On Broadway
Artist: Tito Puente

The great Latin bandleader Tito Puente has long been one of the pioneers in fusing bebop with very danceable Latin music. On this Concord disc, Puente plays vibes and timbales and utilizes an 11-piece band featuring trumpeter Jimmy Frisaura, Mario Rivera on tenor, soprano and flute, pianist Jorge Dalto and an infectious rhythm section. Jazz... Read More

Taste of Paquito
Artist: Paquito D'Rivera

Not a greatest-hits album (like he was shooting for hits) nor a thoroughgoing anthology of Paquito D'Rivera's Columbia period (only the first five of his seven albums are covered), the word "taste" is an intriguing choice, though at 74 minutes the CD is a bit more than just a taste. But then, since Sony has done a real number on his catalog by... Read More

The Wildman Returns
Artist: Bobby Enriquez

Bobby Enriquez earned his nickname of the "Wildman" due to his remarkable technique on the piano, his hyper style, and his tendency to toss in lots of crazy song quotes. For this later effort, Enriquez is teamed with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Al Foster for a set of mostly standards including such oddball items as "Blue Hawaii" and the "Pink... Read More

To a Finland Station
Artist: Arturo Sandoval

With Dizzy Gillespie (tpt) in Helsinki. Excellent interplay. Lots of good feeling on this session. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide Read More

Breaking the Sound Barrier
Artist: Arturo Sandoval

Live date in Chicago from Cuban trumpeter. Cuban trumpeter plays it straight in jazz and Latin veins. No funk. His best. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide Read More

Piquant
Artist: Tânia Maria

Tania Maria's debut American release helped introduce her to U.S. audiences. Joined by a quintet that includes guitarist Eddie Duran, the exuberant vocalist and pianist performs four of her colorful originals, a couple of obscurities, and a song apiece by Jobim ("Triste") and Ivan Lins. Maria's mixture of Latin jazz with Brazilian pop is quite... Read More

Earthdance
Artist: Jerry Gonzalez

Earthdance finds Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band sounding like a hard bop group when the leader plays trumpet and an Afro-Cuban band when he switches to congas. With fine contributions from Joe Ford on alto and soprano, tenor saxophonist Carter Jefferson, pianist Larry Willis, bassist Andy Gonzalez, and drummer Steve Berrios, the band... Read More

The River Is Deep
Artist: Jerry Gonzalez

Jerry Gonzalez, equally proficient at trumpet and congas, leads his Fort Apache Band through a live set concentrating on Latinized versions of bop standards and pieces directly from the Afro-Cuban santeria tradition. The bop pieces, Dizzy Gillespie's "Bebop" and Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare," are given rough and tumble treatments, bobbing... Read More

Wild Man
Artist: Bobby Enriquez

Although not as explosive as the title suggests, some strong piano work by Bobby Enriquez in an early-'80s quartet session. The material is divided between originals and standards like "Sweet Georgia Brown" and bop anthems like "Confirmation." Drummer Alex Acuna and Poncho Sanchez on congas provide solid Afro-Latin backgrounds and interact... Read More

Artistry in Rhythm
Artist: Laurindo Almeida

Most of guitarist Laurindo Almeida's recordings for Concord during the late 1970's and 80's were classically-oriented; Artistry In Rhythm and the earlier Chamber Jazz were the only real exceptions. On this set with bassist Bob Magnusson and percussionist Milt Holland, Almeida does display his classical training but he also improvises a bit on a... Read More

Bien Sabroso
Artist: Poncho Sanchez

An average set for Poncho Sanchez and his Afro-Cuban jazz octet. Despite the presence of trumpeter Steve Huffsteter and valve trombonist Mark Levine in the front line (along with the tenor of Dick Mitchell), there are not that many memorable horn solos on the nine selections (mostly group originals and obscurities, except for Kenny Dorham's "Una... Read More

Sonando
Artist: Poncho Sanchez

Three months after his mentor Cal Tjader's death, conga master Poncho Sanchez began his long string of Concord Picante recordings. Although he had led a couple of earlier sessions for Discovery, Sonando was really the beginning of Sanchez's notable solo career. Four talented horn players (including trumpeter Steve Huffsteter and altoist Gary... Read More

Skin on Skin: The Mongo Santamaria Anthology 1958-1995
Artist: Mongo Santamaria

Licensing power makes Rhino's two-CD Mongo anthology a good choice for the newcomer, for it gathers together 34 tracks from 23 albums on seven labels, covering most of Mongo's long career. Even if you already have the Mongo collections issued by Fantasy, Columbia and Concord Picante, this one duplicates surprisingly little of the music on those... Read More