Marc Ribot Y Los Cubanos Postizos
Marc Ribot and his Prosthetic Cubans are a jazz-rock band playing music written by (and for) the late Cuban composer and bandleaderArsenio Rodriguez. While best known for his guitar work withElvis Costello,Tom Waits, and theLounge Lizards, Ribot has gained in stature and confidence as a solo artist in recent years. Ribot is accompanied here by the likes of keyboardist John Medeski andJazz Passengersbassist Brad Jones, and his playing is alternately angular, fluid, and extremely visceral. Within this Latin-jazz context, Ribot occasionally echoesCarlos Santana, while his percussion-fueled ensemble (anchored by E.J. and Robert J. Rodriguez) plays it hot, hot, hot. Very traditional yet ultimately modern, this imaginative session swings much better than most.--Mitch Myers