Jazz Descargas
The reigning superstars of Latin percussion, Conga Kings Candido Camero,  Carlos "Patato" Valdes, and Giovanni Hidalgo have among them worked with  everybody fromTito  PuentetoDizzy  Gillespie. This CD finds the trio performing Latin and jazz classics in the  descarga format: a type of Cuban jam-cum-improv session. With the zesty  arrangements of ex-Machito arranger Ray Santos, thecongueros--along with  alto saxophonist Phil Woods, salsa trombonist Jimmy Bosch, and trumpeter  Chocolate--turn classic tracks like Bud Powell's "Un Poco Loco," Dizzy  Gillespie's "Night in Tunisia," and the Duke Ellington/Juan Tizol number  "Caravan" into fast and folkloric showstoppers. On "Conga Descarga," the players  engage in a heavy percussion discussion that illustrates the jaw-dropping power  of Afro-Cuban music.--Eugene Holley Jr.