Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars 1
A live concert recording from Los Angeles,Jazz on the Latin  Side All-Starsis more than just a summit meeting between some of  the heaviest names the genre has to offer. It's also a tribute to radio  station KLON DJ José Rizo, whose radio program has been  spreading the gospel of Latin jazz to southern California and beyond  since 1990.Jazz on the Latin Side All-Starsis also something  of a coming-out party for Rizo the composer, who penned five of the six  tunes featured here. He proves himself more than just a radio DJ  blessed with good taste--he's also an astute composer with both an ear  for interesting arrangements and an obvious grasp of the music he  loves. Blessed with a huge band that featured such heavyweights as  percussionistsFrancisco Aguabella,Alex Acuna, andPoncho Sanchez,  trombonists Arturo Velasco and Francisco Torres, bassist Al McKibbon  and many more, Rizo's tunes have this stunning collection of musicians  shining and packing a sweaty dance floor. "Shortcuts" starts things off  in a mambo vein, theguajira"Mujer Chicana" deliciously  features Aguabella and Velasco, and "Arabian Moods" opens with a  thrilling Afro-Cuban percussion section that shows Aguabella driving  with Afro-Cuban folkloric style and energy. Even with Rizo's fine  compositions, the set's highlight is the 15-minute closer, "Descarga  Cachao," which gives nearly everyone a chance to solo over a groove  written by the legendary Cuban bassistOrlando "Cachao" López.--Ezra  Gale