Ismael Miranda's Asi Se Compone un Son, one of the great tunes of the Fania era, a nice move. Highly recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: A slick little son group from Cuba, recorded in Colombia. A bunch of standards, including Veinte Anos, Macuso, and Piel Canela fill up the recording; it's all able and ready to rock, and nicely recorded. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Man, this is the stuff, a totally non-stop, real timba recording, featuring some of the best singers produced by the bands Charanga Habanera and Charanga Forever. But the music is as much a star as the singers, bouncing on the amazingly funky bass playing of Pablo Pedro. From the opening, driven tumbao through the breaks and thick coros and the inspired singing, this is the sort of project that makes timba sound classic. It has everything, new sounding beats, and lots of melodies in the coros, breakdowns all over the place, great singing. And it's not afraid of the late night long haul, with some tracks pushing seven minutes (though I'd like to hear the rest of the tape, given that there a bunch of fade outs). The singers - Tirso Duarte, Michel Maza and Mandy Cantero - give each track a work out, and they're joined by a fantastic coro that includes Mayito, along with the singers. I mean,just the breakdowns alone - listen to Cuenta Con Los Santos, where the trombones blare over the percussion - are worth the album itself; there's just so much arranging and playing inspiration. This one's in the car, in the living room, also. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Augustin, a Haitian percussionist and religious figure, lives in New York and leads a percussion group called Makandal. He and his group run through a bunch of tunes associated with Vodou, in part from the Congo and in part from the Yoruba. This is absolutely beautiful music, the Haitian version of Santeria music, and like that music, it's astonishing in its percussive precision, and the beauty of the melodies. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Out comes the new Azucar Negra, led by the great Cuban composer and bandleader, Leonel Limonta, featuring a killing new woman singer Aylin Dalleras. The band hasn't released an album in a couple of years, and here's the real deal, hard timba dance music formed by all night dance shows, with the recording a studio version, shortened a bit, of what happens live. Just check out the first tune, "Toque Natural," which spends nearly 5 minutes - and ends 10 minutes to early - working through a maze of structural changes, rhythms that move around, riffs, breakdowns, coros, with Dalleras's voice blowing like a trumpet over it all. Then the next tune, "El Picaron," with another great singer Lester Ciarreta, stepping through the thick coros, ventures into rap towards the end, with a wicked rhythm section churning up a storm. And if anybody wondered about Limonta's songwriting skill, check out the third track, "La Palabra," featuring Dalleras, which opens with a long discussion about a word that's only identified, finally, in the coro, dragging a listener/dancer into the music. The fantastic piano breaks, help, too, and her almost desperate improvisations - listen to her sing "Mi vidaŠ" - for some beauty. Anyway, here it is, modern Cuban music, in all its precise glory. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: MmmmmŠThere are those of us who love Azuquita, for his gruff voice, and his time, and his choice of material. All that's in evidence here, in a handful of tunes arranged by Sonny Bravo and Lucho Cueto, among others. Azuquita sounds great, floating gracefully over the band, which at times includes violins and baritone saxophone. There's even a Peruvian song - that allows him to stretch in a different way. Pure swing, pure joy. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Ouch. The return of Bamboleo produces more slamming, hard-core timba from the imagination of Lazaro Valdés,one of Cuba's great composers and montuneros, and the man who reimagined the role of women singers in Cuban modern music. As usual, the arrangements take the music all over the place, into breaks, and quiet spots, and areas of horn and rhythm section blowouts. The singer who has the not-so-enviable task of replacing Haila, Tania Palmera, can sing - though the mix is a little weird; she's kind of down - and she bulls through the coros, the drums roiling under her, Valdés' piano voicings moving from montunos to modern jazz chords full of dissonance. At times she takes on a rap like cadence, Cuban style, and it all swings. The boy singer Ronnys Salas can sing well, also, and he's given four tracks on which to spread out. Some of this is unbelievably grooving - listen to the opening of "Fiebre", for some funk throw down. Sounds like the Meters meets Cuba, an idea I like plenty. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: It's hard not to like salsa from Venezuela; it's so full of life and influences. It never sounds like a museum piece. And La Banda Siglosa is a good example. It's a small group, and it rocks, with a distorted guitar filling in the montunos, and an electric bass giving the group an almost Cuban sound. The tunes they cover, from Marcelino Guerra, Ruben Blades, Matamoros, Adalberto Alvarez, Ray Barreto suggest that the band knows about music. The album almost sounds live, and it bristles with energy and rhythm, and sounds new, not bound by tradition. It's a party I'd like to have been at, or even better, go to. Wish they'd invite me. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: The great Senegalese dance orchestra, its tracks collected from a period between 1972 and 1978, illustrates the connection, or reconnection between African music and Cuba. The son is all over the music, the melodies taken from Cuba and made African, with pitch re-Africanized. And, man, what a band, what an allegiance to the groove. The electric guitars playing montunos, the dual singers wandering from Hispanic styles, to Arabic styles and black African singing. In some ways the music reminds one of Afro-Cuban music made for the African market - the Areito All-stars - in that the music is made for the long distance haul with some tracks weighing in at 7 and 8 minutes, and the listeners knowing full well that in person the performance would last half an hour. It's glorious, electric dance music, with horns and electric guitars and bass and it is special. Good place to begin an exploration into one of the better bands of the time, anywhere. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: From the first track of Barretto's last date, you can hear that something special is happening. First, Barretto and Adam Cruz, behind a great David Sánchez solo, seem as if they're about to explode with happiness. After a few other solos, Sánchez and Barretto get into some trading of fours, and there it is again, just the simple fun of creation. You hear it everywhere: Hilton Ruiz's solo on Ivy, where he goes way out harmonically, and on all of the Sánchez solos, where he's clearly having a blast putting together music on standards, something he rarely does. Barretto, for the date, had brought together some of the best Latin jazz musicians in the world, including Ruiz on piano, Sánchez on saxophone, Papo Vázquez on trombone, John Benitez on bass and Adam Cruz on drums; Barretto's son Chris, plays saxophone on two tracks, plus conga on one. They're playing the sort of music Barretto played often enough in the '50s and '60s, jazz with congas, and it's deeply swinging in the New York sense. The whole thing's an achievement, and this is an album that we'll all be hearing on the radio for a long time to come. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: I'm down with the title: Goodbye to sadness; Kemell, a composer and arranger has put together a project that takes modern Cuban timba and mixes it up with other musics for a sort of pan Latin euphoria. At its best though, the music keeps to the timba pattern, and it really works, with Kemell taking a group of singers through the steps necessary to make the music rock, and rock it does. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Back in stock! What a goofy, time specific recording. Bataan's back, and it doesn't sound like he ever left. The chugging bass, the keyboard montunos, the vibrato in his voice, the electric guitar all scream out 1972, mixing funk and Latin music, guitar and güiro. That being said, this is pretty great party record. Put it on and you get all the urban sound you could possibly want, two chord vamps, spacey lyrics, synth sweeps, handclaps and Bataan's unforgettable foggy voice. Makes you feel good and therefore... Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: New Jersey checks in. Berrios, a strong, burly sonero with a good band, has put together a salsa dura release that bristles with slick action. It's traditional, in the same way that the great salsa always was, sophisticated, smooth, and ready for the dance floor. Berrios can sing; nice stuff all around. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Those musicians who can navigate between the American system of swing and Cuba's rhythmic complexities, and make it sound right, are super rare. The two languages are very, very difficult, and learning one doesn't mean you can handle the other. Along comes Berroa, who has been negotiating the two systems for decades. And he's put together an album of Afro Cuban jazz that is deeply intelligent and more than capable. He's joined by Gonzalo Rubalcaba - whose own studies in American jazz have been documented over the last twenty years as his playing changes - along with perhaps the best group a drummer could buy, including the some of the great Latin jazz musicians in New York, including Ed Simon, David Sánchez, John Patitucci, Felipe LaMoglia, Armando Gola, Giovanni Hidalgo, Tomas Cruz, Philbert Armenteros, Jorge Iglesias, and Santiago Nani. It's hard-ass swing that he's going after, using Chick Corea's "Matrix," Wayne Shorter's "Pinocchio," Dizzy Gillespie's "Woody 'N You" along with "La Comparsa" (by Lecuona), an original, and a piece by Jobim. There's some fusion elements here, like Rubalcaba's electric keyboards; at times the music gives off a Miles Davis electric feel - see "Joao Su Merced" - which goes into elements of Afro-Cuban religious music. All great, funky serious music, and a primer on how to orchestrate small group music from behind a drum kit. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Speaking of mixing rap and singing, here comes Bimbo G, a rapper dropped in front of a great band anchored to the super swing of the bassist Arnaldo Jimenez. Backed by a tough coro, Bimbo rocks the house, playing the piano all the time. This is rap that owes less to the gangster American model than to some sort of indigenous Cuban rap, flavored deeply by Jamaican fast chat rap. Damn, it's good. But there's something else here, which is the inclusion of the singer Maikel Alonso on four of the tunes; he deserves his own record date, with a band of this caliber. Anyway, this is the type of record that won't get out of the cd player; it's so swinging, so nasty and effective, so inventive in its own slightly old-fashioned way, it's completely appealing. It goes to the ecstatic moment, right away. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: On the Anglo side, we present Art Blakey, Art Taylor, Jo Jones and Specs Wright. On the Latin side, we have Sabu, Patato, Jose Valiente, Ubaldo Nieto and Evilio Quintero. In between the two forces, Ray Bryant on piano, Wendell Marshall and Herbie Mann. Settle in to hear the show, and it's a show, starting off with the boiling "Buhaina Chant," a piece that has a dizzying amount of swing going on. It's all improvised, all done in one take, and it's all fascinating, a document of one day in March of 1957, when a bunch of very, smart, very talented people came into the studio to improvise. There's tons of call and response, and following the music's like following an intense, deeply felt and swinging conversation. There's nothing like this in the history of the music, and it's all another example of why Blue Note was way ahead of other labels of the time. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: The young timbalero from Cuba's put together a extremely fine project that should please all of us into the Pupy/Van Van sound, with a bunch of timba thrown in. And there's some new rhythm going on - check out the title track. Like any recording with the great bassist Arnaldo Jimenez laying down the bottom, the music here cruises on some astonishing syncopation; his electric bass is a marvel of rhythmic float. Like Pupy, Blanco's pushing the limits of tempo, and on "Que Tengo," the band races through nearly five minutes of dancer-friendly rhythmic change and breaks. It's all deep street, the sound of the Cuban creative explosion at its best, dance music at its hardest. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Here's a gold-mine of music by one of more famous personalities of Cuban music: 43 tracks recorded by the pianist and singer between 1960 and 1965. It's a bolero fest, and he moves from tunes by Irving Berlin through a who's who of Latin composers, including Maria Grever, Eliseo Grenet, Moises Simons, Armando Orefiche, René Touzet and more. Well transferred, the reissue captures all of his sobbing majesty, huge changes of dynamics, and a ton of other tricks that give you the image of a man about to split in half from a bit too much passion. It's history. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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"The biggest favor that Rita Montaner ever did for me was to baptize me in public with the nickname 'Bola de Nieve' (snowball) even though in truth she did it to bother me," said Ignacio Villa in his raspy voice, with a glass of rum in one hand. "She knew that I didn't like to be called that. Kids used to call me that when I was a boy, and I would hit them for it. But thanks to her, the name Bola de Nieve stuck and I think it brought me good luck." - Sigfredo Ariel, 2006 All tracks were recorded in Havana, Cuba between 1960-1965

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EditorsPick: Hey, here's an idea! Let's start a Cuban boy band. Aren't boy bands popular in America? Sure they are, sure. So let's put on some makeup on the boys, take some pictures, write some pan Caribbean material, and some straight up pop, add a bit of distorted rock guitar to timba intros. Since one of the kids was a singer from Charanga Habanera, we'll get him to sing a tune he sang in the group. Cool!!!! We're set. There's even some trip hop-ish stuff. All that being said, the boys can sing, and the production is pretty ok, so for what it is, i.e. obvious. Highly Recommended, even if it makes me wish they'd cut the whatever and make a killing timba record, with or without makeup. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Like the Ismael Miranda's recent cd Edicíon Especial, Brull's Pronósticos is produced by Gilberto Santa Rosa, and on the basis of these two discs, let's vote Santa Rosa the producer of the year. Because, although Brull is a good enough singer - and bit operatic for my taste - the whole deal swings so beautifully, the arrangements so clever and useful, that I want to listen the record over and over. Check out the liberty the arrangements give to the bassist Johnny Torres, who puts on a workshop on baby bass work. The idea here is classicism: perfect salsa from Puerto Rico, untouched by modern Cuban influence, or rap; instead the music modernizes the sound, making everything more gleaming, more streamlined. It's gorgeous music. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Have to admire Bunnett, not just for her playing, but also for her ability to put so much together. Here she's gone to Guantanamo to record with changüi groups, then put the saxophone master, Dewey Redman, over the results. The list of the collaborators stretches from here to Cuba; good musicians all, and the music by and large works well. There's singing in English, also, and Howard Johnson on tuba, mixed with coros in Spanish. It's admirable. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Ahh, the sound of perfection. Midnight Blue is one of the great Blue Note albums, a tremendous meeting of Burrell and Ray Barretto. Barretto, who knew his jazz, and knew how to swing in the New York style, is so graceful - check him out answering Burrell on the classic "Chitlins con Carne" - that it's hard not to suggest his playing, and the band's, as a primer on how jazz interaction can work at its subtle best. Stanley Turrentine is so cool, too, the whole thing is painful. Damn, this is good. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: A charanga with a bit of guts, led by a young violinist who put in time with Revé. He's a good writer, and the band's got two good singers that improvise. Cabarrocas can actually solo, and on many of the tracks the band drops away, lowering its volume and out pops a violin solo, woody and full, and loaded with smart ideas. On "Lo Inesperado" Cabarrocas puts forth some traditional Cuban ideas, while the pianist smears chromatic, modern passing chords in the background. Cool stuff. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Back in stock... Yet another great release from Venezuela, and don't let the title confuse; this isn't a jazz release. It's more like the sort of amorphous, modern experiment in dance music, mixing salsa - -check out the amount of Fania material on here -- along with Cuban timba and modern pop. Behind it all is drive, a hard, dense forward motion shared by the best dance orchestras. Fine singing helps, in a Cuban style, and various singers check in. I guess the template is Guaco, but things here are less pop and looser; like Guaco, the band's eclectic and really, really strong. This is the sort of release that should appeal to both traditionalists and modernists, and it's more proof that Venezuela is right up there in the explosion of creative activity that's happening across the hispanic world, from Spain through Cuba to Venezuela and Colombia. May we be blessed with many more releases like this in the future. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Wicked swinging Colombian salsa that would light up any radio show, and smoke the dance floor. Smooth production, hyper-syncopated arrangements surround Caicedo's singing; he does it with an occasional rasp to his voice, a slight distortion that gives life to his slick phrases. Caicedo was the lead singer for Grupo Niche and he sounds like a hardened road warrior, improvising and throwing off asides through the tunes. There's some balladry here, but it's balanced out by typical tight Colombian salsa. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Man this stuff works, modern dance music from Puerto Rico and New York at its best. Calderon reminds me of Mon Rivera, the way he swallows his words, and they share deep swing. The first track has Calderon rapping over just a drum beat, with an occasional chorus answering his "Como me llamo yo" with "Tego, Tego." It's pretty great, and simple, then some weird voices come in, then some canned reggaeton beats. Then into Mardi Gras, with a deep and slinky track that doesn't rush, chugging along under blues guitar. This stuff is built to keep going all night. And the production is getting better and better, less typical reggaeton, and it's getting cinematic. There's even a version of "Llora, Llora" with Oscar D'Leon. I'm waiting for the White Album. Great dance music. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Another hard salsa release by the Nicaraguan singer Cali Aleman - once the lead singer in Orquesta Guayacan. He's a slightly nasal singer who sounds Colombian, and from the get go, the title tune, he comes out like a bull charging the music. A huge coro backs him up, the piano, deep in the groove, motors along and it all adds up to a big, big party. Ah, the glories of salsaŠ Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $16.98
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EditorsPick: Ok, so one of the two rappers studied to be an accountant, the other computer sciences. Egg-head reggaeton? Sure, why not: they use the great producer Gustavo Santaolla, and bring an almost Mexican sound to some of the music; this stuff is broad and smart and brings a groove. Guess why the record comes with a bunch of Grammys attached. Love the rhymes, love the beats, love the sense of humor. Only a few guests, including Tego Calderon and the Cuban band Orishas. Pop Caribbean music at its most popular, and with good reason. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
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EditorsPick: Calvo's last album, De Aquí P'allá, is stuck in my mind as one of the best records of the year, so Raices had me hot and bothered, hoping it'd be an extension of De Aquí P'allá. But no such luck. On Raices, Calvo gets occasionally sentimental and ballady and the dreaded soprano saxophone shows up. There's still great singing on the album, when the coro and tumbaos start pulling their weight in a tune; check out his singing and the breakdowns on "El Rey." Someone else sings a few tracks; I'm assuming the singer is his son, who's credited as a writer and part of the coro. In fact, if one waits for a while each tunes explodes in timba style, but there is a wait. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $18.98
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EditorsPick: I can't get enough of his post-Van Van recordings; at their best they're classics - see De Aquí P'allá. With his blunt voice, he makes a case for rhythm as godhead, nailing rhythmic figures that in their perfection seem simple. And the band, which he's had for several years, with it's now traditional huge coro, is perfect for him, Cuban salsa at its best. It's also noticeably light on ballads; this is uptempo dance music, made for adults, made for the entire world to enjoy. There's a bunch of new material on the album, plus some older stuff, like Formell's "Mi Chocolate," along with traditional tunes like "A Toda Cuba Le Gusta." Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: A return to form, and not a minute to soon. Here are a few tracks of pure Cuban genius, the profound timba of "El Ciclon De La Habana," "Fanatica," "Soy Yo," along with plenty of deep groove dance music. Oddly enough, several tracks, including "Dejame Entrar," sound like what passes for mainstream salsa, easily available to radio, if radio wanted to ignore the nation of origin. As usual, Calzado and Charanga take on the street, with stories of damn women who leave the singer for another, are into designer duds and on and on. Calzado has changed his tempo a bit, leaving the frenetic behind; check out the medium, all-night swing of "Hit Parade" and "Mala Chica." Things pick up with "Esta es mi Charanga," which works with what might be called a pan Caribbean rhythm, a near cumbia. The singers, as usual, are magnificent, soaring over the background and coros, Ciclon's a record that'll stay stuck in the cd player, and even might make it on a play list or two, if politically possible. It's the real deal. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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Planet (original import)
Originally released: 2007
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA CUBANA; CUBA

EditorsPick: The album, recorded for an Italian label, starts out with the tough "El Rey," rattles with all the energy of the great Cuban band's highly specific sound, its timba brand. Part of the group's individuality comes from the boy band aspect of its sound, with a bunch of young voices taking the lead vocals. As usual, the miracle of their arrangements, the stuttering rhythm section dropping accents in the least predictable places, is completely in order. And on El Rey De Los Charangueros, the recording captures some of the band's wall-of-sound, the baseball bat to the forehead quality of the band. The unity of the sound (with the exception of the voices, which are way up in the mix) relegates all the instruments to the same importance; at times it'll almost seem as if there are two bands and two ideas competing on each track, one, the band itself, hard, unstoppable, and two, the singers. Anyway, another slice of genius, hard, hard timba dance music from Havana; this might actually be the band's best recording. Nothing like it; it's historical. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $19.98
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DAVID CALZADO Y SU CHARANGA HABANERA
Popular! DVD
Jenpaz Films
Originally released: 2006
Category: DVD; SALSA CUBANA; CUBA

EditorsPick: Finally, a well-shot, mostly well thought-out documentary on Cuban music, the sort of work that can be used to explain what all the fuss is about. Using the hugely popular, and hugely controversial, and hugely talented Charanga Habanera, as a guide, the documentary takes on some of the biggest themes in Cuban music and in popular culture and music, going in and nosing around subjects that are often overlooked, politically risky for us from the left... The film follows the band around, moving to Japan for a show, then catching them at fancy concerts, and at workers parties, government gigs for workers - in this case construction workers in the foreigner only resort area of Varadero. The music is often stunning; Jennifer Paz, the director, has shot the band professionally (though the sound isn't always up to the visuals), and all the band's routines are clearly delineated, the rhythm and blues dance moves, the intro routines, the breaks where the band draws big women up and makes them shake their... (continues here) Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $24.98
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Popular! Introduces Cuba's legendary orchestra, the Charanga Habanera and its director, the controversial David Calzado. He has managed to stay on top in Havana's competitive music scene for over fifteen years in spite of government banning and the loss of talent to greener pastures. The film includes concert performances in Cuban and Japan by Charanga Habanera from their albums Soy Cubano Soy Popular, Charanga Light, Ciclon de la Habana and two hits from the 1990s. Also included is the making of their 2006 hit "Esta es mi Charanga" from the album "Ciclon de la Habana". David Calzado y su Charanga Habanera were nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2001. Feature runtime: 75 min. Extras: 14 min approx. Special Bonus Extras in this version: * Charanga Behind-the-Scenes in Europe * Special exerpt of banned performance * Extra concert material in Japan * Scene selection, interactive menus * "Esta es mi Charanga" Live in Lenin Park With commentary by David Calzado, Juan De Marcos, Chucho Valdes and Haila Mompie. Directed by Jennifer Paz

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CAMERATA ROMEU
Danza De Las Brujas
BIS (original import)
Originally released: 2005
Category: SPECIAL INTEREST; NEW CLASSICAL CUBAN; CUBA

EditorsPick: Chamber music from the Latin Americas, including Brazil. And boy is it good. The orchestra, mostly women and led by Zenaida Romeu of the famous Cuban musical family, makes the music, rock, helped by a percussionist. It's modern sounding music, played by strings that supercharge the dissonances with a good control of dynamics. There are pieces by Silvio Rodriguez, Astor Piazzolla, Leo Brouwer, the Brazilian Egberto Gismonti, and Ricardo Lewis, the brother of Melon from Issac Delgado's band, though he probably doesn't think of himself that way. Emotionally dense music, luxurious and smart and beautifully executed. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $18.98
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CAMERATA ROMEU
Tampa Habana Oslo - En Vivo
BIS (original import)
Originally released: 2007
Category: SPECIAL INTEREST; NEW CLASSICAL CUBAN; CUBA

EditorsPick: Here's a collection of modern pieces played by the all-woman chamber ensemble from Cuba, recorded live around the world. There are some new pieces, by the composer James Lewis, along with compositions by the Argentinean bandleader and composer Astor Piazzolla and others. Per usual, the music's beautifully executed, intelligent and deeply felt. Highly recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $18.98
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MICHEL CAMILO
Solo
Telarc
Originally released: 2005
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ

EditorsPick: Michel Camilo knows so much music, so much piano, that it's great to hear him settle down and play alone, leave some space in the music, be a bit introspective. It's his first solo recording. The set mixes a handful of his original pieces with tunes from Brazil (two Jobims) and from the American songbook (two Gershwins). It's all good, measured and intimate, a perfect album for late at night. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $18.98
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GRUPO CANEO
Salsa Original
Fuentes (original import)
Originally released: 2007
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA COLOMBIA; COLOMBIA

EditorsPick: Wow, from the first bars of this, the music takes off. Colombian salsa at it's polished best. The band, from Medellin (I wonder what they've seen in their lifetimes), has the tight coros, and the great tempos you expect from Colombian salsa. This is genre music at it's best, no surprises, just pure salsa power. Great for the dance floor, great for the radio. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
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CARHABANA
Carhabana - CD & DVD Set
Egrem (original import)
Originally released: 2007
Category: DVD; LATIN JAZZ; CUBA

EditorsPick: Ah, another noble idea in the burgeoning field of Cuban/gypsy hybrids. This one takes the manouche style of gypsy music, best known via Django Reinhardt, and blends it into the maelstrom of Cuban modern jazz. Practically, it works out that Mathias Levy, the violinist from the French group solos over the Cuban rhythm section. The French musicians contributed a bunch of the material, and the Cuban group interprets it; Vannia Borges and Tania Pantoja, former (Borges) and current (Pantoja) singers of Bamboleo, each sing one song. The group recorded a cd, and along with that cd is a DVD documentary and concert of a show that the ensemble played last year in Geneva, Switzerland. Musicianship at the highest level. Highly Recommended (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $27.98
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Concierto realizado en el Grand Casino Ginebra, Suiza el 28 de Junio del 2006.

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CARLOS CARO Y SABOR CUBANO
Es Mi Tumbao
Envidia (original import)
Originally released: 2005
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA CUBANA; CUBA

EditorsPick: Strange, neat little record. Sabor Cubano is a hopped up charanga group, and it opens up its album with a timba/charanga mix that suggests good things. The rest of the music doesn't hit quite as hard, but with its strings, modern production and rocking electric bass, the whole thing is distinct. The strings play a big part with long written parts, and when, on La Chevere, the piano tumbao start its hard rolling, watch out. Modern music from Havana, nothing like it, a mixture of the hard and the soft. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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CARLOS CASCANTE Y SU TUMBAO
Recuerdos
Tumbao.us
Originally released: 2005
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA

EditorsPick: The album opens with a Cuban timba sabor, with Cascante singing about Havana. He's actually from Costa Rica, and the band's from all over, recorded in Seattle. It sure feels good though; with Julio Jauregue on piano, and a pile of good soloists. The swing is there, and traditional tunes - Bilongo, Obsesion - work over the modern sound of an electric bass and Jauregue's piano eruptions, lower register clusters that sound vaguely like thunder in the distance. When he solos, harmony gets played with; Jauregue knows his way around a bunch of modern jazz and latin harmonic languages. Ray Vega and Joe Santiago show up on a few tunes. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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PEPE CASTILLO
Estampa Criolla
Universal/Callejero/Tropical Budda
Reissued: 2007
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA

EditorsPick: A rocking little country recording, recently reissued, from Puerto Rico, with a super real band featuring Castillo on vocals and accordion. The group tears up some estampas, plenas and bombas and Edgardo Miranda on cuatro and guitar keeps things active; this is party music, for carnaval, for Saturday night. Joe Santiago's on bass. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
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LUIS CENTENO Y SU ORQUESTA MELAZA
Guaguanco De Caserio
Melaza Records
Originally released: 2006
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA

EditorsPick: Ouch! This stuff has the deep swing all over it. The first track thumps over a baritone sax, breaks into a reggaeton section, then back into salsa dura, swinging with the beauty intrinsic to this music. Willie Sotelo, the great arranger and pianist, is at the piano, and Charlie Sierra runs the timbal, and the whole project, recorded in Puerto Rico, is swift and elegant, with great arrangements meant to get the dance floor full and moving. The horn charts are fantastic, with the baritone anchoring the brass; it all has a sway and sophistication that's rapidly vanishing. Here's the real thing, salsa as euphoric, intelligent music. Take advantage. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
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MODESTO CEPEDA
Modesta Cepeda Y Los Patriarcas De La Bomba
MC
Originally released: 2006
Category: FOLKLORIC; PLENA/BOMBA; PUERTO RICO

EditorsPick: Fine raw bomba from Puerto Rico's first family of the music. Well-recorded, nice coros and good percussion. No frills, the real deal. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
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WILLIAM CEPEDA & AFRO RICAN JAZZ
Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival
Casabe/Carimoods
Originally released: 2006
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ; PUERTO RICO

EditorsPick: Cepeda's on a mission to make highly imaginative, achieved music out of a bunch of different sources. There's the modern jazz element, a post Herbie Hancock thing (along with some electric era Miles), plus the heavy rhythmic tradition of Puerto Rico. This recording catches Cepeda, a probing, searching trombonist, leading an octet that at times seems to be channeling a Spanish speaking version of Charles Mingus. It's pretty great, abstract and driving and precise all at the same time. He's helped by some heavy players, including Omar Kabir on trumpet (check out his solo on the first tune, where he and Cepeda keep making reference to "Take the A Train,"). Five of the seven tracks stretch out over 10 minutes. The real thing, music to live with. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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WILLIAM CEPEDA & AFRO RICAN JAZZ
Unity - William Cepeda's International Quintet
Casabe/Carimoods
Originally released: 2006
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ

EditorsPick: The trombonist Cepeda's been busy recently, and on Unity he brings together a bunch of great musicians, including Pedro Giraudo on bass (Giraudo leads one of the better big bands in New York), Andres Forero on drums and more together for a live date, recorded in Puerto Rico. The music cruises, super loose, and super interactive, and the tunes stretch out, taking their time. I like it: there's a sense that the form's being improvised, that anything at all might happen, that harmony's up to the ear of the player. Big open spaces. It's funky, and owes a bit to the great early electric Miles Davis bands. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $16.98
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GRUPO CHANGO
Vuelve La Salsa! Grandes Exitos
RD Music (original import)
Originally released: 2007
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA COLOMBIA; COLOMBIA

EditorsPick: Yet another group from Colombia, this one playing solid salsa with good Colombian swing. Precise coros, and deep professionalism and power. The album compiles music the band made for Colombian CBS, and at its best really takes off, with high pitched singing, the sort that Colombian salsa was known for before it started diversifying, becoming a bit more individual. Old-school dance salsa. According to John Child, most of the cuts come from the LPs Con Todo! (1988) and Sensaciones En Salsa (1990). Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
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CHANGUITO
Telegrafía Sin Hilo
Cacao Musica (original import)
Originally released: 2007
Category: LATIN JAZZ; AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ; CUBA

EditorsPick: Wow, what a great record by one of the world's greatest percussionists, the man who, as one of the essays in the booklet puts it, Cubanized the drum kit. Put together in Venezuela by El Negro and the crew of Cacao Musica, with musical guidance by Luis Marquez, a Cuban trumpeter who was part of the Venezuelan super group Guaco, the recording moves from salsa, with beautiful singing by Rodrigo Mendoza among others, to more the more folkloric. On tracks like Herencia, a tight coro floats over percussion; Fender Rhodes piano drifts in and out, mixing the modern jazz of the late 1960s with folklore. Then the piece blows up, surrounding the voice of the singer Vielka Prieto, who could probably support her own album. There isn't a dead spot on the album, in part because of Changuito's playing, but also because the recording is so well made, such a great example of hard driving, swing laden dance music. And if that were it, the story would be fine: the more experimental elements, like "AfroCuban Dream," with a writhing soprano saxophone, are graceful and elegant, and serve as a fine break from dance mania. Clearly one of the best recordings of the year, so far. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $21.98
Now: $17.58
Part of a new series of superb, high quality CDs under the new Cacao label of Venezuela. Each Cacao release is a pristine production involving the finest musicians and sporting detailed book-like liner notes in a custom, spiral bound, CD package. With gorgeous, high resolution printing, this might be the best CD presentation we have come across - very slick indeed.

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CHAONDA
Herencia
Universal/Pimienta
Originally released: 2006
Category: DANCE TRADITIONS; CHARANGA

EditorsPick: One deeply swinging charanga record, fresh from the studio in Miami. The group, led by Gerardo Peña on flute and Gerardo Aguillón on violin, has the imprimatur of Cachao, who is credited as the producer. The recording itself shimmers; you can hear all the strings independently, and the music doesn't let up, built for dancing. There are references to reggaeton; the music is lively and graceful and elegant. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
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CONJUNTO CHAPPOTTIN Y SUS ESTRELLAS
La Academia Del Son
Envidia (original import)
Originally released: 2005
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA; CUBA

EditorsPick: Man, I love these older bands, newly recorded. They have something to prove, and they still keep that individuality the best Cuban bands used to have. Chappottin comes out rocking, with its singers sounding, well, traditional, with big, grave voices soaring over the percussion. They give space to the piano soloist. And the material, including some older hits, is as good as classic Cuban compositions gets. This is a working band, and the music is filled with arranging tricks that make the music interesting - check out the interplay between the lead singer and the coro on "Canuto." This one stays in the cd player. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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ORQUESTA CHARANGA CUBANA
Sandunga
PolloQro (original import)
Originally released: 2005
Category: DANCE TRADITIONS; CHARANGA; CUBA

EditorsPick: Timba meets charanga in Mexico, naturally. The band, a mixed group of Cuban and Mexican musicians, rocks the charanga with slamming timba rhythms and fast tempos. It's a good combination, and the singers make it all sound correct, like if you were in Havana, listening to the band at 3 A.M., surrounded by, well, I'll let you imagine the rest. The slack groove on "Mira Como Vengo," taken at a mid tempo, the bass sliding around; hell, it all makes you go "MmmmmmŠ" Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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LA CHARANGA FOREVER
Somos Charangueros
Envidia (original import)
Originally released: 2006
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA CUBANA; CUBA

EditorsPick: Wow, get lost in the pleasures of timba, pure and simple. The real deal returns after a long time off; there hasn't been anything this deep coming out of the timba world of Cuba in a long, long time. The shouted, rapped coros are there, telling their stories of the street, always with humor and cynicism. The band's a huge machine, with slapping percussion driving on the ever-erratic bass figures, the constant montunos and the horn section. This is the musical glory of the '80s in Cuba, increasingly rare and valuable. There's nothing like this, some of the last great live dance music in the world, orchestral, precise, intelligent. Michel Maza shows up as a lead singer on three tracks, and Tirso Duarte, the great pianist, shows up singing on one track. This stuff is overwhelming; it's so detailed, so complicated. And so hard; listen to the first few bars after the break on "Se Cree Que se Las Sabe Todas," with a bluesy montuno thrusting through the music, to hear the intensity of hard driving swing. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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LA CHARANGA NEW YORK
La Charanga New York Canta Yesid Perez
Yoyo Music (original import)
Originally released: 2005
Category: DANCE TRADITIONS; CHARANGA; COLOMBIA

EditorsPick: Yet another rocking release from Colombia, in theory a charanga album. The reality is that this is a salsa dura recording with a bunch of classic cha chas and pachangas, and it swings for long distances, with a long opening piano solo that starts the album, before a note gets sung. Ready for the dancefloor, that's for sure, though the tunes could be longer. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
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WILSON "CHEMBO" CORNIEL
For The Rest Of Your Life
Chemboró Records
Originally released: 2007
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ

EditorsPick: Latin Jazz from the New York percussionist Corniel, who has put together a fine band, including Ivan Rento on saxophone, Ruben Rodríguez on bass and Tino Derado on piano and Vince Cerico on drums. They're joined by an all-star group of guests, including Grady Tate and Pedro Martinez, singing, Bobby Porcelli, John Walsh and Oriente López on wind instruments, Louie Bauzó and David Gomez on percussion. But the music's what counts, and the playing is all imaginative, and fresh. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $16.98
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ORQUESTA CHEPIN
El Que Rie Ultimo Rie Mejor - Chepin Y Su Orquesta Oriental
Rumba
Reissued: 2005
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA; CUBA

EditorsPick: Another great '50s date, with one of Cuba's most important orchestras. Oriental was smoother than most with sophisticated arrangements that took their cue from American arrangements of a decade or so earlier. Super swinging, and yup, no notes, no info etc. Highly recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $13.98
Now: $11.18
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WILLY CHIRINO
35 Aniversario En Vivo - CD & DVD Set
Latinum Music
Originally released: 2006
Category: DVD; SALSA/SON

EditorsPick: A two disc - one CD, one DVD - begins with Chirino singing a song "Yo Soy Un Tipo Tipico" that has him drifting though salsa, quoting everything from the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix to Cuban son. The recordings are taken from a concert that celebrated his 35th anniversary in music. He convened a huge band, put on a concert and recorded it. Here it is. He's a seriously good singer,and writes plenty of good songs; the band's professional and at times explosive. The DVD illustrates what a big production it was: Celia Cruz shows up in the form of a video to sing with Chirino, and Arturo Sandoval shows up in person, as does Andy Montañez. There's plenty of Cuba bashing that goes on, too, for those of you who care, but what's impressive is the level of the music, which is superior. [with guests: Israel "Cachao" Lopez, Oscar D'Leon, Generoso Jimenez, Nestor Torres, Wahiro, Paquito Hechavarria] Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $21.98
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CHRIS WASHBURNE AND THE SYOTOS BAND
Land Of Nod
Jazzheads
Originally released: 2006
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ

EditorsPick: The land of nod, referring to Swift's poem of the same name, is, like the poem, political, decrying the sonambulance of our country in the face of, well just read the paper or Washburne's liner notes. The music works, with dissonance in the opening piano figure; the tune, "Pink", then moves into a groove that could have been lifted from Horace Silver. A three horn line, including Washburne on trombone, John Walsh on trumpet and Ole Mathisen (see Afro Mantra) on saxophone, moves through a bunch of Washburne originals, working over highly funky drums by Vince Cherico and Chembo Corniel on congas. Washburne, who's impressive as both an academic and a trombonist, plays patiently - listen his solo on "Off-White" - and knows his drummers well enough to have plenty of interaction with them. The band, which has had a long time residency at Smoke in Manhattan, sounds like it, tight and cool and measured. It's some of the best music New York can offer, which is say a bunch. And he has the sense to put Ornette Coleman's "Peace" next to Horace Silver's "Peace", both some of the great compositions of the jazz world, second half the of the 20th century, a long forgotten era. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $16.98
Now: $13.58
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CLAVE Y GUAGUANCÓ
La Rumba Que No Termina - 60 Aniversario
Cuba Chevere (original import)
Originally released: 2006
Category: FOLKLORIC; RUMBA and/or SANTERIA/LUCUMI; CUBA

EditorsPick: The first track opens with the band, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, working with bass and trumpet, then the album goes into a guaguanco sung by Issac Delgado and Amador Dejesus Dedeu, backed by the group. This is as good as rumba projects like this get, and the coros, big and fat and beautiful, frame the improvisations of the lead singers. Angel Bonne shows up on another track, and on "Amigas," a band joins the group, along with Jenny Valdes, Vania Borges and Tania Pantoja, some of the most important younger singers in Cuban pop. High quality production, benefiting the status of one of the most important folklore groups in Cuba. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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REBECA CLINE
Enclave - Hilary Noble & Rebeca Cline
Zoho
Originally released: 2005
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ

EditorsPick: Here's a fine modern Latin jazz record, one that owes a ton to contemporary Cuban jazz playing. Cline, the pianist in the group, and Noble, the saxophonist and percussionist, float over the electric bass of the bassist Fernando Huergo; they work through montunos, and even take on a standard - You'd be so Nice to Come Home To - that isn't Night in Tunesia, or Take the A Train. The writing from the group is uniformly excellent, and the recording is unquestionably a hint of what's to come in jazz. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
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JAVIER COLINA
Si Te Contara
Resistencia (original import)
Originally released: 2004
Category: LATIN JAZZ; AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ; CUBA

EditorsPick: Here's a gem, a perfect little piece of work that mines Cuban acoustic classicism. The Spanish bassist has surrounded himself with the best Cuban musicians possible, including Pancho Amat, Osdalgia, Julito Padrón, Joaquin Oliveros and more; Tatá Güines and Changuito show up on a few tunes. And in two shockingly beautiful pieces, the Spanish Gypsy singer Duquende sings "Dos Gardenias" and "He Perdido Contigo." The album opens up on "Softly" as in a morning sunrise, with Amat pulling off astonishing harmonic and rhythmic tricks. The band then goes through Nicholas Guillen's "Quirino con su Tres", a version of "Night and Day", with a fine alto solo by the heavyweight Spanish saxophonist Perico Sambeat, along with Sindo Garay's "La Tarde". It's all naturalistic, recorded as if live; the music is conversational, almost offhanded, a merging of the descarga and the son. It's hard to imagine a better project like this; it's as good as it gets. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $19.98
Now: $15.98
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VIDAL COLMENARES
...Otro Llano
Cacao Musica (original import)
Originally released: 2007
Category: FOLKLORIC; FOLKLORIC: VARIOUS; VENEZUELA

EditorsPick: A strange and beautiful project from Venezuela. Colmenares, a singer of the music llanera, folkloric music, has a great voice. He's backed her by a band that includes a clarinet and cello and bassoon; the arrangements are graceful, full of melodies, and light, not exactly what one thinks of when one thinks of the bassoon. But it works, the bassoon, gurgling through the melodic line. There's a piano occasionally, and the whole mixture works, with Venezuelan instruments and rhythms coexisting just fine with the rest of the group and the concept. Totally different. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $21.98
Now: $17.58
Part of a new series of superb, high quality CDs under the new Cacao label of Venezuela. Each Cacao release is a pristine production involving the finest musicians and sporting detailed book-like liner notes in a custom, spiral bound, CD package. With gorgeous, high resolution printing, this might be the best CD presentation we have come across - very slick indeed.

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COLOMBIA ALL STARS
Tu Tierra Te Extraña
Codiscos (original import)
Originally released: 2005
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA COLOMBIA; COLOMBIA

EditorsPick: Here's an idea: take a bunch of good Colombian singers, hook them up with a real money production team and mix up salsa and cumbia in a club ready style that would sound good next to any modern music recorded. The singers include Kike Harvey, my man Wilson Saoco, Charlie Cardona, Jairo Andrade and a pile of others. Oh, yeah, don't forget to title the production "Your country misses you," and add a song called "El Emigrante Latino," all in theory to deal with the tons of Latinos living here in America. And boy does it all swing, Colombian salsa at its best, tough. Highly Recommended (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $16.98
Now: $13.58
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CONJUNTO COLORES
Con Colores Se Goza
Colores
Originally released: 2005
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA

EditorsPick: Doesn't take much time for the swing to break out here. And the disc's yet another example of how the suburbs-in this case Denver-of New York are putting some pretty embarrassing hurt on the capital. Hard salsa, again, put on by a local band used to getting people to dance. Good sound, well produced, and well arranged, by a group of New York hitters, included Willie Ruiz, Pablo "Chino" Nunez and Edwin Sanchez. Good singing, too. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $16.98
Now: $13.58
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LOS COMPADRES
Duo Los Compadres
Bravo
Reissued: 2005
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA; CUBA

EditorsPick: Ummm, this stuff is sweet. With Compay Secundo singing the high notes, the duo walk through the sort of music that made Cuba famous a long time ago. Two guitars, and occasional laud, a bit of percussion and some honey dripping harmony. Recorded from an LP, so not the highest Fi, but pretty good for all that. And don't expect any liner notes, or info on the musicians. Jus' pay the money, and shaddupŠ Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $12.98
Now: $10.38
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JOSE CONDE Y OLA FRESCA
Revolucion
Pipiki / Mr. Bongo
Originally released: 2007
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA

EditorsPick: Conde's a singer of Cuban descent living in the United States, and he's put together a nice band with a deep hipster vibe. He's like say, a Cuban American version of Jack Johnson (not the boxer, the pop singer), a bit slurry and cool; Brazil shows up in the vibe, also. It's very, very, very pleasant. I can see it as chill out music with one you want to love. Kinda reminds me of Alex Cuba/Puente, and I like him, too. Slick coros, with women singing. I like that, too. And he's got the great New Orleans drummer Ziggy Modeliste on board for two tracks, plus Conde gets Generoso Jimenez and Jimmy Bosch to play trombone on the same track, which is history anyway one looks at it. The band comes with horns, and sometimes a B3 Hammond organ, and I like what Conde's going for, a hipster with a light touch. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $16.98
Now: $13.58
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CONEXION SALSERA
Salseros Por Sentimiento
Envidia (original import)
Originally released: 2006
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA CUBANA; CUBA

EditorsPick: The Cuban band's got a long resume of foreign residencies; they're the Cuban band you run across playing in a hotel in Cancún or Progresso in Mexico. And they sound like they've had some experience; they're really tight and slick, and they mix salsa and timba in a way that doesn't alienate anyone. Apart from the second tune, "Gusanos O Mariposas," a piece about transvestites, things are pretty normal here, with deep grooves, good singing and a refreshing sense of order. Sometimes timba seems nicely out of control; Conexion Salsera is more measured, though none the less intense in its own way, using timba breaks and tumbaos and stuttering bass lines. This is good for D.J's that want to rock the house and use something fresh. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $17.98
Now: $14.38
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RY COODER
Chávez Ravine
Nonesuch
Originally released: 2005
Category: WORLD LATIN; WORLD LATIN

EditorsPick: A work of genius by Cooder, best known around here for his contributions to the Buena Vista Social Club project. Chavez Ravine is a programmatic work about the destruction of a Mexican American neighborhood in the 1940s to make way for Dodgers Stadium. It mixes American rock with Mexican music from the time, drawing on a bunch of original Mexican American performers singing older songs, and lots of new writing by Cooder, who turns in maybe his most personal work ever. You might wonder what this recording is doing here. It's like this: Mexican music of the time used plenty of Afro Caribbean sources. And Chucho Valdez is on a cut. Other than that, genius deserves good company; this is genius, and all of you are good company. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $19.98
Now: $15.98
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RAFAELITO CORTIJO & ISMAELITO RIVERA
La Nueva Generacion - De La Raíz La Mata
Croman Caribe
Originally released: 2006
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA; PUERTO RICO

EditorsPick: I had my doubts, you know, hooking up the next generation of Cortijo and Rivera. But. I was wrong- really, really, wrong. What a fine album of hard salsa, made for the dance floor. Ismaelito has the phrasing of his father, laying down long percussive lines over the coro and the rhythm section. The group, swinging more than just hard, is anchored by a deep and thunderous baritone saxophone, and the arrangements, by Pedro Bermudez, Willie Sotelo and Tito Rivera, lift off from the first notes. There's even some interesting stuff here, with Ismaelito singing a guaguanco against just bass and percussion. Cortijo, the nephew of the legend, plays timbales, but it's Ismaelito, who has the sound and texture of his father, along with his phrasing, that steals the record. This is classic hard salsa; it invites you to enjoy life. You want to turn it up, and play it over and over. Who would have thought? Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Original Price: $15.98
Now: $12.78
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