Hot House
With his brassy sound, Arturo Sandoval is a glorious throwback to a tradition of big-band trumpeters who cast their voices over pumping horn sections, from Swing Era greats likeBunny BeriganandHarry Jamesto bop players such asDizzy Gillespieand high-note specialistMaynard Ferguson. Sandoval is most adept when he's fusing the rhythmic vitality of his Cuban heritage with the complexities of bebop, invoking the spirit of Gillespie's pioneering 1947 big-band efforts. It's in sharpest relief on the masterful take ofTadd Dameron's bop classic "Hot House," but the rhythms are churning and the brass are wailing elsewhere as well, as "Sandunga" and "Tito," named for the presence of timbales greatTito Puente.--Stuart Broomer