Editorial Reviews

Another slammin' mix of new and rare Latin jazz grooves, Viva Cubop 3 has a stronger dancer's orientation than its predecessors. Perhaps that's because of the renewed vitality of harder-edged Latin dance music has given jazzbos new license to move to the dance floor -- but theories aside, it's a good thing. The premier Latin jazz label convenes its usual roster of (mostly) West Coast–based stars, including Johnny Blas, Bobby Matos, John Santos, and Papo Vasquez, and mixes in their recent tracks with some vintage material (by rare-groove favorites the Har-You Percussion Group) and unreleased tracks. Standouts come by way of the regulars: The Santos/Matos collaboration "I Don't Speak Spanish" bridges loopy spoken-word poetry with hard mambo; U.K. conguero Snowboy takes no prisoners with "42nd & Broadway"; veteran bongosero Jack Costanzo shows off a band that's still ahead of the pack with "Bemba Colora" from his 2002 release Scorching the Skins. Another old-timer, Cuban conguero Francisco Aguabella, emphasizes the jazz end of the spectrum with a swinging "My Favorite Things." All told, energetic listening, for sure, and a great catalogue of the latest offerings from Cubop. Mark Schwartz, Barnes & Noble

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