Cuba: The Conversation Continues

Compositions by 5 American and 4 Cuban composers. Lots of virtuoso musicianship; joyous sounds; next gen from Buena Vista Social; very sophisticated musically – 2 discs
No FCC issues

Disc 1
**1. The Triumphant Journey – multilayered, multi-timbered, moves right along with featured solos; very upbeat; bass instrumentation very cool; nice clean ending 6:04

2. Mother Africa – starts choppier rhythmically, virtuoso soprano horn; quiets down; lots of variation; solos; big band sound with large horn section segueing into simple African percussion and back to bigger band; kind of all over the map musically 9:47

3. All of the Americas trilling flute sounds to start; light, breezy, bouncy, percussion solos; 6:11

*4-Movement III:Adagio – contemplative; I wish it were longer 1:33

*5-The Afro Latin Jazz Suite, Movement IV: What Now? – punchy; intricate piano with equally intricate percussion plus horns; keeps moving; nice ending 4:13

**6-Guajira Simple – starts very quietly with solo piano; adds instrumentation but stays quiet; nice flute work; louder & then quiet again; piano motifs really pretty; quick ending 9:29

7-Alabanza – melange of sounds at beginning; hard to tell where it's headed; kind of all over the place, as it turns out; nice flute work; nice Yoruban drums at end 9:46

*8-Blues Guaguancó – vocal; sounds more like Buena Vista Social; plus scat 6:02

Disc 2

Vaca Frita turntable scratching here for those who like that sort of thing along with Cuban dance music and lots of trumpet and sax; nice piano work toward end 8:34

*Just One Moment--lots of horns! Some nice riffs --3:08

**El Bombón- vocals with orchestra and marimbas! As well as a “tres” Cuban stringed instrument and guiro--7:09

**Second Lina Soca dance song with vocals in English- happy sound - 6:18

There’s a Statue of Jose Martí in Central Park -more like a serious jazz composition; complex 13:08