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Critic's Review
Tony Wilds, All Music Guide
With the Joe Cuba Sextet's Jimmy Sabater on it, Tribute to Chano Pozo would have to be great, and it is. All but two tracks are absolute percussion killers as well as nice Latin pieces. "Manteca 77" is a fine update, emphasizing percussion (and sound quality) over the classic from three decades earlier. Featuring acoustic guitar and percussion, "Sonando con Puerto Rico" is an ideal cut to mix with tracks from Sabu Martinez' Groovin' with Sabu. To call it first-rate dinner music is not left-handed praise; this is simply beautiful stuff without bombast. The salsa "Campanero" is the perfect end track, epitomizing all the strengths of the album. Tribute to Chano Pozo is much more than a drum or tribute album; it should appeal to every generation of Latin-music fan. The two tracks to lose, however, are "Down to Basics," a group of short percussion tracks, and the samba "Sambala." Competent but gratuitous, they only detract from an otherwise stellar set.
