Universal

If you are a jazz fan, you recognize the obvious influence of Cubans in the genre. From the days of Chano Pozo with Dizzy Gillespie, to Machito, Chico O'Farrill and Irakere, jazz and Cuban music have walked hand in hand along the same musical highway. Juan Pablo Torres is joined here by a true group of All Star musicians in a hot and swinging performance that will be favored by the most demanding jazz fan and the true-blooded Latin Music aficionado as well. This is the type of recording where a good cigar and a cognac will certainly find a home.


Based on the musicality and acoustic form of the septet, this swinging ensemble incorporates the sonority of the trombone to create a truly special recording. Juan Pablo is recognized as the best trombonist in Latin Jazz and here he finds a home for the traditional sound of his Afro-Cuban heritage with master arrangements that bring that tradition into the New Age of Latin Jazz.


All music fans readily recognize the names of the musicians included in this session: Percussionist Tata Guines, a major name in Cuban music, shows why he is one of the best in the world while tres virtuoso Pancho Amat gives the acoustic sensibility that distinguishes Cuban music from the rest. Julio Padrón on trumpet, Jorge Reyes on bass and percussionists Manolo Arteaga and Alfredo 'El Indio' Rodríguez are joined by the voices of Lázaro Reyes and Maria Elena Lazo in the development of a recording that is destined to become a classic.


This is a recording where the traditional and new wave of Latin Jazz join in an evolutionary experiment that might well show the future of the genre. You will recognize themes like Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll", Joseph Garland's "In the Mood", Gershwin's "Summertime", Strayhorn's "Take the A Train" and Glen Miller's "Moon Serenade". It's a true set of standards that are brought out with a new fire on this sensational production.


One of the best CDs I have listen to this year, I have not been able to let it gather dust on my record cabinet yet. Why should I do that? Every time I listen to it, I find new changes to famous classical arrangements that only make me exclaim: "Wow!"