Jazz Descargas

The reigning superstars of Latin percussion, Conga Kings Candido Camero, Carlos "Patato" Valdes, and Giovanni Hidalgo have among them worked with everybody from Tito Puente to Dizzy 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, the congueros--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.