At the Point 1
Puerto Rican trombonist and composer Papo Vázquez'sAt the Point V. One, cut live in the Bronx, New York, is the kind of sizzling jam session that might leave you worn out by the time you get to the end of the disc's six tracks. Vázquez's band, Pirates and Troubadours, contains some of the finest Latin jazz musicians in New York, including pianist Arturo O'Farrill (Chico's son), bassists Tony Batista and Andy Gonzalez, and drummers Phoenix Rivera and Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez; so it's no surprise that the band's groove is consistently topnotch. In fact, it's a tribute to the musicians' prowess that tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker's fiery guest solo on "Coqui" is a high point--but only one of many.At the Point, however, stands out because Vázquez also proves himself to be an ambitious and distinctive composer on tunes like the opening "Baila Plena," which builds to a whirlwind from a funky opening vamp; the beautiful "Valz de los Invisibles"; or the epic "Last Dynasty," which brings to mind a Puerto Rican-style Charles Mingus.At the Point V. Oneis that rare Latin jazz record you can listen to and dance to with equal pleasure.--Ezra Gale