Cuba Linda
Recorded in 1996 in his native Cuba, Alfredo Rodriguez'sCuba Lindais an exciting and ambitious melange of Afro-Cuban styles. At the center of it all is the daring and unpredictable piano work of the leader, shining atop the feast of percussion that highlights Joe Boyd's highly textured production. The richness and variety of Cuba's musical traditions is on full display. "Cuba Linda" begins with a lovely solo-piano passage before exploding into a vibrant rumba. "Cuando Vuelvo A Tu Lado" is an elegant dance number graced by romantic violins. "Canto de Palo" is a traditional folk song with call-and-response vocal chants and some of Rodriguez's most thrilling piano work. "Drume Negrita" is a delicate, stately lullaby that is deepened by Rodriguez's florid rolls and harmonic experiments. The crowning achievement here, however, is the closing "Para Francia Flores (y Para Cuba También)," which begins with a dramatic piano statement, adds a stirring piano-vocal duet passage, and builds slowly to a tension-releasing crescendo with blaring Chinese cornet and pounding piano.--Marc Greilsamer